Note on verso: "78 and 86. FIGHTING AND FARMERS OF CHINA. These Chinese Soviet peasants belong to the Red Guards, organized by the Communist government of China. In the Soviet areas of Shensi, Kansu and Ninghsia provinces there are now 30,000 such Red Guards. Trained by the People's Liberation Army as expert guerilla and partisan fighters, they are mostly equipped with ancient spears, pikes, lances and maces as during their forty centuries of peasant rebellions, but are taught now to use arms and given guns as soon as sufficient can be captured from the enemy troops for their use. They till their fields by day and at night raid government army outposts, or ambush government raiding parties sent into Red areas. They cause much worry to Chiang Kai-shek's modernly-armed troops, who are often intimidated by their fierce blood-curdling war-whoops, which they shout just as the old warriors of the period of "All Men Are Brothers," as they attack some lonely outpost under cover of darkness. A useful auxiliary force for the People's Liberation Army, in many Soviet districts they are so strong, so much feared, that no Red Army regulars need be stationed on "white" frontiers at all, but can be released from this duty for operations in new territories. These are the only pictures ever taken of the partisan Red Guards of China, who number tens of thousands scattered through nearly every province in China. Photo by Edgar Snow, 1936."

Former item number 3011.