Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-08
BY VICTOR KEEN.

- HANGHAI-The results Of the
last two months of government
warfare against Communists in
~ the Yangtze provinces of Hupeh,
Human and Kiangsi have con-
clusively proved one disquieting fact
that Communism, or the Chinese
equivalent of the Soviet theory. has
gained a foothold in China that no
/ brief military campaign can pernla-
nently dislodge.
Those who would dismiss the whole
/ Communist movement in China with
! the generalization that the so-called
| Red armies are no more than irTespon-
| sible bands Of bandits masquerading
under the name of borrowed foreign
! political theory are, ostrich-llke, refuS-
! ing to face the facts. Unbiased observ-
erS who have no love for the theories
Of Lenin admit that while the rank
and file of the Red armies in China
may be made up largely OF illiterate
peasants and mercenarieS, each Con-
munist military unit Is operating un-
der a well trained military COM
mander and a political leader well
versed in the teachings of Moscow.
The reluctant testimony Of foreign
missionaries and others who have OBJ
served the results Of Soviet propaganda
at first hand proves that the govern
ment forces are combating more than
mere armies. They are fighting against
an idea that has fallen upon the fertile
soil of minds embittered by years of ex-
| tortionate taxation by INSCRIPTIONS
military war lords. There Is no deny
ing the fact that the peasant classes
| have been favorably disposed toward
the Communists.
Beguiled BY Promises.
Every occupation of town by Com
munists has brought more than new
military recruits. The Red doctrine OF
redistribution Of land and equitable
taxation has found ready acceptance
| among the tenant farmers whose lot
/ has been made so wretched by rapa-
| cious militarists who confiScate their
| crops and their work animals in the
| name OF taxation. That they are easily
beguiled by the rosy promises OF the
Communist leaders is not difi1cult to
| imagine.
| One frequently hears the theory ad-
vanced that Communism will never
gain a foothold in China because the
| Chinese farmer owns his own plot OF
| land and therefore is not interested In
| the theory of land specialization. the
argument is based on false premise.
Most of the farmers in Human and
n
| own farms Investigators have esti-
mated that rs per cent of the farmers
| in these two provinces, which are
marked on the map as hotbeds OF
| Communism, do not own the soil which
| they till but pay rent in money or IN
kind to absentee landlords.
The Communist military and political
| leaders have not been slow to capitalize
upon this situation. One of their first
ok@ anti O.
stroy the land deeds and redistribute
| the land among the tenant farmers.
| The wealth of the well-to-do towns
people Is confiscated and portion OF
| it is distributed to the poor, the re-
mainder being used for financing the
Communist military campaign.
Two years ago the Communist armies
| in the Yangtze provinces could. be
counted on one hand. Today there are
more than dozen well disciplined
| armies operating in this area, many OF
| them headed by q commander trained
| in one Of the government military
academies, and a political leader edu-
Gated in Moscow or by disciple OF
Moscow.
Even LO0ting Systematic.
Wherever the Communists have re-
manned in power for any considerable
| lenBLu OF IlIne Luey NAVE abeCHAPUCu
to put their civil program into execu-
ton. They have set up local govern
ment patterned from Moscow. Even
their looting has been systematic and
| in accordance with q previously ar
ranged plan. At Changsha, which fell
/ to the reds last Summer the city was
divided into districts for footing pur-
poses and only the homes of the
wealthy and the property OF the for
eign missions were nlolested.