CO129-500-2 Canton situation- governor's despatches 30-6-1927 - 8-11-1927 — Page 98

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and impractical doctrine, and even Lenin himself, should we

meet him, to effect a reform. Lenin's principles are

radically wrong. I am not very learned and I cannot make much comment on his principles. But materially we cannot

recognize them as sound. An explanation of the reasons would be very long, as long as the series of Shap Tsat Sze (17

histories), and I do not know where to begin the explanation.

Moreover it could not be finished in two or three days. On

the 8th instant Mr. Ng Shing Lok, Acting Chancellor of the

Kung Ip (Industrial) University in Peking, came from Hankow,

and told me that of late all foreigners had returned to

Hankow and Hunan, and that no one had been killed and no

speeches made during the last week. On enquiry as to the

reason, I learnt from him that the Communists have been

compelled to behave thus on account of the following:-

(1) They have been defeated at Shun Yeung.

(2) They are short of provisions, and the provisions

they have in stock cannot last them for another

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two months.

(3) The third reason is very ridiculous. Forty Imperial-

ist warships, under the direction of the Diplomatic Corps in Peking, have put forward to them 6 demands,

such as the return of all foreigners to Hunan and

Hupeh within a week, the expulsion of all Russians

within 3 weeks, the return of the ownership of the

factories to their proper owners, and the subjection

of all workmen to the direction of their masters.

Then the Communists have been softened. They have

been used to a strong and proud attitude: how is it that

they have been so much softened? The year before last, the

representatives of the 3rd Internationale suggested to our

late