The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-06-14
By l. HELLER.

Role of PrOletariat and Peasantry
in National Movement for Freedom.
China is once again the center of
attention. During a few months the
Southern revolutionary armies, hav-
ing advanced beyond the boundaries
of the Kwangtung province, have
subordinated to the national revolu-
tionary administration of the Kuo-
mintang, territory with popula-
ton that equals that of the Soviet
Union.
1t would be a great mistake to con-
slider the victorious advances of the
Southerners on the north, through
the central industrial region of China,
only from a military point of view.
| The significance of the movement of
the Southern armies is that new fact
in the history Of China that the
growing movement is being carried
out on the shoulders Of the workers
and peasants. Just in this lies the
anti-militarist and revolutionary sig
nificance of the imposing events now
taking place in China. And this is
well understood by the imperialists
themselves.
Workers Drive On.
The working class, small numeri-
ally and weakly organized, has never
theless written some of the most as
tonishing pages in the history of the
last five years of the nationalist rev.
dictionary movement. 1t is sufficient
to remember the heroic strike of the
Hongkong sailors, which fundament-
ally reused the whole of China
spring 1922-the strike Of the Chi
nese railwaymen (Febraury 1929,
general strike in Shamin, foreign
quarter of Canton, in July, 1924, the
events in Shanghai in the summer of
1925, and finally the last Hongkong
strike. which lasted 16 months June
1925-Sept. 1926, to testify to the
truth of these words. These
strikes, like nothing else, moved the
whole of Chinese public opinion, drew
the attention not only Of the many
millioned masses of the poorer class
es in the towns, but gradually oath
cred strength among the most pro-
letarianized strata of the peasantry.
Strikes Always Political.
Events have SO happened in China,
that every more or less significant
economic strike in the foreign enter
prises unavoidably became anti-mili
tarist, and, with this, became politi-
cal in character, on the other hand,
every sharpening Of the fight with
! imperialism led and, leads to widen
ing Of the strike movement which is
the factor that gives the scope, the
force and the revolutionary signifi-
canoe to the anti-militarist move
ment. That the peasants have been
brought into the national revolution
ary movement. that peasant organi-
cations have been set up in many
provinces bcspeaks the great advance
made in the development of the Chi
nese revolution.
The Influence OF the Wa~-Political
Events on the Development of
the Labor Movement.
The labor and trade union move
ment in China. more than anywhere
else, is very closely connected with
recen; military political events
Each time, when the revolution was
forced to temporarily retreat before
the militarist-imperialist reaction
as was observed in the beginning Of
1923, at the end Of 1925 and early in
1926--thc labor movement expert
enced the ruthless pressure and Bit
terest persecution Of the reactionar-
les. In 1923, for instance, the work
ers' movement mot only political
organizations but Trade Union or
CARNATIONS too--was forced under
ground almost for two years.
The unions and declarations that
had Just been formed, that had not
been able TO organize or to strength
en- themselves, almost disappeared.
With the favorable turn Of events in
the political situation at the end Of
1924 and in the second half Of the
past year. organizations which had