Chapter 17 Several contacts between Yiliu and Comrade Enlai

On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the birth of the beloved Premier Zhou, several past events that have been cherished deep in my memory came to my heart again, and my deep thoughts urged me to put this beautiful memory into writing, and offer a heart-felt incense to commemorate This great proletarian revolutionary whom I sincerely love and respect infinitely. In the autumn of 1942, Wendell Wilkie, the leader of the American Republican Party and honorary chairman of the United States United Aid Committee, as the personal representative of President Roosevelt, made a long-distance trip to Asia, Africa, and Europe. Visited more than a dozen countries including Egypt, Turkey, Iran, the Soviet Union, and China.

At that time, I had just joined the work of the Chongqing US News Service.The US ambassador to China is a career diplomat Goss.There is a second secretary in the embassy, ​​Xie Weisi, who was born in Sichuan, is proficient in Chinese, and has close contacts with the director of the US Information Service, Mike Feith.Faith knew that I was familiar with No. 50 Zengjiayan (the residence of the CCP delegation).One day Faith told me that Wilkie, President Roosevelt's personal representative, would visit Chongqing after his visit to the Soviet Union, and would probably meet and talk with Mr. Zhou Enlai.After I heard the news, I immediately went to Comrade Xu Bing, then secretary of Comrade Enlai, and told him about it.That night, Comrade Xu Bing came to my home at Lianglukou (the same courtyard as the U.S. Information Service) and told me that Comrade Enlai invited me to have a talk.Not long after Xu left, I came to the residence of Zeng Jiayan's office.At that time, Xu Bing, Gong Peng, and Chen Jiakang were sitting in the living room waiting.After I arrived, Xu Bing invited Comrade Enlai to talk to me.Wilkie came here as a representative of the president. When he visited the Soviet Union, he visited all over the front and back, directly learned about the situation of the Soviet people's anti-fascist war, and gained an understanding of the meaning of "people's war". He strongly advocated opening up the conversation of the second battlefield, etc.Therefore, Comrade Enlai attached great importance to the proposal to meet Wilkie, and asked me in detail about Wilkie's visits to various countries and his visits to China, as well as the political views of Gauss, Xie Weisi and Faith, etc.I answered Comrade Enlai's inquiry to the best of my knowledge.

At that time, the Pacific War had already broken out. With the strengthening of the international unity of Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union, China's domestic political situation and the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party also changed than before.Previously, US President Roosevelt only demanded that Chiang Kai-shek "not start a civil war within three years." At this time, he made it clear that the aid to China given to Chiang Kai-shek must not be used against the Communist Party.Under such circumstances, coupled with the fact that various political forces in the country demanded unity to resist Japan and oppose the civil war, Chiang Kai-shek had to express his intention to improve relations with the Communist Party.Although negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party had begun, Chiang had no sincerity. On the one hand, he seemed to ease the relationship, but on the other hand, he did not relax his political and military oppression, trying to force the Communist Party to make concessions to them in terms of military and defense.At that time, anti-communist propaganda had not stopped, and anti-communist incidents continued to occur.Therefore, Comrade Enlai wanted to expose Chiang during his conversation with Wilkie and asked me for my opinion.I fully agree with him.Finally, Comrade Enlai talked about who should be the interpreter.He proposed, "Unless the US side asks you to act as an interpreter, it is better for you not to come forward." He said that Comrade Gong Peng should be the interpreter.

On October 2 of this year, Wilkie arrived in Chongqing.A few days later, he met and talked with Comrade Enlai at Song Ziwen's home.Later, Wilkie said in his book "One World One Family": "It was there that I had a leisurely, separate and uninterrupted conversation with Zhou Enlai, one of the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party."He also wrote in the book: "The second time I met General Zhou Enlai was at Dr. Kong Xiangxi's banquet. The host invited him and his wife at my request. Those who were his political enemies expressed a happy but Greeting him in a rather reserved manner, while his old acquaintance, General Stilwell, converses with him with apparent respect, it seems interesting."Wilkie described Comrade Enlai's conversation with him as follows: "He explained to me the nature of the compromise on which China's wartime united front was built. He admitted that he was anxious about the slow progress of China's domestic transformation, But assure me that this united front will continue until Japan is defeated."

On August 15, 1945, several friends including Jin Zhonghua and I were having lunch at the home of Mr. Liu Simu in Kunming. Suddenly, the Japanese Emperor issued a statement on the radio: accepting the request of the United Nations for "unconditional surrender".In an instant, the street was full of cheers, and after a while, the sound of gongs and drums also rang out.At that time, Jin Zhonghua, Liu Simu and I were all invited to work in the "Psychological Operations Against Japan" headquarters of the US military in Kunming.Hearing this great news, everyone couldn't help but rejoice.After a burst of excitement, they all gradually turned to contemplation: How does the empress deal with the new situation?

I decided to take a US military plane to Chongqing the next day.When I arrived in Chongqing the next day, I first found Comrade Chen Hanbo, who co-founded China and Foreign Press with me, and thought about how China and Foreign Press should develop in the future.We all agreed to move the agency to Shanghai first, and establish a branch in Peiping if possible; I will strive to go to Shanghai first, and at the same time inform Meng Yongqian, Zhu Baoguang, etc. who are in the US News Office in Xi'an to try to go to Peiping.During the two years since we founded China and Foreign Publishing House, we have published 20 or 30 kinds of translated and compiled books. There is also Wenhui Weekly. The salary for editors and authors is very low. Apart from paying for paper and printing, all income is rent and Sun Fuyuan, For the living expenses of Chen Hanbo, Mo Zhiheng and others, I managed to exchange the excess money into US dollars and brought them to Shanghai.Relying on this little capital and the paper reprints of several best-selling books published in Chongqing during the Anti-Japanese War, we will vigorously develop the publishing business in Shanghai with a "folk" face.

Then I went to Comrade Xu Bing and discussed the plan with him. He said, "This is a big problem. I need to report it to Vice Chairman Zhou and see how he gives instructions." A day later Xu notified me to see Comrade Enlai.After listening to my report, Comrade Zhou Enlai analyzed the situation briefly and to the point. He foresaw that Chiang Kai-shek would intensify the anti-communist civil war with the support of the United States, but on the surface he would still engage in democratic forms to deceive the people.Under such circumstances, he believed that in Shanghai the Party wanted to publish the "Xinhua Daily" and also help the democratic parties and progressives run a non-partisan "non-governmental" progressive newspaper.He agreed with China and Foreign News Agency to set up a head office in Shanghai, but he thought that "the most influential thing is the daily newspaper." I came back and talked with Hanbo and Sun Fulao (the respectful name everyone calls Sun Fuyuan) about this idea.They thought that the small amount of money from China and Foreign Press was not enough to run a large publishing house or run a newspaper. Anyway, they needed to collect more funds.

I followed Comrade Enlai’s talk to me this time, and with the help of the U.S. Information Service, I flew from Chongqing to Shanghai. Under the leadership of the Shanghai Party Organization, I, Wang Jihua, Feng Binfu and other comrades started the “United Daily News” and published it. After the newspaper was ordered to suspend publication, the next year after Comrade Chen Hanbo came to Shanghai from Chongqing, he started the "Lianhe Evening News". After the "Lianhe Evening News" was published, the Kuomintang authorities threatened and intimidated it in various ways.Within a few months of publishing, they encouraged the owners of the newspaper premises and printing factory to keep raising the rent, and sued us in court to force us to withdraw the rent.Finally, they sent a threatening letter, declaring that they would blow up the printing presses we used. In the autumn of 1946, I went to Nanjing Meiyuan New Village to meet Comrade Enlai and ask for instructions on how to deal with it.On that day, in addition to Comrade Enlai, Comrades Liao Chengzhi and Fan Changjiang were present at the CCP Office.

Comrade Enlai was very angry after hearing my confession.He said: "It seems that the Kuomintang can use all kinds of hooligan methods, and you can't underestimate it. At the same time, you must insist on publishing the newspaper and work hard to unite with "Wen Wei Po" and "Xin Min Bao" to act in unison. After I returned to Yan'an, I am afraid that the CCP office will also retreat soon. However, in Shanghai, we always have to stay. In terms of propaganda and culture, Xia Yan and Hu Sheng decided to stay. In the future, you can ask them for newspaper matters. Originally, we planned to publish "Xinhua The machine of the Daily is still hidden in Shanghai, if your machine is not working, you can ask them to take that machine out and use it.”At the same time, he said to Comrade Fan Changjiang: "You told Lao Xia and them earlier."

I returned to Shanghai to convey Comrade Enlai's words to Comrades Wang Jihua, Feng Binfu and Chen Hanbo, and later found Comrades Xia Yan and Hu Sheng, who confirmed Comrade Enlai's instructions. "Lianhe Evening News" persisted for more than half a year until April 1947, when it was finally closed down by the Kuomintang at the same time as "Wen Wei Po" and "Xin Min Bao". On November 19, 1946, Comrade Enlai, Deng Yingchao, Li Weihan and other comrades flew back to Yan'an from Nanjing.After Comrade Enlai left, Comrades Dong Biwu and Qian Zhiguang were in charge of the Nanjing Bureau of the CPC and the Nanjing and Shanghai offices of the CPC Delegation.Comrades such as Fan Changjiang and Zhu Bingnan are often active in Shanghai.Not long after Enlai left, I went to Meiyuan New Village to ask the party organization for instructions on the matter of Yan Yangchu, the leader of the Chinese Civilian Education Association.

It turned out that on November 15th of this year, the Kuomintang blatantly violated the CPPCC resolution, violated the national public opinion, and single-handedly organized the split "National Assembly" in an attempt to legitimize dictatorship and civil war.Democratic forces such as the Communist Party and the Democratic League firmly oppose the Kuomintang's perverse actions and will never recognize it.In order to decorate his appearance, Chiang Kai-shek wanted to recruit a few new small parties in addition to the Youth Party and the Democratic Socialist Party, which openly followed the Kuomintang, and drag them into the "National Congress".At that time they had selected a target, that was Yan Yangchu, who had been relying on donations from the United States to carry out the "civilian education movement".They tried to win over and encourage Yan to form a small faction of the "Ping Church" to join the "National Congress".For this reason, Song Meiling and Song Ziwen both personally came forward to persuade Yan.Leighton Stuart, the US ambassador to China at the time, also came out to act as a lobbyist for Chiang.Although Yan himself had never been an official in the Kuomintang government, he was not without interest in politics. In the 1920s, he set up an "experimental county" in Dingxian County, Hebei Province, and the county magistrate recommended by him carried out his "Pingjiao Movement".After the Anti-Japanese War began, Yan made friends with Zhang Zhizhong, who promised him to allocate one or two counties in Hunan to promote civilian education when he was the chairman of Hunan Province.At this time, he felt extremely contradictory about the instigation of the United States and Chiang Kai-shek.On the one hand, he has an ambition to start a large-scale, modern cultural publishing business, and his American background can indeed fund him to start this business; on the other hand, the Chinese Communist Party and progressive forces are growing stronger day by day, and the democratic movement Sweeping across the country, the Kuomintang is going downhill day by day.Seeing this situation, he hesitated.After Sun Fuyuan's introduction, he found me and discussed how to deal with myself.I am firmly opposed to his formation of small political groups and participation in the "National Congress", but I cannot suggest to him what is a feasible way out.So, I went to Meiyuan New Village and reported Yan's situation.At that time, Mr. Dong was not there. After discussing with Comrade Liao Chengzhi, I sent a telegram to Comrade Enlai in Yan'an.Two days later, I unexpectedly received a telegram from him, which said: "Brother Zunqi passed on Mr. Yangchu's great lesson: Please try to go to the liberated area to discuss the revitalization plan of the countryside. Thank you." Such an invitation is really beyond my expectation. expected.Anyway, I forwarded it to Mr. Yan Yangchu without hesitation.In addition, there were Xiong Fuxi, Qu Junong, Yang Cunbin and others who were old members of the Ping Church in Nanjing and Shanghai at that time. I told Xiong and worked with him to persuade Yan Yangchu to accept Comrade Enlai's invitation.Two days later, Yan told me that he could not go to the Liberated Areas, but he had decided not to form a small political group or participate in the "National Congress". He also said that in order to get rid of the entanglement of the Kuomintang, he decided to go to the United States.He told me that he had received promises from many influential people in the United States to sponsor him to develop a large-scale civilized education movement after the war.For example, Marshall Field, a big businessman in Chicago, the owner of "Reader's Digest" magazine, the husband of "Pearl Buck" and several famous senators.Field, in particular, has pledged to donate a color rotary press for his comic strips.He hoped that I would help him in this regard, that is, to establish and start a modern publishing company, and recently went to the United States with him to investigate the printing and publishing industry and choose the printing machines to be purchased in the future.I had no choice but to agree to call Comrade Zhou Enlai back for him.Soon, I received another telegram from Comrade Enlai asking me to accept Yan Yangchu’s invitation to go to the United States with him and continue to do Yan’s work. Not long after that, Yan won a grant from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace for me, and I visited the United States for a year as an editor of the Zhonghuaping Church.During this period, Yan and I discussed the future development of the Ping Church many times, but we finally had to break up with him because of our political differences.Now, the world's civilian educator is 94 years old. Not long ago, when he returned to the mainland for sightseeing, he went to Ding County, Hebei to see it.During his stay in Beijing, he also put forward many pertinent opinions on the education of our country, and happily accepted his letter of appointment as the honorary vice president of the European and American Returned Scholars Association. In the summer and autumn of 1951, one day at a reception for foreign guests, I saw Premier Zhou resting after talking with the foreign guests, so I went to tell him one thing: Wang Zhuoran had recently returned to Beijing from Japan.Wang Zhuoran is a well-known figure in Northeast China. Before liberation, he served as Zhang Xueliang's foreign language secretary. He was the acting president of Northeastern University.The Prime Minister is quite familiar with Mr. Wang.Comrade Enlai was a member of the Fourth National Political Council during the Anti-Japanese War, and had contacts with Mr. Wang in the Political Council.In addition, Comrade Enlai still remembered Wang's deeds of sympathizing with progressive students when he presided over Northeastern University in Beiping in the 1930s.So he tentatively asked me: "It seems that you also had some relationship with him?" I said "Yes".Let me recall that I was released on bail by Wang when I was released from the reactionary Beiping Prison in 1933, and I also said that Comrade Yu Yifu had also been rescued by Wang as a student of Northeastern University earlier.The Prime Minister raised his head and said, "Mr. Wang has done a lot of good deeds, and our Communist Party always repays favors."Speaking of which, he greeted a comrade surnamed Lu who was standing not far away and worked in the United Front Work Department, and said to him: "You guys have to study, what kind of work is suitable for Wang Zhuoran, and arrange it." A few days later, Mr. Wang Zhuoran told me that the United Front Work Department sent a comrade to talk to him and planned to ask him to serve as a counselor of the State Council.Because he asked to do some practical work, the United Front Work Department also agreed to allow him to join organizations that popularize science and technology. Wang Zhuoran has been serving as a counselor of the State Council. During the "Cultural Revolution", he was persecuted by the "Gang of Four" and imprisoned in Qincheng Prison until his death in 1975.