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Salient: An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 12, No. 5, June 8th, 1949.

Another Christian Views China

page 7

Another Christian Views China

Interview granted to Salient's Paris correspondent by Dr. J. G. Endicott, leader of the Canadian Delegation to the World Peace Congress held in Paris, April 20th—25th.

Dr. Endicott was born in China and passed 22 years there as a missionary of the United Church of Canada. For two years (39-40) he was not only advisor to Madame Chiang and the Generalissimo, but was on intimate personal terms with them and the members of the Nationalist government; a government (which was not elected) but seized power by an army and promises, naturally unfulfilled.

The revolution which is now taking place in China has been going on for 100 years. It began with the Taiping Rebellion in 1850. There were outbursts in 1900, 1911 and 1927.

The long range view of history will show that this movement marks the break-up of feudalism and it can therefore be regarded as the Chinese equivalent of the English revolution of Cromwell's time or the French Revolution of 1789.

The changes in China did not come about by the natural, internal, industrial development of the economy. They were forced on the country by the impact of the Industrial Revolution from the West. The old feudal economy of China did not enable the tenent farmer and the landless peasant to make a living by farming. Each had to supplement it by home industries. These home industries are being destroyed by the advent of cheap machine-made goods.

Since the agricultural population of China is thus "faced with semi-starvation because of the loss of its handicraft industries, it must demand two things:—
(a)a land reform which will relieve the starving peasant of high crop rent, high interest, oppressive taxation and the continuous conscription of his labour by both the government and the landlord.
(b)a programme of industrialisation which will take care of the surplus population and at the same time guarantee a free and independent China.

The Chinese reformers of today are afraid that China may become an agricultural and raw material colony of the industrial West and that it may be forced into the old position of being a market of "400,000,000 customers."

In the past, each attempt of the Chinese people to bring about these reforms was stopped or set back by western armed intervention. When it was not direct armed intervention, it consisted of arming and financing a small reactionary group which would stop the reforms and give the West the economic advantages it demanded.

From 1911 onwards imperialist Japan was particularly successful at this sort of intervention. Modern American policy is no different and accounts for the Anti-American feeling in China which is not the work of agitators but represents a deep fear on the part of the great majority of the Chinese people that the "Twenty-one demands" of Japan and the "Co-prosperity Sphere" may come out in a revised and condensed U.S. edition.

Past Failure

The Kuomintang government headed by the "Four Families" is quite incapable of giving the reforms which the great majority of the people want. There is overwhelming evidence that the government is too corrupt, oppressive and inefficient to handle the situation.

Since 1944 there has been a long list of major scandals, any one of which would have forced the resignation of the government in a democratic country. For example: The Gold Bar Scandal. The Postal Savings Bank Scandal. The Shanghai Rice Hoarding Scandal. The Shanghai U.S. Blood Plasma Deal. The Taking Over of Japanese Property Scandal, The Slaughter in Formosa Scandal, etc.

Dr. Endicott continued by giving extensive proofs of the corruption and cruelty of the Chiang Regime, quoting largely from reactionary American sources. But, as the rottenness of this regime is now universally recognised we do not consider it necessary to repeat the material.

The Chinese people, through hundreds of organisations, demanded, after the war a great reform based on a coalition government. The Nationalist Government, before it was armed by America, agreed to a coalition government as the basis of these negotiations. The Chinese Communist Party was reasonable and compromising, as General Marshall has admitted, until they became" aware that while General Marshall was negotiating with his left hand arming Chiang Kai-Shek with his right hand. It soon became evident that America intended to establish a corrunt military dictatorship by the help of American money, men and arms. An examination of the state of affairs in China south of the Yan-gtse river, where Chiang Kai-Shek's regime has been in undisputed control for years is adequate demonstration of the fact that to keep him in power can only make things worse.

The enormous strength of the revolutionary forces has been built up by giving the great majority of the people what they want. They get no help from Russia. Most people are sceptical of this, but it is a well-proven fact. General Marshall stated on his return that there was no evidence. He had observers and agents all over the north, both during the war and after.

Mr. R. E. Lauterbach of "Time Magazine" travelled with a "Truce Team" in the north. He writes:—

"I could find no evidence myself. I met O.S.S. men and G.2. operatives who were devoting all their energies to this problem from V.-J. Day on. They never collected a good enough case to float a first class rumour, which in China is the pinnacle of failure."

Mr. A. T. Steele of the "New York Herald-Tribune" after extensive investigation reported after a visit to Comunist controlled territory:—

"There is still no evidence of direct material aid by the Russians to the Communist forces."

Reasons

The revolutionary forces are winning because they are giving 80% of the people what they want. They are giving honest government, local democracy, light taxes and enough to eat and enough to wear for everybody. Such a programme is bound to win.

If we let things take their natural course in China quickly, without prolonging the struggle by arming Chiang Kai-Shek, we will get a progressive government which will include part of the Kuomintang, a large amount of middle-of-the-road influence and some Communists. The longer we keep Chiang Kai-Shek in power, the stronger will the left wing become.

It is interesting to note that what the revolutionary forces are giving the people in the way of land reform and local democracy is what every political party for the last forty years has been promising the people.

The U.S.A. talk about non-intervention in China, but the billions of dollars and war material they have granted Chiang have not been aimed at peaceful ends.

The U.S. has trained and armed for the Kuomingtang 700.000 combat troops and 50,000 special service operatives called by various names. At least 2000 airmen are being trained in the U.S., not to mention the great training scheme for 250.000 men in Formosa.

Military Training Schools have been set up by the U.S. Army for the Kuomintang sinve V.-J. Day in the following places:—Tsingtas, Nanking, Kunming, Chunking, Canton, Henyang. Hankow, Hsuchow and several more are planned.

U.S. military training personnel has been estimated at about 4000. There is no doubt that U.S. Army men are now assisting in the direction of the civil war.

Dr. Endicott concluded this interview with these words of Dr. T. C. Chao. Dean of Religion in the American missionary university of Yen-king:—

"Many of the leading Christians in China are thanking God for the rapid victory or the Popular Army as being the only means for the Chinese people to get peace and reconstruction."

S. T. H. Scoones.