From The strange apotheosis of Sun Yat-sen by "Saggitarius", 1939

BORODIN TAKES CHARGE

MICHAEL Borodin, who had previously been engaged in revolutionary activities in America, Mexico and Turkey, and had been expelled from Great Britain as an undesirable alien, thus describes his reception in Canton :—

�I arrived at Canton on October 6 (1923). . . Sun Yat-sen welcomed me very warmly, made me sit with him, and looked at me fixedly for several seconds. I conveyed to him the greetings of Moscow, and of the Political Representative, Comrade Karahan, adding that the latter looks forward to an interview with him on the first favourable occasion. [ . . . ] For the present he [Sun] finds it necessary to hold Kwangtung, and therefore his Army must be increased and strengthened. To do this he needs help, which, he thinks, may be extended to him through Vladivostock. [ . . . ] Military supplies which are indispensable, and which, owing to the blockade, cannot now be received, could be brought from Vladivostock.�

Moscow was ready to give Dr. Sun the material aid he required, but only on conditions. The chief of these was the reorganization of the Kuomintang under Russian supervision. Borodin lost no time in attempting to enforce this condition. At a meeting held five days after his arrival, he explained his plan :—

�The plan provides for the immediate organization of a provisional national committee consisting of 21 members, into which the most prominent members of the Kuomintang, communists, members of the association of socialistic youth and of workmen�s unions may enter, 7under the chairmanship of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. An executive and administrative committee of 9 persons, similarly composed, shall proceed to the organization of provincial committees and sub-committees of the Kuomintang. Wherever possible national clubs of local organizations, (would be established) the leading part in which would be for the time being in the hands of the Kuomintang, the influence of the Communists depending on their activity.�

Note   � . . . for the time being . . . �. — (WPT)

London : Heath Cranton 1939, pages 99 ff.