The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 7, 1927, Page 7

A et Three Revolutions In One The spirit of solidarity expressed by the National Conference of the Independent Labor Party of Eng- land with the Chinese Revolution is a great forward step in the most important direction at the present time. It now devolves upon the workers of England to make this “spirit” of solidarity an actual em- pirical fact. The LL. P’s resolution urges the British workers to refuse to fight in a war against China when the government declares one. That the workers refuse to produce munitions to be used in that war. That the workers refuse to load and transport munitions and troops to China. Stop War on China. The workers of the entire world are dutybound, to their Chinese Comrades as well as to themselves, to pass similar resolutions and carry out the mean- ing of same to the last letter and dot. The struggling Chinese masses deserve this sol- idarity because they have undertaken and are bravely carrying out the mission imposed upon them by the present historical epech. A mission so tremendous in proportion and consequences that in ordinary slow development requires three revolutions to achieve the same results, For, unlike a highly developed capitalist country like the United States where the producing classes are exploited and oppressed by a native capitalist class, in China the toilers suffer eruel and vicious exploitation and merciless oppres- sion under a triangular system of tyranny. And this struggle in China now means to overthrow with one powerful blow, one great revolution, three forms of historical regimes of tyranny, slavery, exploita- tion and bring about freedom for the producing classes, Feudal Generals. First, China has not yet shaken off entirely the feudal system of exploitation and oppression. Up to the time when the present liberation movement commenced its victorious march the country was divided amongst the most vicious coterie of bloody and merciless bandits that stalk on two legs. There was the so-called “Central Government” in Pekin, Chang Tso-lin ruled in Manchuria, Yunan province had an autocratic potentate, Szechuan was blessed by the domination of three rival militarists, Wu Pei-fu controlled Honan Province and the great- er part of the Upper Yangtze Valley, while Sun Chuan-fang controlled the lower Yangtze, and Chang Chung-chang ruled over Shantung, Feng Yu-hsiang controlled northwestern provinces around Mongolia, while in the south the Canton republican govern- ment flourished. Excepting the last two forces, that is, Feng Yu-hsiang and the Canton’ Republic, who are now the leaders of the liberation movement, China’s masses bled, starved and writhed in agony under the iron heel of the Tuchunes, Tupans enu- merated above. : Hired Soldiers Everywhere. To maintain themselves as ehieftains over their respective territories these rulers were compelled to . surround themselves with bands of mercenaries. The rivalries between them led te costly wars, and consequently to destruction of lives and property, the interruption of enterprise in every field of en- deavor where battles were raging. Not only that, but every defeated group of mercenaries in their march of retreat pillaged, looted, destroyed and killed along their route. Thus not only were the producing masses physically bled, their meager pos- sessions looted and at times altogether destroyed but the costly expenses of these rival wars, the maintenance of the mercenaries and the various rulers’ regimes, were borne by the masses of China so much so that many militarists collected taxes as far as 80 years in advance. Is it a wonder that thousands of poor Chinese rather than be victimized in this manner and starve to death turned to ban- ditry themselves in their desperation? Destroying Expleiters. The present liberation movement is striking down these tyrants one by one and is bringing light and relief to the oppressed. It is striving to unite all of Chima into one whole nation and under one cen- tralized and responsible government. This act is, in the first place, a revolution against the remnants of feudalism. Second, China’s division between hostile militar- ists was taken advantage of and perpetuated by the capitalist imperialists. While the former oppressed and tyrannized. the Chinese masses the latter thru corruption, bribery and force took possession of the most important, most strategic and most valuable parts of the country. The capitalists began their “civilizing” work last . eentury in China by forcing the population to dope itself with opium. The Chinese people refused to be poisoned and even weht so far, in order to save themselves from the degrading and ruinous effects of it, as to seize one of John Bull’s steamers loaded with opium and dumped that abominable cargo into the water, Whereupon England’s capitalist govern- ment declared war on China and at the point of the bayonet forced the Chinese to become drug fiends so that the English capitalists may grow fat on the profits derived from this shameful trade. Not only that, to punish the Chinese for their impudence in refusing to be poisoned, the English took possession of the most. important ports and cities along the Yangtze. And still the Chinese kept on fighting against the opium when in 1859 England was joined by France, fought China and in its civil- izing campaign burned the summer palace and de- stroyed the most valuable art treasures therein and forced the Chinese government to legalize the opium trade. Conquered Best Seaports. Not only did the opium wars force this drug upon the country but they definitely established the im- perialists as super-rulers over China. Nineteen cap- italist countries entered China like hungry wolves to devour it and they wellnigh succeeded. They took possession of 49 ports, the most valuable ter- ritories for commerce, industry, railways and mines, established their own rules and laws, forced loans upen Chfha, levied indemnities upon the nation for not submitting willingly to the robbery of the im- perialists, took possession of the customs to enrich themselves at the expense of the Chinese govern- ment, at the same time to keep the latter in penury and force it to be dependent upon the good will of the imperialist robbers. In taking possession of the most important indus- trial centers China’s workers were not only filled with opium, not only were they treated like worth- less animals socially, not only were they deprived of their rights politically, but they were mercilessly exploited in the industries. Men, women and children were worked 16 hours a day and more for $1.50 per month. And when the workers asked for better conditions, humane treatment and higher wages, and struck for it, they were shot down for it. In May 1925 not only were clubs, rifles and machine guns used against the textile strikers of Shanghai, but armored tank ears were let loose that crushed the bones of the strikers, crimsoned the streets with their blood and scattered the entrails of the victims in every direction as the heavy machine plowed its way thru the screaming mass of workers. Against Foreign Tyranny. Thus the present liberation movement, in seeking to drive out these imperialists, has declared a co- lonial peoples’ revolution to end foreign tyranny in its territory. Third, the Chinese toiling masses will not and must not stop at overthrowing feudalistic autocracy and capitalist imperialist plutocracy but will at the same time fight the third revolution and that is the overthrow of Chinese native capitalism and estab- lish a Workers’ and Peasants’ Government. It is clearly to be seen that that is the direction the Chinese liberation movement is heading for. When the present struggle first commenced the Kuomintang Party represented all discontented ele- ments. First, the Chinese capitalists, who smarted under the domination of foreign imperialism. The former were discontented because the latter were the chief exploiters of the Chinese masses, Not By SID BUSH only that but the native capitalists suffered also by the condition of the militaristic regimes which ex- pressed itself in heavy taxation, interruption of trade, and quite often in the destruction of commod- ities and other property due to rival wars. Middle Classes Join. Second, the petty bourgeoisie who suffered from foreign imperialism as well as from the native richer class, and on top pf that from the militarists. Third, the professional class, that saw China’s agony and misery and having received its education mostly in Western Europe and America desired to achieve national unification and national independence under a republican form of government modelled along the lines of the U. S. or some other democratic bourgeois form of government. Such a government would give the professional class its rightful place in public life and full sway to their abilities which is under existing conditions impossible. Fourth, landlords who suffered thru rival wars, high taxes and imperialist domination. Fifth, the poor peasantry. And sixth, the industrial and city workers. The latter two were the greatest sufferers of all because these carry on their backs all those enumerated above.and furnish the Tupans with all their requirements to maintain their regimes and their wars. Hence these six main elements in Chinese life joined the Kuomintang Party. Working Class Rises. But with the progress of the struggle the workers and peasants who supply the sinews of the revolu- tion demanded some concessions, an amelioration of their miserable condition. The capitalistic elements within the Party refused to heed them and fought against the workers’ and peasants’ demands. Then the peasants began to revolt against the Party. Were the Party to accede to the aspirations of the upper classes within the organization then the revo- lution would lose its backbone, for without the peas- anta, who comprise between 85 and 90% of the pop- ulation, the liberation movement would go down to defeat. Thus the landlords within the party had to be dropped and the peasants retained. Now the farm- ers are organized in unions and thru their organized power reduced the exorbitant taxes upon their hold- ings. And whereas before, when farmers protested against high taxation they were arrested, now ‘it is the contrary, it is the gentry that is being arrested by the farmers and the Kuomintang helps them along. Wherever the Nationalists capture a city an army of organizers are let loose to organize the workers in all trades and industries, Immediately upon the heels of organization a strike wave sweeps the area and thru their organized power the workers reduce their working hours and raise their wages. When (Continued on Page Four)