In 1982, during an interview in the United States, a reporter had the opportunity to have an in-depth conversation with Mr. Song Xilian. The reporter asked: "Mr. Song, you have held positions in the Kuomintang and joined the Communist Party in history. In your opinion, who is the greater of the two historical figures, ** and Chiang Kai-shek? ”
After hearing this, Mr. Song Xilian replied without the slightest hesitation: "* Compared with Chiang Kai-shek, it is undoubtedly much higher. The two of them are not on the same level in terms of leadership, charisma, and historical status. And Chiang Kai-shek's defeat in the War of Liberation was largely caused by himself. ”
The reporter was a little surprised after hearing this, because Mr. Song Xilian used to be Chiang Kai-shek's favorite general, but now he made such an evaluation of Chiang Kai-shek. Seeing the reporter's doubts, Mr. Song Xilian smiled and explained: "The reason why ** is greater than Chiang Kai-shek is mainly reflected in three aspects. ”
First of all, it is the way of employing people. A good leader must know how to make good use of people, and *** is a model for this. He never asks about his background, but only looks at his ability and performance. Although the generals were once members of the Kuomintang, they were never prejudiced or excluded from them because of this. On the contrary, he gave them full trust and opportunities, allowing them to play an important role in the construction of New China. Chiang Kai-shek, on the other hand, was relatively narrow in this regard, and he often attached too much importance to the origins and backgrounds of his subordinates, and even missed out on many excellent talents as a result.
Secondly, it is the will of the people. ** Knowing the importance of the people's will, he always stood on the people's standpoint, cared about the people's welfare, and formulated a series of strict disciplines and systems to ensure the good image of the people's army. As a result, the PLA has won the support and support of the broad masses of the people. Chiang Kai-shek, on the other hand, often ignored the importance of popular support, shouting the slogan of democracy while enriching his own pockets and becoming corrupt. This greatly diminished the image of the Kuomintang in the hearts of the people, which ultimately led to its defeat in the War of Liberation.
Finally, it is the hearts and minds of the people. During the war years, many generals were faced with the choice of changing sides and banners. ** The generals who took the initiative to revolt were given extremely high respect and preferential treatment, not only retaining their official positions and status, but also giving them full trust and support. As a result, many generals who had originally taken a wait-and-see attitude towards the Communist Party finally chose to join the Communist Party. Chiang Kai-shek, on the other hand, often resorted to torture to extract confessions and kill those generals who were forced to take prisoners, which made many generals who had still had a glimmer of hope for the Kuomintang finally become completely disappointed and chose to fight back.
Mr. Song continued, "I myself have experienced some twists and turns and choices in history. But in the end, I chose to join the Communist Party and fought for it for the rest of my life. This is not only because I have seen the greatness and correctness of the Communist Party, but also because I have seen the greatness and wisdom of the Communist Party. He does not suspect people and does not use suspicious people; He cares about the people and is sympathetic to the people's feelings; He treated his generals with respect and preferential treatment of his captives. These qualities have deeply infected me and influenced my lifelong choices. ”
Hearing this, the reporter couldn't help but nod in agreement: "Mr. Song, what you said is right. A great leader and thinker indeed. His way of employing people, the aspirations of the people and the aspirations of the people all reflect his outstanding wisdom and mind. And although Chiang Kai-shek is also a historical figure, there is indeed a big gap compared with ***. ”
After hearing this, Mr. Song Xilian smiled and nodded in agreement, and looked in the direction of the distant motherland and said affectionately: "Thank you to the party!" Thank you *** It was the Communist Party that gave me a second life! Give me the opportunity to contribute more to the country and the people! ”