The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-12
By R. DOONPING

Canton opened fire on the Red
City where the toiling masses had
just set up their own government.
a Soviet government-the first So
Wet government in the whole CO.
lonial world Bandit soldiers of the
Kuonlintang militarist Ii Fu-ling
launched a savage attack under
the protection of the gunfire from
the imperialist warships. After the
Canton Commune was thus drown
ed in blood, the capitalist press the
world over heaved a sigh of relief
and, with sadistic joy, congratu-
lated the Kuomintang butchers for
their efficiency. They naively
thought it was all over; "the Boil
shevist menace" was murdered out
of existence and the gentlemen
from Wall Street and Lombard
Street and others of their kind
could do whatever they wanted
with the sleeping giant Of the
Far East.
PEASANT REvOLTS
BREAK OUT
But hardly were the flames OF
revolt in China eXtinguished
when peasant revolts broke out in
many parts OF South China and
many village Soviets were set up.
Despite unprecedented terror and
suppression, the movement devel-
oped with such persistence and
steady progress that the Kuomin-
tang government soon found its
hands full. Five major military
campaigns were launched against
the Soviet forces but all ended
with disastrous results for the Ku-
omintang. Chang Kai-shek was
forced to carry on the anti-Red
war within his own army, while
Soviet power was becoming more
and more consolidated and ever
ready for further expansion. On
the eve of the fifth anniversary of
the Canton Commune there are
about 100000 people living I'M
der Soviet rule with an All-China
Central Soviet Government, six
provincial Soviet governments, ten
regional Soviet governments and
over a hundred district Soviets.
THUS Soviet China is no longer
merely an aspiration but real
ity. To one-fourth of the popula-
ton OF China, it is already a mat
ter of daily experience-an expert
ence of economic reconstruction
and social upbuilding A consider
able section of Soviet China lies
in the flood area, and one of the
major economic problems in this
area, where hundreds of acres of
good agricultural land was de-
stroyed by flood last year, is re-
clamation. The following account
by an eyewitness shows how sue
cessfully Soviet China solved the
basic problem Of agricultural pro
duction. He says: TN the Soviet
flood area in western Human and
Hupei reclamation is no more a
problem The Soviet government
distributed part of the seeds, and
400 water buffaloes. The peasants
collectively bought part OF the
necessary seeds and organized
grain co-operatives. Buffalo sta
tions were established The Soviet
government set up factories for
the manufacture Of agricultural
tools and implements.
Whenever the Soviet territory .
expands, land and implements are
taken away from the landlords and
extra implements are taken away
from the rich peasants, SO that
the poor and middle peasants will
have more land and impl 3rlents to
work with. AS soon as sufficient
seeds, implements and buffaloes
are obtained, cultivation immedi-
ately starts. Since land has been
equally distributed, peasants assist
each other in the work of cultiva-
ton by organizing mutual-help
detachments, and competitive
groups. Thus, in the midst of
starving white famine territory,
the peasants in this Soviet area
reaped a Red harvest" Pacific
Worker, Vol. 3, No. Is, Aug. Is,
1882 -Emphasis nine.
The secret Of the quick recovery
from the ravages Of the flood in
the Soviet territory lies in the fact
that here the main obstacle to prog :
ress in agricultural production has
been removed by the agrarian revo-
luton. Private property in land
has been abolished and the landlord