China and Her Shadow, by Tibor Mende

[p020] China and Her Shadow. Hastie’s biography of Mao Tse-tung does not bring any new material, except an insight into Peng Teh-huai’s sacking in 1959 as defence minister (he is now accused of ‘sectarianism in 1933’). The book is a good ‘ quickie’, i.e., for those in a hurry for background material. Tibor Mende’s work is another travel- cum-commentary book. This type of book is becoming common in the ‘China Book Market’, among books with such illuminating titles as ‘ Red Giant’ or ‘Blue Ants’, etc. It is surprisingly well documented. The study of Sun Yet-sen should be of interest only to serious students of Chinese modern history. The book presumes a knowledge by the reader of the period (1880-1927), and indeed read critically if the reader is not familiar with this period. Most interesting sections for readers not really interested in Sun’s theories by themselves, are perhaps those showing how both Chiang Kai-shek and Mao ‘Tse-tung claim to be following Sun’s famous ‘Three People’s Principles’. As even Sun himself never said the same thing LABOUR REVIEW—Summer 1961. about his ‘ Three People’s Principles’ more than twice it is not difficult for this to be done; but how Marxism can be reconciled with Sun Yat-senism, a reactionary ideology in any language, is a mystery to me. The historical part of the book on Sun’s early ideas and particularly the alliance with the Soviet Union up to his death is remarkably like the conditions leading up to the present entente of Castro with the present-day Soviet Union. The tragedy of the Chinese Communist Party was that illusions about Sun and later Chiang were fostered because they made Left speeches and allowed the Communist Party for a certain time to organize the workers and peasants. Illusions about Chiang (who even sat in the Executive Committee of the Com- munist International for a time—he has not been formally expelled even yet) led to terrible consequences in 1927, when over 60,000 Communists died in the ‘ Summer Reaction ’. On the purely historical plane Davidson-Houston’s history of Russia and China is all right for a brief look at the subject. If his historical material is as shallow as his last two chapters on modern Chinese history it would not be wise for readers to rely too much on the early chapters. Verdict: to be read if loaned to you but to be followed up with other works. G.K Peaceful Co-existence