III. THE CHINESE LABOR MOVEMENT
From what has already been said, it will be clear that Chinese trade union movement has played a leading role in the Revolution, and that its importance is constantly increasing. Everywhere we went we gathered the most detailed information about this movement. At Hankow we received our most valuable contact with it. I choose from my note book two items, as being best calculated, in a brief space, to give a correct idea of the trade unions: First, is a brief historical sketch of the labor movement, given me in an interview by Sou Cheu Ging, Teng Tsung-hsia, and Li Li-san, leaders of the All-China Labor Federation; second, is a description of one particular union, the Wuhan Textile Workers' Union.
13. Historical Sketch of the Chinese Labor Movement
The Chinese trade union movement, as a power affecting the national life, dates from 1919. It arose during the great anti-Japanese movement, protesting against the "21 points," known as the "Fourth of May movement." This began as a student movement. Some embryonic organizations had existed previously, as those among the railway workers on the Peking-Mukden line and the Peking-Hankow line, but had not yet become properly a trade union movement. These embryonic groups were transformed into trade unions during 1919.
At the same time in Shanghai there broke out the strikes of textile workers and dockers, who were in Japanese employ, 20,000 in all; while in Hongkong occurred a large metal workers' strike. These were successful, and grave a great impetus to the labor movement elsewhere. During this time the trade unions in Kwantung province made especial progress, in Canton alone their number increasing from 20 to 100 during 1919. This year may therefore be called the real beginning of the Chinese labor movement.
Among the most important influences affecting the
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