76-09-A1

- Main Page \ Reagan Radio Commentaries \ 1977

<< Previous Broadcast

Next Broadcast >>

The Real China?

Transcript There is a weekly publication called Human Events published in Washington, D.C. It contains a great deal of news about government, international affairs and politics not always available in the daily press or TV news. A month or so ago it carried an article by a well-known scholar, a professor at Dartmouth, Jeffrey Hart. Professor Hart wrote of a study by two of his contemporaries, Miriam and Ivan London, having to do with what he called the obscurity that is Red China. All of us have been subjected to the reports of Americans and Europeans who have journeyed to Peking and returned with glowing accounts of the orderly society that has been created there. The publisher of the New York TIMES has proclaimed, -- QUOTE -- "I have immense admiration for the accomplishments of the Maoist revolution ... which for the first time in recorded history can feed and clothe its vast population adequately and by its own efforts". -- UNQUOTE. Miriam and Ivan London, writes Professor Hart, have managed to penetrate the before mentioned obscurity by modern techniques. They have taken the testimony of the thousands of refugees who continue to pour into Hong Kong and pumped it into computers. Admittedly refugee information tends to be unreliable. But, the computer rejects the accounts which disagree with each other and puts together the stories from separate individuals which are in agreement until they have a "province by province" account of what is actually going on in China. They have also cranked into the computer veiled accounts from official directives, broadcasts, and so forth. Their findings will appear in a book. But, in the meantime, an ugly picture of the China behind the showcase for foreign visitors emerges. It is a China of corruption, of pickpockets, thieves and prostitution. Ration coupons are sold and an underground commerce is carried on. Peasants labor endlessly for meals of rice gruel and sweet potatoes. In this China, there has been massive famine and, say the computers, -- QUOTE -- "beggars still swarm from disaster areas in the north into the more fortunate south" -- UNQUOTE. Even while our own journalists were writing of Mao's triumph over hunger in the years 1958 to '62, one of the most disastrous famines in modern history took place. The Londons go on to say this was not the result of a natural disaster. It was caused by mismanagement and misguided Communist party zeal. Crop failures took place in virtually every province. They quote a Peoples Liberation Army officer who went home to find his grandmother and uncle had starved to death. He told of trees stripped of bark by the hungry people. Professor Hart says the London's overall conclusions are grim: food production lagging behind population growth; a bare subsistence economy with no surplus to cover disasters, but plenty of food in those cities where foreigners are allowed to visit -- the showcase cities. I hope when the London's book is ready Human Events will announce it. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.		Details Batch Number 76-09-A1 Production Date 01/19/1977 Book/Page RPtV-111 Audio Youtube? No
		Added Notes Ivan and Miriam London