THE CHOICE IN CHINA
ISut,—Everyone who has lived in China tends to judge the Chinese in terms of his own experience and emotions. I might agree with much that Tony Gibson writes in his letter of November 19th and still disagree with him about the ultimate outcome of the present conflict in China. The important thing about China is not what any foreigner thinks is good for the Chinese but how the Chinese work out their destiny in terms of their own character, temperament and tradition. For instance, Tony Gibson believes in the "moderating process" within the Communist regime. I suggest that this is contrary to experience in all countries where the Communists have seized power. Such moderating influence will undoubtedly manifest itself in China in the course of time for the reasons I attempted to set out in my article. But it will be in spite of and not because of the Marxist policy of the Communist leaders.
Since Tony Gibson is not likely to agree with me in this I should like to add merely that my very mild references to the cruelties perpetrated by the Communists on foreign missionaries were not based, as he seems to suggest, on outdated examples. They were based on responsible reports of recent events, such as the destruction of the Trappist .monastery at Yang Chia Pin in North China, which follow the usual ruthless Communist pattern. I have no wish to end on a note of acrimony, but one cannot help feeling that one of the least encouraging portents for the future is the sweeping way, amounting at times to intolerance, in which any challenge, however mild, to the claims of Perfection put forward by and for the Communists is usually rejected out of hand.—Yours faithfully, COLIN MCDONALD. 12 The Highway, Sutton, Surrey.
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