This trip extended through the months of February, March, April, May and June. This was the period which began with the reorganization of the Kuomintang Nationalist government, the split by Chiang Kai Shek and the establishment of the Nanking government, and ended with the breakup of the reorganized National government of Wuhan. It was a time of civil war in almost every city and town which the Delegation visited. A tremendous regrouping of class forces was occurring in the Chinese Revolution.
2. First Glimpses of the Developing Split
Upon our arrival in Canton we were immediately received by the Kuomintang government of the province. Upon the invitation of this body a joint reception committee was formed which consisted of representatives of all public bodies of Canton, including the government, the Kuomintang, the Communist Party, all sections of the trade union movement, the peasant union, the student union, the Revolutionary Army and the merchants associations. This committee was a complete united front of all elements comprising the Nationalist movement in its broadest sense.
The visit of the Delegation was made the occasion for tremendous demonstrations everywhere; mass meetings, banquets, gatherings of all kinds were organized. But behind the appearance of unity which was created by these demonstrations, we quickly found that desperate struggle was being carried on. Within the united front of the Nationalist movement the regrouping of forces was proceeding at feverish pace.
A few days after our arrival we heard news of a recent clash culminating in an armed struggle, between the Railroad Workers' Union and the body known as the Canton Mechanics Union, which had occurred only two weeks before our arrival. Strangely enough both these bodies, which had only emerged from a fight in which they had been shedding one another's blood, were represented on our reception committee. We were entertained by both organizations, held mass meetings with them, and long interviews
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