above all, the army itself had been to some extent transformed, through the work of the revolutionary Political Section, into an army of conscious revolutionists, connecting itself everywhere with the trade unions and peasant unions, so that it could no longer be used as a blind tool by those holding military command at the top.
11. Some Favorable Developments in the Army
In China, in the midst of revolution, the army is necessarily the immediately decisive factor. What was the attitude of the army, therefore, in this inner struggle? A few of my own contacts with the army will indicate what was going on in many places:
(1) At Whanpoa Military Academy, the stronghold of Chiang Kai Shek, the International Workers' Delegation was received by a wildly enthusiastic demonstration of 5,000 cadets, who sang "The Internationale" and shouted in unison slogans which included, "Follow the advice of the Communist International."
(2) At Kanchow, where reaction had crushed the Labor movement by means of an Army Division, newly recruited from Northern deserters, another Division, consisting of experienced revolutionary troops and politically-trained leaders, arriving in Kanchow just a few days ahead of the International Delegation, used our visit to arrange a public demonstration for the trade unions, brought them out of their illegality under the protection of the army, and completely reversed the local situation in a few hours.
(3) At Nanchang, under the nose of General Headquaretrs, the local garrison staged a demonstration for the International Delegation, at which a private soldier spoke in public defiance of the policy of Chiang Kai Shek; later, the garrison protected the trade unions in a mass meeting, violating the martial law proclaimed by the reaction, at which the slogan was proclaimed: "Down with the reaction which controls the Provincial Kuomintang."
(4) On April 8, the Wuchang Political-Military Academy, jointly with the staff of the Political Section of the army, gave a recpetion to the International Delegation, delegates of the Indian National Party, to the new Labor
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