Taiwan Today

Release of Anti-Communist POWs An avalanche of editorials in the local press, while welcoming the return of the anti-Communist Chinese POWs to that arms of their fatherland, unanimously opined that the significance of their release goes far beyond the regaining of freedom of some 14,500 loyal sons of China. It is, in fact, a major victory of the democracies over the Communists in the cold war and may well prove the beginning of the end of the evil force of international Communism. Declaring that "Freedom Day" (January 23, 1954) represented a victory of righteousness and freedom, the Central Daily News editorialized on January 23 that it had been won with the blood and tears of the anti-Communist Chinese and Korean POWs, as well as the firm stand taken by the Unites Nations Command throughout the protracted negotiations. "While there is every reason for us to rejoice at the realization of 'Freedom Day'," said the paper, "we should not for a single moment forget that hundreds of millions of people behind the Iron Curtain, particularly our 400,000,000 brethren on the mainland, are still being enslaved. Only when all these people have won their freedom can we say that 'Freedom Day' is realized both in name and in practice." In two other editorials on January 25 and 26, the same paper said "the freedom won by the anti-Communist POWs is a prelude to the slow but nonetheless sure triumph of freedom and democracy over slavery and totalitarianism. In their steadfast struggle against diabolical world Communism, they have at least (1) established the principle of voluntary repatriation; (2) told the world that the government under the leadership of President Chiang Kai-shek is the only legitimated government of the Republic of China; and (3) set an example to the people on the Chinese mainland as to which side they should support once the counterattack is launched against the mainland." Commenting further on the topic, the same daily in two successive leading articles on January 27 and 29 asserted that, although the pursuit of freedom has always been an innate desire of mankind and although individual liberty has been the keynote of the political theory of the 19th century, the trend of the 20th century lays stress upon the indivisibility between individual liberty and collective liberty, the truth of which has been eloquently shown by the successful struggle of the anti­-Communist POWs against Communist threats and oppressions. "Incidentally," the paper continued, "it has brought into glaring relief the cultural force of the 5000-year old Chinese civilization which is so deep-rooted in the consciousness of the Chinese race that despite all the brutalities of a modern tyrant it still reo mains strong." Extending its warm welcome to the anti-Communist Chinese POWs who had gone through all hardships and sufferings a human being could endure, the Hsin Sheng Pao, in two editorials on January 23 and 26, stated that the successful repatriation of these POWs shad written a glorious page in world history because it had vindicated a principle-the principle of voluntary repatriation-in international law and set an unprecedented example to future wars. "Their triumphant return to Taiwan," the paper said, "means much more than the winning of freedom by some 14,500 enslaved Chinese people. It is, to all intents and purposes, a prelude to the ultimate victory of the free world in the fight against sinister Communism. The blow to the Communisis, while it cannot be gauged in material terms, is several thousand times more deadly than the loss of territory or defeat in a battle. However, we should not deluded by our temporary success. It may be properly regarded as the winning of the first round of the battle. We should instead redouble our efforts and take upon ourselves the task of delivering the 400,000,000 people on the mainland." In another leading article on January 28, the same daily asserted that the return of the anti-Communist Chinese POWs to Taiwan had made plain two facts: (1) the Communists had been at the end of their tether and their fate had been sealed; (2) human instinct had triumphed over cruelty and brutal force. It further heralded the success of the counteroffensive that was to be ultimately launched against the mainland by the Government. In a series of articles on January 21, 25 and 26, the Chung Hua Jih Pao said that in com­bating Communism, a resolute stand is all that is required. "The successful repatriation of some 14,500 anti-Communist Chinese POWs to Taiwan is an eloquent proof of this fact," stated the paper. "The Communists have been hitherto consolidating their position with two methods: the Iron Curtain policy and the policy of terror. By means of the former, they tried to separate the people behind the Iron Curtain from those in the free world, thereby keeping the people under their rule entirely in the dark as to what was going on in the outside world. By means of the latter, they tried to strike fear into the hearts of the people so as to make them as meek and submissive as possible. The freedom won by some 22,000 Chinese and Korean POWs has drilled a big hole in the Iron Curtain and rendered the Iron Curtain policy entirely useless. Even the policy of terror has thus been made to lose much of its effectiveness." The same paper, in another editorial on January 22, said that the United Nations, in spite of huge material and human losses in the Korean war, had gained almost nothing in return. By upholding the principle of voluntary repatriation, however, they has won "a great psychological victory and have thus enabled the anti-Communist POWs to regain their freedom as well as to expose to the world the actual conditions behind the Iron Curtain." The Combined Daily, in three leading articles on January 21, 22 and 23, said: The successful repatriation of these POWs proves one thing: the final victory belongs to whose who are most resolute. No freedom can be won easily. But we should not be satisfied with what has been achieved. The freedom won by these POWs can rightfully be regarded as the winning of the first round of the battle in the struggle of the free world against the Communist menace. The second round of the battle, which is bound to be arduous is how to deliver our compatriots on the mainland from the tyrannical clutches of Mao, Chu and their gang. And this is to be followed by the third or final round. All the people in the free world should make concerned efforts in this last round of battle, the aim of which is to completely wipe out the sinister doctrine of Communism and free all the enslaved people behind the Iron Curtain. Only then will there be peace and happiness on earth." Expressing the view that "the repatriation of these balky and patriotic citizens of China and Korea was magic possible through the great statesmanship and firm determination of the leading democracies as well as the dogged tenacity and daredevil sprit of the ex-prisoners of war themselves," the China News asserted on January 29 that the event was more conducive than anything else to "the shattering of the false Red propaganda that Communism is exercising effective control over the people in the areas which they have overrun." Their release, the paper added, "is an eloquent proof that world Communism, under dogged determination and tough tactics, can be cracked both from outside and within." Declaring that the return of the unrepatriated POWs "represents a great victory for the democratic cause in the long-drawn-out cold war, which is both psychological and ideological in nature and has been going on between the democracies on the one hand and the Communists on the other ever since the termination of World War II, the China Post editorially said on January 23 and 26 that the political implications of this victory might be summed up into four points: (1) this is the first clear­ cut victory in the war between international Communism and the free world; (2) this is the strongest proof that the puppet Peiping regime does not enjoy the support of the majority of the people; (3) the return of the unrepatriated Chinese POWs to the Republic of China gives hope to all peoples under Communist oppression; and (4) these Chinese POWs will be able to furnish a mine of information about the Chinese mainland under Communist domination. Berlin Conference The Four Foreign Ministers Conference at Berlin, the first of its kind since the abortive sessions in Paris in 1949, seemed to have held little interest for the local vernaculars which predicted that the meeting would finally reach a deadlock with chances of any agreement on any subject becoming more remote than ever. While the Ta Hua Evening News called the meeting "superfluous," the official Central Daily News described it as "a mere waste of time" in trying to accomplish something that is impossible. The Chung Hua Jih Pao labelled the conference "another crucial test for the democracies;" the Combined Daily and the Hsin ShenK Pao both scorned the secret sessions, calling them "the meanest but familiar trick of Soviet Russia to realize her insidious plots." The China Post ridiculed the present stage of the conference as wrangling over "a question that should not have arisen at all," and warned the three Western Powers "not to be fooled by Molotov's smiles." "Time is the most important element in any marathon talks with the treacherous Russians, the Central Daily News editorially pointed out on February 12. Summing up the developments of the first three weeks of the Berlin Conference, the paper noted that the Soviet stalling tactics had led the Western Powers to sidetrack the basic questions of German unification and Austrian independence and to plunge into the old problems of the "five-power" meeting, world disarmament, and the war in Korea and Indo-China. "What Russia wants is to make Berlin the 'Panmunjom of Europe' and to induce the Western Powers to continue the discussions until she feels it is time to call them to a halt," commented the paper. "While the west is playing against time to build the European army and to rearm Western Germany as a bulwark of defense against Communism, Russia is playing for time to wreck the European Defense Community Plan and undermine the NATO alliance. As long as the foreign ministers meet at Berlin, the ratification of the EDC plan seems remote. Molotow will never allow the conference to come to a rupture. He would move his chair closer to the table and dangle baits before the West at a moment when the democracies are tired of the deliberations, but he would refuse to get down to real business as the West expected." Added the paper: "The Western Powers, though remaining united thus far, have walked straight into the Soviet trap by trying to accomplish at the conference table something that is impossible while leaving to rust their talents and means of tearing down the Iron Curtain. Once the aggressor is in a position to attack, an all-out war would be inevitable. Unless the Russians were forced to come to a showdown, fighting might some day resume in Korea and the war in Indo-China might be enlarged." "It has often been said (hat the job of a diplomat in these postwar days is just to at­ tend fruitless meetings," sarcastically remarked the Ta Hua Evening News on January 27 in an editorial entitled "The Superfluous Talks." "The change of premiership in the Kremlin and the convocation of the Berlin Conference itself without serious preliminary haggling might have led the West to try to meet Russia halfway in easing the world tension. That trial, like hundreds of others, is bound to end in failure on account of the existing basic East­ West contradictions in outlook and the lack of readiness of both sides to make concessions. The same arguments brought up and the same phrases used in the deliberations stimulates only public repugnance instead of public interest. The Berlin meeting will ultimately prove to be another Panmunjom conference and only tend to confirm the general belief that a diplomatic deal with the Russians means nothing more than an embellishment." "There is no substantial difference between the standpoint of Russia and that of France while the position of Britain is by no means firm at the Berlin talks," observed the Chung Hua Jih Pao on January 29. "Britain's economic and commercial interests might cause her to back down before Russia's tempting offer of a possible East-West trade agreement. Bidault's references to the need of free elections in Germany and of bringing West Germany into the EOC were not an accurate reflection of French intentions. France's opposition to German rearmament and the ratification of the EDC as well as her strong desire to end the Indo­ Chinese war through international discussions have made herself move closer to Russia." In view of these facts, the paper saw in the Berlin Conference the real crucial test for the democracies and said that the best one could expect from the meeting was a deadlock, which, though disappointing, would be better than a compromise at the expense of Germany and other nations. The Hsin Sheng Pao said that Russia had always held to the tactics of "stalling" and "enlarging" in any international peace conference for she was not eager to discuss all the outstanding world problems. "Only by stating can Russia make her opponents weary and wavering; only by enlarging the scope of the conference can she confuse the democracies and engage them where there is the least unity of views," the paper stated on February 9. "The Berlin Conference is called for the express purpose of settling the problems of German unification and Austrian independence. If the Soviet Union is really striving for peace, she should not go at these problems in the opposite direction. If she cannot demonstrate that she is willing to come to an agreement with the West on the particular subjects which primarily brought the foreign ministers to Berlin, it is simply nonsense tor the West to enter into negotiations with her on other problems." The paper further blasted the secret sessions which were held for the reconsideration of Russia's proposal for a so-called five-power conference including the Chinese Communist regime. "Under no excuse should the democracies hide anything of the deliberations from the public," it said. "Secret diplomacy and power politics are things of the past. To negotiate with a gangster behind one's back merely invites the suspicion and criticism of the world. America's ready acceptance of the proposal might have been caused by France's influence. We must, however, advise the French that no peace can be attained through negotiations if they cannot win the war on the frontlines." Sharing the same view, the Combined Daily on February 5 said secret diplomacy was one of the meanest but familiar tricks uses by Soviet Russia to carry out her insidious plots. Editorialized the paper: "In the eyes of Molotov, Dulles' strong opposition to the calling of a so-called five-power conference is caused by the irresistible pressure of American public opinion. Only by means of secret negotiations can Russia fool the American public and make Dulles change his attitude. The West's consent to such secret talks is unsound in itself. The report that the United States will not agree to participate in any Far Eastern conference with the Chinese Communists unless Korea is the first item for discussion should also be treated with caution." In four separate leading articles dealing with the present stage of the conference the China Post asserted that the question concerning the participation of the puppet Peiping regime in the "five-power" conference should not have arisen at all because the Berlin meeting has been called to discuss exclusively the German and Austrian problems with which Peiping does not have the remotest connection. "The introduction of this extraneous matter is the best indication of the Soviet Government's real intentions," the paper commented on January 24. "It is preposterous to suggest that its participation in a future conference should form the subject of discussion at Berlin. Yet that is exactly how the present debate got started. Why all the fuss about a mere Soviet puppet?" it asked on January 31. Touching on the Berlin secret talks and surmising that the main topic of such undercover negotiations probably the question of American recognition of the Chinese Reds, the Post pointed out on February 5: "For over a century secret diplomacy has played the dickens with the fate of the Chinese nation. For more than a generation, open covenants openly arrived at have been held up as a renaissance of Confucian moral values in international and personal affairs. The Republic of China abhors the liability of degeneration in international moral values." The paper, on February 7, then noted Molotov's beguiling smiles which he was showing at Berlin and warned the West in the following words: "Being too trustful of the feigned love of his hostess, King Duncan has paid for the folly with his life. It is to be hoped that the democracies will be wiser than the Scottish monarch and will not be fooled by Molotov's smiles." The Disadvantage of Being Despicable The misdeeds of Chou could not have been so gross as generally depicted. That is why a gentleman hates to be known as a despicable person to whom all the wickedness of the world is freely attributed. 紂之不善，不如是之甚也。是以君子惡居下流，天下之惡皆歸焉。 From The Confucian Analects. Translated by Durham Chen.