Military shake-up may affect Mao, Lin
Changes among leading military figures in the Peiping regime may seriously affect the position of Mao Tse-tung and Lin Piao.
Huang Yung-sheng, the commander of the Canton Military Region and chairman of the Kwangtung Provincial Revolutionary Committee, has replaced Yang Cheng-wu as acting chief of the general staff of the Chinese Communist Army. The political commissar of the Red Chinese Air Force, Yu Li-chin, and the commander of the Peiping garrison, Fu Tsung-pi, also have been replaced.
These changes came to light at Mao's reception for more than 10,000 cadres. Radio Peiping said March 27 that the reception was held "recently" without giving the exact date. Probably it was held March 25 or a little earlier. Only 10 persons were named as accompanying Mao and Lin to the reception. They were: Chou En-lai, Chen Po-ta, Kang Sheng, Chiang Ching, Yao Wen-yuan, Hsieh Fu-chih, Huang Yung-sheng, Wu Fa-hsien, Yeh Chun and Wang Tung-hsing. The first five were said to have made "important speeches" after Lin Piao had given "very important instructions". No details were given.
On numerous previous occasions of similar nature, Yang Cheng-wu's name was placed between those of Hsieh Fu-chih and Wu Fa-hsien. This had become a quasi-official pattern. The substitution of Huang Yung-sheng for Yang indicates a succession to Yang. Huang's name had never figured in such a group before.
Both Yang Cheng-wu and Fu Tsung-pi had been among Lin Piao's strongest supporters. They were promoted to their posts after the beginning of the "cultural revolution". Yu Li-chin was also a Lin Piao man and helped him put down the Wuhan revolt of local military leaders last July. Yet according to Japanese and French reports, all three were publicly denounced in a Peiping parade of tens of thousands March 26 and in wall posters and handbills.
Unless the men were dismissed by Mao for disloyalty, which seems unlikely, Mao and Lin Piao may have suffered a severe personal reverse. Kiangsi Radio of March 27 said 70,000 workers in the provincial capital of Nanchang held parades March 26 and shouted slogans of "defending chairman Mao and vice chairman Lin even to our death". Such slogans usually indicate a crisis in the Peiping power situation.
The forces compelling a change could be the old regional and provincial military leaders and Party powerholders who have already subdued the Red Guards and "rebels".
Military control resisted by civilians
Conflict seems to have developed between military authorities and the revolutionary committees that are largely controlled by them. The revolutionary committees are supposed to be the highest power organs in their areas. Actually they are largely a military creation and subject to military orders.
Civilian members of the committees include former Communist Party and government officials who want to take power themselves instead of relying on "running dogs" of the armed forces.
Conflict has occurred at both provincial and lower levels. In Shansi province of North China, there have been clashes between Liu Ke-ping, chairman of the Shansi provincial revolutionary committee, and Chang Jih-ching, second political commissar of the Shansi provincial military district. The Shansi situation is confused.
Strained relations between sub-provincial military units and civilian members of revolutionary committees were admitted by Radio Kweichow. An earlier Kweichow broadcast had said:
"The Chinese Communist Party's committee of the Kweichow provincial military district laid down a clear-cut regulation that the district, military subdistrict, county, district and commune people's armed forces departments should all accept the leadership of the revolutionary committees at their levels.
"The CCP committee of Kweichow military district has analyzed the state of revolutionary committees at all levels in Kweichow and urged commanders and fighters to take a correct attitude towards the committees. We resolutely support those in which the revolutionary three-way alliance is comparatively sound, which have revolutionary authority and which raise high the great red banner of Mao Tse-tung's thought and resolutely carry out Chairman Mao's revolutionary line. We will readjust, fill out and strengthen revolutionary committees in which the three-way alliance is not sound enough."
In theory military units should obey revolutionary committees at their own levels. Actually, these revolutionary committees must be created, readjusted and improved by the military.
Power seizure banned at village level
The severe disorganization in Chinese Communist agriculture has forced the Peiping authorities to cancel power seizures by "rebels" at the village level. Experienced officials will be retained at village and county levels as far as possible.
This virtually brings the rural cultural revolution to an end. Red Guards and young "rebel" intellectuals who have seized power in some rural areas are being ousted. The rebel groups are condemned as enemies of the poor and lower-middle peasants. Former party powerholders are taking over once more.
"As a general rule, seizure of power should not be carried out in production teams. This rule was laid down by the Kiangsi provincial revolutionary committee and broadcast by Radio Kiangsi. The same regulation was announced by Liu Chien-hsun, chairman of the Honan provincial revolutionary committee.
"No seizure of power in production teams" means that cadres of production teams will continue to wield power and be protected.
This is a denial of the cultural revolution, which is aimed at overwhelming powerholders at all levels. Most rural cadres were selected by party organizations under "president" Liu Shoa-chi's influence and have been carrying out his policies.
The production team is the lowest administrative unit in Red China's countryside, averaging 20 to 30 peasant households of 4½ persons each. In Kwangtung province, for example, the average is 22 production teams to a production brigade, 13 brigades to a commune and 15 communes to a county or municipality.
Red Guards accused of anarchical conduct
Red Guards, the champions of the cultural revolution, are being attacked for anarchism and opposing the authority of the provincial revolutionary committees. They have helped groups of workers, peasants and cadres to struggle against others. They fight among themselves for power. They roam the land and refuse to return to school. Those who do go back to school refuse to resume classes and do not listen to the soldiers who are sent to the schools to control them under the pretext of "military training".
Radio Honan said of the Red Guard:
"There are still some students who regard themselves as 'imperial inspectors'. They go here and there, give directives on this and that, and monopolize everything, assuming that they alone are revolutionaries. They favor one faction and attack another, causing long periods of schism and unending civil wars in some districts and units. Wherever these people go, they have been hindering instead of helping. The harm done is indescribably great.
"These Red Guards regard the revolutionary masses as country bumpkins, yokels and backward diehards and regard themselves as the most intelligent and most capable. They are haughty and arrogant and ride roughshod over the revolutionary masses. Those who obey them prosper and those who don't perish. In every matter, they claim their word is the law.
"They listen to and believe only one side and make conjectures. As soon as they come to a place, they start to babble and clamor, making a declaration here and a statement there. They label this an 'adverse current' and an 'attempt to overthrow the heaven'. They declare that here the lid has not been lifted, that a great disturbance is needed, that this cadre has to be overthrown and that cadre has to stand aside. They support one faction and suppress another, incite struggle by violence, undermine the revolution and harm production.
"They ignore the necessity of combating self-interest and criticizing revisionism. They whip up evil winds and kindle ghostly fires. They are only concerned with making calculations in their own interest.
"Pleased with flattery and sycophancy and unwilling to accept unfavorable comment, they make friends with those who are submissive and brandish their fists at those who refuse to submit. They embark on the black boat of the class enemies. They are made cat's-paws by diehard capitalist-roaders in supporting freaks and monsters."
Red Guards also are called "the dregs of politics, who have forgotten where the battlefields of the Red Guards ought to be. They have become weak points through which the class enemies attack the proletarian headquarters".
Red Guard liaison is denounced by Radio Honan: "In the initial stage of the cultural revolution, the great liaisons conducted by the Red Guards kindled revolutionary fires and disturbed enemies. Many people were helped to become Leftists. However, without guidance leftists will become 'extreme-leftists'. Those who rush out and cause a great disturbance are hurting our own ranks.
"The appearance of 'imperial inspectors' is the malignant development of bourgeois and petty-bourgeois factionalism. Their minds are full of self-interest. Some can't keep still after so much running around. They start on their travels at the slightest excuse. Others adopt anarchism because they can't attain their private desires in their own units and roam the land.
"Man-made splits go on and on as do civil wars. There is no means whatsoever to put things into order.
"If you go along a devious road, you will eventually come to defeat or defamation or even land on the opposite side."
In Shanghai, neighborhood and street cadres were mobilized for a house-to-house search to compel students and teachers to return to school and resume classes.
Radio Shanghai said the revolutionary committee of a neighborhood in the Hsuhui district had mobilized neighborhood cadres for the effort, adding:
"There are some teachers and students who do not want to return to school. Some are still dashing here and there or hiding in their homes. Some even are being used by bad people."
Liaison of Red Guards and other "rebels" was attacked in Kweichow. An open letter of the Kweichow "Provincial Revolutionary Workers' Congress" said:
"It is now wrong to go elsewhere for liaison. All who came to Kweichow for liaison must leave the province immediately and return to their own areas. We will take all necessary revolutionary action (use of force) against anyone who has been repeatedly warned by the masses but is still engaging in factionalist activities."