The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-18

OunS UO 100
Agnes Smedley in Danger
QUIETLY but intensely all
u the leading imperialist
powers are concentrating in
and around China for big
push to slice that country to
pieces or to grab it's markets.
Both from conversations
with several business men who have
just returned from the Far East,
and from the Japanese press, I get
some startling news of the activities
of French, British and American
capitalists in China.
A person who had occasion to
pass from Indo-China, the French
Colony. to Yuan, the extreme
southern province of China, tells
me that every French boat sailing
out of Marseilles to the Far East
is loaded to the gunwhales with
ammunition and guns. Besides,
greater contingents of troops are
being sent to this part of the world,
so that in the melee the French
can extend the Indo- Chinese border
into Yunnan.
In the very center of the inn
perialist drives for greater domina-
ton Of China, the Red Army Of
China is massing to block the moves
of these robber powers. The main
body of the Red Army from Kiangsi
has crossed the border of Szechuan
Province, and according to latest
cable reports from China, is girding
for attack on the leading industrial
city, Chungking.
1t is precisely in Szechuan Prov
ince where American and British
imperialism are most active, as we
will see.
THE Japanese imperialists, who
4 seized Manchuria and are now
edging into North China, are very
much worried by the action of their
competitors in other parts of China.
Hence they print news, gathered by
their secret agents, not obtainable
elsewhere. The Osaka Mainichi,
organ of the biggest trusts in Japan,
for instance, reports the following:
Wall Street is now negotiating a
100000 yuan loan COR about
S20,000,000) to the Canton govern
ment. Besides, they are planning
10000 yuan loan for the exploita-
ton of the oil fields in Szechuan
and Shensi provinces, and another
loan of 100000 yuan for the
establishment of a gasoline plant
as American joint enter
prise.
A British syndicate is negotiating
bith with Chang Kai-shek and
General Liu of Szechuan for a
100000 loan "for the development
of Szechuan province" Actually
this means that the British are to
furnish the war supplies for Chang
Kai-shek against the Red Army in
return for a substantial grip on
Szechuan province.
AGNES SMEDLEY, famous author
n Of books on China. who has lust
returned to that country, Is threat-
ened win assassination.
The Kuomintang press. as we'll az
the japanese ilnperialist press In
Shanghai. the Shanghai Nicl1i
Nichi are openly provoking her
rsurder. Chang Kai-shek's per-
sonal propaganda organ, the organ
of the Fascist Blue Shirts" Is
printing lying stories about Agnes
Smedley whose main purpose Is to
justify her murder.
In letter appealing to the
American press to expose this plot
against her life, Agnes Smedley
writes:
1.-THE utterly vicious and I'M
scrupulous lies circulated by the
JaBanese. and taken up by the
official Chinese press, are NEST
dangerous to my life. / regard
them as but an theological prep
aration for an attack upon my
life. VI | could sue for libel in
any decent court. ] could prove
the lies. But il I sue the Japan
ese paper. the trial would come IN
in Japan: and i would not have
ghost of chance in Japan
ese court. In China. the courts
are little tools Of the leading poll
ticians or militarists, and libel
case there Is utterly useless. MY
only hope Is to expose the lies
nublicly. If you ran help me in
doinr this l would be glad.
"0f course, the reason for the
press campaign against me and
for the discussions about the
possibility of shcoting me Is the
publication of my two latest books
in America-"Chinese Destinies"
and "China's Red Army Marches"
Both books expose the situation
in China. In way 1t is COM
rliment that my books are taken
so seriously that the Kuomintang
Fascists consider I am danger
to them. They are particularly
furious because my broks ap-
pcared abroad, chiefly in Amer
lea, where they try to pose as
modern nationalist government
instead of what they are-the
dirty running dogs of the foreign
i'm ner'ia LIST nnwere and thM