Hemingway in China - (Revised Edition)

Author: Yang Renjing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Hemingway did not visit the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region on this trip. He himself said that because American journalists Edgar Snow and Agnes Smedley and others had already given a very vivid account of the Communist Party-led army, he only went to the frontline of the Nationalist regular army for interviews. Indeed, Snow and Smedley published many articles in American newspapers introducing the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region and the heroic resistance of the Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army against Japanese aggression, which attracted the attention and interest of American readers. It seems that Hemingway did some preparation before coming to China, at least reading Snow and Smedley's reports. Although he was unfamiliar with China, he still had some understanding of the Communist Party-led army. Therefore, although he couldn't personally visit the then-notable Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region or see the frontline of the anti-Japanese war of the Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army, Hemingway still highly praised their spirit of heroic resistance against Japan. Shortly after his visit to China, at a press conference in New York, he particularly pointed out: "The Chinese army has three hundred divisions, of which three are led by the Communist Party. These three divisions defend extremely important areas, and they have fought very outstandingly." Moreover, Hemingway praised the Communists as "excellent Chinese people," who had a deep foundation among the masses and played a significant role in the Anti-Japanese War. The meeting with Zhou Enlai was an extraordinary experience for Hemingway's visit to China. Hemingway and his wife stayed in Chongqing for several days and grew tired of the incessant lies of Chiang Kai-shek and his wife. Hemingway longed to meet the Communists, but he was frustrated by the lack of opportunities and channels. One day, Hemingway was resting at his residence. Martha went to the Chongqing market alone for a stroll and suddenly a tall, blonde, blue-eyed German girl quietly approached her. This mysterious woman, dressed in a Chinese cheongsam and wearing a men's felt hat, introduced herself as "Anna Wang" and asked in a low voice if she and her husband wanted to meet Zhou Enlai. Martha didn't know who Zhou Enlai was at first and said she would ask Hemingway. Hemingway, upon hearing this, said happily: "That's right, he's a friend of Choris Ivens." He immediately expressed his willingness to meet Zhou Enlai. Martha took this message back to the market to tell the young woman. Ivens was a famous Dutch film director who came to China in 1938-1939 to shoot documentaries. He was an old friend of the Chinese people. Zhou Enlai and Hemingway secretly met under his influence. The next day, Hemingway and his wife went to the street as agreed, slipped away from the spies' tracking, and came to the market to meet the beautiful German girl. The woman led them through the alleys, avoiding the spies' tracking, and then hurriedly got into a rickshaw, covered the cab with a cloth, and rode a short distance to a small room painted white all around. There was only a table and three chairs in the room, and Zhou Enlai was waiting behind the table to greet them. Zhou Enlai was wearing a short-sleeved, open-necked white shirt and black pants, looking very simple and elegant. He spoke French with Hemingway and his wife. Zhou Enlai had a translator, but Hemingway and his wife felt that his bright eyes showed he understood their conversation without the need for a translator, and the hosts and guests chatted and laughed freely. Martha recalled that it was the first and only time they felt like they were at home with a Chinese person, and it was very pleasant. Hemingway introduced Zhou Enlai to the situation at the front line in Guangdong. Zhou Enlai may have discussed the Anhui New Fourth Army Incident and the Communist Party's anti-Japanese policy, and even wrote two memoranda specifically on the Anhui New Fourth Army Incident for Hemingway. Hemingway took these two memoranda back to the United States and showed them to his friend Morgenthau at the Treasury Department, hoping they would read the reports with their completely different perspectives as a reference for analyzing future events in China. Zhou Enlai left a deep impression on Hemingway and his wife. Hemingway believed that General Zhou Enlai was a very handsome and intelligent person. He worked excellently in Chongqing, full of spies and secret agents, and maintained close contact with foreign diplomats stationed in Chongqing, promoting the Communist Party's views. He was an outstanding diplomat. In Chongqing, he was one of the few people with opposing views who could get close to Chiang Kai-shek. P007-009