COMMUNIST REGULATIONS AND SHAM COMMUNISM
5 December 1925

[Text] The counterrevolutionaries generally call the national revolution a
communist revolution, the Kuomintang the communist party, the National Government a communist government, and the National Revolutionary Army a communist
army. They do so for no other purpose than to fabricate a few simple terms
and spread them in accordance with the intent of imperialism in order to
split the united front created through the cooperation of the various classes
in the national revolution. But such fabrication has to be rather abstract.
It must not be too concrete, because they may expose themselves and lose
their credibility. However, for the purpose of a lucky win by one single
throw, Ch'en Chiung-ming [7115 3518 2494], this time in Tung-chiang, exhausted all means. He actually fabricated the so-called "Communist By-law"
to frighten the people. One of their handbills, entitled "Urging the People of Kwangtung To Help the Kwangtung Army Punish the Red Party," states:
"Alas! Do our fathers and brothers know about the Communist By-law drafted
by Chiang Chung-cheng [Chiang Kai-shek]? I fear that the common people,
being ignorant, may think that sharing property means sharing the property
of the rich and has nothing to do with the poor in general. They may even
think that it will greatly benefit the poor. Actually, it is completely
false. I inquired into the said by-law and now generalize as follows: The
so-called three-three-three-one system deals with farmland. The so-called
four-four-two system deals with houses. Plants and stores with rather substantial capital are completely confiscated." Nevertheless, a recent issue
of the Hong Kong KUNG-SHANG JIH-PAO reported: "The Canton merchant representatives came to Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong merchant representatives
received them in the Chinese Merchants' Club and asked them to hold a second
general meeting to discuss the solution of strikes and resumption of communication. Chinese businessmen and merchants and Canton merchant representatives all sat together at a long table. Canton merchant representative
Chien Ch'in-shih [4675 3830 4258] rose and made a statement, saying that
the Canton government was actually not practicing communism." If someone
should ask Ch'en Chiung-ming [7115 3518 2494] about Chien Shih-ch'in's
[4675 4258 3830] [sic] statement, I imagine he will say: "Chien Shih-ch'in
told a lie. When others took away his property to share, he still insisted
that it was not taken away."

• CHENG-CHIH CHOU-PAO, No 1, Canton Cheng-chih Chou-pao Press, 5 December 1925