Chapter 38 Chapter 8 "Fascism" of the Blue Shirts

The Shanghai Police Special Branch explained in a memorandum for internal use why newspaper reports in 1932, especially when reporting any unpleasant incident, often used the term "Blue Shirts". On August 25, 1933, the Special Branch believed that although the main members of this group could not be named, there was reliable information proving that "the department within the Kuomintang closest to Chiang Kai-shek formed a secret organization known as the Blue Shirts Society. " Members of this group did not use an official name to refer to their organization, but given its similarity in organization and action to the Italian Black Shirts, the name Blue Shirts was adopted by the public naturally Even though neither the KMT nor any of its leaders acknowledges its existence at all.

In the summer of 1933, the China Forum magazine published an article pointing out the existence of the Death Squadron of the Blue Shirts.For this reason, Fang Zhi, the head of the KMT's public relations, came to Shanghai to assure himself that the "so-called Blue Shirt Party" does not exist, and accused the magazine's publisher, Harold Isaacs, of deliberately misleading the public. Misguided radicals.Three years later, in May 1936, "Asian Magazine" published an article by Wilbur Burton entitled "China's Secret Knot", saying that Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek were "Red Gang" and " members of the Green Gang, and said that these gangs have close ties to the Blue Shirts.The Chinese Consul General in New York, Yu Jiji, denied the existence of organizations like the Blue Shirts and asked the journal to retract the article.

However, according to numerous reports by the Shanghai police from Chinese intelligence agents (some of whom were at least members of the Lixingshe satellite organization), some members of the Fuxingshe and the Chinese Revolutionary Comrades Association often identified themselves as members of the Blue Shirts.They claimed that they had a common political program to strengthen "General Chiang Kai-shek's dictatorship," even by force.they think: The Blue Shirts were founded in 1931 with the goal of establishing an effective "party rule".It was sponsored by Chiang Kai-shek and some of his most ardent supporters.This is a secret organization that only operates within the KMT.Its main goal was to create "strong Nationalist sentiment among the rank and file".Once this goal is achieved, the warlords and their abuse of military power will be thwarted.

According to secret intelligence, three campaigns are about to be set off.First, the "army building movement".Its purpose is to monitor generals across the country and "fascize" China's military by holding military training courses in political training colleges.This movement may be an echo of the "National Military Training Movement" (this movement was mentioned in the narrative about Lixingshe).Second, the "Party Building Movement".It worked to drive out rival groups and restore Chiang's full presidential power; at the same time, it sent members of the Blue Shirts to local party branches at all levels "to ensure the organization's fascist movement."Third, the "Money Building Movement".It would divide land equally, raise funds for state-owned enterprises and "provide material assistance to the fascist movement".

The last "Building Wealth Movement" may be what Lixingshe calls the "National Economic Construction Movement".It follows Sun Yat-sen's principles of people's livelihood and is committed to creating a nation of landowners and developers.In a clear spirit of "self-reliance," the Lixingshe sought to redistribute land, support farmland cultivation and production, and actively encourage agricultural production and export.This plan should have been funded by Whampoa Alumni Association membership fees. In the summer of 1932, Chiang Kai-shek ordered the alumni association to allocate 350,000 yuan from its funds, and on this basis, add 650,000 yuan from the Finance Department of Nanchang Camp, and use this money to establish the four provinces of Henan, Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangxi. A farmer's bank.According to the plan, after the land was retaken from the "bandits", the bank was to provide loans to farmers who returned to work. In the spring of 1933 Chiang Kai-shek added funds for this purpose, bringing the total to 4 million.With this capital, and the approval of the Ministry of Finance, a national farmers' bank was formed, which provided low-interest loans to credit unions.Chen Guofu was appointed chairman.

However, to the public, there is no connection between the Farmers Bank of China and the "Blue Shirts".The latter's ideological principles were articulated in the speeches and writings of the group's three "theoreticians"—He Zhonghan, Deng Wenyi, and Liu Jianqun.The purpose they have repeatedly emphasized is that in order to drive out foreign invaders, the Chinese people should first unite and strengthen the country by eliminating the Communist Party.When this task of annihilation is complete, there will be a social and economic revitalization in the countryside that will provide the Chinese people with the funds they need to build up their own army, enabling them to concentrate the "national spirit" on a single leader and party, and then Those who will command the people to fight against foreign invaders.

A political program was vaguely visible in these texts, but a former provincial leader later vaguely remembered its general content: absolute support for Chiang Kai-shek's leadership, implementation of a centralized government, recovery of lost territories, defense of national sovereignty, abolition of unequal treaties, equal Power, develop agriculture, implement economic control, develop national capital, and strengthen national defense; implement conscription, strictly train and develop the national army; eliminate bureaucratic corruption in the government, popularize education, completely eliminate the Communist Party, and bring peace and social order to the country.Of all these, he remembers most clearly the two most emphatic points: total support for Chiang Kai-shek and the complete annihilation of the Communist Party.