Evening star., 1934-08-14
To the Editor Of T' e Star:

To the Editor Of Tt e Star:
On several occasions during the past
four years, have called attention to
the significance of the alleged Com
munist revolution in South China.
Invariably the news has been garbled
and misleading. The present cam
paign was beginning to make headway
a year ago this month. Some two
hundred officers Of Gen. Chang Kai-
shek, commander in chief of the ma
tional forces, were drowned in the
Siao River, between Kiukiang and
Nanchang, when the Communists de-
rallied their train August 81, 1888.
Early In November the Communists
captured 10000 rifles with large sup
ply of military stores in the country
west of Kiukiang.
In December Gen. Tsai Ting-kai
started a revolt in Fukien Province,
with the aid of the 10Th Route
Army, famous for the defense of
Shanghai against the japanese. An
attempt was made to declare that this
revolt was communistic. But the
Communists held aloof and left Gen.
Tsai Ting-kai to make his main OBJ
jective-peace with Chang Kai-shek,
pay for his troops and big award
for himself. This was accomplished
without a single decisive battle, and
the able poet-general left for Europe
with several of his staff "to study mill
itary matters" with the aid of an
award of 100000. But the Commu-
mist situation became more threaten
ing. Chang Kai-shek faced three
Communist armies in Western Fukien
In a swift encircling movement, the
Communists captured one Of Chang
Kai-shek's divisions with 5000
men and their entire equipment.
Chang Kai-shek had claimed a de-
which 5000 Communists were killed
but almost Immediately all wal
news was suppressed. In January
foreign naval parties were landing at
Foochow to protect this important city
of Fukien from invasion by the Com
munists.
Gen. Chang Kai-shek, June II, was
in Nanking, oStensibly for a formal
review of $4,000 Chinese cadets gradu-
ating from the Central Military Acad-
emy. He stated that the Communist
movement had been entirely sup
pressed. The dispatch, however, cast
an atmosphere of doubt about the in
formation, and continued:
The seriousness Of the anti-Com-
munist campaign, however, is easily
underestimate. Virtually, the only
source of information is the national
government itself and the government
is anything but discursive about it."
The fact is, Chang Kai-shek's forces
have been defeated and demoralized,
and large sections have now gone over
to the Communists with their equip
ment. But it is not the immediate
success Of the Communist movement
which is Of greatest interest, although
the revolutionists are within IL
miles of Foochow, and naval forces of
several nations are heading in to pro-
tect their nationals. 1t is the charac-
ter of the movement itself. 1t Is not
essentially communistic. In many re-
spects it is highly individual. The
leaders are acting with singular as
tuteness. They do not refer to the
Soviet policies, nor are there any in
dications of Russian advisers among
them. Followers of Sun Vat Sen, they
refer back to Mencius, contemporary
of Confucius; they proclaim to the
Chinese masses that the land belongs
to the people and not to the landlords:
Kill the landlords and their agents.
Pay no more rent" they preach.
When We coma, We viii cat your