Composition of Communist Armies Discussed:
Task of Government [Honan. As a result despite govern-mont efforts at suppression the Semmanists suffered very ite Kecentiy the communists in Anfnuci attacked and Nanking, June 18.
With the growth of communist setivitie. in nel andthe Ghlang Kalshekas Commander-inquent" appoint: ener
hier of Bandit Suppression in An-fuel, Honan and Hupeh the centre of attention in Nanking has been Shifted to.a certain extent from th itieal Tastes in the three provinces. eral Chiang Kai-shek lett for Hankow one week ago it was thought that a general offensive Against the communists would be Tounched shortly. But thus far General Chiang has remained in Kaling devoting his time to holding meetings with leaders of different Brovinees, and, ing to latest Zivices, the general has not. yet made up his mind when to proceed Yo Hankow. It looks as if the proted drive against the communists mot take place for sometime to come, Meanwhile the strength of the communist. hordes in Anhuel, Ho-han and Hupeh is growing rapidly. The so-called communist army is composed" of the following "le-
1 Bandi These bandits had their origin in Honan.
In 1927 the number of bandits w very small and they were about to be exter minated by government forces unti they received military supply from the communists in Hupeh, 1928 they formally, claimed themselves to. be the "Red Army" and they' hoisted red flags and preached communism. This force joined by small bands and oon built up a strong force which forms the. nucleus of the "communist army" now operating in the three provinces.
2." Deserted soldiers. The. origin of these deserters dates back fas far as the northern expedition of the Kuomintang army from Can-fon in 1927, When the Nationalists into Honan under the command of General Chang Pa-tewel, better known as commander of the "Ironsides", they met with from the Fengtien result many Nati mountains plundering. villages, an hose deserters remained in the towns to make" their livelihood. When the bandit-communist army's strength grew the deserters joined the communists, 8." Surrendered government In 1980 the troops under 'Fang Cheng-wa, then Chairman of the Anhuei provincial Government, mutinied at Loan and they fled to the mountains to join the' communists. Later, in March of 1981 the garrison troops at Yin-iso mutinied, carrying away ed by ti Te was the elements which supplied "most of the munitions to the communist '4. Whampoa Cadets. Since the Whampoa Mil have joined the Govern. ment army ® certain number of thone cadets wore loft without employment." In order to seck 2 ive; ood these unemployed cadets found their way into the communist army either by inducements or by some other way. These cadets are com-munding the communist army and fare doing most of the preaching on Famine-stricken peasants, Those people form the majority of the army. In view of repeated civil wars many people in the. interior have been rendered homeless their lands devastated. When the communists started to preach communism they readily "joined the army and do most of the fighting.
With the presence of many infellectuals the communist army. more or less well organised. The highest authority of the army is the Revolutionary Committes. In lime of war it. directs mi operations but when there fighting the committee is reorgani fed and known as "district soviet government" under the of a chairman, The chairm always an honest man whase sole jdluty is to sign documents prepared for him by. the secretary who is. representative "of the Communist Party. The flag of the soviet, government is similar to the soviet Hing. of, Russia... Under the. soviet "government is seven committees Known as the anti-reactionary éom-
Fnow Oce Oww Comesroxoexr mittee, the justice committee, eul-Tural committes, miftary comunittee, economic committee, land committee and the food commit ice.
The Communist Army contains five different units, the Red Army, the Flying Column, the Red Guards, Women's Corps "and. Children's Corps." The Red Army is the basic organisation of the Communist force which is under the direst eommand of the military committe and is composed of, well disciplined and well eq youths. They nly. goto battle when the Com munists ate. in immediate danger of being annihilated, otherwise they [remain at the rear undergoing rigid nallitary, training: "When. they into fighting they Sight desperately. 'The only advantage with the gov-Jernmene' troops is, that the number of the "Red Army" ig not large and they dare not challenge the gov-cement troops in open fighting:
text. comes the soc SPty- fel ing Columns". These units are not 20 well equipped and trained. as the Red Army and they are under the governments re arn direct "command, of district soviet with various weapons from modern tifles to swords and. spears, The Units are composed of students, dejseried. soldiers and bandits. They Ttave no. definite stationing. places simply moving all the time from Dinca) fo "place attacking' and Dlundering as. they go. tn_time of fighting they always stand the foremost. front with the "Red Army" supervising: them from the fear." In gase of any sign of deface tion the "Red "Army" would shoot them from the, rear.
After the "Flying Columns" comes the "Red Guards" which a tinder the direct control of peasant Unions, These units mainly -comprise innocent peasante and they Rave no up-to-date weapons except spears, swords, and the old style Single-shot guns, Their duty" in fetes time (8 to kidnap the rich, to lemand ransom and. to. plunder those whom they' know of, but in time of fighting they are the first ones to sacri Fourth comes, the so-called fewemen's Compa", This units into," two cate. fon the Tsin-Pu Railway. they were ultimately driven back by [government troops. they succeded making off considerable booty. These Communists are still Jactive in northern Anhuel although the main body of these forces have moved into southern Honan' to (Join. the "Soviet. Government."
The communists in Hupeh have changed the name of Huangan into /"Hungan" or "Red Peace" where they have established their base of Joperations. They are operating in close. ce-operation the com-are encountering serlifteulties in their campaign Jagainst the Reds. As the communists have no uniforms except the "Red Army" government troops [could not differentiate a communist from a law-abiding citizen. Therefore when government troops arrive fat a place they could not see any Jarmed peasants walking in But when "they. got the dst these peasants all turn Jed into communists and attacked the troops self killed by the communists and Kisngst and General similar fate overtook several other divisions in Kiangal. lien Tt is now learned Shih, Chairman of the Honan Prov. vineial Government, has despatched two full divisions of troops to south-jem Honan to. take joint action with the troops under General: Chang Fang, Liu Cheng-hua, Ma Hung-kwei, Chi Hung-chang against the communists, in Anhuei. General Chen Tino-yuan's troops have been ordered to proceed to northern 'Anhuel to suppress the communists [while in Hupeh General Hsu Yuan. Jehuan's troops have been ordered northward to take part in the joint drive. General "Chiang he) will command the Peking-Ha Railway front while General Li Chi-shen' will command the advance from northern Aphuei. With Government paying serious attention to the communist suppression task is believed the campaign will to duty is to dress up to, vamp the government troops with the object of distracting the latter's attention from fighting and the other group la called "Service Corps" "whose duty is to do the daily washing and mending for the communists.
Lastly the "Children's Corps. This unit is composed of children below fifteen years of age. Thei sole duty is to hang up ind dis- 88 tribute handbills for the Commun-ta and other miscellaneous works minor importance.
'These Communist hordes operating, in Honan, Aniue hupeh "despite the' present government troops. They have now established their headquarters in southern Honan where they have established their capital at Huang: chuan which name they lis changed into "New Moscow. munists are now concentratin several places, namely Kushih, Kao-chen and Huangehuan in Honan, Hochiu and Luheh in Anhuei and Huangan, Huangkang and Chishui' in Hupeh. Although: their "Plying Columns" are operating in much larger area they hold these their base of activities Adminiatealive organization," known ey have set up a regular
the "Soviet Government." exterminated is another question.
Gen. Chiang for Hankow tanking, June 23. teh states that IGeneral Chiang Kai-shek is leaving Kuling for Hankow within a few rs. General Chiang has sent tele~ Jeraphic instructions to the military commanders in Hupeh, Kiangsi, Honan and Anhui to organise local militias in their respective provinces most effective weapon against bandits.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.