Evening star. [volume], April 22, 1937, Page A-9, Image 9

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
The Kidnaping of Gen. Chiang
mu ts the seventh installment
of two remarkable documents—
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek’s
"Diary of My Captivity in Sian”
and Mme. Chiang’s own story of
his rescue.
BY GEN. CHIANG KAI-SHEK.
(Copyright. 1937. by Mme. Chiang Kal
•hek and the North American Newspaper
Alliance. Inc. All rights reserved. Re
production in whole or in part forbidden.)
SHANGHAI—On this day (De
cember 13) Chang called on
me four times. He appeared
more calm and silent than be
fore. In the evening he came into my
room in military uniform. When he
opened the door and saw me in bed,
he told the attendant not to dis
turb me.
He went out to the great hall, where
there seemed to be a large number of
people discussing some affairs, but their
voices were inaudible. I seemed to
catch the words: “To refer the case
to the people for Judgment.”
At 12:30 that night Battalion
Comdr. Sung informed me that Sun
Min-chiu wished to see me. I told
him that I had already retired. Sung
said that Sun insisted upon seeing me.
Sun came here, I was told, to arrange
for my removal. Sun entered the
room armed with a pistol. He repeat
edly said I must move tonight. I
pointed out to him that I would just
as soon die here as anywhere else.
"I would rather die,” I continued,
“than leave this room. After my
death you may tell the people that
my grave will be in the great hall
just outside this room. You enter my
room armed with deadly weapons.
Apparently you threaten me with
force. I am unarmed, but you must
know that righteousness is on my side.
If you want to kill me, kill me right
now. I shall never move from this
room."
Thereupon, Sun became more
friendly, but continued his request
for my removal. At 2 o’clock in the
morning he was still there, so I be
came very indignant and said: “You
enter my room In the dead of night
carrying firearms and worry me with
your unwelcome requests. Is this
reasonable? I am your superior. When
I order you to go, you should go at
once."
Must Use Spiritual Strength.
Sun then left my room. I know
these rebels are very dangerous peo
ple. They must be fought with moral
character and spiritual strength and
with the principles of righteousness.
When I was young I studied the clas
sics of our sages. After I attained
manhood I devoted myself to the rev
olutionary cause. There are many he
roic deeds in our history. The martyrs
of the former ages always defied
death. In the pages of our history we
find vivid descriptions of the circum
stances under which they met their
death. Being a great admirer of these
heroes, I prefer to follow in their
footsteps instead of disgracing mv
self.
The courageous life as taught by the
late Dr. Sun Yat-sen should be fol
lowed by us all. Unless we do this
calamity will certainly overtake us.
Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan
and withstood him for 40 days. He
fought against evil influences more
strongly than I do today. I am now,
however, fighting the mutineers with
ever-increasing moral strength.
I must maintain the same spirit
which led Jesus Christ to the cross, and
I must be ready to meet any death
which the mutineers may bring upon
me by the so-called people’s judg
ment. This will justify the teachings
I have received from my mother and
will fulfill the expectations of my com
rades. At this moment I examined
my own mind and found it clear and
calm. My mental comfort Is that I
shall be able to carry out my life
Ion fir comirtirvn
Chang Conies Again.
December 14—Chang came to see
me again In the morning, standing be
hind the door with tears in his eyes,
as if he regretted very much what he
had done. I did not speak to him.
After a while he left without a word.
I told the attendants to ask Chairman
Shao (Shao Li-tzu, chairman of the
Shensi provincial government) to
come and see me, but after an hour
he had not come. Several times I
questioned the attendants and their
replies were not satisfactory. I felt
very suspicious about their attitude
and wondered if he had left the place
of his confinement or had been killed
by the rebels.
By noon Chang came again, and,
repeating his former request, urged
me to move to another place. He said
the guards here were not his men, and
he found it very inconvenient to come
and see me or talk to me. At the
same time he could not bear full re
sponsibility for my safety and comfort
while I was here, for which he was
Very sorry. So at any rate X must
move to the Kao residence. I told
him I was determined not to move.
Chang then said, "We have read
your diary and other important docu
ments, and from them have learned
the greatness of your personality.
Your loyalty to the revolutionary
cause and your determination to bear
the responsibility of saving the coun
try far exceed anything we could have
Imagined. You have blamed me in
your diary for having no character,
I now really feel that this may be so.
Your great fault is that you have al
ways spoken too little of your mind to
your subordinates. If I had known
one-tenth of what is recorded in your
diary, I would certainly not have
done this rash act.
"Now I know very clearly that my
former views were w-rong. Now that
I realize your qualities of leadership,
I feel it would be disloyal to the
country if I did not do my best to
protect you. At any rate, for you to
atay here is no solution of the prob
lem. Even though you absolutely re
fuse to move, I must do everything
to my power to see that you do. If
you are unwilling to walk out your
■elf, I will carry you out on my back."
nexuses to Leave noose.
I (till definitely refused his request,
and told him that unless I was sent
back to Nanking I would not leave
this house.
Chang said his idea of moving me
to another place was to make it pos
sible for him secretly to send me back
to Nanking.
I told him I must leave Sian open
ly and in a dignified manner if I
were to leave at all, and would never
consent to leaving in secrecy. I said
J had told him more than once that
one's character is more important
than one’s life.
Then suddenly Chang showed me a
wire from W. H. Donald saying he
would come here soon. People have
often supposed Donald to be an en
gaged adviser of the government.
The fact is that he is a private friend
and a frequent guest at my house. I
might also add that, although drawn
into my circle, he was sternly refused
any honors or the name of an adviser.
This time he is coming to Sian to
see me at the request of my wife, to
, see whether I am dead or alive. I
told Chang to ask Donald to see ms
when he arrive*.
Chang still urged me to move, but
I did not want to speak much with
him, and merely said that the matter
might be discussed after the arrival
of Donald, fears again ran down
Chang’s face, and he stayed for a
long while before he left.
At 4 p.m. I sent for Yang Hu-chen.
Only now have I learned that Yang
also participated in the coup. I asked
him what he would do to cope with
the situation. He said they did not
at first expect such developments, and
he felt very sorry that the coup was
carried out in such a mess. At pres
ent he said he was ready to obey my
orders and do whatever I told him to
do. I asked him how the coup origi
nated and under what circumstances
It got under way, and he merely said
it was very simple at the beginning,
but would not tell me the details.
I told him I never thought that they
would be so fooled by other (editor’s
note: Meaning the Communists.) and
make such a mess. However, I could
not shirk my own responsibility in
the matter, as I have always trusted
my subordinates too much and have
taken no precautions against such
contingencies, so that it gave the re
actionaries a chance to instigate them
to create trouble. On this account I
said I should apologize to the central
authorities and the people, while Yang
and his confederates should undo what
they had done, send me back to Nan
king and confess their guilt to the cen
tral authorities, so that no further
untoward events should develop to
endanger the country. They should
know that they had already spoiled to
a large extent the plan for national
salvation. Yank said he would consult
the others and then left.
Sees Donald Loyal Friend.
At 5 p.m. Donald came to see me.
I was very much moved by his loyal
friendship, especially as he is a for
eigner (an Australian) and yet is
whiling to come so far on such a dan
gerous mission. After exchanging
greetings, he gave me my wife’s letter
in her own handwriting and suggested
that he live in the same house with me.
I naturally welcomed him. He said
the place I w’as in was very incon
venient and uncomfortable, and, for
the sake of my health, I should change
to another place.
Chang was also present and seemed
to be very sincere in his regrets. He
said that if I would only agree to move
into another house with Donald every
body concerned would then obey my
orders about all other things and in
addition would send me back to Nan
king at an early date.
As Donald also urged me to move,
I could not refuse. So in the after
noon we moved into the residence of
Gen. Kao.
I very carefully thought over
Chang’s request that I move to an
other place, but cannot find any ex
planation. Could it be that he is
afraid that, should I stay long in the
new city, in the sphere of influence
of Yang, I might get into cl06e touch
with the latter and Chang would not
be able to do with me as he likes?
After changing my residence, Chang
came to see me. I asked him, since
I had complied with his request in
this matter, whether he and his con
federates had decided to send me back.
If not. they should soon decide upon
this question. Chang suddenly said
that the matter was not so simple.
Since many people had participated
in the matter, he said everything had
to be decided by them Jointly. Be
sides, they had already sent out an
open-letter telegram Including eight
proposals and I must agree to some
of them so that the coup might not
become meaningless. If, said he, no
results whatever were achieved, the
crowd would not agree to sending me
back.
The so-called eight proposals were:
(1) Reorganize the Nanking gov
ernment so that members of other
parties and cliques might oome In and
help save the nation.
(2) Stop all civil wars.
(.3) Release Immediately the patri
otic leaders who had been arrested In
Shanghai.
(4) Pardon all political offenders.
(5) Guarantee the people’s liberty
of assembly.
(6) Give a free hand to the peo
ple to carry out patriotic movements.
(7) Carry out the leader’s will
faithfully.
(8) Call a national salvation con
ference Immediately.
(Editor’s note: The aim of these
demands was to bring about a united
front for resistance against further
encroachments by the Japanese mili
tary in North China.)
Rebukes Chang Strongly.
I strongly rebuked him for going
back on his own promise, which he
made before my change of residence,
and did not allow him to go on with
his speech. I also said that what
ever proposals they might have and
however good the proposals might
sound, their conduct in effecting the
coup was absolutely wrong and nobody
could believe in their sincerity or sup
port their proposals.
Chang further explained the reasons
for their eight proposals and wanted
me to consider them. I said I had
determined to sacrifice my life rather
than sign any document while under
duress and had thought over the situ
ation very carefully. At the former
place of confinement I had already
told him about it; why should he still
be unable to understand my position?
He should know that, although he is
ahle to make a captive of my body,
he could never break my will power.
I could not possibly yield on any of
these points, nor even listen to their
proposals until I am back in Nan
king. There was no use for them to
talk further.
Chang said I was too despotic, and
that even as a simple cltisen he
should have a chance to express his
views about the affairs of the nation.
I told him that I am bearing now
the responsibility of the life or death
of the nation, and all loyal citizens
should obey the orders of the central
authorities as well as those of their
leader. If they captured their leader,
and tried to compel him to do this
or that, could they be still considered
as citizens?
“Besides,” said I, “you are a mili
tary officer and cannot enjoy the
same privileges of a common citizen.
All those who try to endanger the
fate of the nation are my enemies, as
well as the enemies of the people.
If you want to assume the rights of a
private citizen you should express
your opinion in the people’s conven
tion or the local legislative bodies.
In the present political and party
system of organization, you can also
present your proposals to the central
authorities. Instead of that you have
taken part in a mutiny, feel no re
morse about your wrong-doing and
try to cover up your own tracks by
making these so-called proposals. All
this is entirely wrong. In short, be
fore I go back to Nanking there can
be no discussion about your terms or
proposals.”
Then Chang asked if, after my re
turn, their proposals might be brought
up before the central authorities.
I replied that I would allow 'them
to bring the matter up, but at the
same time I must say that I could
not agree with their proposals.
“If you do not approve of them,”
said Chang, “what, then, would be
the use of bringing them up?”
Cites Party’s Rules.
I said the party has its rules and
its discipline, and I oould not decide
alone, but decisions must be made by
majority vote.
Chang remained silent for a long
while and then said, "You, the gen
eralissimo, certainly have a very high
character, but there is one defect,
namely, that the generalissimo’s
thinking 1s too old and too much in
clined to the right."
I asked him what he meant by “old,”
"too much to the right.”
He seemed to be unable to reply, bufc
after a while he said that the books
I read are such as the writings of Han
Pei and Mo Ti (two philosophers
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of the warring nation* period), which
are certainly too old.
“I don’t know how many new
book* you have read,” said I “nor
what you consider as new books. If
you oonsider Karl Marx’* "Da* Kapi
tal" or books on communism as new
books, then you may ask me ques
tions about them, and I will discuss
them with you In detail. You should
know that one’s spirit fe not new or
old according to the books one reads.
What you consider as new books I
had already read many times some
15 years ago.”
After a long while Chang men
tioned another thing as an example.
He said: “You always have in your
head such men as Yo Pei, Wen Tien
hslang and Sze Ko-fa (all three are
well-known characters in Chinese
history who sacrificed their lives for
the nation) and are therefore behind
the times in your mentality. Why
do you insist upon sacrificing your
self for the sake of principles and
not think of the possibility of achieve
ments? I think you are the only
great man of this age, and why won’t
you yield a little, comply with our
request* and lead ns on In this rev
olution so that we may achieve
something instead of merely sacrific
ing your life? In our opinion, to
sacrifice one’s life is certainly not a
good plan nor the real object of a
revolutionary.”
I was surprised at his wrong rea
soning and told him that I considered
his words very strange. He should
know that revolution meant sacrifice
and not speculation for benefit. Sac
rifice and achievement are one and
the same thing. Our leader (Dr.
Sun Yat-sen said that one should
undergo the supreme sacrifice if one
could not attain one’s aim, which
shows that he, too, did not consider
the two things as different.
“To tell you the truth,” I said, “my
sacrifice will be my achievement. On
the day that I sacrifice my life for
the sake of principle the revolution
will be a success. You have not read
the leader's lecture on spiritual edu
cation. In which he said that the
country would live when he died and
that it would die If he lived simply
for his own sake.”
Nation Lives, Leader Dies.
He confessed that he had not read
these statements and, while he could
easily understand why the country
would perish if our leader had tried
to save his own life, he could not
appreciate the meaning of the nation
living wiien the leader dies.
I sighed, and said: “You really
have not learned the great principles
of revolution: hence you commit such
serious blunders. If I should try to
save my life today and forget the wel
fare of the nation and the question of
life and death of the race, or if I be
come afraid in the face of danger, my
character as a military man will be
destroyed, and the nation will be in a
precarious position. This means that
the nation will perish when I live.
“On the other hand, if I stand firm
and rather sacrifice my life than com
promise my principles, I shall be able
to maintain my integrity till death
and my spirit will live forever. Then
multitudes of others will follow me
and bear the duties of office according
to this spirit of sacrifice. Then,
though I die, the nation will live. So
if any one wrongly thinks that he can
manipulate national affairs by cap
turing me and endangering my life, he
is a perfect fool.”
Chang saw that he could not com
pel me to do anything, and retired in
silence.
After Chang left, Donald told me
what the central authorities had de
cided upon and done after the coup,
and that they were determined upon
a punitive expedition against the
rebels. I was,very glad and became
further convinced that the influence
of the deeds and teachings of our
leader would last long and, no matter
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what the danger to me may be, I need
not worry for the nation.
Donald also told me that my wife
Insisted upon coming to Sian, where
upon I told him that she must not
come.
I asked Donald to tell this to my
wife and ask her to come only after
my death.
I heard that J. L. Huang (secretary
to the generalissimo) has oome with
Donald and am surprised that he has
not come to see me.
(Next Installment tomorrow.)
PARKS GET PUBLICITY
Schedule Announced for Radio
Broadcasts From Planes.
Amo B. Cammerer, director of the
National Park Service, today an
nounced the schedule for the National
Broadcasting Co.’s broadcasts, to be
given from airplanes from various
national parks, over the red network.
Rocky Mountain National Park will
be thus publicized on April 25. On
2, Zion and Bryce Canyon will be
th^ subjects. A week later, Grand
Canyon will be in the limelight, while ■
on May 16 Yosemite National Park
„ 1 *** the broadcasting center. On
May 23, Mount Rainier will be the
topic and on May 30, Memorial Day.
Yellowstone and Grand Teton Na»
tional Parks will be depicted. All
broadcasts will be from 2 to 2:30 pm.
Eastern Standard time, officials as
serted.
Riches Claimed by 700.
Final efforts are to be made by the
Danish government to trace the heirs
of Gen. Paul Wurtz, who died in 1776.
More than 700 persons have on file in
Copenhagen papers laying claims to
the fortune he left. When the gen
eral, a Danish landowner and soldier
for fortune, passed away there was
litigation over his estate. The gov
ernment took possession of it and it
has been gathering compound Interest
ever since. A fortune of nearly $32
600,000 awaits the heirs who can prove
their claims.
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