Taiwan Today

Plight of Mainland Workers For 65 years, Labor Day has been celebrated all over the world on May 1 as a day dedicated to the achievement of fair treat­ment the protection of the legitimate in­terests of members of the working class. While every effort is being made in the free world to improve the livelihood and the benefits of workers, the Chinese Communists have set up a system for the enslavement of workers on the mainland. They have deprived the workers of their rights and privileges and have subjected them to all sorts of inhuman treatment. By the use of such high-sounding phrases as "Dictatorship of the working class," the Reds have condemned the workers to a life devoid of hope or meaning. The real intention of the Communists, of course, is to exploit the workers in such a way as to perpetuate their control over the main­land. Through the organization of "Labor unions," they have succeeded in making the workers the tools for the achievement of their sinister designs. In the early period of the Communist occupation of the mainland, the Reds directed their efforts chiefly towards the isolation of the workers from their employers. In order to exert complete control over the industrial classes and to sidetrack the legitimate demands of the workers immediately after the fall of the main­ land, the Communists invented such high­ sounding slogans as "Mutual benefit for employers and employees." Later, the Communists initiated the "democratic reform" in order to create internal conflict among the workers. Thousands of workers, accused of being advocates of feudalism, gang leaders, etc., have been sentenced to prison terms, banished to the sparsely-populated areas in the Northwest, or executed. The policy of the Communists is to create suspicion among the workers and to set them against one another. The "5-anti movement" was originally intended by the Communists to isolate the workers who, in turn, were used as a means to liquidate the "capitalists." In the course of the "5-anti movement," there were numerous meetings during which the Communist cadres recounted the "crimes" of certain capitalists. Whipped into a frenzy, the workers would forget the kindness which they had receive from their employers and would demand punishment for the "capitalists." The net result was that the workers became completely isolated from their employers and vice versa. After having isolated the workers, it was no great problem for the Communists to exercise complete control over them by putting Communist agents in charge of the various "labor unions." As a result, the workers have become prisoners within their own unions, deprived of their rights and their freedom of speech. During the past four years, the Communist have started three movements aimed at achieving complete control over the workers: (1) produc­tion reform, which was aimed at exploiting the workers to the fullest extent. According to the "production pact" drawn up by the Communists, the workers have to agree to fulfill a fixed quota of work within a time limit and to achieve a certain standard of quality. The purpose of the "production reform" was, in short, to get the workers to do more work for less pay. (2) Wage reform, which widened the gap between the wages paid to the Communist agents and the real workers. According to the "wage reform," the workers are to be paid by the piece. The result is that thousands of workers have ruined their health or died of exhaustion in trying to make enough money to keep themselves alive. (3) The movement for the tightening of discipline among workers was introduces last year. In protest against the long hours and meager pay, many workers went on "go-slow" strikes or simply failed to report for work. Others expressed their resentment by sabotaging the machinery in the factories. According to the movement, workers are forbidden to resign or to ask for sick leave or to be late for work. Offenders are to be tried by the "People's Courts" set up in the various factories anal mines. The workers, who are no longer fooled by the honeyed words of the Communists, have found various ways of protesting against being exploited by the Communists. There is every reason to believe that they will rise to a man against their tyrannical masters when they have an opportunity to do so. -(Central Daily News) Red China's Academy of Sciences Red China's Academy of Sciences is the highest scientific body on the mainland. In a lengthy report carries by the official New China News Agency on February 26, Kuo Me-jo, President of the Academy, gave an in­ formative picture of the situation in the scientific field. He listed the achievements of the academy and outlined the future goals aimed at by the research body in the coming years. According to Kuo, the academy had, up to the end of September, 1953, 36 scientific re­search organizations. He further pointed out that 15 scientific research organizations were situated in Peiping, 13 others in East China and the remaining eight in Northeast China. Altogether, the academy boasts 1,725 researchers. The main features of the academy in its various aspects may be listed as follows: Firstly, the academy is irrevocably committee to the theories of Karl Marx. Such being the case, all research activities are subordinated to the theories of Marx and Lenin. In other words, scientific research is being carried out in coordination with the industrial and defense construction programs. Further­ more, there is absolutely no such thing as free­dom of research. Secondly, Soviet science is considered supreme. Research activities will place greater emphasis on the need for copying things Soviet. In this respect, the Peiping rulers give absolutely no encouragement to their scientists to take the initiative in creative work. Thirdly, the academy enjoys certain advantages such as a large personnel and a wealth of funds. The greatest drawback, of course, is its lack of independence in research, and this undoubtedly will result in the suppression of the creative abilities of the scientists. -(Freedom Front) Red Figures Don't Tell The day you start production in a newly­ reopened factory, you can't help but improve on the output of the day before. In short, anything above zero is an increase. And that's the method the Communists use to publicize industrial progress on the Chinese mainland. They rarely divulge production totals. They simply compare output in terms of percentages. With much fanfare, the Reeds announce that production at a certain factory is 200 per cent above that of 1949. That's really not too diffi­cult to achieve, since few factories in China were operating at full tilt in 1949. A good example in evaluating Communist propaganda about production accomplishments is the sprawling Anshan complex. It was built by the Japanese and lay dormant during the years immediately following the surrender of Japan in 1945. But today, the Communists boast of this industrial giant having turned out 47 per cent more steel in 1953 than it did in 1952 and 12 times as much as in 1949. If it turned out one sheet of steel in 1949, it would only have to deliver 12 to match the claims made by the Reds. In February, the official New China News Agency gave these figures for steel and iron production last year: An overall increase of 35.8 per cent over 1952. Pig iron up 15 per cent. Steel up 30.4 per cent. Steel products up 25.5 per cent. The Communist agency said further that the "increased production of pig iron alone is sufficient to meet the needs of steel refining and machinery manufacturing enterprises in Shanghai for two years." Quoting official Communist sources, mainland publications claim that Peiping produced 100 more kinds of steel products last year than in 1952. These, according to a New China News Agency dispatch in February, included structural steel alloys for tractors, textile machinery, en­gine cylinders, hard steel alloys for metal, cut­ ting tools, steel wire for shock absorbers for motor vehicles, locomotives and wagons, drill heads and other items "which could not be produced in China in the past." The end of this "victoriously successful campaign" to increase industrial output is not in sight, according to the Reds. "Enterprises operating under the Ministry of Heavy Industry will produce 15.5 per cent more this year than last," says the Peiping People’s Daily. "These include iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, chemicals and building material industries." The Reds say that half of the predicted hike will come from new factories to be opened during 1954. With all the hullabaloo about industrial pro­gress, the Reds apparently forgot about John Doe. Most propaganda trumpeting concern heavy industry. There is little talk of light industries which produce goods for public consumption. In January, however, the People’s Daily called attention to the need for upping production of household goods. Two weeks later, the Tien­-tsin Ta Kung Pao published some figures issued by the "State Statistical Bureau." It said that cigarette production was upped to 158.45 in January, using 100 as the average for each of the preceding 12 months. It added that other items such as rubber shoes, bicycle tyres and automobile tyres also rolled off production lines in greater quantities. Again no concrete figures, just percentages. The New China News Agency said in a dispatch on February 28 that January targets were topped by 6.6 per cent, representing an increase of 34 per cent over January 1953. Of 24 major products, targets for 21 of them were said to have been exceeded. Last year, Russia and Red China announced that the Soviet Union would help the Chinese Reds to build 141 industrial projects. No mention was made of how much money Russia would contribute to this program. But in February, the People’s Daily admitted that Red China's industry would have to furnish about 50 per cent of the machinery for these projects. Two interesting factors, not necessarily the most important, which have held back development of industry on the Chinese mainland are: 1. Industrialists on the mainland have turned their backs on old factories which could be renovated and have looked only towards building new ones. The Reds admitted this in a long editorial in the People's Daily in March. 2. Technicians have ignored much of the teachings of Russian instruction, preferring by Communist admission the "fallacious and in­ adequate methods" of Western capitalists. China has a large number of Western-trained technicians. They apparently haven't forgotten what they learned or don't want to change methods. - (UP from Hongkong) Reds Aid Vietminh Rebels Usually well-informed sources report that one of Red China's crack army commanders is in Indo-China as adviser to the rebel General Vo Nguyen Giap. They identify him as General Lin Piao, who led the Communist Fourth Field Army and who planned the drive of Communist "volunteers" into Korea. Many knowledgeable Westerners in Hongkong rate Lin Piao as Red China's most bril­liant field general. At the same time, the scope of Red China's aid to the Vietminh insurgents in Indo-China began to emerge from intelligence sources and reports reaching Hongkong from the Chinese mainland. How many Chinese actually are fighting in Indo-China is debatable, but a highly placed intelligence source told International News Service that a supply of dark green uniforms of special design intended for Chinese troops going to Indo-China has been manufactured in Hongkong and shipped to the Chinese mainland. Information reaching Hongkong also disclosed that the Reds are recruiting hundreds of doctors in Kwangtung province, just across the border from Indo-China, for service in that embattled country. The best available estimates in Hongkong are that the Chinese Communists today are giving the Vietminh rebels three times as much aid as they did seven months ago. It was reported that from March 10 to 13, 14 big cargo junks, capable of carrying 100 tons, left Caton for Wuchow in Kwangsi province with military clothing, tents, medicine, cement and ammunition for the Vietminh. In mid-March, 50 heavy-duty, Russian-built trucks left Canton ,for Mulankwan loaded with heavy mortars and other arms. Mulankwan is just across the border from Langson, former northern terminus of the French railway system. Since 1949, the Chinese leds have been pushing their main trunk railway system southward across the Kwangsi plains via Nanning to the northern borders of Indo-China. Last year, the line between Nanning and Mulankwan was double-tracked for faster traffic. From July onwards, tens of thousands of laborers toiled night and day pushing the line on across the frontier to Langson itself. The Communists made Mulankwan their biggest forward base because Langson was vulnerable to French bomber or parachute attack. The headquarters of Red China's aid to the Vietminh is the big city of Nanning. During the past three years, the Peiping regime has also been developing south coast ports, partic­ ularly Kwangchowwan. Reports current in usually well-informed circles in Hongkong also show the following direct and indirect aid which Red China is giving to General Giap. At Nanning, on an enlarged wartime airfield, the so-called "Southeast Asian Liberation Air Force" is training Vietminh pilots to fly Russian jets. At Lungchow, eight underground depots have been built for storing supplies awaiting transportation to the part of Tonkin under Vietminh control. At Liuchow, believed to be the largest airfield in Kwangsi province, a "People's Aviation College" has been established by the "Southeast Asia Revolutionary Committee of the Asian Information Bureau." At Poseh airfield near the Kwangsi arsenals of Tienshui and Hsilin, there are 14 large underground depots where arms await shipment to the Vietminh. Soviet "advisers" reportedly control all these modern air bases, which are strongly defended by Soviet MIG-15s and other planes. Training of rebel troops in mainland China for Indo-China has been reported ever since the Communist occupation of the mainland. While most of the training has been in Kwangsi, pilots have been schooled as far north as Mukden. Around Nanning, the training seems to be mostly in advanced military maneuvers which Vietminh troops get just before being sent into active service. In April this year, three regiments of engineers went through Mulankwan bound for the Red River delta area. To what extent the troops sent from Red China are Chinese is rather hard to determine because there are great numbers of half-Chinese, half-Annamite inhabitants of both the Tonkin area of Indo-China and the Kwangsi and Kwangtung provinces of China. Some reports say that from 30.000 to 50.000 actual Chinese, mostly specialists, have crossed the border from the Chinese mainland in the past 12 months to help the rebels. -(International News Service) U. S. Support for the National Government of China "The United States should not alter its policy of recognizing the National Government of China and of supporting its right to China's seat in international organizations. Communist China must neither be recognized nor admitted to any international organization in which the United States is a member. Great gains would result for the Communists, but for the free world only great losses and no conceivable gain. It is in our national interest to continue economic and military assistance to the National Government." -Senators Walter H. Judd, Marguerite S. Church, Clement J. Zablocki, and E. Ross Adair.