The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-26
BY T. ]. o'FLAHERTY.

: hODerJ JunuS Mention expressed as
agreement with the editorial COM
ment made by me on the detection of
Chang Kai-Shek from the Koumin-
tang Party and his desertion from
the Nationalist Revolutionary move
ment. l declared that Chiang-Kai-
Shek dealt serious blow to the
revolution. Comrade Kenton is of
the opinion that l was unduly pessi-
mistic, that in fact Chiang's treach-
cry was a good stroke for Chinese
emancipation movement, since it is
now clear that Chang had always in
tended to stage this coup "since he is
in the middle class and product of
his class" With all due respect to
Comrade Kenton, this is the bunk.
The Kuomintang Party is composed
of all elements of the population that
could be united for struggle against
foreign Imperialism and for the uni
fication of China. In this alliance
there were many clashing interests
and the strategy of the imperialists
from the start was to split the Kou-
mintang Party before the spirit of
revolt sunk so deep into the masses
that it would be impossible to stop
its onward march.
The counter-revolutionary elements
are composed of the militarist cliques
and the contractors and big traders.
Those elements have the support of
the foreign imperialists, but the lat
ter have also aimed at splitting
Koumintang by catering to the right
wing represented by the industrial
bourgeoisie still comparatively weak
in China to GUST the left wing and
the Communists.
IN view of the gigantic task con-
fronting all honest revolutionary
elements in China it is quite obvious
that forced split with these shaky
"allies" would only play into the
hands of the foreign imperialists. The
movement was gathering force and
the propaganda of revolution was
being carried on the wings of victory
to the most remote corners in China.
The foreign imperialists were shak-
ing in their shoes. Great Britain in
particular saw the handwriting on
the wall. She had more interests at
stake in China than any other coun-
try, had and she left no stone I'M
turned to line up all the other powers
for joint action against the revolt
ton before it developed invincible
power. She succeeded partially but
not decisively. Then came Chang
Kai-Shek's desertion and treachery, a
severe blow to the Nationalist move
nient, but not fatal one.
Comrade Kenton is of the opinion
that it would be worse had Chang
waited until after the capture OF.
Picking, when he would have all the
nilitarist mercenaries Incorporated
into the Nationalist armies, when the
southern troops would be outnum-
bered and swsmped and Chiang's
power increased.
This is too simple hypothesis.
Granting that Chang Tso-Lin instead
of fighting, took to poetry or opium
eating as permanent recreation, the
question might be well asked how
would the exchange of Chiang-Kai-
Shek for Chang Tso-Lin strengthen
the cause of the northern militarists
and their imperialist allies? 1t should
be understood that the Chinese people
were not following Chiang's person.
atty but the cause for which he stood,
and if he refrained from consum-
mating his act of treachery until he
had planted the Nationalist standard
in Picking, he would find it much
more difficult to betray the cause
than now, since the masses would
have been better organized, educated
and steeled in the fires of revolution
and the foreign imperialists would
be less able to assist him than they
are now.
C0MRADE KENTON'S attitude is
!" not a unique or isolated one. A
section of the Communist Party and
the Russian Party opposition of
China were infected with the diseased
idea that since there were in the
Koumintang elements that the pro-
letariat must eventually fight, it is
better to fight them now than later
on. But time works on the side of
the hegemony of the proletariat,
the Chinese workers
haven't secured yet over the Chinese
revolution. And it must not be for
gotten that the Chinese Communists
and the revolutionary left wing are
steadily increasing their power and
their hold on the Chinese masses
while the right wing, being funda-
pro-imperialist, is losing
out. Naturally an early split is to
the advantage Of the latter, while
unity, as long as no fundamental
principle of policy or aim is COM
promised thereby works to the advan-
tage of the revolutionary elements.
a.. (sl.:u~..