Chapter 97 Chen Brothers

Chen Guofu (1892-1951), head of the Central Organization Department of the Chinese Kuomintang, head of the CC Department.Formerly known as Zu Tao.A native of Wuxing, Zhejiang. In 1926, he was elected as the second Central Supervisory Committee member of the Kuomintang, and served as the acting head of the Organization Department of the Kuomintang Central Committee. In the spring of 1927, he actively participated in Chiang Kai-shek's "Qing Party" against the Communist Party.He served as the head of the Organization Department of the Kuomintang Central Committee several times. He was the executive member of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth Kuomintang Central Committees, a member of the Central Standing Committee, and a member of the Central Political Conference. He has been in charge of the party affairs of the Kuomintang for a long time.He cultivated cronies, excluded dissidents, controlled party departments at all levels, and tried his best to turn the Kuomintang into a tool for Chiang Kai-shek's dictatorship.He and his younger brother Chen Lifu organized the "Central Club" (Central Club), which later became a very powerful CC department.They expanded the Investigation Section of the Organization Department of the Central Committee into a huge spy system, which later developed into the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics of the Central Executive Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (referred to as the "Zhongtong"), engaged in activities against the Communist Party and persecution of progressives, and dealt with anti-Chiang in the Kuomintang. Factional struggles.Chen Guofu successively held important positions in the Kuomintang government: in 1928, he served as a member of the National Government and vice president of the Supervisory Yuan; in 1932, he served as the vice chairman of the Huaihe Guidance Committee; He served as the director of the third office of the chairman of the military committee.

Chen Lifu (1898-2001) was named Zuyan and named Lifu.Chen Guofu's younger brother.His second uncle, Chen Yingshi (Chen Qimei), was Sun Yat-sen's right and left arm with Huang Xing in the early days of the 1911 Revolution, and had a close relationship with Chiang Kai-shek.Chinese Kuomintang politician. In 1923, he graduated from the Mining Department of Beiyang University (now Tianjin University), and later obtained a master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in the United States.Chen Lifu was one of the important figures in China in the 20th century. He spent most of his life in politics.In particular, as the Minister of Education with a background in the United States, he made outstanding contributions to the development of China's education during the war.After the national government moved to Taiwan, he immigrated to the United States, devoted himself to the study of Chinese culture, promoted the development and international recognition of Chinese medicine, and tried his best to promote cross-strait exchanges in his later years.

The two brothers Chen Guofu and Chen Lifu were the founders of the Chen family among the "Four Great Families". They used to be in charge of the spy work in the Kuomintang for Chiang Kai-shek.Now that the Chen family is no longer brilliant, descendants stay away from politics, and have no real influence in Taiwan. But from the perspective of Xu Enzeng's uncles, the Chen brothers, Dai Li's Secret Service was initially used by Chiang Kai-shek to offset their secret surveillance power.For example, John Carter Vincent reported in 1942 that "(Dai Li's) organization was sometimes used to check the party police controlled by the CC faction, which shows a basic principle of Chiang Kai-shek's policy of controlling the Kuomintang, That is to use checks and balances to keep the forces of all factions equal."

Chen Lifu himself claimed that he had only heard of the existence of a secret agent independent of Dai Li two years after its official establishment.Until 1934, Chen Lifu thought that he, as the director of the Central Committee (first under the Kuomintang Central Organization controlled by him and his brother, and then directly under the Military Commission), was the only leader of intelligence activities.All he knew was that Dai Li was one of Chiang Kai-shek's special guards, responsible for Chiang's personal safety. "Wherever Mr. Jiang goes, Dai Li will send people to prepare in advance. The position of the head of the personal guard is very sensitive... There are also spies in the guard."

But when Chen Lifu handed over the Central Command to Xu Enzeng, he discovered that Dai Li had cultivated another secret agency that was independent and parallel to his organization, and that it was ordered by Chiang Kai-shek. Shortly after I handed over the Central Bureau of Investigation to Xu Enzeng, Jiang asked Dai Li to lead a separate agency without my knowledge.You see, we worked very efficiently when there was only one secret police agency.I think Mr. Jiang wants to use other institutions to restrict us. At first we didn't know Dai Li's organization at all.How do I know?Dai Li told others that Mr. Jiang assigned him investigation work.People from the Central Statistics Bureau told me that Dai Li had become more active.The comrades in my bureau were naturally unhappy.They felt that Mr. Jiang did not trust them.I explained it to them this way: our work is what the Chinese call "ears and eyes".I asked them how many eyes and ears a person has.Of course it is two.So, I say, it takes two agencies to do what we do.I told them not to be suspicious of this co-existing organization but to work with it.

At first Chen Lifu pretended to turn a blind eye to Dai Li's activities."I pretended not to know," he recalls. "Mr. Jiang then ordered everything to go through my hands, but despite his orders, the system didn't work 100 percent. I didn't care." Actually he cares.He later confessed candidly: But on the other hand, if I ask, it seems that I am supercilious.In short, after a few weeks I found out about Dai Li, and I told Mr. Jiang that Dai Li said that Mr. Jiang wanted him to do investigation work.I asked Mr. Jiang if this was true.He seemed embarrassed.He said that Dai Li was doing some kind of work and asked me to guide him.

This put Chen Lifu in a more difficult predicament.To put it bluntly, who would be responsible for the dangerous and cruel work of restraining Dai Li? I'm not terribly positive about institutions that know about Dai Li.why?I am very tired of this kind of work. I'm going to see Mr. Dai Jitao.As long as I have a problem, I always talk to Mr. Dai, he is a very deep thought person.He always gives me good advice.I told Mr. Dai that I am not suitable for this job.He reminded me that when a person enters the temple—Mr. Dai is a devout Buddhist—he will see the smiling, pot-bellied Maitreya Buddha, but those behind him will see him holding a stick of Vedas.When he gets closer to the temple, he will see a smiling Tathagata sitting in the middle, but looking from both sides, he will see eighteen arhats looking fierce and holding various weapons.This means: I'm kind and smiling, but if you don't listen, I'm holding a huge staff; you'd better watch out!Mr. Dai told me that I'd better do this job.If I don't, who will control these men with powerful weapons?He likened the job to a sharp knife.When it is in the hands of others, it may be very harmful, but if it is in the hands of my people, they will not dare to do evil.I can reduce danger.There is no one better suited for this job.Mr. Dai first talked about the general principles of problem solving and the fact that I am very kind.I am like Maitreya Buddha.What he meant was that this was the type needed to lead a vicious person.I took his advice.

Chen Lifu may have been displeased with the system of parallel competition among Chiang's intelligence organizations, but his strategist instinct appreciated the balance of checks. Of course, Mr. Jiang trusted Dai Li.Those in charge of such work must be absolutely reliable.It would be disastrous for Dai Li to be involved in even the slightest nuisance.From one point of view, Mr. Jiang watched him, and from another point of view, he asked me to watch him too... My own opinion is that Dai Li is absolutely reliable, but it is always right to double check and be careful. Naturally, it is doubtful how much control Chen Lifu actually had over Dai Li. "Do I actually have an institution to guide Dai Li? When important issues arise, I discuss with Dai Li and guide him."