The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-12-02

"Only the Soviets Can Save China" (Stalin.)
IN Nov. and there took place the bloody
battle on the river Nonni where the troops
OF the Japanese irnperialiSts for the first time
encountered the resistance OF a larger Chinese
force Many hundreds were killed and wounded,
and the Japanese imperialists reacted with the
greatest fury to this first setback The whole
machinery of shameful provocation against the
Soviet Union was once more set going; there
talk of Soviet officers who were found
among the fallen, of Russian soldiers in Chi
nese uniforms, etc.-an this not only with view
to justifying the occupation OF Anganchi and
the bridge head on the river Nonni, but also the
further advance Tsitsihar, on the Chinese
Eastern railway against the Soviet Union. For
the japanese imperiatsts the battle of Nonni
means only another pretext for continuing their
advance in Manchuria, for provoking the Soviet
Union. Also all the loud assertions that the
memorandum issued by Baron Tanaka in the
year 1927 and now published by the Commu-
mist press, and which exposes the Japanese plans
of conquest Of Manchuria and China and the
war against the Soviet Union, is a forgery sound
particularly ridiculous at a moment when the
plan set forth in this memorandum is more
clearly approaching its realization every day.
What attitude has been adopted by the Kuo-
mintang government to the first attempt to
check the advance of the japanese imperialists
against the Chinese people? What is this gov
eminent doing whilst a handful OF Chinese SOL
diers are attempting to oppose the superior war
technique and the trained and drilled troops Of
the Japanese generals? The Kuomintang and
their agents deny all responsibility for the acts
OF these Chinese soldiers! They declare that it
was mere lieutenant, acting on his own initi-
alive and against the orders of his superiors,
who called a halt n the rho
however, Immediately received instructions to
sound a retreat and not to put any difficulties
in the way of the Japanese. DR.. SEE, the rep
resentative at Geneva of the Kuomintang ban
dts, must not be disturbed in his bargaining over
the sale not only of Manchuria but of the indie
pendence Of the whole Of the Chinese people to
the impe1alists. The armed and plundering
conquerors must not be opposed by the power
OF the lnsurgent people, of the Chinese workers
and peasants, for such revolutionary defense
OF Chinese independence against Japanese i'm
perialism would stir up the masses of the peo-
pie, who would then clear out not only the Japa-
nese generals but also their own hangmen, the
blood-stained Chang Kai-shek clique. This is
the reason OF the plaintive winnings with which
the Kuonintang disavows any revolutionary
fight against Japanese imperialism: this is the
reason why, at the very moment the guns thun-
dered on the river Nonni and the japanese i'm
pcrialists extended the war from the South to
the North of Manchuria, the Kuomintang peo-
pie had nothing better to do than issue a special
law prohibiting any anti-Japanese agitation
For the Chinese masses the decisive moment
has now arrived when they must turn their eyes
to the real signal for freedom to the flag OF the
fight for emancipation which has been raised in
China itself. 1t is not due to coincidence that
precisely Nov. Z that is on the 14th anniver-
sary OF the Soviet Republic and at the same
time when the jackboots OF the Japanese Cen
erals are tramping on the working masses OF
China, when, on the river Nonni, Chinese work
ers and peasants are moved down by the nr-
derors fro OF Japanese field glms-that pre-
ciSely at this moment the Chinese Soviet dig
tricts have convened their Congress in order to
consolidate the power of the Chinese Soviets,
in order, in place of the revolutionary Soviet
Committee (this committee played the part OF q
provisional central Soviet government and was
therefore often described as the Central Govern
men9 which is Leading the fights, to elect a
GentUI acR3et QokH8umeut ter Central END