What did Japan demand from China?
When Mao Tse-tung heard of Lenin and the great revolution in Russia, China was passing through a time of suffering. In 1915 Japan had occupied the Shantung Province of China. Confucius, the great Chinese regarded it as their Holy land. Later in the same year Japan sent a threatening letter to the Chinese President. Written on paper watermarked with machine guns, the letter demanded more areas in China and several Chinese ports. Japan wanted to command the police in the big Chinese cities, have Japanese officials in the Chinese government, and control the coal and iron mines and railways in China. The Japanese demands were supported by the powerful countries of Europe. The weak Chinese government had to accept the demands. The Chinese people protested against giving in to Japan. There were banners at street corners reading, ‘Don’t forget the shame of the nation.’ On 4 May 1919, over three thousand students gathered at the Square of Heavenly Peace in Peking. They swore two oaths:
“China’s land may be conquered, but it cannot be given away,
The Chinese people may be killed, but they will not surrender.”
Then they marched through the whole city. They distributed pamphlets protesting against the rulers. There were fights with the police at some places, and some students were arrested. The story of the 4 May demonstrations all over China. In the province of Hunan the students were led by Mao tse-tung. Mao edited a student’s journal, the Hasiang Chiang Review, and ran a bookshop at that time.
About Mao Tse-tung
Mao tung was born in 1893. His father was a poor peasant. But he entered business and became quite rich. Mao Tse-tung went to school when he was eight. In early morning and at night he worked on the farm. During the day he read the writings of Confucius. The Chinese teacher at school was very strict. He beat his students whenever he was angry. Mao’s father also beat Mao tse and his brothers. Mao ran away from home when he was ten years old. He wandered for three days before he was found y his family. Mao had thought that he was walking towards the nearest city. But he had actually only gone round and round the same place. When he came back home, he found both his father and teacher more considerate. But his father still complained that young Mao tung was lazy and disobedient, and he sometimes beat the boy.
Mao left school for a time and worked long hours on the farm. At night he looked after his father’s accounts. Still he found time for reading. He loved to read old Chinese tales and stories of revolts in the past.
There was a great famine in China at that time. The hungry people went to the rich landlords and the governors begging for food. When they were turned out, they often got wild and burnt down the houses of the rich. The leaders of these people were arrested. Their heads were cut off and hung upon poles to frighten the people. Mao tung was deeply moved by these events. He wanted to find out how the common people could be given a better life.
He went back to school to learn how things could be changed. Mao changed school a number of times. He found the schools teaching things in which he was not interested. He gave up going to school after a time and spent all his time reading in the Hunan Library. But Mao had no money. His father had refused to send him money unless he went to school. So he had to go to school again, where he studied hard.
When he went up to college, he gathered a group of students around himself. It was a very serious-minded group of young people. They never talked about their personal problems or interests. They talked only of grand matters- of China and the world. They took great care to be strong and healthy. They tramped through the fields, up and down the mountains, and across the streams and rivers. They slept in the open when frost fell. In cold November they swam in the rivers. This group grew into a society called The New People’s Study Society.
