Seductive Words

With the air of a man being sweetly reasonable, oily-tongued Premier Chou En-lai last week offered to negotiate with Nationalist leaders for the "peaceful liberation" of Formosa, i.e., for its surrender to Red China. In short, he was prepared to be nice about it, if the Nationalists would just give up. Chou omitted his usual derogatory references to the Nationalists, blandly offered to meet with the "Taiwan [Formosa] authorities" either in Peking "or other appropriate places." At the same time Chou assured military personnel and civilians on Formosa that they can return to the mainland on visits whenever they like. To those who decide to work for "liberation," he offered amnesty and "appropriate jobs."

Of recent months, Radio Peking has dropped most of the insults ("running dog," etc.) in front of Chiang Kai-shek's name, now treats him as if he were merely a stubborn old fellow. But Chou could not resist a passing reference to Formosa's "dying gasp." Answered Nationalist China's Foreign Minister George K. C. Yeh: "Pure nonsense."

Chou's more or less polite words were spoken at a meeting of the National People's Congress in Peking. Politeness was breaking out all over, or, at least, the characteristic churlishness of the Red regime was being held in check. Dutifully responding to recent edicts for freer expression of opinion, deputy after deputy took the floor to criticize the government and urge reforms -more authority for local governments, higher wages, improved living conditions. One deputy revealed that rioting had broken out last year in heavily populated Szechwan province, but that it had been put down "effectively." Premier Chou listened impassively to criticisms of the regime he had just asked Formosan Chinese to accept, announced at the close of the congress that everyone "concerned will examine and correct shortcomings and mistakes."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.