Communism has once again been condemned by the American people. This time by the decision of the U. S. Supreme Court on June 5. To the Communists, this is "an enormous, shameless plot." The People's Daily vociferously shouted its disapproval on June 17.
Said the paper: "This decision is, in fact, a 'bare-faced move to outlaw the Communist Party of the United States,' and shows that the U. S. government is planning to step up its frenzied persecution of the Party.
"As is generally known," the paper added, "the Smith Act and the McCarran Act which the U. S. Supreme Court upholds are two notorious Fascist acts. By virtue of the Smith Act, the previous U. S. administrations perpetrated many criminal outrages against the people's democratic rights. The U. S. ruling circles have long schemed to invoke the McCarran Act to make trumped-up charges against the Communist Party of the United States as a subversive organization controlled by foreign agents in order to outlaw the Party. Now the U. S. Supreme Court has given sanction to the U. S. government outrages. This is a foreboding of more frenzied attacks on the American people's democratic rights by the U. S. ruling circles."
Ostensibly attempting to explain why the Kennedy administration should at this time resort to such a "brutal" measure to further "persecute" the Communist Party of the United States, and "trample on the American peoples democratic rights", the paper asserted:
"As is commonly known, Kennedy's pursuance of his policy of aggression abroad has met with strong opposition of the people not only in other lands but also at home. Now, when Kennedy is going to force the American people to make 'greater sacrifices' in order to continue pushing forward his policy of aggression and expansion, he has further to tighten his rule at home. And he believes that the first thing he must do is to strike at the Communist Party of the United States."
According to the logic of the Communists, anti-Communism is anti-democracy, and to prevent the Communists from engaging in subversive activities is to deprive the people of their legal rights. Based on this logic, the paper went on: "Ever since his assumption of power, Kennedy has always tried to pass for 'a champion of democracy and freedom.' But many facts in the past few months have shown to the world what kind of 'democracy and freedom' he wants to preserve abroad. And now he is going to show by new facts how he preserves 'democracy' and 'freedom' at home. One can see clearly anew what kind of 'free world' is this 'ideal land of democracy.' It is a world where the ruling circles have the freedom to deprive the people of their democratic rights and where the reactionary forces have the freedom to eliminate opponents and persecute the progressive forces.
"What is particularly ironical is the fact that while the U. S. government plans to step up persecution of the Communist Party of the United States and outlaw the Party, it gives more blessing to such extremely reactionary organizations as the Ku Klux Klan and the John Birchers and even allows the recently inaugurated American Nazi Party to get a legal status."
Peiping's Uncertainty
Usually, the Chinese Communist regime holds its "National People's Council" and announces its next year's economic plan by April. But this year it has failed to do so thus far. It has even failed to name a date for the meeting of the council. Together with many other indications of uncertainty and anxiety on the part of top planners of the Chinese Communist Party, this reveals that there are severe difficulties that confront them in drawing up a plan for the ensuing year.
For weeks the Chinese Communist press has been publishing repeated exhortations to rural officials and their superiors to investigate the precise situation regarding production everywhere. A fair deduction is that the higher levels are either inadequately informed of the true situation, or alarmed by the exaggerated figures and reports which have reached them.
The planning experts now view with much more skeptical eye the fairy-tale reports which preceded the humiliating confession of a huge overestimate of the 1958 grain crops, which in turn led to the grave derangement of the entire plans and expectations. Matters have now reached such a pitch that when a production brigade statistician really tries to make an accurate assessment he becomes a national hero. For example, a statistician in Shansi Province was lauded in the People's Daily for his "consistent attitude in carrying out statistical work and presenting the facts truthfully as he had seen them with his own eyes."
This particular official accepted no verbal assurances from production brigade officials, but insisted on measuring everything and carefully checking all commune figures, including cross-checking returns of different production teams. He soon discovered that there were great differences in results and in efficiency, and found that one team had falsified returns. This practice seemed common enough to make this model rural statistician a pattern for others and to issue a warning against falsification.
CCP's Birthday
On July 1 ten years ago when the Chinese Communist Party celebrated its 30th anniversary, there seemed to be genuine pride at Peiping. Photographs of members of the CCP Central Committee appeared in the Red press, and prominent Party personalities published articles on CCP's achievements. In all major cities, huge rallies were held.
On July 1 this year the Chinese Communists celebrated its glamour and fanfare. On the eve of the anniversary, the Chinese Communist Party held a commemorative meeting at the hall of the "People Congress". It was attended by some 10,000. The meeting was dull and the eulogy of Mao was politely but uninspiringly pronounced by Liu Shao-chi in Mao's presence. Commemorative meetings were also held in other major cities but the number of participants was much smaller than it was ten years ago, only 8,000 persons in Shanghai, 1,500 in Mukden, 1,300 in Chengtu, and 1,000 in Canton.
Commemorative stamps were issued. Soong Ching-ling wrote an article on world situation in which she predicted: "The days of Imperialism are numbered; it is a paper tiger. The decisive factor is the will and force of the masses. They will gain the victory over reactionary forces if they join together in a united front and fight a determined struggle. The present world situation shows that the east wind prevails over the west wind."
In addition, some poems in celebrating the occasion and a song in praise of Mao, entitled "Forever At My Side" were published in the People's Daily.
This was about all. It was a rather subdued celebration of a 40th anniversary. The Red tide at Peiping is ebbing.
Red Version of History
In an article entitled "History Shall Not Repeat Itself" the Peiping People's Daily asserted that since World War II, U. S. Imperialism has replaced the German Imperialism and that in the end, not only the United States but the entire Imperialist Camp, like Hitlerite Germany, will be buried by the peoples of the world. This is the Communist version of world history since World War II.
Said the article on June 22: "Today 20 years ago, Hitlerite Germany perfidiously attacked the Soviet Union in an attempt to wipe out at one stroke this Socialist land. The Soviet people, however, had risen in the great patriotic war and heroically resisted the onslaught of the Fascist invaders."
"The launching of the aggression by Hitlerite Germany and its ending in defeat," continued the article, "provided a profound historical lesson for all the world. Bu t Western imperialism, U. S. imperialism in particular, has refused to draw a lesson from this.
"Since the end of the war, U. S. Imperialism has taken the place of German Imperialism and become the most ferocious force of aggression in the world, preparing feverishly for a new world war. In a bid to realize its dream of world conquest and hegemony, U. S. Imperialism has built military bases all over the world, organized aggressive blocs spearheaded against the Soviet Union and other Socialist countries and even once again fostered and revived West German militarism in Europe. Precisely because of this U. S. policy of aggression, a hot-bed of war which threatens the peace in Europe and the world has again taken shape in West Germany."
Then the article went on to accuse the western nations of fostering Hitlerite militarism in West Germany: "Just as in the days of Hitler, West German monopoly capital - the mainstay of West Germany militarism - has reared its head again today and begun expansion abroad and setting up its sphere of influence. The West German government is stepping up its military expansion abroad and is setting up military bases on the territories of Britain, France, Italy and other western European countries. The West militarists have become even more arrogant in their demand for a change of the German boundary and for 'recovering former German territory.' They are hysterically clamoring again for an 'advance eastward.' All this shows that the West German militarists are now treadiJ1g on the perilous path traversed by Hitler."
Completely neglecting the repeated Soviet ultimatums on Berlin, the article further accused the West nations of the increasing tension there: "But the peace proposal of the Soviet government has been bluntly rejected by the United States and the other western countries. They also insist on maintaining the occupation regime in West Berlin. U. S. newspapers have disclosed that the United States and the other western countries have drawn up an 'emergency plan' to 'defend West Berlin by force when necessary' and were prepared to 'strike back militarily' from West Berlin. This shows clearly that the western countries headed by the United States are unwilling to reduce international tension and bring about a solution to the German question. What they seek is to aggravate the 'cold war' and prepare for a 'hot war' by making use of the German question and the abnormal situation in West Berlin."
In conclusion, the article opined, "If the war of aggression launched by Hitler twenty years ago failed to realize his dream of world conquest and he finally met his doom under the heroic blows of the peoples, then, it is certain that not merely another Hitler but the entire Imperialist camp will be buried by the world's people." This is something Khrushchev, Mao Tze-tung, and other Communist chieftains have to remember. The description fits them better than free world leaders.
Life Under Communism
A Chinese Communist professor recently refused to return to the so-called "People's Paradise,"—the Chinese mainland. Instead, after landing at the Hellinikon Airport of Athens, he asked for police protection. His request was immediately granted. The story he told the press thereupon once again discloses the dreadfulness of the life under the Communist yoke which is often hidden from those who live outside the Iron Curtain.
Professor Wang Min-chuan, 38, had taught Chinese at the University of Bagdad for two years. He had just received an order from the Chinese Communists to go back for retraining and "detoxication." After landing at the Hellinikon Airport, however, he slipped away from a colleague who was accompanying him and defected.
"It was a painful step," Professor Wang said of his defection. "I have left a family behind, a wife and two children, but I was forced to do so." But he added that according to laws of the Peiping regime, "children anyway belong to the state and not to their parents. As for my wife, she is a loyal member of the Communist Party. If she knew I was planning to leave, she would have reported me to the authorities."
"For a long time I have been looking for a way to escape," Professor Wang went on. "The practice and theory of Communism are becoming more and more unsatisfactory by the day. Even if the Chinese Communists were able to produce lots of consumer goods, which they are not, it would be no substitute for the fact the people are deprived of their freedom and individuality." He said he believed there is widespread and strong "silent opposition" to the Communist regime in Peiping.
The professor said the spiritual life on the Chinese mainland is awful: "There is no freedom, no choice of ideologies, so I kept my ideas aloof. I could not stand any longer being a tool, a tool of the government. You have no life of your own. You owe absolute obedience Ito the Party. The only freedom you have is to obey and carry out every word, every order."
"Intellectuals there have lost their personality completely," Professor Wang added. "Every painting, every poem, every play, every work of art must serve some purpose of the government. 'The White-Haired Girl', a Chinese play now being presented in Athens, falls into the category of a Communist propaganda play."
Explaining why some foreigners have reported favorably on existing conditions after visiting the Chinese mainland, the professor said: "These men tour China under strict guidance. They don't see everything, but only what their guides want them to see. They can't have their own choice. They are taken along certain routes and stop at certain spots. Also all the foreign guests invited to China were treated like kings and princes at best hotels, ate the best food, were given pocket money and presents of all kinds. Naturally they liked it. Most of them are honest people, but they don't see everything."
Turning to the conditions under which the Chinese Communists are to live in foreign countries, Professor Wang said that occasionally diplomats are allowed to take their wives with them. This does not apply to students, teachers, technicians, and other personnel residing abroad. No children are allowed to accompany their parents. All these "loyal" servants of the Party are recalled to the Chinese mainland every year or two for reorientation and to rid them of foreign influences by service at labor camps and participation in seminars.
Summing up his experience of the life on the mainland, the professor reiterated: "There is no conception of freedom, democracy and personal freedom in the Chinese mainland. Workers and farmers work 16, 18 and even 20 hours a day-as many hours as possible—and are paid as little as possible. We are constantly told to produce and all that we do produce is grabbed by the government."