Evening star., 1949-10-23

propaganda now seldom mentions
him. Mao Tse-tung, in the in
augural discussions Of the new
Peoples Republic Of China" !"
which the Communists proclaimed
recently. referred to him per-
functorily as "the forerunner Of
the Chinese peoples revolution" "
To Peking, against which DR.. Sun
warred all his life, both the cap
ital and its old name have been
restored. And the Communists
new flag bears the date, not Of
October 10 but of August l, 1927.
the date Of their own revolution
against the Kuomintang.
This may be why the Com
munists did not wait until Oc-
tober 10. as generally expected,
to proclaim the Peoples Re-
public Of China" In everything
it Is the Communists boast that
China has cut all trammels with
the past and made . new start.
Bored by Marxism
Much stress is laid on the "gen-
timely democratic" nature Of the
Peoples Republic. The 636 dele
gates In the Peoples Political
Consultative Conference (Which
adopted the new constitution)
represented Is different associa-
tions, many Of which are not
Communist, besides tribesmen
and Chinese overseas. This PPCC
will act as consultative body
until the time is ripe for the
election Of q national congress
by universal suffrage. It has al
ready elected a Government Coun-
Gil, Of which Mao Tse-tung is
chairman, but, on paper at least,
Mao will be no Chinese Stain;
decisions will be made only by the
whole council.
There is also an Executive Yuan
(roughly, a council Of ministers) ,
with the polished Chou En-lai,
descendant Of generations of
mandarins. as Premier. And
throughout the country there are
to be regional assemblies, to meet
China's age-long practice Of local
government. But at the back Of
all is the Communist Party, and
the Politburo. with its far-flung
spies to keep watch against any
deviation from the party line.
How it will all work out is any
body's guess. What differences
there are in the Communist ranks
between realists and fanatics no.
body knows, though they prob
ably exist. Schoolbooks are be-
ing rewritten, plus intensive in
doctrination Of the people in
Marxism. with which the country
folk are becoming very bored
Nowhere is the past more difficult
to bury than in China, and Marx
ism has q formidable rock of con-
servatism to overcome in the age
long conviction of every Chinese
that his first duty is to his family,
his ancestors and himself
Shrewd, accustomed to think for
themselves. and imbued through
1000 years with clear-cut polit-
ical and social principles, the Chi
nese present a very different prob
lem from the serf- -natured Rus
slams.
Businessmen Heartened
The Communists are proceed
ing with obvious caution. It is
not without significance that
soon after taking Shanghai, they
made known their objection to
being called Reds, or even Com
munists. Their song is not the
"Internationale," but . native
composition. In their nag is nc
hammer or sickle, but one large
gold star for the &C. P" and -four
smaller stars to represent the -four
classes of the Peoples Republic
workers, peasants, petty bour-
geoisie and patriotic" Gin dis
tinction from feudal or KMT)
capitalists. who. it is repeatedly
stressed, are indispensable for
China's recovery. In presenting
the common program for the
PPCC's guidance, Liu Shao-chi,
one. Of the most stalwart Marxist-
Leninists, emphasized that it
made no attempt to define the
future of socialism in China, for
this, though certainly the ulti-
mate aim, was "a thing of the
rather far future" der ndent on
much still unforeseeable.
Such portents win be very vel
come to businessmen In Shanghai,
both British and Americans, of
whom there are still 800 who have
not joined in the general Ameri-
can exodus. They are much
heartened by the fact that they
have at last made contact with
Gen. Chen vi, the Mayor, for a
discussion of their difficulties, and
that he has put a stop to the out