HUNAN PEASANTS--CHANGSHA NEWSLETTER OF 30 NOVEMBER (1926)

[Text] (A) The Currently Organized Peasants

(1) Statistics on County Peasant Associations

Counties which have established Peasant Associations: 36
Counties which have Peasant Association Preparatory offices: 18

Total 54 counties

(2) Membership Statistics

1. Statistics compiled in November: 30 counties, 536,137 members.

Statistics compiled in October: 11 counties, 505,000 members.

Estimates where no statistics are available: 13 counties, 30,000 members.

Total 54 counties, 1,071,137 members.

2. Counties with 100,000 plus members--4
Counties with 50,000 plus members--4
Counties with 10,000 plus members--12
Counties with 5,000 plus members--12
Counties with 1,000 plus members--18
Counties with less than 1,000 members--2

3. The county with the greatest number of members has 140,000. The county with the least number of members has 274.

4. A chart of membership by county.

Note: "A"--membership figure based on detailed report received from the county in November.

"B"--membership figure calculated on the basis of last month's report.

"C"--estimated membership figure without statistics.

"D"--membership figure provided by County Peasant Association Preparatory office.

Nan-hsien     A    7,000     Ch'a-ling     A    11,266
Heng-yang     A     88,223     Tao-hsien     A    1,435
Tzu-hsing     A     5,000     Lu-hsi     C     5,000
Lei-yang     A    4,100     Hsiang-t'a     B    100,000
Ch'i-yang     A    24,472     Shao-yang     B    2,000
Pin-hsien     A     10,000     Hsiang-hsiang     B     60,000
Liu-yang     A    139,190     ?     BC     1,000
Yu-hsien     A     10,000     Ch'an-sha     A     71,456
Li-ling     A     30,000     Pao-ching     A     277 ?
Hua-jung     A    10,000     Lin-hsiang     A     5,000
An-hsiang     A     10,000     Yung-hsing     OC     1,000
Lan-shan     A    3,550     Ning-hsiang     OC     1,000
Kuei-yang     A     1,224     An-hsiang     OC     2,100
Hsin-tien     A     5,150     Hsin-ning     C     1,000
Ling-hsien     A    5,468     Hsu-p'u     C    1,000
I-chang     A     74,118     Ning-hsiang     B    50,000
Hsiang-yin     A     11,600     Hsin-hua     OA     6,377
I-yang     A    15,680     Lin-ch'in     OA     1,786
An-hua     A     62,300     Yung-ming     OA     2,181
Ling-ling     A     700     Ju-ch'eng     OA    8,856
Yeh-yang     OA     2,470     Ch'ang-te     OA     9,519
Wu-kang     OC     5,000     Chi-ch'ang     OA     274
Yuan-chiang     OC     1,000     Ch'eng-pu     OA     889
?     OC     1,000     Chi-ho     OC     1,000
P'ing-chiang     A     100,000     T'ao-yusan     OC     1,000
Lai-yang     B    100,000     ?     OC     1,000
Yung-hsing     B    10,000     Chin-hsien     OD     2,549

(B) Peasant Participation in the Northern Expedition

(1) Supply: In those places through which the Northern Expedition Army passed, the peasants were able to supply drink or small amount of food or were able to assist with such things as cooking.

(2) Guides, Reconnaissance: This kind of work was done along the Chu-chou P'ing-hsiang Rail Line, and in Liu-yang, P'ing-chiang, Ch'ang-sha, Hsiang-t'an, Ning-hsiang, Heng-shan, Nan-hsien and Hua-jung.

(3) Transport: In addition to those peasants voluntarily hired by the army, there were also organized peasants doing transportation work for the army.

(4) Disrupting the enemy's rear: This took place in Hsiang-t'an, P'ing-chiang, Nan-hsien, Liu-yang and along the Chu-chou-P'ing-hsiang Rail Line.

(5) Participation in Combat: Exact statistics are not yet available on the number of killed and wounded or the number of rifles captured. The figures are approximately as follows:

A. Chuchou: The second time T'ang [Sheng-chih]'s army entered Ch'ang-sha, the peasants and shopkeepers turned over more than 100 rifles plus some machine-guns and cannon.

B. Li-ling: When the Northern Expedition Army entered Ch'ang-sha, the peasants captured more than 200 rifles as well as some machine guns and cannon, and in November when troops retreating from the Kiangsi front entered Li-ling, the peasants turned over many rifles.

C. P'ing-chiang: When the Northern Expedition Army entered P'ing-hsiang in July, the peasants lost 25 men in combat and captured hundreds of rifles as well as machine guns. In November, when the Second Division mutinied, the peasants captured some of the rebel soldiers and 250 rifles. The government is now trying to get these rifles back, but the peasants refuse to comply, and the issue is still unsettled.

D. Liu-yang: The peasants rescued a regiment of the Northern Expedition Army which had been surrounded and in driving the enemy back, sustained casualties but captured some rifles.

E. Hua-jung: When Ts'ai Chien's Army entered Hua-jung the first time, the peasants and the troops stationed there drove them back. The second time Ts'ai Chien's Army entered Hua'jung, 3,000 peasants fought and repulsed it.

F. Yuan-chiang: When Ts'ai Chien's Army was attacked at Hua-jung the first time, peasants from Yuan-chiang participated.

G. Hsiang-t'an: The peasants acted as decoys and helped the Northern Expedition Army to cross the river and attack the enemy.

H. Ning-hsiang: Rescued a regiment of the Northern Expedition Army which had been surrounded, and attacked the enemy and captured rifles.

I. Chu-chou-P'ing-hsiang Rail Line: Clashed with enemy troops and tore up tracks.

J. Ch'ang-sha: Surrounded fleeing officers, and assisted the government in capturing enemy soldiers and mutineers.

(6) Why the Peasants Fought

A. The effects of propaganda by party members. The peasants all knew that the Northern Expedition Army supported the interests of the workers and peasants, and that only by helping the Northern Expedition Army to win could they be helped.

B. Hatred for northern soldiers and mercenaries. When they compared the armies of the two sides, the hatred was even more deep.

C. Under command of the Peasant Associations. (A very small number were volunteers.)

D. The peasants were willing to fight during September and October in order to get rifles; by that time the peasants developed a need to arm themselves.

(7) The Effects of the Peasants' Participation in the War

A. Advances in the political sense of the peasants.

B. Advances in the self-confidence of the peasants.

C. The government was able to realize the strength of the peasants, thus favoring leftism.

(C) Current Trends Among the Peasants

(1) The peasants now feel that they should be rewarded for their contribution to the war. Even in those counties which were not involved in the fighting, the peasants feel that the propaganda promises of the party should be fulfilled.

(2) Economic demand: This kind of demand has spread throughout all of the counties that have peasant movements. The following demands are most pervasive:

1. Rent reduction--There is yet no demand for total rent exemption (land ownership granted to peasants).

2. Interest rate reduction--The peasants are satisfied by a reduction from 8 to 9 percent to 4 to 5 percent.

3. A way to solve the problem of short grain supplies in lean months--Resulting in a movement to refuse selling grain to government at low prices.

4. Tax reduction--A small number of localities demand total tax exemption.

5. Reduce security money and stop repossessing land without cause--As yet there are no clear ideas.

These demands may be said to be minimal and are all expressed by them of their own accord. In some areas all of these demands are made, but in some areas only one or two. The demands of those peasants in the area of Hunan bordering on Kwangtung and Kwangsi are higher than those of the peasants of central Hunan.

(3) Political Demands:

1. Reform the militia--They still watch the personnel of the Militia Bureaus very closely.

2. Oppose the militia--In many places the militia has lost its function and there are many instances of militia headquarters being destroyed.

3. Wish for good government--The political and economic demands of the peasants are all still quite naive. Not only the peasants are uninterested in such slogans as popular election of county magistrates, but the political demands of the villages are also negative. As far as the rumors spread by reactionaries such as "confiscation of land" and "organization of a worker-peasant government" are concerned, the peasants are least interested.

(4) Arms Demands: The demand of the peasants for arms grows more and more urgent. They all want to take rifles from the hands of defeated and mutinous soldiers. Among the peasants of Ling-chiang there is a vigorous movement to keep the rifles (see previous passages on the peasants' participation in fighting).

(D) Struggles Which Have Already Been Started by the Peasants

(1) The rent reduction movement:

1. The rent reduction movement in Heng-yang: The amount of rent paid by the tenant to the landlord in Heng-yang is supposed to be one-half of the harvest, but in actuality, the tenant cannot get as much as half. From 1916, due to floods and increases in education expenses, rents have gradually increased throughout the county and, although the amount of the increase has not been uniform, there is no one who has not had his rent increased. In this way, the amount received by the tenant is less than the amount formerly received when there was no 50 percent. After T'ang Army left Hunan, the peasants in Heng-yang who joined the peasant associations had an urgent demand for rent reduction. At this time they started the slogan of rent revolution throughout the whole county, resorting to the rent level of 5 years ago (that is, before 1916). The result was that the whole county reverted to the rent level of 1916. The peasants joining the peasant association during this movement numbered about 70,000. At the same time, reactionary elements were united during this movement which was participated in by all peasants whether they had or had not joined the peasant association.

2. Rent reduction elsewhere: In addition to Heng-yang, there have been scattered rent reduction campaigns elsewhere, and individual tenants have reduced rent paid to individual landlords. Since changes in tenants or changes in land ownership almost everywhere result in increases in rent, when the increase is too much, tenants are requesting reductions. Many of these cases are handled for the tenants by the peasant associations. Although this is not a struggle, it increases the confidence of the peasants in the peasant associations.

3. Although rent reduction campaigns are a pressing need of the peasants everywhere, no struggle has occurred because the time of rent collection is past. The opinion of most peasants is that the question of rent reduction next year will be a major struggle.

(2) Interest reduction:

1. A general interest reduction has been successful throughout An-hua County. This has been from 7 or 8 percent per month to 4 or 5 percent. The peasants are satisfied with this.

2. A campaign among some of the peasants in Yueh-yang has not yet had any results, but probably will be victorious.

3. A demand by peasants in Hsiang-niu and Niou-chou for cancellation of unpaid interest has failed.

4. Various counties have interest reduction campaigns and none of these met with any major obstacles.

(3) Reduction in security money:

1. A campaign throughout Liu-yang County to reduce security money to 2 yuan for every picul of grain to be paid as rent has been successful. Whether there will be problems with this in the future is difficult to tell.

2. In the lake region around Yueh-yang, landlords wanted to increase security money to 7 yuan per picul of grain to be paid as rent and the peasants rose up in opposition. The landlords have combined the militia of three counties to deal with this and there will be a big clash.

3. Various other counties have security money reduction campaigns on smaller scale.

(4) Tax reduction campaigns:

1. Yu-hsien, Li'ling and I-chang all have tax reduction campaigns.

2. An-hsiang has eliminated the acreage tax throughout the county but has increased the land surtax.

3. In Yueh-yang, some of the peasant campaigns which have been demanding the abolition of the acreage tax have come into conflict with the militia and nothing has been resolved.

(5) Land reclamation campaigns: The peasants of An-hua demand that no rent be collected from coarse grain sown during the winter months. Some have succeeded and others are still in dispute.

(6) The question of restrictions on normal grain sales:

1. The cause: Hunan has had droughts for many years in succession. When the dry months come, the villages are short of grain or the price of grain skyrockets and this has caused the peasants to carry out a movement to restrict grain sales.

2. This movement is carried out in 7 or 8 out of 10 places where there is a peasant organization, in the following manners:

A. A decision on the price of grain is made by the peasant association or the peasant assembly to forbid selling grain at a higher price.

B. Two or three grain prices are set and certain kinds of people are made to pay certain prices.

C. Restrictions are placed on the amount of grain or rice to be transported outside.

D. Grain and rice are totally prohibited from being transported outside.

E. No price is set for grain until a drought occurs.

F. Several tenths of the rental grain are withheld.

3. The conflicts caused by this struggle:

A. Boycotts: If landlords do not sell grain they are forced to sell, or even fined or beaten.

B. Secret sales: If secret sales are discovered, the grain is confiscated or the owner fined.

4. Effects: The landlords and tenant farmers dislike these campaigns intensely while the landowning peasants and tenant farmers don't want them either. And since the government is urging the remission of land-tax and the landlords are complaining that they can't sell their grain, the government is quite dissatisfied also.

5. The policy of the provincial peasants association is that only a portion of rental grain will be permitted to be withheld as a reserve for sales at reasonable prices during drought seasons and that unlimited boycotts are not allowed. This campaign has, however, already been accepted by the masses and it will be hard to change for a while.

(7) Conflicts with the militia:

1. The Chief of the Militia Bureau in Ning-hsiang (and the branch Bureaus in the townships) are all elected by the township assemblies and, in those places where there is a peasant association, the peasants pay close attention to the persons elected.

2. Yueh-yang:

A. The Militia Bureau prohibited the peasants from meeting and there was a clash. After petition by the peasants, the Militia Bureau was disbanded.

B. The peasants clashed with the Militia Bureau over acreage tax, and this issue has not yet been settled.

C. In two clashes with the militia, more than 10 peasants were shot to death.

3. The Chiaho militia has shot some peasants to death.

4. In Kuei-yang, reactionary elements conspired with the militia to send troops into the city to disband the peasant association.

5. In Tzu-hsing, the militia forced a reorganization of the peasants association.

6. In a fight between the peasants of Hsiang-t'an and the militia, one peasant was shot to death.

7. In Niou-chou (Yueh-yang) the militia prohibited the peasants from organizing an association.

8. There have been many conflicts in various places between peasants and the militia and, in most cases, the militia has won.

(8) Conflicts with the local bullies and rotten gentry:

It may be said that conflicts between the peasants and local bullies and rotten gentry are occurring everywhere all the time. The attacks of the local bullies and rotten gentry upon the peasants are worsening every day. The peasants have retorted with assault and battery, prosecution, parade, fine and expulsion. Of course most of these are resulted from attacks by them upon the peasants and this has aroused the hatred of the masses.

(E) The State of Local Government

(1) In some townships, the peasants association has taken over the government.

(2) Township assemblies exist in many counties and act as the highest legislative organization of the township. In a few counties, the Chief of the Militia Bureau and the county magistrate are elected by the township assemblies.

(3) In a few localities the peasant association, the teachers union, the Chamber of Commerce, and the workers unions have united and taken over the government of the township.

(4) In many localities, township government is in the hands of the Kuomintang Party headquarters and they sympathize with or support the peasant movement.

(5) In most localities, the government is still controlled by the local bullies and rotten gentry in order to oppress the peasants. In places where there are peasant associations, clashes occur frequently.

(F) Peasant Self-Defense Organizations

(1) Each county in Hunan has organized neighborhood defense units as advocated by T'ang Sheng-chih. Although the leadership of these organizations is in the hands of the gentry and the landlords, the members and lower level officers are all peasants. In places where there is a peasants association, these units become organization of the peasants without trouble. The units do not have rifles, but do have lances (a dagger attached to a long pole), birdguns and swords. Most have regular drills, for which the participants are paid (500 cash each). The counties in the central Hunan area around P'ing-chiang, Liu-yang and An-yuan-sha have this kind of organization but it is not widespread, and there is no drill pay. In the recent fighting and in resisting bandits, they have been of great use. There are no statistics on their organization and membership.

(2) With the exception of the neighborhood defense units, the peasants of Hunan have no other self-defense organization. Although there was once a Peasant Self-Defense Army, and Self-Defense Regiments, these have been discontinued because their operating expenses could not be met.

(3) In such places as P'ing-chiang, An-hua, Li-ling and Hsiang-t'an, the peasants have acquired a few rifles (P'ing-chiang has 250, and there are problems yet to be solved) which can be brought out for use by the peasants in their own defense.

(G) Measures Adopted by the Local Bullies and Rotten Gentry to Undermine the Peasant Movement

The local bullies and rotten gentry are gradually united with all other reactionary forces. They attack the peasants in the following ways:

(1) They secretly organize such groups as the Protect the Rich League, the Protect Property League and the White League. They publicly organize the League of District Magistrates and the Township League.

(2) They clamor that the peasant association is going to institute conscription and tolls and, that when Wu P'ei-fu comes he will cut their heads off, in order to frighten the peasants and keep them from joining the association.

(3) They clamor that the peasant association is communist and will institute a so-called 3-3-1 system.

(4) They organize fake peasant associations and publish proclamations advocating a so-called 3-3-1 system.

(5) They infiltrate the peasant associations in order to usurp their leadership. Failing to do so, they make trouble.

(6) By means of bribery, sedition, promotion of homeland viewpoint, religious thinking and superstition, they incite the peasants to oppose the peasant association.

(7) They infiltrate the Kuomintang to oppress the peasants and manipulate the peasant associations.

(8) They clamor that the Northern Expedition Army has failed.

(9) They collude with Chao and Sun of the Kuomintang right wing.

(10) Masquerading rioting peasants they destroyed the Tax Bureau in order to cause people to lose their sympathy for the peasants movement.

(11) They use the militia to directly oppress and kill the peasants, and disband peasant associations. They have done such sabotage in a somewhat coordinated way.

--- Notes

*THE HSIANG TAO Weekly, NR 181, HSIANG TAO Publishing House, 1 June 1927