Evening star. [volume], April 19, 1937, Page A-8, Image 8

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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The Kidnaping of Gen. Chiang
CHIANG KAI-SHEK.
This is the fourth installment
of two remarkable documents—
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek’s
"Diary of My Captivity in Sian"
and Mme. Chiang's own story of
how she helped rescue her husband
and save China from a civil war.
There are nine installments, the
first four presenting Mme. Chiang’s
story. The first three installments
told of her determined fight to keep
the Nanking military leaders from
carrying out their plan to attack
Sian and of her flight to that city
to save her husband’s life.
BY MAYLING SOONG CHIANG.
(Mme. Chtong Kai-shek.)
(Copyright, 1937. by Mme. Chlanr Kal
ihek and the North American Newspaper
Alliance, Inc.)
(All rights reserved. Reproductions In
whole or In part forbidden.)
SHANGHAI.—These were days of
Increasing anxiety in Sian. The new
element of doubt, injected by the atti
tude of suspicious officers, who might
at any moment seize all of us in an
effort to make certain of their own
safeguards, produced tense nervous
ness all around us.
Subdued excitement charged the
whole atmosphere. No one knew what
might happen at any moment, the
armed guards peeled in the house
being affected by it as much as we
were. As T. V. Soong and I moved
from room to room in conference with
this man or that, their eyes always
held unspoken questions.
The only relief we had was when
we could get out into the snow
covered compounds and walked around
the cleared paths. At various points
inside the grounds sentries, armed
with submachine guns, were posted
day and night to prevent any one
getting in, but outside the walls more
were posted to prevent the general
issimo from getting out.
The watchful guards were puzzled as
we circled and circled the paths and
wondered why we laughed. They did
not know we had to force ourselves
to do so to remove the tension.
T. V. Busy in Conferences.
During this time T. V. was kept in
cessantly occupied with conferences
with this group of officers or that. He
seemed to be involved in a perpetual
motion contest of defeating one set
of “final" arguments and requirements,
to be immediately confronted with a
dozen others just as “final" and just
as impracticable. Prom the point of
view of the Sian-militarists, it was all
a matter of averting punishment for
what had been done.
Truly enough, our arrival split the
camp. Chang Hsueh-llang was held
suspect from the moment Mr. Don
ald arrived, but when, after my
talks writh him, he more strongly as
serted his views in favor of allowing
the generalissimo to leave as soon as
possible, he was then classed as “one
of us,” and the danger was constant
that he and the rest of us would be
arrested. That is why arrangements
that were made by the leaders at one
conference were upset at the next
through the influence of some ques
tioning person encountered in be
tween times. There seemed no end to
suspicion and doubt.
“It is because the government
troops are coming closer and closer,”
I told the generalissimo. But he
was not so much help just then; he
W’as so tired of the shilly-shallying,
the impossible arguments and the
general atmosphere of suspicion that
he did not care whether he left Sian
or not.
“I’ll refuse to go,” he exploded at
one time, “if this kind of thing con
tinues.”
Patience Important.
I realized more than ever that pa
tience and control of temper were
of paramount importance, and that
every effort should be made to gain
the confidence of the .recalcitrant
leaders in the sincerity of our prom
ises that, U they repented, the gen
eralissimo would recommend that they
should not be punished and that civil
war would not be pursued to sup
press them.
We heard nothing of menaces from
the Reds in all this time. Quite con
trary to outside beliefs, we were as
sured that they were not interested
in detaining the generalissimo. In
stead, they preferred his quick re
lease. But we never forgot that their
armies were out in the distance—
silent now, but menacing and danger
ous. We were assured that they had
given up their old policies and prac
tices. We refused to believe it. It
is a ruse, we told ourselves and the
Sian people, and we will not swallow
ruses.
All day long I kept going in and out
of the room to keep the generalissimo
informed of every new development.
At one of these recitals my amah
(woman attendant) silently motioned
me to go to the next room. She whis
pered in my ear, “Madame, please
you be careful what you say. The
guards outside had their ears glued
to the door. But I stopped them,” she
concluded triumphantly.
“How?” I inquired.
*'I just stared at them very hard
and told them they must be listen
ing to something very interesting that
I also would like to hear. And I
stood there till they went away.”
Han-Chen Brings Mediator.
Every effort was being made by
Han-chen to break down the doubts
of his associates. He brought to me
one man said to have influence with
them, and I spent two hours discuss
ing the whole situation with him. He
went into the whole problem of the
northwest, to illustrate the grievances
which led to the detention of the
generalissimo.
It interested me to hear him reiter
ate again and again that apart from
the generalissimo there was no one
capable of being the leader of the
country at this period of its existence.
When he referred to the grievance
Jonoerning the defense of the country,
he said, “We do not say that the
generalissimo does not resist aggres
sion, but we say he does not resist
enough or sufficiently fast.”
I very gently pointed out to him
/
1
that youth la always Impatient, that
because China is such an ancient
country, covers such a large area of
territory, with tuch a vast population,
he who would lead the country suc
cessfully must be wisely slow, rather
than spectacularly rash, in what he
did. Above all, he must not be too
far ahead of the mass of the people
in carrying out his ideas. I em
phasized that the economic question
was all-important and must be con
sidered in relation to national de
fense, and that if they really had
faith in the generalissimo as the only
leader they should abide by his pol
icies, otherwise there would be con
fusion, if not chaos, but certainly
great losses.
Result of Accident.
He mentioned that the mutiny was
the result of accident. I retorted that
if they could not stage a simple coup
bloodlessly, how could they expect to
dictate the policy of the country? He
reiterated that they had the fullest
respect for the generalissimo, but the
generalissimo would not let them talk
to him on questions of policy.
The result of my conversation was
that he promised to use his influence
with Yang to obtain the release of
the generalissimo as soon as possible,
and he left asking to see me again.
When I saw him the following day
I urged him to use his Influence to
convince various parties of the fu
tility of opposing the government, re
minding him that nothing had been
gained by any armed anti-government
forces in the last 10 years. If they
wanted to do something for the peo
ple, they should work with and under
the government. As we were all Chi
nese, we should not fight each other.
Internal problems should be solved
by political means and not by mili
tary foroe. That had been the policy
of the generalissimo, and was so even
in the case of the Communists. How
often had he ordered airplanes to drop
leaflets telling the Communists that
if they would repent and behave like
law-abiding cltixens they would be
forgiven and could do China material
good?
Christmas Hopes Dashed.
Christmas eve was filled with be
liefs and dashed hopes. I told Han
ohen that he should get the gen
eralissimo out on Christmas day; that
the truce was up on that day, and if
an attack was launched we would
surely be killed, and he with us. Apart
from that, it would, as Dr. Kung had
said in Nanking, be “a splendid
Christmas gift to the nation.”
Han-chen looked baffled and be
wildered, but promised to try his best
to fulfill my hopes. He explained
that he had practically no troops in
the city and that Yang's soldiers held
the gates
“We might have to fight him,” he
said, “and that would be very dan
gerous for you. I can smuggle the
generalissimo out. You and Donald
fly oil to Loyang. I’ll persuade the
CHANG HSVEH-LIANG.
others you are going to Nanking to
negotiate. Then I’ll have the gen
eralissimo disguised, get him out of the
city by car, take him to where my
troops are in barracks and from there
drive him by car to Loyang to meet
you.” He talked over this plan with
T. V., who thought it should be tried
if everything else failed.
I refused, not only because the
generalissimo could not stand the car
journey, his back having been injured,
but because it was not the manner
for him to leave.
“He will not be disguised,” I said,
‘‘and if he cannot go openly by air
plane, then I will stay with him.
And if he is to die because of attacks
on the city by the government forces,
then I will die with him.”
World Demand* Release.
I could see that T. V. and Han-chen
thought I was just as obstinate as the
generalissimo had proved to be when
he refused to relent in his attitude,
but I was determined not to com
promise.
"It is Imperative that you persuade
them that the generalissimo must be
freed at once,” I said to Han-chen as
He went out. "The whole of China
demands it, and so does the whole
world. Chinese everywhere are send
ing cablegram after cablegram de
manding the generalissimo’s freedom
and denouncing you as a traitor and
worse.”
“I know it,” said Han-chen. "They
have sent the wires to me. However,
they do not understand that I mean
no harm to the generalissimo in any
way.”
The pressure now being exerted by
T. V. and Han-chen on the others was
making for increased suppressed ex
citement.
■ We ourselves were wondering what
Christmas day would bring us. It did
not look too hopeful. I kept remind
ing them that the truce was approach
Inc Its and, and, knowing the temper
and the viewpoints of those at Nan
king who had command, I was sure
that an attack under full pressure
would be launched, and calamity would
descend upon every one and every
thing.
It was all a question with the Sian
leaders of saving heads. I assured
the suspicious ones that If they really
repented their heads would be safe,
but if they did not repent no one
could say what would happen. They
knew the generalissimo was magnan
imous and they would have to depend
upon his magnanimity.
Han-chen began to lose patience
with them and threatened that If they
did not "finish with politics” he would
act "as he saw fit.”
Bargaining Absent
But no question of money or In
creased power or position was at any
time brought up. Indeed, that aspect
of the usual bargaining by recalcitrant
military leaders was entirely absent
from this mutiny. That Is why It was
different from others, why It showed
an Improvement In political develop
ment, and provides the hope that It
will be the last attempt at mutiny.
As the sun went down on Christ
mas eve there was more dejection than
hope apparent, but talk and more
talk went on far into the night.
And then came the dawn of Christ
mas day. The generalissimo and I
have always had a game on such
festive occasions, the one who gives
the first greeting shall determine the
program of the day. He won.
juai, aiver uayngni. appeared came
“Merry Christmas” from the depths
of his bed clothes. It seemed to me
a dismal outlook on that cold dawn,
but I responded cheerily enough, with
out specially feeling it.
"Merry Christmas to you,” I said,
missing the Christmas tree and real
ising that in this predicament and in
this place there could be no such
thing as a Christmas tree and that
Santa Claus would pass by Sian.
These lugubrious thoughts had
hardly flashed through my weary and
sleepy mind when the door opened
and in paraded two servants. Each
held in his hands what looked like
a gargantuan stocking, streached taut
by a weight. It was a stocking, truly
enough—a golf stocking, having tied
to its foot a portable typewriter and
a cheerful Christmas greeting for me,
while at the end of the other golf
stocking was suspended a warm
'steamer rug for the generalissimo,
his own having been lost with his
other possessions in the mutiny.
Santa Comes to Sian.
So, after all, Santa Claus did come
to Sian, and we lived under the same
roof! He was a friend of my father;
he is a friend of ours, and his inti
mates call him “Gran,” or "Don.”
The generalissimo threw back his
head and laughed, saying “That's
Just like the old gentleman.” It was
the first time I had heard him laugh
in Sian.
So some cheer and some hope came
to us with the Christmas sunlight,
but throughout the morning the
doubts remained. The recalcitrants
wanted signed orders from the gen
eralissimo before they were willing to
let him go. And the generalissimo
would not sign anything. Nor would
he talk. But to keep up my own
courage I began to pack. We hoped
that we would be able to leave Bias
so as to reach Nanking before sunset.
We should leave by 11:30 am. In
order to do that, but 10 o’clock
came with no result. And 10:30
came.
"The plane Is ready,” said Han
Chen, “but nothing Is settled.”
Eleven o’clock came. Our hopes
were dashed, but we did not give up.
"We can go to Loyang and stay
there the night,” said some one.
"Yes,” I responded eagerly, "don’t
let’s give up hope. If we pray hard
enough I am sure our prayers will
be answered somehow.”
Every one seemed to be running
about in confusion. T. V. went off
to the city to see Yang; others went
“hither and yon,” pulling this string
and that. Came l o'clock. "Tiffin
(luncheon) Is ready,’ announced some
one. Hopes further crashed, but
ate—and, with food, optimism re
asserted Itself.
“If we get away by 4 o’clock we
can make Loyang by dark,” some one
said, and we made 4 o’clock the aero
hour.
Permitted te Leave.
A ooolie carrying a suitcase, fol
lowed by Chang Hsueh-Llang, was
seen crossing our courtyard shortly
after 2 o’clock. Much Interest was
visible among the guards. There was
no report from the city, where T. V.
and others were endeavoring to allay
the fears of those who grew afraid
of reprisals if the generalissimo was
released without definite undertak
ings in writing, or by the issuance
of desired orders insuring their im
munity from punishment.
Telephones were Incessantly ring
ing and there was continuous talking.
T. V. suddenly came through the
gates, and from him we learned that
those in command of the city had
agreed that we oould leave.
“But why leave so late?” asked
Han-Chen, “would it not be better
to wait till the morning and go direct
to Nanking?”
“Wait?” I cried. “The quicker we
clear out of here the better. Wait
till these people change their minds
again? Give them another night in
which to vacillate, to develop more
fears, perhaps to run amok—and this
is Christmas day? No, indeed! Leave
while leaving’s good."
Han-Chen said that although Yang
agreed we could leave, some of his
subordinates might start trouble if
they got wind of it, and therefore, we
should make our departure as un
ostentatious as possible, and were not
even to take my amah.
“What,” I exclaimed, “leave her to
the mercy of mutinous troops? I do
not know what would happen to her
after we leave.”
“She will be quite all right,” he
assured me.
“No, I have not the heart to let her
run any risk when she has been so
faithful. When I left Nanking I ex
plained to her the dangers we were
running into and told her that if she
had the least fear she need not come
with me, and aha replied that aha
would go wherever I go."
I solved the difficulty by putting her
In charge of CoL J. L. Huang, and
everybody was satisfied.
When I told the genemhaslmo we
could then leave, he recided that he
should speak to Han-Chen and Yang
Hu-Chen together before he con
cluded his fortnight’s stay with them.
So Yang had to be called. While we
were waiting, the generalissimo wm
told that Chang was determined to go
to Nanking with him. The gen
eralissimo remonstrated; told him
that there was no necessity for him
to do so; that he should stay with his
troops; that, in any case, he ordered
him to stay.
Han-Chen explained that he was
under obligation to go to Nanking.
Tint, ha had undertaken with his
associates to take full responsibility
for what had happened, and second
It was his duty to show that what
had been done was not with mutinous
Intent, nor against the generalissimo,
his position or power.
Realizing that thlz request had in
it new elements, when compared with
former mutinies or rebellions, and
constituted a new phase In Chinese
political development, the generalis
simo withdrew his objection. He saw
that the unusual request would set a
precedent that any others who might
in the future contemplate using force
to obtain personal or political adjust
ments would have seriously to con
sider.
Conduct Brine* Leniency.
I wish specially to point out that
this is the first time on record that
any high offleer responsible for mu
tinous conduct had shown eagerness
to proceed to the capital to be tried
for his misdeeds. This explains why
the central government was lenient to
Han-Chen, a fact which many for
eigners could not understand.
The excitement was even more in
tensified when Gen. Yang, with some
bodyguards, came to the house. He
and Han-Chen went straight to the
generalissimo’s room. They stood at
rigid attention, despite the general
issimo’s Invitation to them to sit down,
and they only did so when I finally
told them it would be easier for the
leneralisslmo to talk to them if they
were to sit down, since he was com
pelled to lie down.
When the generalissimo began to
speak to them I decided to take notes
of what he said. He was gentle and
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earnest with them. They were vis
ibly moved.
It was now getting late, and we
made haste to leave. The generalis
simo and I rode In a car with Han
Chen, who sat with the chauffeur,
in spite of the generalissimo’s invi
tation to sit with us in the back,
while T. V. and Mr. Donald were
in another car with Oen. Yang.
At the airfield the car* drove close
to the door of Han-Chen’s airplane,
In which we were to leave, and w©
stood not upon the order of our going.
The motors were already wanned up,
there was a roar from the engines and
we were off. I heaved a sigh of re
lief for the first time in two weeks.
Gladly enough X bade farewell to
Blan. “Quoth the raven, nevermore."
(To be continued.)
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NOME-RUN KING! In 1931,Gehrig shared the crown as die
American League’s home-run king with 46 circuit clouts.
He led with 49 homers in 1934 and 1936. Gehrig’s follow
through is shown above. It takes healthy nerves to connect,
and, as Lou says: "Camels don’t get on my nerves.”
CLEAN-UP MAN for the most sensational slugging aggregation
ever known. Pity the pitcher who faces the Yankees’ starting
line-up. Three heavy hitters to face—then Gehrig! Lou holds the
American League record for runs batted in.
.i.AUAiAitmuu.umiJUimi.i.u.i.i mi.mi.
A DOUBLE YESTERDAY.' V,
A HOMER TODAY- YOU'RE J
DOING ALL RIGHT^
{WHO SAID THIS
I SUV WAS ONLV
Nairookie ?
THIRTEEN YEARS in the big league.
"Rookie” Gehrig signed up with the New
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And again in 1931, 1934, and 1936.
A GREAT FIRST BASEMAN. Lou’s prowess
as a slugger is matched by his play at first base.
His record last year was only 6/1000ths short
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T
*■>/
'FOUR
HOME RUNS >
IN ONE GAMEi J
^YEOW/^
LOU HOLDS MORE RECORDS than any other man in
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nr<” Dv.'£?‘ =
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' PACK OF
CAMELS?
YES, SIRi
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BEST PART OF 1
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