CHINA: Empire of 700 Million

Aware that with present conditions of travel ""there are limits to the amount of information that can be gathered during a journey through China,"" West German journalist Harry Hamm was also sure that ""a reasonably long stay and extensive travels in the country provide a large number of opportunities for picking up signs, hints and intimations...which will allow conclusions to be drawn as to the political situation and the problems of the country."" And somehow, it seems that Mr. Hamm brings more to and draws more out of his experience than our other informants on the political level. His investigation is sober, less lightened by anecdote or the clever catchphrases of the regime. But Mr. Hamm ranged in his travels from Peking to the far South, saw great cities and far provinces. He deals with the manner in which the regime is handling China's major problem--feeding the nation--and manipulating the masses. He assesses the present power structure; looks back to the Long March which placed the omnipotent seven where they are today; marks the fear of revisionism and resultant measures...the use of the militia, the dealing with the intellectuals, the education of the masses. He makes observations on racial outlook, opposition to Moscow, the sense of encirclement felt by the Chinese. Finally, he considers the role of the West in drawing China into accepting her share of international responsibility; he advocates a common policy among Western nations. Politically the most probing (although somewhat oriented to the Western German orbit) of the five books, this moves out of the viewing stance to make suggestions on possible procedures in foreign policy on our part.