University of Sheffield Library. Special Collections and Archives Ref: MS 372 Title: Peter and Rose Townsend Archive Scope: Documents donated by the family of Peter and Rose Townsend, including booklets, newspaper cuttings, newsletters, reports and translated articles relating to China, from the 1940s to the 1990s. Dates: 1945-1995 Level: Fonds Extent: 5 boxes Name of creators: Peter and Rose Townsend Administrative / biographical history: The documents include booklets, newspaper cuttings, newsletters, reports and translated articles relating to China, including many items dating from the early 1950s concerning the Cultural Revolution. Peter Townsend was born on 24th August, 1919 at Canterbury, the son of a Harley Street dentist who was also a Quaker and socialist. His interest in China was awakened at the age of 8 or 9 by a talk given by a visiting Chinese politician. After attending King’s School, Canterbury, he went up to Worcester College, Oxford, to read history. After his first year, he did not return, preferring instead to volunteer for the Friends’ Ambulance Unit in 1939. He hoped to go to China with the Unit, and began to learn Mandarin before setting sail from England in 1941. He arrived in Singapore and then Rangoon in the midst of Japanese air raids, then drove a truck along the Burma Road to Kunming in southwest China. After a short spell of work in the local hospital, Townsend was invited to become the English secretary at the northwest headquarters of the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives in Baoji, Sha’anxi province. These co-operatives were small-scale industrial units supported by foreign charities but highly unpopular with the Kuomintang government. In 1943, Townsend moved to a post in Chengdu in West China, overseeing the use of foreign relief funds to the co- operatives, then in 1945 he relocated to Shanghai where his work involved advertising the social and economic benefits of the co-operatives to influential people, who included Chou Enlai and Mao Zedong. In 1947, Townsend married Rose Yardumian, an Armenian American journalist for the English-language daily newspaper People’s China. By then, Peter Townsend was also working as a journalist, sending regular articles about China to the New Statesman. By the end of 1949, the Townsends had become sufficiently concerned about the future for foreigners in the People’s Republic to decide, reluctantly, to leave for London. Initially, Rose trained as teacher while Peter edited the magazine China Monthly and in 1955 published the book China Phoenix giving a favourable view of the revolution. Between 1964 and 1976, Peter Townsend was editor of the monthly art journal Studio, and later founded two further art periodicals, Art Monthly and Art Monthly Australia. Rose died in 1990, and Peter in 2006, leaving two daughters. Related collections: Goddard Papers, Winnington Papers Source: Donated in June 2007 System of arrangement: By category Subjects: China – History – 20th century Names: Townsend, Peter (1919-2006); Townsend, Rose (d. 1990) Conditions of access: Available to all researchers, by appointment Restrictions: None Copyright: According to document Finding aids: Listed MS 372 Peter and Rose Townsend Archive Section A Translated Articles A/1 From brown folder labelled “Industrial workers, Trade Unions” A/1/1 Review of workers’ movement in Canton after liberation and principal tasks of the future (a summary). Comrade Liao Ssu-kuang’s report… February 1, 1950. 9 l. Ts. A/1/2 Conclusion of discussions on new record movement at the joint congress of bureau directors and managers of mines and factories of the Ministry of Industry of the Northeast. Chung Kuo Kung Jen, February 15, 1950. 8 l. Ts. A/1/3 Experience in democratization of management. Chang Li-chih. Ghung Kuo Kung Jen, March 15, 1950. 8 l. Ts. A/1/4 Cadres’ interference with workers’ reasonable proposals opposed (“Jen Min Jih Pao”, Port Arthur & Dairen). Chungkuo Kung Jen, no. 3, April 1950. 3 l. Ms. A/1/5 Report on the present policy and mission of labor movement in Shanghai made at the Labor Congress of Shanghai. Liu Chang-sheng. Chung Kuo Kung Jen, no. 3, April 15, 1950. 38 l. Ms. A/1/6 Anti-foremen movement in Tsinghsing coal mine. Kung Jen Erh Pao, Peking, May 8th, 1950. 4 l. Ts. A/1/7 Decision of the Administrative Yuan of the Central People’s Government on the proposal for the establishment of the transportation company and abolition of the feudal monopoly system in the transportation business in various areas. “Chung Kuo Kung Jen”, no. 4, May 15, 1950. 5 l. Ms. A/1/8 Review of labor union works of the past half year & plan in outline for the coming half year of Tsinan City. “Chung Kuo Kung Jen”, no. 4, May 15, 1950. 5 l. Ms. A/1/9 Three months’ experience in workers’ educational organisation in Chengchow. By Mia Ching and Chuang Hsiao. Chung Kuo Kung Jen, no. 4, May 15, 1950. 10 l. Ms. A/1/10 Railway factory director refuses to accept criticism. Grumbling against correspondents. Kung Jen Erh Pao, Peking, May 25. 1950. 12 l. Ts. A/1/11 N.E. military works bureau shouldn’t oppress criticism: a letter from Comrade Liu Tzu-Chiu of the All-China Federation of Labourers to Jen Min Jih Pao. “Kung Jen Jih Pao”, Peking, August 16, 1950. 3 l. Ts. A/1/12 Steel factory neglectful of duty. Waster-reports continuing. Kung Jen Jih Pao, Peking, Aug 24, 1950. 2 l. Ts. A/1/13 Labour leader punished for striking labourer. Kung Jen Jih Pao, Peking, Aug 24, 1950. 1 l. Ts. A/1/14 Chinese labour movement in the past year. “Hsin Hua Yueh Pao”, no. 1, vol. 3. 3 l. Ts. A/1/15 Manager makes self-criticism for illegal discharge of workers. A letter from Manager Liu Yi. “Kung Jen Jih Pao”, Dec 6, 1950. 1 l. Ts. A/1/16 Self-examination of military representative – Pao Yu-kuang, Military Representative, Huo Lung Kang coal mine. “Kung Jen Jih Pao”, Dec 7, 1950. 1 l. Ts. A/1/17 Responsible members punished for colliery leakage. “Kung Jen Jih Pao, Dec 9, 1950. 2 l. Ts. A/1/18 Trade union law disregarded in Hupei Province. Labourers’ interest infringed. Kung Jen Jih Pao, Dec 12, 1950. 2 l. Ts. A/1/19 Criticism on the erroneous viewpoint of ‘Valueing machinery but not human- being”, by Shih Tung. (From Sefang Jupao, Shanghai, Dec 26, 1950). 3 l. Ms. A/1/20 Learning from the eldest brother Soviet Union. By Miao Pei-shih and Chang Huan-chung. “Kung Jen Jih Pao”, March 18, 1951. 5 l. Ts. & ms. A/1/21 Before and after the lathe work team picking up the challenge. Stated by Chiao Yao-tsung and recorded by Wang Hsu… Kung Jen Jih Pao, March 20, 1951. 3 l. Ts. A/1/22 To struggle against workers is mistake in principle. (Letters from the Readers Column). Jen Min Jih Pao, April 4, 1951. 4 l. Ts. A/1/23 Heroic underground struggles of Shanghai factory party branch. Cheng Ching- mei, correspondent of this paper. “Kung Jen Jih Pao”, June 27, 1951. 4 l. Ts. A/1/24 Glorious struggle stories of Peking railway workers. By Lu Ssu-Liang. “Kung Jen Jih Pao”, Jun 30, 1951. 4 l. Ts. A/1/25 Chinese Communist Party and Shanghai workers. Written on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Communist Party of China. By Liu Ch’ang-Sheng. “Kung Jen Jih Pao”, June 30, 1951. 8 l. Ts. A/1/26 Ping Hsiang coal miners of today. darkness under the KMT reign. “Kung Jen Jih Pao, July 3, 1951. 2 l. Ts. A/1/27 Communist Party members not afraid of Chiang’s jail. By Chang Ming, Communist Party member, Men T’ou Kou coal miner. “Kung Jen Jih Pao”, July 3, 1951. 2 l. Ts. A/1/28 Families of our team members united. “Kung Jen Jih Pao”, July 3, 1951. 2 l. Ts. A/1/29 A working room party branch unites the masses. By Ch’i Wu. “Kung Jen Jih Pao”, July 4, 1951. 5 l. Ts. A/1/30 Scientific news: ‘No. resist America and aid Korea’ tractors. “Kung Jen Jih Pao”, July 8, 1951. 1 l. Ts. A/1/31 Important medium men executed. Responsible for ‘February 27th’ incident. “Kung Jen Jih Pao, July 22, 1951. 1 l. Ts. Section A Translated Articles A/2 From brown folder labelled “Rural scene – Land reform, mutual aid, etc” A/2/1 Kang Chuang Hsiang after land reform. “Chan Wang”, no. 6, vol. 1. 3 l. Ts. A/2/2 Poor farmers in the paradise. “D.T.S.”, 22/8/1949. 2 l. Ts. & ms. A/2/3 Guided, unrestrained (unhampered? Fang Shou) mobilisation of the masses. (Translated from “Giefang Rhbao”, Shanghai, Dec 25, 1950). 6 l. Ms. A/2/4 Land reform in full swing in Chekiang. “Giefang Rhbao” (Emancipation Daily), Dec 25, 1950. 6 l. Ms. A/2/5 Calamity-ridden peasants guided to pass through dearth by help of production in South Anhui. “Giefang Rhbao”, Shanghai, Dec 26, 1950. 2 l. Ms. A/2/6 Collective fishing under guidance of village branch. (From “Giefang Rhbao”, Shanghai, Dec 26, 1950). 3 l. Ms. A/2/7 Disruption of the implementation of land reform by lawless landlords in East, Central and South China. “Hsin Hua Yueh Pao”, no. 1, vol. 3. 2 l. Ts. A/2/8 Provisional regulations governing the punishment of unlawful landlords in east China. “Hsin Hua Yueh Pao”, no. 1, vol. 3. 3 l. Ts. A/2/9 New atmosphere in the rural villages.