Evening star., 1932-05-15

even though it lacked the learning and
experience Of the elder statesmen. Then
came q series of movies" to inaugu-@
rate co-education in Chinese schools OF
higher learning, and to have birth con-
troll accepted as unobiectionable morally
and legally. Finally, there was revolt
against the exactions of religious tradi-
tions and dogmas.
\A/HEN the first steps had been taken
W to remove the ruins Of the past,
Chinese youth took the initiative in the
effort to forge the country into one polit-
ical unit. It marches ahead of the rest
in it's demand to have the popular Ian
guage accepted as the language Of litera-
ture. Thus it hopes to eliminate at least
some of the caste distinctions which are
inherent in the use of literary language
that is unintelligible to the masses Of
the population.
The first important political action of
Chinese youth took place at the time of
the Versailles peace conference, when
the great powers confrmed~Japan's pos
session of the leased territory of Kiao-
Chow, which it had taken from Germany.
The energetic action of the students of
Shanghai on that occasion may have had
some influence on the reconsideration
of the award at the time of the WASH
ington conference, which decided, with
Japan's assent, to turn the territory back
to China.
The Peoples party, better known as
the Kuomintang, which not only is NOM
inally supreme in China, but is the only
political party whose existence is recog-
nized. has large youthful element But
tradition is still strong enough to pre-
vent the young members from exerting
the full weight of their influence.
No country, not even China, pays more
attention to its political youth movement
than Russia. One of Lenin's favorite
axioms was that while the generation
now living in Russia could hope to fight
with success, victory could come only to
the generation growing up in the Com
munist state
Bolshevist children under z years form
the regiments of the Octobrists. The OBJ
ject of their training is to inculcate in
them class-consciousness and claSs-pride.
They are taught to think for themselves
but only with moderation, as the
teachings Of the great saints of the boil
shevist credo, Marx and Lenin, must be
accepted unquestioningly.
The result of this teaching is quite
surprising, not only on account of the
precocious answers the children give, but
also because of the change in the Rus
sian child's attitude toward life. Boil
shevist leaders point out with pride that
whereas under the Czarist regime chill
dren were little slaves, obeying absolute
maSterS-their teachers and parents
they now resemble American children in
their self-assurance and, sometimes, in
their assumption of superiority toward
adults go 'a'
The Octobrists are graduated into the
Pioneer class, where they remain until
they are IT. These are the advance
guards Of the revolution, thoroughly
.yersed in radical literature, often accom-
pliShed debaterS and leaders of the polit-
ical activities of small communities.
They are fond of broad generalizations
which sometimes have only the dimsiest
foundation in fact They are brilliant in
conversation, as long as it remains on
the surface, as they read voraciously on
many subjects, without becoming too
deeply acquainted with any one problem.
In Russia young boys and girls are the
shock troops of the proletarian revolu-
ton, and from their ranks are recruited
the flying brigades which keep an eye
on the progress of the five-year plan, on
the work Of the leading party workers
and on the supposed activities of coun-
ter-revolutionaries.
A FTER being graduated from the ranks