RE-ORIENTATION OF THE ORIENT

By KIANG KANG-HU, LL. D.

The history of nations has often taken a strange twist. That whicha country has violently opposed jor a long time may suddenly be enthu­siastically adopted, 'Until a point is reached whe'n the pendulum swingsback again. Thus China, after doing her utmost to reject the influenceof the West, embraced its ideas and characteristics - at least in theleading intellectual grou.p - with g·reat zeal; now she is again approachingthe point where she feels slLspicious of it, and in a number of cases themen who were once leading China toward the West are now inlfist'ing thatChina return to her OW?I t-raditiO?ls. One of these men is ProfessorKia,ng Kang-hu, a political thin/eer who represents an interest-in[J com­bination of East and West. His life in itself is chamcterist'ic of animportant sect'ion of modern Ch'ina.

Prof. Kiang comes of an old Mandarin family and h·is ancestors fo'rthree generations Teaohed the Tank of "Hanlin" scholars. He received anold-style education from a pr·ivate tutor in his parental home in Peking,acquiring the f-irst two of the th'ree famous Ch'inese degrees by the timehe 1uas seventeen. The third or "Hanlin" degTee he never obtained, forthe old e:r:amination system was then abolished. After spending a yearin Japan following the Bo:r:er Rebellion he became Assistant ProfessOT ofHistory at the newly founded Un'iversity of Peking. He proved hisenthusiasm for W /lstern educat·ion by participating in a tell:tbook committeeand by founding the first girls' school in Pek'ing. After a year inEurope he returned to China, and later served as Secretary in YuanShih-kai's Government.

From 191-' to 1920 he tanght Chinese History at the University ofCalifornia at Berkeley. On "eturning to China, he visited Europe for thesecond time, spending sial months in Germany and a year and a half in Russia.Back in China he founded Nanyang College in Shangha·j., 1IJhich with itsPeking branch had several thousand students. He made frequent visits toAmerica and served for some t·jme at the IAbrary of Congress.

While he was lecturing in the interior of China, th/3 Sino-JapaneseC(}n!l,jct broke out. FrO?1l the very outset it has always been his endeavorto contri.bute toward the termination of the hostilities. He moved toHongkong, and on October 10 ("Double Ten'th") , 1939 he a[Jreed toco-operate with the Peace Mo.vement of Wang Ching-wei withOld, however,abandoning his independent pos·it·ion. He is now Act'ing P.resident ofthe E:r:aminatioll Y11an, and, as Minister of Pe"sonnel, a member of theNan1cing Government. He also edits the monthly magazine ~;t,

"People's Opinion."-K.M.

BE-ORIENTATION

Ten years ago, when I was teachingin America, I created the expression"re-orientation." Literally it wouldmean "re-alignment in a certain courseor direction"; its real content, how­ever, is the following. During the last

.fifteen years or 80 China has imitatedthe Occident, with the result that shedeviated farther and farther from herold path. Today this aberration has

luckily not yet progressed too far. But,as man in his misfortune remembershis origin, we feel an urgent necessity-to decide for a new direction, to re­turn to our predestined places in theworld, to restore the past splendor ofour history. China is the country thatrepresents the culture of the Far East."Orientation" has the basical meaningof "east." and as the four points ofthe compass were fixed in antiquityaccording to the sunrise, the east

THE XXth CENTURY

formed the chief of the four directionsana hence the decisive point of direc­tion. The syllable "re" at the begin­ning of the word includes all themeanings of " return," " renewal,""again," or "anew." As a whole it isa new term which is intended to offerChina a compass for her reconstructionand further progress.

I well recall the reproach andantagonism I had to put up with aslong as twenty years ago, when Iadvanced the idea of China's resurrec­tion on the basis of her own culture.My opponents had no other objectionthan that turning back to traditioncould only mean driving in reverse,hence retrogression instead of progress.I ha\e always freely maintained thatrestoration could very well also be atthe same time reformation, and thiscan be proved by examples from East­ern and Western history. Was not theJapanese reform of the Meiji eraintrinsically a restoration of the im­perial power '? And think of that bril­liant ray of light called "Renaissance"which lit up the darkness of theMiddle Ages in Europe. In both cases.. Return to the Old" was the slogan,while the actual result was a renewal.

CHINA'S EFFORTS TOAPE THE WESTDuring the last few decades an

unspeakable chaos has ruled in China.How did this come about? In 1910and 1911, the last years of the reignof Emperor Kuang-hsU, the troops ofthe Allied Powers infested the interiorof China, the diplomatic and militarysituation was hopeless, and governmentand the country's economics seemed tobe at an end. At that time therearose a movement for a constitutionalmonarchy and the countries taken fora model were England and Japan.However, the constitutional monarchywas never created. The revolution brokeout, and the democratic and republicanmovement prevailed, which regardedFrance and the United States as theideal states. The revolution, althoughoutwardly completed, continued. om.

cials and the military were still irre­sponsible and corrupt. They were oneof the causes of the rising communistmovement. Now Russia became thecountry to be imitated. However, thecruel activities of the Chinese Com­munists and the nefarious plans of theThird International disconcerted eventhe friends of Russia and in the endmade them the opponents of the Rus­sians, while those who had at firsttolerated communism turned against itand sought to destroy it. With thatthe Fascist movement came into ex­istence, a.nd the countries now takenas a pattern were Italy and Germany.

Let us consider. In England andJapan the monarchic constitution wassuccessful, in China it failed. Demo­cracy could prevail in France andAmerica, in China it foundered. Com­munism conquered Russia, in Chinait proved a failure. In Italy andGermany, Fascism and National-

ocialism are successful, while theydid not succeed in China. How canone deny that the dissimilarity inhistory, country, and people is thereason that transfer of a political formto another country does not necessarilylead to true success?

China has tried practically all thedifferent forms of government of allleading powers in the world. Why wasthe government experience of its owncountry the one to be forgotten, andwhy was there no inclination to con­sider it? After all, four thousandyears ago, long before such countriesas England, Japan, France, America,Russia, Italy, and Germany had anypolitical significance, China had its ownlaws and its own civilization. If wenow believe, after a fruitless study ofother countries, that there is no otherway, that we must give up all hopeand that we must await the end withour hands tied-is that not a surrenderof our very selves, does it not indicatea nature of slaves?

Since European customs have grad­ually penetrated the East with theinception of maritime traffic, the origi­nal blind hate of foreigners in China

RE-ORIENTATION OF THE ORIENT 45

has changed to a spineless servility to­wards them. We have forgotten ourancestors over our great business activ­ity, and for every two steps we havelearnt we have forgotten one. Theslave attitude intensified, and our ownqualities have continued to decay.Woe betide us if we do not realizethis now. The streams of Far Easternculture flow from different sources, yetChina supplies the largest part. Theideas contained in China's culture aremanifold, yet the teachings of Con­fucius and Lao-tse may be consideredthe pivot of our philosophy. The speci­fically Chinese culture is the basis inrelation to which one should regardthe domestic and foreign policies, theeconomic and military questions, thereligions and customs of all othercountries. It should not be so that theguest becomes the master, that thebreath of the Occident is looked up towith awe, and that we mechanicallyrepeat the worn-out slogans of Europeor America.

WESTERN IDEAS: COMMUNISM

I shall deal especially with two ideol.ogies brought to China from the West,Marxism and communism on one handand democracy on the other.

Socialism is a central idea in theflood of present-day concepts. Fromthe left and from the right everythingis carried along by the stream andeverything is being shifted in relationto this dominant force. As, however,at the same time capitalism is spread­ing ever further, and technical civiliza­tion is making ever greater progress,the agitated condition of society be­comes more and more apparent, themisery of the struggling lower classesmore acute. There is, therefore, nopossibility of reconstruction without abasic renewal of the social order.Communist disorders and the increasein the number of Reds are the moststriking phenomena. Although I mostdecidedly object to the dishonest, secre­tive, illegal, and inhuman methods ofthe Communist Party, so devoted tothe Third International, I still believe

that the defense against communismand the resistance against the Redsshould not be carried out exclusivelyby force of arms or by suppressivegovernment measures. Instead, on theone hand a socialism of clemency shouldbe encouraged which would attract theintelligentsia, while on the other handa reformation of the rotten socialstructure should be carried out to savethe labor classes. A modern c.apitalistsocialism or, rather, socialist capitalismwith new. intelligent basic principlesand just in all its measures, should bepropagated with the greatest possibleeffort. At the same time darknessshould be everywhere uncovered; miseryamong the people should be trackeddown by questioning, the hidden dis­tress of the oppressed and exploitedmade known; the laments and cries ofpain should be listened to; and the at­tention of the rich and spoiled shouldbe awakened.

BAYONETS ARE NOT ENOUGHMilitary measures against the

Communists are not sufficient. If oneconsiders the results achieved by ChiangKai-shek in the last few years in hisattempts to eradicate the Communistbands, and the present level of com­munism in the Eighth Army and thenew Fourth Army in the occupiedareas. it becomes obvious that militarymeasures are not only insufficient buthave actually encouraged the spread ofcommunism. This proves that politicalmeasures are more important thanpurely military ones. For the Com­munists, too, have their own politicaltheory and organization, the smooth,well-knit functioning of which, just asmuch as their simple precepts andinstructions, continue to aid in winningthe support and applause of the dupedpopulation. From this it follows thatgreater importance is attached toeconomic rather than to political ques­tions. However, the anti-Communistsin the China of today are hardly in aposition to form plans for a basicreorganization of society or to seetheir realization. China and Japan arestill suffering from the disadvantages

46 THE XXth CENTURY

of the capitalistic system, whose in­adequate programs for social improve­ment are scarcely worth serious con­sideration. This amounts to the ques­tion of the idealistic side having to begiven more emphasis than the economicside. It is my opinion that in thespiritual resistance against communismthere are two main weapons whichshould be similarly taken up by Chinaand Japan.

TWO ANSWERS TO COM~IUNISM

(1) Eastern Cultw'e. China andJapan can look back upon four to fivethousand years of magnificent history,with a civilization created by ourancestors which corresponds to thenature of both countries in everyrespect. From ancient times up to to­day there has been only growth andno abatement, only change and norupture. During the last hundred yearsEuropean customs gradually penetratedthe East, bending the will of thepeople and enticing them to imitation.We lost sight of our old path andinvited ruin, which was nothing butthe punishment we deserved for havingdoubted ourselves. The only way ofsalvation is to be found in the re­strengthening of our self-confidenceand in devoting ourselves to our ownculture. If the primeval spirit enduresunshaken, foreign elements will not beable to penetrate and corrupt. Fortu­nately there exists wide conformityin the foundations of Chinese andJapanese culture. It is to be found inthat which forms the actual backboneof these cultures: Buddhist philosophy.the Taoist teaching of the self-perfec­tion of the individual, and the Con­fucian concepts of human relations,morals, government, and state phi­losophy. The ousting of the importedteachings of utilitarianism and materi­alism constitutes the most importantstep in the mutual spiritual struggleof both nations against communism.

eo-Socialism. The word "social­ism" today is still a sort of bogy forChina and Japan. In my opinion,socialism is nothing but a socialized

capitalism, somewhat further developed.it is true, than actual capitalism, yetby no means its absolute opposite.The neo-socialism I recommend is.therefore, neither that of Marx orEngels, nor that of Kautsky or evenLenin or Stalin. I would define it asfollows:

a. Communal control of capital:that is, every profit-making con­cern is to be completely con..trolled by the community. Inthis sense everyone becomes acapitalist.

b. Payment for work: that is,everyone is to receive a pro­portionate wage for his mental orphysical work. In this senseeveryone becomes a worker. Bythese means class contrastswould no longer exist, and classstruggle as well as exploitationwould be impossible.

c. Universal provision of educationand food: that is, in educationa maximum is to be reached, infood a minimum to be guaranteed.

The state in turn assumes theresponsibility towards the people ofreaching everyone and leaving no oneuncared for. This will ensure physicaland mental nourishment for all. Whenthe same possibilities are open to all,and the existing differences are solelythe result of inequality of naturaltalent and industry, it will no longerbe necessary to blame either heavenor humani ty.

With this new teaching and neworder, the possibility is offered of abasic change in the national economyof both countries. With this change,prosperity will enter the lives of bothnations, production will increase, aspiritual impetus and a greater capacityfor work are to be expected, whilethere will be no more ground for Redagitation, This is the second greatstep in the spiritual struggle of bothcountries against communism.

These two measures, one old andone new, one conservative and oneprogressive, do not in any way oppose

RE-ORIENTATION OF THE ORIENT 47

each other but are actually complemen­tary. For Eastern culture has always.contained the social idea that thepeople within the four oceans are onefamily and that this family is sufficientto itself, according to Confucius' wordsconcerning universal harmony.

WESTERN IDEAS:PARL/AMENTAR/SM

The nineteenth century can beregarded as the Golden Age of De­mocracy. Its beginnings reach farback into the eighteenth century, andita prestige has not yet been fullyextinguished in the twentieth century.The word "democracy" sounds verynew, yet there were political systemsand manifestations of a similar spiritin Chinese antiquity, as well as inancient Greece and Rome. The de­mocracy of the nineteenth century,however, has its peculiarities whichdistinguish it from the past: elections,people's representatives, and parlia­ments-the institutions of so-called in­direct government participation, whichenable states of any size and popula­tion to realize the democratic idea.

As for the results, the defects canbe counted in hundreds. The measureof indirectness goes so far thatelector and electee, representativeand represented, not only have nocontact with each other but evenoppose each other. It gradually evolvesthat a minority gains a disproportionateinfluence and the majority is neglected,or that a minority snatches theleadership and the majority followsblindly. Soon the political machineryceases to function, the capacity forwork sinks, the organization of the-government is loosened, and corruption.enters. Then the democratic systembecomes unfit to carryon and the demo­.cratic spirit is total1y lost. In viewof the fact that the name is retainedwhile the spirit is lost, that the.advantages are small while the defects.are great, and that these manifestationsrival each other in bringing shameupon democracy, I believe I have goodreason to discuss them here.

It has already long been the ca.sethat democracy has shown obvioussymptoms of disintegration with every.unusual shock, and that its appearanceis no longer that of before.

THE ANSWER TO PARLIAMEN­TAR/SM'S FAILINGS: THE ELITEWhat I really oppose is not the

spirit but the system of democracy.The spirit of democracy is fully ex­pressed by the words of the Shu-Icing:" The people are the basis of thestate." None of the Chinese politicalphilosophers, Confucius, Mencius, Lao­tzu, Chuang-tzu, Kuan-tzu, MO-tzu, bethey representatives of the Ju, Tao,Fa-chia, or any other school, has everthought differently. There is not roomenough here to quote all their utter­ances on this subject.

No matter whether monarchy ordemocracy, dictatorship or constitu­tional government, at all times, bothin and outside of China, in all wiselyled states blessed with long periods ofpeace the main attention has alwaysbeen focused upon the people. Thegovernments shared happiness andsuffering with the people, by whomthey were respected, and enjoyed peacein common with them.

The term ., democracy" originallyserved to distinguish between a govern­ment of the majority and the rule ofa minority, to which latter belongabsolutism and aristocratic rule. Theslogans introduced by Lincoln such as"government of the people, by thepeople, and for the people," show thetrue course of democracy. In reality,however, they are quite impracticable.In every form of government thosewho are led are the masses, and theleaders are the minority. Governmentby the entire people-that is an emptyphrase. Those leaders rising fromthe majority, be they aristocrats orlaborers, plutocrats or tramps, poli­ticians or party leaders, clergymen,civilians, or officers-they always forma minority. If we were to pick outthe most useful among the differentforms of government in which minor-

48 THE XXth CENTURY

ities lead, we would choose aristocracy.It is this form of government whichcorresponds to the way of the "in­wardly holy" and "outwardly ruling,"called chiin-tz1t (;g -T) or shih (~ )(noble person, or teacher, master) inFar Eastern political philosophy of allschools.

In Lao-tzu we find the words: .. Thesaint makes the heart of the peoplehis own heart." It corresponds to thisif the governing minority takes thewishes of the governed majority astheir rule of conduct. I thereforethink that an improvement may beadded to Lincoln's slogans, which Ishould like to formulate as follows.

Government is based upon the entirepeople and is carried out by a minoritywhich has emerged from its midst.It strives for the welfare of thegreatest possible number. It onlyremains to clarify the nature of thisminority. I should like to suggest theterm "elite" for it and call its formof government a "government by theelite."

HOW TO FIND THE ELITE

The elite is composed of the mostprominent men of the nation. Theymust fulfill three conditions withregard to their ability: have an ade­quate degree of education, pass a stateexamination, and be elected by anoccupational group. From time im­memorial, scholars and officials havehad to go through these three tests­school, examination, election. Sincethe time of the Three Dynasties, schooland election (or appointment) werealternately in fashion. After the T'angand Sung periods, examinations cameinto the foreground. Today all threeare applied equally. Everyone wishingto be counted among the elite musttherefore have completed school, passedan examination, and reached thestandard of his profession or trade.The standard of schools can, thanks tothe general level of education, begradually raised, at least above thelower classes of the middle schools.

Each individual wishing to serve inthe government then registers for thestate examination, which, somewhat inthe manner of present civil serviceexaminations, emphasizes the follo,vingsubjects: Chinese history and geogra­phy, world history and modern history,rudiments of politics and law. Onlyafter he has passed this examination ishe considered a candidate.

He must have a steady occupationwith a corresponding income, belong tohis trade or professional association,and be elected by them.

Only those who have proved theirability by these three conditions are tobe accorded the right to elect or beelected, to propose, vote, or depose.They may become officials or membersof parliament. One might perhapsconsider the suggestion that a higherstandard should be demanded of theelected than of the electors, and thatthe line of qualification for high officialsand representatives should he drawnmore sharply.

To sum ltp: it is quality that counts,not quantity; the fraction that passesthrough this selection may he small­there is no need for it to be large.The elite which has thus been formedis advised of all intentions with regardto new legislation, justice, and adminis­tration, and decides on these questions;in the same way they have full powerto participate directly or indirectly inthe government of the country. Thiswould represent the ideal form of aminority government and at the sametime the ideal form of a majoritygovernment, in so far as the minorityrepresents in its final aims the ideasof the majority. Compared with thecondition where the masses have theirsay in the construction of a building,this seems a far better solution. Thesame can be said in comparison withany kind of minority government basedon a class such as the aristocracy, labor,plutocrats, tramps, etc. If, with thehelp of the two new principles of anoccupational and parliamentary legisla­tive set up by the new democracy, thesystem of voting, that of the people's

RE-ORIENTATION OF THE ORIENT

representation, and of parliament arebasically changed, then the democraticspirit will be conserved while thedefects of the present system will bethoroughly eradicated. Hence the ques­tions of minority or majority govern­ment, of the Far Eastern idea of"people as basis" and the Western ideaof "government by the people," ofeconomic socialism and political demo­cracy, must, with regard to a futureNew World Order, be approached fromthis angle. Only then can we start tobuild up, and to speak of humanprogress. Then the sacrifices madeduring the last few decades by nationsand states in their revolutionary strug­gles will find their reward.

In turning against the harm caused byWestern influence I am not overlookingthe fact that there are improvementsto be effected in our Chinese traditionsas well.

THE FAMILY

Social ideas of the Chinese peoplediffer from those of the West mainlyin that the family is the center ofgravity in the entire social system.The achievements and manifestationsof Chinese culture irrefutably provethis. I should like to go even furtherand assert that the reasons forChina's cultural stagnation are to befound in this. On one hand the spirit ofindependent development of the indivi­dual is destroyed by the ties within thefamily. On the other hand the strengthrequired for the common struggle forcountry and nation is sapped by theaspirations of the family for its owngain. A philosophy directed toward thefa.roily as a center has caused the rise ofa civilization based upon a society or­ganized in clans which has existedunshaken for five thousand years. Ofcourse there have been periods inbetween of true union or individualisolation-a natural reaction. It couldhave gone on like this indefinitely.When, however, contact took place oneday with the foreign powers and thiscivilization saw itself pushed into the

arena of the universal struggle for'existence, its impotence became ap­parent and it was no longer able tomaintain itself.

Although the family system was.developed very early in China it alsoshowed deep-rooted defects. That whichhad formerly really given an impetusto the national development, today has­become, on the contrary, a force tohinder national progress, a fact greatlyto be deplored. I believe, however,that this role of the family wasneither unavoidable nor ever intendedby the great sages of China. It is byno means conclusive to say that thefamily alone is the decisive factor inChina's social thought. For there hasalways been also an individualistictrend in this social thought, representedby the Taoist school; what Lao-tzu.Chuang-tzu, and Yang Chu taught isindividualism. Then there was a na­tional trend, represented by the schoolof law: Han Fei-tzu and Shang Yangtaught the principle of a powerfulstate. Further there was a universal­istic school, represented by Mo-tzu (MoTi) with his teaching of all-embracinglove.

Confucius and Mencius embody theperfection of all ages and are thereal ancestors of the tradition of theholy teachings. For them the structureof the family is nothing but a meansfor ruling the country. Hence thesayings: "Filial duty must be subor­dinated to loyalty"; or "Seek faithfulsubjects in houses where there arepious sons." Thus state and nationare made the center of the socialstructure. One can therefore say thatConfucius and lVIencius, who are con­sidered to be the main representativesof Chinese history and culture, do notby any means make only the familythe central point in their social thought.

THE FAMILY-ONLY PART OF THE PICTURE

From the very beginning the saintsand sages of China have realized thatthe relations of the individual to so-

60 THE nth CENTURY

ciety are extremely manifold, so thatfar-reaching differences are to be foundin the methods of correlating rightsand duties. Without father and mo­ther the individual cannot exist; in hischildhood he is brought up with hisbrothers and sisters, as an adult helives in the state of matrimony.Therefore every human being hasrelations simultaneously with parents,brothers and sisters, and husband orwife, which result in correspondingrights and duties. The multitude offamilies results in the state. Whatfather and son, brother and sister,husband and wife are in the family,the population is in the state. Fromthese relations the rights and dutiestoward the state emerge. Now thereis not only one state in the world.The different states and their peoplecannot exist without relations amongsteach other. From this again newrights and duties arise. So we see thatman has duties toward himself, his fami­ly, the state, and the world. If theduties and rights resulting from thesedifferent relations did not come intoconflict, and could all be fulfilled orconsidered equally, everything wouldbe ideal. As this, however, is not thecase, as the important must be ad­justed to the unimportant, the urgentto the les8 urgent, one often has todecide which is to take precedence,which duty is the greater. What, then,is the standard to which we shouldconform?

THE TRUE PLACEOF THE FAMILYI suggest the two old Chinese

concepts of "extension" (t'ui ~[l.) and" subordination" (yi ~}) as a rule ofof conduct. What does .. extension"mean? It means that one is to extendall that one is in one's essence in anexemplary way to others. One shouldextend one's age or youth to others,extend one's respect for father andmother to ruler and state, one's lovefor one's children to the people, one'slove for brothers and sisters to allmen. One should extend one's ownbeing to the family, from the family

to the state, from the state to theworld; in striving from what is nearto what is far, one will approach thefar; in striving from what is familiartoward what is strange, the strangewill become familiar. Although theremay be distinctions, none is overlooked,the whole world is one family, andwithin the four oceans alI men arebrothers. Thus one can truly say thatone may take the family as a centralstarting-point, but that one may notlimit oneself to the family.

What is meant by "subordination"?Its meaning is expressed in the sayingquoted above - "Filial duty must besubordinated to loyalty." If both can­not be fulfilled simultaneously, filialduty must give way to patriotic duty.This means no less than giving up one'sduty toward the family in order tofulfill one's duty towards the state,and demonstrates the principle of givingup the small for the sake of the big,of subordinating the few to the many,of sacrificing the little ego in order tomaintain and protect a greater ego.If personal interests clash with familyinterests, then the individual must besubordinated to the family; if familyinterests clash with the interests ofthe state, then the family must bepassed over for the sake of the state.If the interests of one state conflictwith those of the whole world, thenthis state must be done away with forthe sake of all mankind. Therefore hewho thinks in terms of the communityforgets his own ego; and he who thinksin terms of the state forgets thefamily. This means that it is nolonger the family but the nation whichoccupies the central point.

If this is clear, we realize that theChinese system of clans does notnecessarily hinder social development,and that Chinese social thought doesnot have the family alone as a centralpoint. Even supposing China's socialthought to have the family as itscentral point, then that philosophy inwhich state, nation, and world formthe central point could be easilyblended with it if one applies the two

RE-ORIENTATION OF THE ORIENT 51

concepts of "extension" and .. subor­dination." We can go even further:in Chinese ethics the principle of theindividual has always been maintainedand the individual considered the basicunit of society. Hence in the eightparts of the Ta-1uraeh, proceeding fromthe individual, two progressions aredrawn up,-UHeart, Thought, Know~

ledge" directed inward, and "Family,State, World" directed outward. Oneshould therefore speak not of thefamily but of the individual as thecenter of Chinese social thought.

THE BIG FOUR

The world of today contains fourgreat "power groups" which opposeeach other in direct contrast. Theseeds of these four groups were sownat the end of the Great War. By thebeginning of the present war they hadtaken root, and by now they havereached the final stage of development.

One is the British-American group,the stronghold of imperialism and-capitalism, whose efforts are directedtowards the maintenance of the oldorder. One is the German-Italiangroup, the chief exponents of Fascismand National-Socialism; their goal isthe establishment of a new order.The Soviet Union forms another group,the camp of the Communist ThirdInternational. Finally there is the FarEastern group, the combination of theyellow races in their struggle forexistence. Its battle cry is "Liberationof all Asiatic peoples, independence forall Asiatic states."

China today can no more form itsown power group than it could isolateitself from the existing ones. Whichgroup will it have to join, with due

regard to the place accorded to it byhistory, geographical position, race,culture, etc.? Has this not alreadybeen decided?

FUTURE AIMSWhere are the goals for China's

future to be found? We can namethe three most important ones. Thefirst step must be the winning ofChina's independence and freedom. Wemust cast off white imperialism andcapitalism, throw off the chains of asemi-colonial existence, return fromslavery to the place of the master.Outwardly we must demand equalrights with all other nations and statesof the world, inwardly equality withthe nations and states of our ownpower group.

The second step must be the unitingof the nations and states within theirown power group on a basis of mutualassistance and goodwill, co-operation inpolitics and economics, alliances of adiplomatic and military nature, andcontacts between the related cultures.The individuals within the group mustshare joy and Borrow like brothersand sisters and must form a unit likebody and limbs.

The third step should be to inducethe whole world to overcome the ageof material and cultural despotism.All mankind should put into practicethe Taoist teaching of peace andharmony, awaken to the Buddhist ideaof compassion and redemption, andcarry out the Confucian theory thatthe whole world is one family and allmen within the four oceans arebrothers. The responsibility we Chinesemust take upon ourselves in thisregard is heavier than that of theother nations within our own group.