History should not forget

Author: Epstein
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Unfortunately, most of them did not see China as it is today. I am one of the lucky ones. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the victory in the International War of Resistance against Fascism, I naturally recalled what I saw and experienced on the Chinese battlefield back then, and also remembered the international friends who joined me and introduced the Chinese people's anti-war struggle. This book is dedicated to all anti-fascist fighters around the world, and also commemorates those who died for the victory of this just war, including the friends who passed away before me. The main content of this book is about the author's experiences. After Japan occupied Shanghai, Soong Ching-ling moved to a new location—Hong Kong—to continue her work. Before leaving, she had to go through another hurdle, because although her residence was in the French Concession (the International Settlement and French Concession in Shanghai were under foreign jurisdiction and were theoretically neutral zones), there were now more Japanese spies monitoring her in addition to the usual informers who often visited nearby. To deceive these people, on the day she left—December 23, 1937—she arranged an impeccable calmness at home. Two foreign friends came to drink tea, and a little while later, Louis, a New Zealand friend, also arrived. She and her personal maid, Sister Li, climbed into the taxi hired by from the back door and drove to the Bund in the International Settlement, boarding a coastal passenger ship flying a foreign flag. She covered half of her face with a scarf (it was very cold that day), with one hand holding's strong arm, and walked onto the gangway together in a relaxed and natural manner—no one had time to stop or question them.
In matters of domestic affairs, her work was to maintain, strengthen, and advance the anti-war national united front and its core—the re-cooperation of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China, which had risen and fallen several times during the war. Internationally, she helped establish and strengthen the anti-fascist front. To achieve internal unity and expand the influence of progress in the war-torn China, she never ceased her efforts. In the first year or two after arriving in Hong Kong, the focus of her work was to strengthen the positive and constructive trends that were emerging. In particular, she strongly supported the 《War of Resistance and National Construction Program》, which was passed by the Kuomintang's temporary in Wuhan in the spring of 1938 and was oriented toward the united front. In April, she and He Xiangning jointly published an open letter to the Kuomintang leadership, stating that the program should be implemented rather than just remain on paper. Both were Central Executive Committee members of the Kuomintang and consistently advocated for the Kuomintang-Communist cooperation (although they were almost isolated for a long time). They had no real power but were respected by the public. In the letter, they proposed seven suggestions regarding the Kuomintang's responsibilities to the nation and the people:
1. Restore party discipline and severely punish responsible party members who fear death, embezzle, and abuse the law.
2. Respect public opinion and realize civil rights, completely abolishing all laws and regulations that suppress public opinion or hinder civil rights.
3. Stop all forms of factional struggles and strive for unified and sincere solidarity among the people of the entire country.
4. Never forget the humiliation of the nation and the country at the moment. Do not be arrogant in victory or discouraged in defeat. Fulfill the goals of the war of resistance and national construction and do not change course halfway. Any that seeks peace at the slightest victory, which is actually an act of humiliation, should be firmly opposed to prevent our nation and country from falling into another desperate situation.
5. Vigilantly guard against enemy plots and do not fall into their tricks of provocation and temptation, ensuring that their sinister plan to destroy China without fighting cannot be realized.
6. Strictly implement the deprivation of civil rights of those who engage in puppet and traitorous activities, confiscating their entire property. If they are responsible party or government officials, they should be subjected to severe criminal punishment.
7. Do not forget the suffering of fellow countrymen in occupied and combat areas. The authorities should sacrifice the comfort and interests of a few to relieve the hardships of the people, rescue refugees, comfort the displaced, provide for the families of martyrs and those who died, abolish and prohibit all onerous taxes and usury, and consider exempting or reducing taxes, so that all fellow countrymen are willing to follow our party and fight to the end.
Soong Ching-ling had no sympathy for those who avoided military service or fled during the war. On June 2, she wrote to Wu Tiecheng, the governor of Guangdong Province, proposing that the public should be stopped from fleeing to Hong Kong (excluding women, children, and the elderly). The large-scale escape of young, strong, and wealthy people would lower the respect the outside world had for China. More should be trained for combat, air defense facilities should be improved, and the lives of refugees should be cared for. She was furious and disgusted with the attitude and plots of defeatism. In a letter to her New Zealand colleague James Betram on May 25, 1938, she condemned China's defeatism and linked it to the situation in Europe: "Those defeatists are shouting for peace again. But in my heart, there is no doubt that we—the people—will resist to the end. Hitler has ordered the recall of all German military advisors (they once helped the Kuomintang fight the Chinese Red Army, then helped fight Japan for a short period, and now Japan has become an ally of Nazi Germany). They all refuse to go back. Hitler has not realized what a foolish thing he is doing. After we clear out those problematic people and spies from among us, we will fight even better."
On July 7, 1938, in her article "One Year of the War of Resistance," Soong Ching-ling praised the severe and sacrificial battle that had been fought over the past year but warned that it "was only the beginning of winning the liberation and independence of our Chinese nation" and that vigilance was needed against "political leaders who are timid in foreign affairs but bold in domestic affairs, who at the start of the war embraced defeatism and immediately began to engage in activities, wishing to make it a reality at all costs. We must cut off the other magic hand of enemy aggression—the plot of political appeasement." She also said that although the 《War of Resistance and National Construction Program》 had been announced, it still needed to be implemented. Political mobilization and military training of the people were necessary. Similarly, it was necessary to mobilize wealthy Chinese and overseas Chinese to raise funds to develop southwestern and northwestern China. "Improving people's livelihoods" and "improving political institutions" (a theme she often mentioned) "must be implemented immediately." The government should quickly convene the "National Consultative Assembly," not only to listen to their opinions but also to promptly implement their proposals, and further change the powers of the Consultative Assembly to make it not just an advisory body for the central government but also a practical embodiment of the functions of the National Assembly in a democratic political system.