Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-04
Who Leads the Chinese Reds?

In the dispatches from China telling
of the uprising of the Communists of
the South against the Marking govern
ment evidences appear that point to
the maintenance of some degree of mill
tary order in the movements in Human,
Kiangsi and Eastern Hupeh. The at
tack upon Changsha and the footing of
that important industrial CITY, with its
large silk mills, was marked by an APP
parent purpose to secure funds and to
destroy a source of revenue for the Ma
tionalists. Since then the Communist
swarms have operated in two such dis
tinct directions that definite military
plan is indicated. The purpose APP
parently is to cut of Hankow from
Marking, with the neighbor cities of
Hanyang and Wuchang-the three are
virtually one city, being separated by
the Yangtse and the Han-and also to
capture Kiukiang, which lies about 100
miles to the southeast, down the
Yangtse. These detectives are seemingly
part of a general plan to approach and
possibly to capture Marking, the seat of
the Nationalist government, which lies
little more than 200 miles down the
Yangtse from Kiukiang.
In these more or less orderly move
ments there Is hint at something
more than mere Chinese Communist
direction. In the first place, the red
bands that form the body of the fight
ing forces in the field are all irregulars,
volunteers, bandits and deserters from
the Nationalist armies. If left to them
selves they would acknowledge no lead
ership beyond that which provided the
Chow" and the ammunition. Such
leadership, however, is not lacking.
Hints have been given in the dispatches
of the presence of Borodin, the erst-
while military adviser" of the Nation-
alist government who was dismissed
and ali but executed by Chang Kali
shek. This Russian agent of the So
Wet government at Moscow, in the
course of his several months OF con-
nection with the Kuomintang govern
ment of China, succeeded in establish
ing a number of Communist centers in
the Southern provinces. These CEN
tiers have now sprouted their baleful
crop of radicals, who have taken the
field. Borodin was driven out OF China
or at least out of the range OF the
Nationalist government-some Time
aga. His wife was under arrest IN
pekine for a while and barely escaped
execution as a spy. That Borodin mas
returned to the field of his former ac-
tivit.es and is now acting not merely
as military adviser. bat as virtual COM
mander. of the Communist forces is
suspected. 1t is not an unlikely n.y.
! po.hesis. Moscow would be greatly
pleased to aid in the overthrow OF the
Nationalist government Of China by
| Communists.
t. is this possibility that is said to
concern the Northern coalition OF insur-
gents against the Marking govern
rnsnt. even while 1t is in the thick OF
its fisiat to win Shantung from the Ma
tionalists. For if the Mcscow-inspireo
If not actually Moscow-led-Com-
nunists succeed In overthrowing Ma
tionalist authority in the South they
are quite likely to continue their cam
paign northward, in which case Yen
Hsi-shan, Feng Yu-hsiang and. Wang
Ching wei, the Northern trlumVlrate
now engaged in organizing a new gov
eminent lat Peking, would have an
other war on their hands.