War: New-Style Wife

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What should a new-style, progressive Chinese wife do when her husband turns out to be a dreadful reactionary? Mrs. Ling Hua-tang knew: call the cops and let them take care of him as they will. Last week, proud of herself, Mrs. Ling wrote a letter to Canton's official Communist Southern Daily, which printed it as a guide to fellow "progressives."

"For ten years," wrote Mrs. Ling, "there was hidden suffering in my heart. I knew my husband was a reactionary. During Kuomintang days, he was an officer in the 160th Division of Chiang's bandit army. In those days, he bullied me often, and I had to endure it. Then came the [Communist] liberation. . .

"One day my son, who worked in a branch police station, came home, and I confided my thoughts to him. He answered me: 'Mother, we must accuse him.' My son tried to persuade his father to repent, but this bad man not only refused to reform but reprimanded us. After that my son told me: 'Mother, it is useless to spare this bad egg. You should not recognize him as a husband, and I should not recognize him as a father.'"

Then last month, the husband confided that he planned to flee to Formosa. "I was worried on hearing this, fearing that this criminal husband of mine would escape, so I said, 'Instead of leaving today, wait until tomorrow.' I went to the police. That night I could not fall asleep, but around midnight the police comrades came and arrested this harmful thing which was not my husband but my enemy. I feel happy to have got rid of a menace to the people."