Chapter 39 Part 12: The River Pawn

In the middle of the night on July 7, 1937, darkness enveloped the troubled North China Plain.In the southwest of the ancient capital Beiping, the Yongding River flows under the Marco Polo Bridge.The 485 lions carved on the stone railings on both sides of the bridge stare with wide eyes: The iron hooves of Japanese bandits set foot on the head of Lugou Bridge.The Chinese garrison couldn't bear it anymore, and they fought back, opening the first act of the sacred war of resistance against Japan.On the second day after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Hu Shi left Pingnan and went south to Lushan to attend a talk meeting invited by Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei. The talk meeting began on the 16th, and Chiang Kai-shek made a speech about the incident, still saying:

Our attitude is only to fight, not to seek war.Challenge is a last resort to deal with the last moment. ...Whether the Marco Polo Bridge incident will not expand into a Sino-Japanese war depends entirely on the attitude of the Japanese government.The key to the continuation of hope for peace rests entirely on the actions of the Japanese military.One second before peace is hopeless, we still hope for peace and hope to find a solution to the Lu affair through diplomatic means. At the same time, the speech also called on the people of the whole country to: If the war starts, there will be no distinction between the north and the south, and no distinction between people, old or young. No matter who you are, you have the responsibility to defend the land and fight against the war, and you should be determined to sacrifice everything. ①

Jiang is still hovering between the second policy of peace and war.The Chinese ambassador to Japan, Xu Shiying, also returned to Japan on the 19th, and said in a speech that the Chinese government adhered to the two principles of "non-expansion" and "diplomatic settlement" for the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.This is the tone set by Chiang Kai-shek.He changed from non-resistance to "challenge", but still imagined a compromise with Japan and hoped for "peace". Hu Shi also spoke impassionedly about the issue of education at the meeting, and put forward the propositions that "the state is above everything else" and "education is independent".On the mountain, Chiang Kai-shek treated him to tea, Feng Yuxiang sent pancakes, and Wang Jingwei invited him to dinner. He also met with military figures such as Chen Cheng, Wei Lihuang, and Hu Zongnan, and had talks with civil officials such as Chen Bulei and Wu Tiecheng.He had a lot of entertainment, and when he was happy, he wrote a poem:

Is there a cat named Chun? Is there a cicada that does not sing in summer? Is there a toad that does not sing at night? Is there any teacher who doesn't talk? ②Hu Shi is a teacher who takes speaking as a profession and likes to make speeches. Naturally, he talks everywhere on the mountain, and he is very prominent; but he still keeps a low profile on the issue of anti-Japanese. On July 28, Hu Shi went down to Nanjing and made more than one so-called "great efforts for peace".He had a close relationship with Gao Zongwu, Zhou Fohai, Tao Xisheng and others. It is said that they were all members of the "low-key club" in Nanjing that day. ③ On July 30, Hu Shi and Gao Zongwu and others "discussed state affairs in depth", and decided that Gao Zongwu would open up a route for "peaceful" negotiations with Japan.The next day, Chiang Kai-shek published the "Report to the Generals and Soldiers of the Anti-Japanese War".At noon that day, he invited Hu Shi, Mei Yiqi, Zhang Boling and others to dinner.During the banquet, Jiang announced his decision to fight. Zhang Boling made the first impassioned speech and raised his hands in favor.Hu Shi was still skeptical about Jiang's decision to resist the war, but he was "inconvenient to talk". He did not speak to Jiang until he was leaving, saying that "the diplomatic line cannot be broken", and recommended Gao Zongwu to be in charge.He has been dreaming of "peaceful" negotiations. ④

However, after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, the situation became tense day by day.The rampant aggression of the Japanese invaders, the loss of large areas of the country, and the upsurge of the anti-Japanese movement in the military and civilian circles all over the country also gradually shaken Hu Shi's dream of peace. On July 31, he replied to Jiang Tingfu's letter, saying: It's true what you said.Soviet Russia has been preparing for such a long time, but it has to take avoiding war as its diplomatic policy, let alone our country? However, despite the situation, there is one important difference: Soviet Russia is eligible to avoid war, but we are not. qualifications.The reason why Soviet Russia was able to avoid war was firstly because it had the power to resist externally, and secondly because it had the power to control internally.We have neither of these.The external force is too weak to prevent the enemy from going deep. After six years of avoiding the war, the enemy's atmosphere is getting worse and the pressure is getting worse.The second factor is more important.I have said that only a strong government can endure humiliation and accept humiliation of peace. ... Today's government is stronger than it was in the past 24 years, but I'm afraid it is not strong enough to endure humiliation and avoid war. There are no politicians who can take great responsibility. Great war to avoid. ⑤

Hu Shi's thoughts began to change. He saw that avoiding war was just a dream, and what he would get if he didn't resist was "the enemy's atmosphere is getting deeper and the pressure is getting worse." However, Hu Shi, who is known for his optimism, is helplessly pessimistic on the issue of resistance commentator.He didn't fully wake up from the "peace" dream. On August 2, Hu Shi wrote down his plan for a "maximum peace effort", as follows: When I returned home to see Mr. Jiang's notice about the conversation, I wrote a long letter first to make up for the lack of the conversation.

The theme is to make the greatest peace effort before the war.There are three reasons: (1) The Konoe cabinet can talk with you, and the opportunity should not be missed. (2) Japan has basic financial difficulties and hopes for peace. (3) The embryonic form of the country today is actually built on the new central military power and cannot be easily destroyed.In the future, the country will disintegrate, and there will be no hope for peace. The goals of peace diplomacy: (1) Use diplomacy to recover the newly lost land and preserve the unlost land when the strength is ready for a war.

(2) Thoroughly adjust Sino-Japanese relations and seek peace for fifty years. The steps can be divided into two steps: the first step is to cease fighting and restore the territorial conditions before July 7.The second step is "formal negotiations on adjustment of Sino-Japanese relations" - held in two or three months. ⑥ On August 13, the war in Shanghai broke out, and the all-out war of resistance against Japan began.The peaceful dream of Hu Shi and others was completely shattered.By the beginning of September, after more than a month of fighting, Hu Shi's thinking gradually became more optimistic.Before he left for the United States, he went to see Wang Jingwei and Gao Zongwu, and advised them to "don't be too hasty, don't be too pessimistic".He said to Gao Zongwu:

The work we did in early August to "make the greatest peace effort before the war" was good.But we have to admit that this month's fighting has proved that we were not unavoidable back then.This month's battle at least shows externally that we can fight and internally shows that we are willing to fight. This is a big harvest. ⑦ From then on, Hu Shi abandoned his dream of peace, and turned to the view that "peace is a hundred times more difficult than war", and he tended to support the government's war of resistance. ①The full text of Chiang Kai-shek's speech was published in "Central Daily" and various newspapers on July 19, 1937.

② Quoted from Hu Jianzhong's speech "My Relationship with Mr. Shizhi in Poetry and Prose" at the "Monthly Symposium on Characters" held by the Taipei Biographical Literature Society.It said that at the Lushan talk meeting, he sat with Hu Shi, listened to Hu Shi's speech, and wrote a doggerel impromptu for him.Poetry goes: Kuanglu Shenghui held in the summer heat, and celebrities from all over the world came back to the river. My doctor is so powerful and generous, once again I made a generous speech! Hu Shi's poems are related to Hu Jianzhong.See "Biographical Literature", Volume 28, Issue 5.

③Refer to JH Boyle's "The Inside Story of Collaborating with the Enemy During the Sino-Japanese War" (John Hunter Boyle: "China and Japan at War, 1937-1945" Chinese translation, published by Beijing Commercial Press in August 1978) Chapter 9 of the book "The Low-Key Club". ④Refer to Hu Shi’s diary on July 30 and 31, 1937, see “Hu Shi’s Diary”, Beijing Zhonghua Book Company, January 1, 1985, Volume 2, p. 576. ⑤ For Hu Shi's letter to Jiang Tingfu (draft) on July 30, 1937, see "Hu Shi's Correspondence and Correspondence", Beijing Zhonghua Book Company, May 1, 1979, volume 1, page 363. ⑥ Hu Shi's plan, according to Hou Yi's article "The Patriot in the Surviving Diary" published in Taiwan's "China Times? Renjian" on June 16 and 17, 1979, seems to be Hu Shi's diary on August 2.Check the "Hu Shi's Diary" published by Beijing Zhonghua Book Company. Hu Shi kept the diary in Beijing in 1937. There is no such record on August 2, and the diary on this day seems to be incomplete; in mind.It is now recorded and preserved according to Houyi Wen. ⑦ For Hu Shi's diary on September 8, 1937, see "Hu Shi's Diary", Volume 2, p. 581. In September 1937, Hu Shi was ordered to go to the United States and Europe as an unofficial envoy to conduct national diplomacy. On September 8, he took a boat west to Hankou.On the boat, I wrote a letter to Zheng Tianting, secretary-general of Peking University, and please pass it on to all colleagues in the school.At that time, Beijing had fallen, so I believed in the tone of a businessman, saying metaphorically: The younger brother, Duan and Ying, planned to travel from Hannan to Hong Kong to take a boat to do business abroad.Knowing that the situation is unfavorable, I just do my best. ... So I became a monk halfway and temporarily worked as a businessman, seeking a small profit, which was definitely laughed at by my brothers. However, the poor family has a large population, and they are all in poverty. ① Although Hu Shi's thoughts are still somewhat pessimistic, "knowing that the situation is unfavorable", but he still has to "do his best" and work hard for the affairs of the country. He flew from Hankou on September 13, passed through Hong Kong, the Philippines, Guam, Midway, and Hawaii, and arrived in San Francisco at 10:00 on the 26th. When he arrived in the United States, Hu Shi became very busy.After lunch that day, he went to the Greater China Theater to give a speech on the topic "Can China Win?" (Can China Win?) On the 30th, he attended the reception of the president of the University of California and gave a speech. On the evening of October 1, he went to Columbia Radio to give an English radio speech entitled "What China Expects of America in the Present Crisis" (China's expectations of the United States in the current crisis).At that time, the United States was in a period of isolationism, and the whole country hated war.Therefore Hu Shi tactfully criticized their isolationism and said: What China expects from the United States is a practical and active leader for international peace and justice.A leader who prevents war, deters aggression, works and schemes with the democracies of the world, and promotes collective security so that the world is at least safe for human habitation. ② There was a bit of twists and turns in this speech.On the evening of September 30th, Hu Shi returned to his apartment from the University of California. It was already midnight, so he had a quick supper, and started writing a radio speech at one o'clock in the morning.At that time the news in the US seemed to check too.In the afternoon, someone came to report that the radio station thought Hu Shi's speech was too powerful and asked him to revise it.Hu Shi was very angry when he heard this, and told the people on the radio station: "I would rather cancel the broadcast than revise it." After insisting on this, the people on the radio station became more polite, and the manuscript did not ask for revisions, and it was broadcast on time at 7:45 p.m. out.When he returned to his apartment at 10:00, he received congratulatory messages from Wang Zhengting, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, and his American friend, MI Brown, congratulating him on the success of his speech. ③ On October 8, Hu Shi arrived in Washington. On the 12th, he and Wang Zhengting went to the White House to meet President Roosevelt and report on the actual situation of China's resistance to Japanese aggression, hoping to gain sympathy and support from the United States.Roosevelt was very concerned about the war situation and asked whether the Chinese army could support the winter.Hu Shi replied that he would definitely support it.Roche also talked about the difficulties of the Nine-Nation Conference and the American Neutrality Act; when he parted, he asked Hu Shi not to be pessimistic, and his attitude was very sincere.From then until July of the following year, Hu Shi gave speeches on tour in the United States and Canada, explaining the atrocities committed by Japan in aggression against China and China's determination to resist the Japanese War, so as to win the sympathy and support of the American ruling and opposition parties and the public opinion of the world. Hu Shi's speeches and activities in the United States were quite influential.According to Yang Honglie, who lived in Japan at the time, wrote to Hu Shixin: In the eyes of the Japanese, Mr. (click, refers to Hu Shi) is their "aggressiveism" arch enemy... Japanese newspapers have published in detail everything Mr. said and done in the United States.The Japanese may think that the gentlemen deliberately slander their imperial army's false "kingly politics" of using force in our country; or think that the gentlemen are good at organizing propaganda, and at the same time the government is willing to allocate huge publicity funds, unlike the Japanese representatives. The technology is already clumsy, and the government is too stingy (apparatus), so the atmosphere of the United States is very strong, and so on. ④ In July 1938, Hu Shi went to Europe to lobby again, explaining the significance of China's war of resistance to Britain, France, and Switzerland. On August 4th, while staying in a hotel in London, he suddenly remembered that his good friend Zhou Zuoren in China was still trapped in the Japanese-occupied Beiping, and he was very worried, so he wrote a poem, the word cloud: Mr. Zang Hui had a dream last night. He dreamed that an old monk drinking tea in the Kuyu Nunnery suddenly put down the tea clock and went out, flying southward with a stick. Isn't it too hard to go all over the world? Only for the wise to know the weight and lightness. When I woke up from the dream, I put on my clothes and opened the window to sit, who knows that I am a little lovesick at this time. ⑤ Hu Shi was very friendly to Zhou Zuoren. A gentleman loves others with virtue, and advised him to understand "heaviness and lightness" , not to be used by the Japanese.But Zhou Zuoren at that time, "Not long after the incident, he declared to people that he was 'ready to go out' on the pretext of rice, salt, vegetables and bamboo shoots." ⑥ After reading the poems donated by Hu Shi, I seem to feel ashamed and regretful. I once wrote a poem in Canghui style, and the words say: The old monk pretended to eat bitter tea, but the real situation was still bitter rain. Recently, the house leaked and the floor was flooded, so he had to change his name to live in hardship. In the evening, I put together the futon and wanted to sleep, when I suddenly received a message from afar, "Sea and Sky Ten Thousand Miles Eight-line Poetry, thank you Layman Zanghui for your inquiry." I thank you for your great affection, but unfortunately I can't do it while traveling; It's not that being a monk is particularly busy, because there are many young and old living in the nunnery. I can only close the door and knock on the wooden fish to chant scriptures, go out on alms rounds to raise some rice noodles,—— The old monk is always an old monk, and he hopes to meet lay people in the future. ⑦ Although Zhou Zuoren made such a statement at the end of the poem, and tried his best to spread the gift poem between him and Hu Shi to his friends, he seemed to want to express his repentance; but he still failed to follow Hu Shi's sincere advice on the pretext of rice noodles. , and finally became a traitor! History is so harsh and merciless! ① Hu Shi wrote this letter on September 9, 1937, and it was published in the "Special Issue Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Peking University".Quoting from Wu Xiangxiang's "Hu Shi's "But Opening up the Ethos and Not Being a Teacher"", contained in the first volume of "Biography of a Hundred People in the Republic of China", published by Taipei Biographical Literature Publishing House, pp. 175-176. ②This speech was published in "Far Eastern Magazine" Volume 1, Issue 1 (The Far Eastern Magazine V.1, N1.), with Mr. Guo Boxin's translation.Quoting from Hu Songping's "Mr. Hu Shizhi's Chronicle Long-Edited First Draft", Volume 5, p. 1619. ③For this speech, please refer to Hu Shi’s diary on September 30 and October 1, 1937, see “Hu Shi’s Diary”, Beijing Zhonghua Book Company, January 1, 1985, volume 2, pp. 591-592. ④ Yang Honglie sent a letter to Hu Shi on July 16, 1937, contained in "Hu Shi's Correspondence and Selected Letters", Beijing Zhonghua Book Company, May 1, 1979, volume 2, pp. 375-376. ⑤ This poem was circulated among some friends at that time; it was later included in "Mr. Hu Shizhi's Poetry Handwriting" (published by Taipei Commercial Press in December 1964) and "After Trying" (published in February 1971 by Taipei Hu Shi Memorial Hall), both The title is "Sent to a Friend in Peking". ⑥Refer to Deng Guangming’s letter to Hu Shi on November 30, 1938, see the volume 2 of "Selected Correspondence of Hu Shi", pp. 388-389. ⑦ Zhou Zuoren's "Reminiscences of Zhitang" (published by Hong Kong Sanyu Books and Stationery Company in 1974) No. 161 "Peking University Feelings Old Records (7)"; there are also poems donated by Hu Shi. While Hu Shi was lobbying in Europe, Chiang Kai-shek and the national government called Hu Shi continuously, urging him to be the ambassador to the United States.Hu Shi hesitated a bit.He once made up his mind not to talk about politics for 20 years, and not to enter politics for 20 years.His wife, Jiang Dongxiu, always advised him not to go into politics.This year happened to be their 20th year of marriage.In the past 20 years, Hu Shi has talked about politics early; although he has some influence in the political circle, he has never officially come out to become an official.Now that I am out of the mountain, I feel sorry for my wife; but in the face of national crisis, seeing the national crisis, can the descendants of Yan and Huang not work hard? After repeated consideration, Hu Shi still called the government and agreed to take up the post.The telegram briefly stated: The country is in such a crisis, and there is some encouragement, so why dare to resign.Wei Wei has been used to idleness for more than 20 years in self-examination, and has no diplomatic experience. He is afraid that he will not be able to shoulder such a heavy responsibility and cause harm to the country. ① At the same time, he wrote to his wife: In those 20 years, the phrase "not talking about politics" has long been discarded. "Not to enter the political circle" sentence, finally never give up. ... 20 years from today, in this situation where the great war is feared to be inevitable, can I escape for another 20 years? ... I can only solemnly make one more wish to you: I will return to you by the end of the war at the latest to my academic life. ② On September 17, the Nationalist Government announced that Hu Shih was specially appointed as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of China to the United States. On October 5, Hu Shi went to Washington to take office.This is the first time in his life that he was an official, and it was the most difficult time for the country and the nation.He once wrote a small poem in vernacular, the word cloud: Occasionally there are a few white hairs, and the mood is slightly middle-aged. As a pawn crossing the river, I can only move forward desperately. ③ At that time, it was the critical moment when Guangzhou fell and Wuhan fell. Hu Shi, as a scholar, took on the important task of ambassador to the United States. After taking office, he called Kong Xiangxi, Premier of the Executive Committee, saying that "diplomacy is very important, and we should deal with it with all our energy." Later, he said in a letter to Jiang Dongxiu: "I came here for the affairs of the country. It doesn't matter if you suffer a little bit. I have said to you many times: 'If you keep the green hills, you are not afraid of no firewood'. The country is the green hills, the green hills. If it falls, our children and grandchildren will all have to be slaves." ④ This kind of spirit of putting the country and the nation first, working hard and working hard is commendable. At the beginning of his inauguration, the country suffered from successive defeats in wars, and the issue of peace and war arose again. There was a huge market for the peace faction, and they all pinned their hopes on the United States to "preside over peace." On October 18, Hu Shi received a telegram from Chiang Kai-shek to President Roosevelt, which stated: Japan seems to know that force cannot solve the problem, and has repeatedly begged Germany and Italy to mediate peace (press, this is a face-saving speech); but the Chinese people firmly believe that only the US government is the only leader who can achieve a just peace; if the US intends to initiate and invite relevant countries to hold a The time is right for a conference for a permanent peace in the Far East—as precedented by the Washington Conference. ⑤ On the 16th, Chiang Kai-shek called Hu Shi again, hoping that the United States and Britain would "cooperate and intervene."In Weng Wenhao's letter to Hu Shi, he said, "The matter of making peace is not only a matter of Kong Wang Ergong (according to, Premier Kong Xiangxi, Foreign Minister Wang Chonghui) talking to a reporter from the United Press, hoping that the US President will mediate, but also hearing that a certain important official (civilian) People have been sent to negotiate with the Japanese in Banxi in Shanghai," Weng himself thought: At present, it is not enough to rely solely on the belief that "the War of Resistance will be victorious". ... The actual way out seems to be that the United States severely oppresses Japan, contacts Britain and France, holds a meeting, and seeks a solution together.The life and death of the country is of great importance, whether brother can discuss specific measures with the American dignitaries to achieve the goal of saving the country. ⑥ From this we can see that there is a speck of domestic hostility and atmosphere. Since the Japanese invasion of China, Hu Shi has been very concerned about the international situation.He has advocated peaceful negotiations for many years, hoping to get a chance to breathe and prepare for war. In June 1935, he communicated with his friends, commented on the situation, and estimated two situations to determine the national policy: (1) In the recent period, Japan dominated East Asia and did whatever it wanted, China was powerless to resist, and the world was powerless to judge.This is the unquestionable situation at hand. (2) In the not-too-distant future, there will be one of the worst international wars in the Pacific, which can serve as an opportunity for us to turn around and wipe out our enemy's hegemony.This is also not very suspicious. ⑦ On the premise of this kind of analysis and foresight, it should be said that there are reasons why Hu Shi advocated peace and waited for changes.And when he examined the situation in the world for two or three years, he had completely changed the position of the Lord and the Peace. In London on July 30, he wrote a letter to Fu Sinian, stating that "the state of affairs has come to this point, and there is no other way than to wait for change". ⑧On October 20, he telegraphed to Chiang Kai-shek that "peace talks are a hundred times more difficult than war" and opposed peace talks, pointing out: Neither the United States nor the Soviet Union wanted China to make peace.As far as the current situation is concerned, this statement has been confirmed and cannot be doubted.Soviet Russia does not want me to make peace, so it helps me with weapons.The United States does not want me to be defeated, so it is willing to provide economic assistance.Therefore, with regard to the current situation in our country: We just have to wait for the times to evolve. ⑨ His proposition of "waiting for change" and his analysis of the world situation and the future of our country's war of resistance are generally realistic, and have restrained the atmosphere of domestic peace talks and compromises. On December 29, Hu Shi called Wang Jingwei again, opposing his peace talks.The telegram is as follows: Translated by Brother Tie Ru, please refer to Dean Wang: Brother Weng Yongni made a detailed statement of his contempt on the issue of peace and war last month.If the international situation improves at this time, it is better for us to hold on, and we must not give up the 18-month sacrifice.It is well known that there will be no main battle in the past 6 years. Today's opposition to peace talks is for the country's century-old vision, begging the public to listen.suitable. ⑩ But at this time Wang Jingwei had already secretly left Chongqing, sneaked to Hanoi and transferred to Hong Kong, and had already published the "flashy electricity" of surrendering to the Japanese invaders, which could not be rescued. When Hu Shi took over as ambassador, he had neither diplomatic experience nor diplomatic genius, and he was the last person who was unwilling to make any request to anyone or any party.He was just a scholar who advocated a kind of "honest and open" diplomacy, or the so-called "waterfowl style" diplomacy. However, with his sincerity and academic reputation, he was respected by the U.S. government and the opposition and completed his diplomatic mission. The first major mission he accomplished was to facilitate the US government's first loan of 25 million US dollars to my country shortly after the fall of Wuhan, that is, the "tung oil loan".Looking at it now, this amount is not large, but it was a considerable international loan at that time, and it was undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the difficult national government at that time, and it also played a considerable role in the morale of our country. of encouragement.At that time, the U.S. government was restricted by the Neutrality Act. Our country's original envoy to the U.S. was an old diplomat who negotiated with the U.S. for loans many times, but failed.Later, the contract of "Dianxi Loan" was signed.From this, one can imagine how hard he has made to cooperate with the dedicated negotiators, and it can also be seen that the US government has considerable respect for this "scholar ambassador". At that time, President Roosevelt was busy day and night, and it was difficult for many ambassadors from allied countries to have the opportunity to meet with him. However, Hu Shi gained considerable respect and trust from him, and it was very convenient to meet with him. In October 1941, the Tojo Cabinet of Japan was established, and Nomura and Laisu were sent to the United States to cover up their eyes and ears through negotiations, but in fact stepped up preparations for war against the United States.At this critical moment, Hu Shi visited Roosevelt many times to exchange information on the latest developments in the Far East. On December 6, he gave a speech in New York and got a call from Washington: President Roosevelt made an appointment.Hu Shiwei returned late, and arrived at the White House on the morning of the 7th. Roosevelt met him and said: The United States has rejected Japan's request, and war may break out in the Pacific Ocean at any time from now on.Hu Shi returned to the Chinese embassy in Twin Oaks. Just as he was sitting at the dinner table, the phone rang again. Roosevelt called himself and told Hu Shi: "Japanese planes are already bombing Pearl Harbor." The Pacific War broke out! Hu Shi heard the news, really He breathed a sigh of relief for the country and the nation. It has been four years since he proposed "waiting for change". So far, "change" has finally been realized. As an ambassador, Hu Shi tried his best to go to various places to give speeches.He is familiar with the history of the United States, understands the sentiments of the people of the United States, and is quite good at speeches, so he can win the general sympathy of the American government and the opposition.For example, once, Hu Shi gave a speech at the Harmony Club in New York City on the topic of "North American War of Independence and China's War of Resistance Against Japan".Based on the history of the United States and the experience of visiting the battlefields of the War of Independence when Cornell was studying abroad, he compared the War of Independence in the United States with the War of Resistance Against Japan in China.He said: The success of the United States, on the one hand, is due to Washington's determination and actions to lead the military and civilians to fight hard, not afraid of sacrifice, and vow to achieve the goal of independence; on the other hand, it has received French spiritual and material assistance to the United States.Although the historical backgrounds of China's War of Resistance and the American War of Independence are somewhat different, the spirit of hard work and the goal of independence and freedom are the same.Therefore, China looks forward to the assistance of American friends, and the United States also has the obligation to actively support China's war of resistance.Hu Shi also said: When Washington fought hard in the Fergu Valley, it took seven carts full of banknotes to exchange for a cart of wheat flour; but the situation in China today is not as bad! With the assistance of the United States, China's war of resistance will surely be successful.His speech, which was later delivered on other important occasions, was called the "Valley of Fergus" speech.There is also a touching story about the friendship between the people of China and the United States in this speech in the Fergu Valley: On December 5, 1938, Hu Shi gave a speech at a luncheon, talking about the initial difficulties of the American War of Independence, saying that on December 17, 1777 One day, when the army led by Washington retreated to the Fergu Valley, the soldiers' clothes and shoes were all torn, and they often walked barefoot, spilling blood on the snow.He was afraid that people would say that he was showing off his memory, so he explained: "I remember this day (December 17) because it was my birthday." After the speech that day, Hu Shi was admitted to the hospital due to a heart attack.Ylayier, a guest present at the time, went home and said to his wife, "The new Chinese ambassador's birthday is on the same day as mine. Let's send some flowers to him on his birthday." Later, I heard that Hu Shi was ill. On his birthday, I asked Li Guoqin A check of 100 US dollars was sent, and Hu Shi donated the money to the "ABMAC" in the United States. Hu Shi himself also donated 100 yuan, and Li Guoqin also donated 100 yuan.Unfortunately the Ylayier died the following year.On December 17, his wife sent another one hundred dollars to commemorate her husband's birthday, and Hu and Li also donated one hundred dollars each; the same was true for the third and fourth years.For four consecutive years, ABMAC received a total of 1,200 yuan.This is a good story derived from a gossip in Hu Shi's speech. Later, Hu Shi was hospitalized for more than 70 days due to heart disease, and his physical condition deteriorated, but he still often went to other places to give speeches. On May 17, 1942, Hu Shi sent a letter to Wang Shijie saying: This year, my health is a little weaker, I have traveled 16,000 miles, and I have given more than 100 speeches, so I am quite tired.After June, you can take a break.In the three years I have been here, I have never had a weekend or a summer vacation.I'm afraid I'll have to rest for a few days this summer. In more than four months, "more than 100 speeches", almost one speech a day, shows that Hu Shi's spirit of serving the country is evident; while the determination and significance of China's war of resistance must be understood by the U.S. government and the public, and have been widely recognized. Sympathy and support should be said to be inseparable from the speech of this "scholar ambassador". However, Hu Shi was a scholar after all.Not to mention that his scholarly "honest and open" diplomacy is difficult to deal with in power diplomacy and intriguing international exchanges; The censure was also difficult for the scholar Hu Shi to deal with.According to his student and good friend Fu Sinian, there are several points worth noting about the legend among the acquaintances at that time: 1. The staff (staff team) in the library has never been organized well, and everything is handled by itself, so the efficiency (efficiency) is hard to say. ... and said that there is also a lack of discipline in the club. When the husband saw other people playing cards, he joined in himself.This seems worth considering. 2. For Jie Gong (according to, Chiang Kai-shek), he failed to "obey orders and teach".Of course, Jiegong's idea may not be realized, but this kind of coping method is not his habit. 3. Recently, the Gao thief Zongwu and his wife lived in the embassy permanently, and friends here have a lot of discussion. These are indeed the knowledge and deeds of scholars, so what can they do if they are discussed by others? Fu Xin also said that opponents also accused "Mr. has to use his personal reputation to receive degrees everywhere", which is not without reason.After Hu Shi became an ambassador, some universities in the United States and Canada paid homage to him, inviting them to give speeches and presenting degrees. Hu Shi was also fond of fame and never tired of doing it. In four years, he received 27 honorary doctorates, accounting for more than 70% of the honorary degrees he received in his lifetime. .Just as Fu Sinian said: "This is not a bad thing, but you can save a little energy for such things, and then you will have enough energy for big things." Hu Shi didn't think so. Wouldn't it be too much to be famous for being used as a talking point? Domestic discussions on Hu Shi's use of beauty reached a climax in 1940.This year, Mr. Cai Yuanpei, the president of Academia Sinica, passed away, and the council elected Hu Shi and three others as candidates for the successor president for Chiang Kai-shek to designate.As a result of the rumors, the "China News" column of the "China Daily" in the United States published Chongqing Aviation News: "Recently, there is news that my ambassador to the United States has changed hands." I have the intention of going back to China for a while to rest", and he will be appointed as the dean of the Central Research Institute, and Yan Huiqing will be the successor of the US envoy.Hu Shi read this news and scratched many "?" on the newspaper, really dissatisfied.He himself said: "Personally speaking, the president of Academia Sinica is of course the greatest honor for Chinese scholars; but for national affairs, I really don't want to abandon my envoy to the United States at this time." Hu Shi still wanted to serve the country, but the government sent The arrival of Song Ziwen and a group of "ambassadors of the Supreme Being" made Hu Shi's affairs more difficult and a lot of idleness. On August 15, 1942, Hu Shi received a telegram dismissing him as ambassador.Originally, he had no intention of being an official, and he worked hard to serve for the national crisis; after the outbreak of the Pacific War, he wanted to find an opportunity and was determined to seek it.On the evening of the day when I received the dismissal telegram, I sent a call back to the center to express my gratitude. On September 8, the errand was handed over. On the 18th, he left the Twin Oaks embassy, ​​bid farewell to Washington, moved to New York, and restarted his academic career, intending to stay in the United States to continue writing "History of Chinese Philosophy". ① See the manuscript of "Hu Shi's Diary", Taipei Yuanliu Publishing Co., Ltd. 1990 edition, Volume 13, July 27, 1938. (Third Edition Note) ② Hu Shi sent a letter to Jiang Dongxiu on July 30, 1938. In December 1948, when he fled from Peking, a large number of letters, telegrams, notes, manuscripts and diaries left in his apartment were collected by the Institute of Modern History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and were compiled and published by the "Republic of China History Group (Research Office)" Some "correspondence letters" and "Hu Shi's Diary"; there are still a number of important manuscripts and letters that have not been published.This letter is quoted from "Hu Shi's Chronicle" compiled by Geng Yunzhi, and attached to the book "Hu Shi's Research Papers" published by Sichuan People's Publishing House in October 1985.All the following letters and telegrams without indicating the source shall be based on this. ③This poem was written on October 31, 1938.The author is in Washington, inscribed on the photo, and sent it to Mr. Chen Guangfu who was also negotiating a loan in Washington at that time.It is later included in the author's preliminary selection of "After Trying" in September 1952, entitled "Inscribe on my own photo, and give it to Chen Guangfu". There is a postscript after the poem: Guangfu and I were both doing some wartime work for the country in Washington at that time. It was the most critical period for the country, so there was a saying of "pawns crossing the river".Eight years later, during the 35th National Assembly period (1946), I wrote some stand-alone banners for others, in which I accidentally wrote these four lines of poems.Later, the literati of the Communist Party used the phrase "a pawn crossing the river" with a very bizarre explanation as material to attack me.These last two lines became the most famous lines. Press, this poem was retitled in 1946, and the situation has changed, and it has its own new ideas. Whether the Communist Party’s literati’s interpretation is weird or not will be discussed in section 67 of this book. In December 1964, the Taiwan Commercial Press published the book "Mr. Hu Shizhi's Poetry Handwriting".The first and second lines of the poem are "with a few white hairs, and the mood is almost middle-aged".The poem quoted here, according to the author’s handwriting on the photo in 1939, has a line of words “I wrote a small photo last November” at the end of the poem. ④ This letter was written on September 21, 1939, see note ①. ⑤This telegram is quoted from "Hu Shi's "However, You Can't Be a Teacher"" written by Wu Xiangxiang, see "Biography of Hundred People in the Republic of China", Volume 1, page 178. ⑥ Weng Wenhao sent a letter to Hu Shi on October 21, 1938, contained in "Hu Shi's Correspondence and Selected Letters", Beijing Zhonghua Book Company, May 1, 1979, volume 1, pp. 383-384. ⑦Note ① Volume 12, attached letter from Hu Shi to Wang Shijie (Snowboat) after June 19, 1935. (Third Edition Note) ⑧Quoted from Hu Songping's "Mr. Hu Shizhi's Chronicle Long-Edited First Draft", Taipei Lianjing Publishing Company, 1984 edition, Volume 5, p. 1640. ⑨Quoted from page 1620 of volume 5 of "Mr. ⑩ Quoted from "Mr. Hu Shih When the Country Is in Difficult Times—— Three Stories Told by Luo Jialun", published in the newspaper on March 2, 1962. At that time, Wang Shijie said in a letter to Hu Shi and others: "President Luo's reintroduction official letter (that is, the letter on July 23) is very trustworthy to Shi's brother, and I am very pleased to read it." For the encouragement of loans to the people and the war, thanks to Hu Shizhi’s achievements, etc., see "Selected Letters from Hu Shi", Beijing Zhonghua Book Company, May 1979 edition, volume 2, pp. 449, 498-499.You can also refer to "Wang Shijie Talks about Hu Shi and Politics" written by Li Qinglai, published in Taipei's "Central Daily" on March 1, 1962; also published in Taipei's "China Weekly" No. 620. This speech was translated and published in Chongqing's "Ta Kung Pao" on February 10 and 11, 1939, and was renamed "Japan's War of Aggression in China", which was read by Chiang Kai-shek."Biography of Hundred People in the Republic of China" published by Taipei Biographical Literature Publishing House, Volume 1, page 181, once quoted Mr. Harold Riegelmam to recall the situation of Hu Shi's speech at that time, saying: He (Hu Shi) compared the situation in China at that time to the situation of the American army in the Fergu Valley in the American Revolutionary War. He predicted with full confidence that the United States would enter the war and China's final victory, and the subsequent evolution was indeed the same.After speaking at the Harmony Club banquet, he and I went to East 70th Street for supper with some friends at the home of my late law firm partner, Morris Cooper II.We were sitting together on a small sofa, and he suddenly stood up and said that he felt severe pain around him, and his face was sweating profusely.He was handed a whiskey and soda and he drank it down.I persuaded him to leave and asked Peter Green who was present to take him back to the Ambassador Hotel on the way.This is Hu Shi's first heart attack.He has since spent 99 days in hospital.But he refused to obey the doctor's orders, and on the second day of his heart attack, he insisted on republishing his "Valley of Fergus" on another important occasion. Speech, and then into the hospital.His doctor told me that the glass of whiskey and soda that was kindly handed to him may have saved Hu Shi's life. Regman was Hu Shi's classmate at Cornell University and was the legal adviser of the Chinese embassy in the United States at the time. 参见《胡适的日记》手稿本第15册1942年1月22日记。（图文版注） 此信未见，引自王世杰在台北传记文学社“每月人物专题座谈会”上的发言《胡先生的政治人格与政治见解》，载台北《传记文学》第28卷第5期。 傅斯年1940年8月14日致胡适信，见《胡适来往书信选》中册，第477～478页。 1944年，是世界反法西斯战争胜利的前夜。在欧洲战场，苏联红军和英美联军已取得决定性胜利；在亚洲，中国艰苦地坚持了对日抗战，美国在太平洋战争中也占了明显的优势。这年秋天，便由中、美、英、苏四大国在华盛顿郊区乔治城敦巴顿橡树园召开会议，为发起建立联合国做准备工作。 1945年2月，雅尔塔苏、美、英首脑会议决定，于4月25日在美国旧金山召开联合国会议。由美、英、苏、中四发起国，于3月5日向已加入《联合国家宣言》的反法西斯国家，发出了参加旧金山会议的邀请。 3月27日，国民政府行政院公布了中国出席旧金山会议的代表团成员名单，包括顾问共11名，其中有中国共产党的董必武；胡适也是代表团成员之一。 ① 4月25日，正当美苏两国军队在德国领土会师的这一天，胡适出席在旧金山开幕的创建联合国的会议。会议开了整整两个月，于6月25日在旧金山歌剧院召开全体会议，无保留地一致通过了《联合国宪章》，第二天又在退伍军人纪念堂会议厅举行了签字仪式。然而胡适却借口反对极权政治，不同意《宪章》中五个常任理事国有一票否决权的规定，而没有在《宪章》上签字。 旧金山会议期间，世界反法西斯战争的形势急转直下。5月8日，德国无条件投降。英美集中力量在太平洋对日作战，6月22日美军攻克冲绳，并于8月6日和9日在日本广岛、长崎投下原子弹；中国军民转入全国规模的对日大反攻，苏联也于8月8日对日宣战。8月14日日本政府正式宣布无条件投降，9月2日签署投降书。第二次世界反法西斯战争于是胜利结束，中国人民取得了抗日战争的伟大胜利。 抗战胜利前后，国共两党之间，在关于战后和平、民主问题上，斗争复趋激烈。 胡适使美以来，仍始终抱着反共立场，曾为国民党发动的皖南事变辩护，说“新四军之解散，为军纪上必需之举动”。②1944年9月，美国赫尔利以罗斯福总统私人代表的名义来华，调处“国共关系”。他与蒋介石一唱一和，提出要中国共产党交出军队，换取到国民党政府里去“做官”的阴谋计划，抵制和反对中共提出的建立联合政府的主张。1945年8月中下旬，蒋介石又接连三次电邀毛泽东主席去重庆举行国共两党的和平谈判。当时任驻华大使的赫尔利也为此专程飞到延安。 胡适自然也十分关注“国共关系”。③旧金山会议期间，他曾与董必武讨论战后政治问题，也劝中共放弃武力，从事“和平奋斗”，遭到董必武的驳斥。8月24日，胡适又致电毛泽东，电文云： 润之先生：顷见报载傅孟真兄转达吾兄问候胡适之之语，感念旧好，不胜驰念。 前夜与董必武兄深谈，弟恳切陈述鄙见，以为中共领袖诸公今日宜审察世界形势，爱惜中国前途，努力忘却过去，瞻望将来，痛下决心，放弃武力，准备为中国建立一个不靠武装的第二大政党。公等若能有此决心，则国内18年纠纷一朝解决，而公等廿余年之努力皆可不致因内战而完全销灭。试看美国开国之初，节福生十余年和平奋斗，其手创之民主党遂于第四届选举取得政权。又看英国工党50年前仅得四万四千票，而和平奋斗之结果，今年得千二百万票，成为绝大多数党。 此两事皆足供深思。中共今日已成第二大党，若能持之以耐心毅力，将来和平发展，前途未可限量。万不可以小不忍而自致毁灭。以上为与董君谈话要旨，今托王雪艇兄代为转告，用供考虑。胡适，八月二十四。 ④ 当时，中国共产党为了避免内战，争取国内和平，决定毛泽东偕周恩来、王若飞等亲赴重庆，同蒋介石谈判。8月28日，毛泽东飞抵重庆后，便收到由王世杰面呈的胡适这个电报。重庆谈判的一个核心问题，也正是胡适电报所说的“武力”问题。在谈判中，毛泽东坚持和平、民主、团结的方针，坚决拒绝国民党要共产党交出军队和政权的无理要求，表现了坚定的原则性，也作了一些让步。经过43天的谈判，达成了《双十协定》。10月11日，毛泽东返回延安，于17日作《关于重庆谈判》的报告，其中谈到关于军队“武力”的问题，说： 国民党宣传说，共产党就是争枪杆子。我们说，准备让步。我们先提出把我们的军队由现在的数目缩编成48个师。国民党的军队是263个师，我们占六分之一。后来我们又提出缩编到43个师，占七分之一。 ……这样一来，他们无话可说，一切谣言都破产了。是不是要把我们的枪交给他们呢?那也不是。交给他们，他们岂不又多了!人民的武装，一枝枪，一粒子弹，都要保存，不能交出去。 ⑤ 这是对蒋介石的答复，也可以说是对胡适电报的答复。 这时的胡适，又成了文化教育界名声大噪的风云人物。人还没回国，舆论却造得很响了。8月30日，国民党政府教育部长朱家骅电告胡适，拟请他出席将在伦敦召开的世界教育会议(即后来的联合国教育科学文化组织)。9月，国民党政府任命胡适为北京大学校长；胡适返国就任前，由傅斯年暂行代理。9月13日，蒋介石致电胡适，希望他“早日回国主持校务，并图良晤”。10月10日，国民政府明令颁给胡适胜利勋章一座。11月1日至16日，胡适作为中国代表团首席代表，⑥在伦敦出席创建联合国教科文组织会议，参与制定了该组织的宪章。会议期间，他曾提议于1949年纪念孔子诞辰二千五百周年；并往牛津大学接受名誉法学博士学位。 直到1946年6月5日，胡适才由美启程返国，在海上航行30天，于7月5日抵达上海。他在南京、上海勾留20余日，会见了许多朋友、政客和名流，京沪两地住所都积有两寸厚的名片。月底才到北平，住进东厂胡同1号一所十分阔绰的宅院里。9月就任北京大学校长。 胡适回国的这段时间，蒋介石正撕毁《双十协定》和政协决议，破坏停战协定，在美国政府的帮助下，部署并发动全面内战。经过八年艰苦抗战的中国人民，又被推进了战争的深渊。国民党政府又在全国加强法西斯特务统治，镇压爱国民主运动。就在胡适回抵国门十天之内，知识界著名的民主战士李公朴、闻一多二位先生，在昆明先后被国民党特务杀害，激起了全国人民的愤慨。“一般有良心的人都感到失望苦闷乃至忿怒，盖原意中事”。⑦而胡适却与“一般有良心的人” 都不同。7月20日，他在上海文化教育界名流举行的欢迎茶会上，还劝人不要悲观，说： 我们文化界，教育界，应当在这五年十年之间，咬紧牙关，尽力挽救和改善目前的局面，如果我们自己先就悲观，觉得世事不可为，那末国事真更将令人悲观，令人觉得不可为了。 ⑧ 如果说这是胡适的“乐观主义”，那么，他在北平对记者谈话，竟宣称“中国民主有了进步”!⑨这样颠倒的“乐观”，不迹近阿世吗? 10月10日，北京大学举行复员复校后的开学典礼。胡适以校长身份首次对全校员生讲话，便抬出南宋理学家吕祖谦的两句话：“善未易明，理未易察”，要大家深省；他提倡所谓“独立的研究”，要大家—— 不盲从，不受欺骗，不用别人的耳朵当耳朵，不用别人的眼睛当眼睛，不用别人的头脑当自己的头脑。 ⑩ 可以说这便是胡适给“善未易明，理未易察”加的注脚，并无甚么深意。而当内战硝烟弥漫，青年学生向往民主自由进步，反内战反独裁的爱国民主运动广泛开展的时候，胡校长却反复申说这些人所共知的道理，用意还不明白吗? ①中国代表团成员，除董必武、胡适外，还有宋子文(团长)、顾维钧(副团长) 、王宠惠、魏道明、吴贻芳、李璜、张君劢、胡霖、顾问施肇基。 ②胡适1941年2月在纽约的演说，曾载2月8日重庆《大公报》。 ③参看胡适1944年12月8日日记，见《胡适的日记》，北京中华书局1985年1月版，下册，第605页。 ④胡适致毛泽东电曾载1945年9月2日重庆《大公报》。又附见胡适致王世杰(电稿)，《胡适来往书信选》，北京中华书局1980年8月1版，下册，第26至27页。 ⑤毛泽东《关于重庆谈判》，《毛泽东选集》4卷横排合订本，第1106～1107页。 ⑥中国代表团成员共五人，其他四人是赵元任、罗家伦、程天放、李书华。 ⑦周炳琳1946年7月9日致胡适信，见《胡适来往书信选》，下册，第112页。 ⑧胡适在上海文教界欢迎会上的讲辞，载7月21日《申报》；又载南京《教育通讯》复刊第1卷第11期。 ⑨见1946年7月30日北平《华北日报》。 ⑩见1946年10月11日天津《大公报》。 1946年6月26日，国民党蒋介石以30万大军围攻中原解放区为起点，发动了对解放区的全面进攻。于是国共两党和平破裂，全面内战爆发了。 战争初起的时候，国民党在军事上、经济上都占着显著的优势，又仗着美国援助的大量飞机、大炮、坦克等现代化装备和作战物资，所以气势汹汹，不可一世，叫嚷3个月至6个月即可消灭共产党。中国人民解放军为了避开优势敌人的锋芒，曾主动放弃一些地方和城市，以求得在运动中歼灭敌人的有生力量。10月11日，国民党军进占张家口市，达到了他们向解放区全面进攻的高潮。蒋介石兴高采烈，于当天下午下令召开“国民大会”，制定宪法，想借民主宪政来做面子，掩盖发动内战的罪责。 胡适当了这个“制宪国大”的代表。参不参加?他原也有些踌躇，曾对当时的《中央日报》记者又是绩溪同乡的叶由说过，一是因为“国内这个局面，闹不清”，想再等一等，看一看；二则是北大也离不开身，“到北大才几个月，复员以来，北大还是个乱摊子，非常复杂，要花大力气整顿。”①胡适心情又很矛盾，他觉得这是实现美国式民主宪政的一个机会，不可错过，准备去参加。但是，中国共产党及各民主党派，都坚决抵制，并声明它违背政协决议，是非法的；只有青年党、民社党几个小党派追随国民党摇旗呐喊。北京大学的同事周炳琳也劝胡适不要出席，说“此时赴会，是否为贤智之举动，琳以为尚值得考虑一番。”②而蒋介石却切盼胡适这位“社会贤达”出席，给他做做面子，故亲自电邀，电文云： 国民大会准于文(十二)日开会，先生为当选代表，德望允孚，举国景仰，务希即日命驾，莅京出席，藉慰众望，并盼电复。中正，蒸(十日)，府交。 ③ 胡适便只好于11月11日飞南京，出席于15日开场的国民大会，还当上了大会主席团主席。大会的任务是“制宪”，胡适知道宪法草案早就有了，这种堂而皇之的文件，有各国的蓝本，不会有大问题。他便抱着厚本厚本的《水经注》出入于国民大会；又趁机去国学图书馆和中研院史语所看各种版本的《水经注》。 12月25日，大会通过“中华民国宪法”。中共和各民主党派都发表声明，不予承认。只有美国的马歇尔、司徒雷登大加捧场。胡适也对记者说：“余对此次中国实验民主政治认为一大成功”；④又著文称赞大会通过的宪法“包含最高最美理想及35年来若干人的梦”。 ⑤ 在南京开会期间，胡适与闻人名士、阔佬政客往来频繁，应酬颇多；还有些人请他题字。在为人写单条立幅时，他挥笔重题旧作“做了过河卒子”一诗。这首旧作原来没有发表过，当时被记者传抄出去，在报纸上刊登了。时过境迁，当日为国家民族拼命向前的卒子，现今却是为国民党蒋政权卖力了，旧作新题，也正好表达胡适为国民党政府卖力的心愿。 果然，国大开过不久，蒋介石准备“改组”政府，要倚重这可贵的“卒子”了。 1947年初，蒋氏多次约请傅斯年谈话，提出请胡适担任国府委员兼考试院长；⑥又在南京两次接见胡适，多次亲致函电，说“中正对于延请先生参加国府，固出于平生向慕之忱，亦实以国家与政府殷切之需要为前提。”⑦实际上却正如傅斯年所说，乃是出于“美国之压力”，想借胡适这块“社会贤达”的牌子，为独裁政权涂饰一点民主的油彩。所以蒋介石曾坦白地说，是“撑面子，要如此”。胡适经过反复思虑斟酌，力陈衷曲，说： 我因为很愿意帮国家政府的忙，所以不愿意加入政府。蒋先生的厚意，我十分感谢，故此信所说都是赤心的话。 我在野，——我们在野，——是国家的、政府的一种力量，对外国，对国内，都可以帮政府的忙，支持他，替他说公平话，给他做面子。若做了国府委员，或做了一院院长，或做了一部部长，……结果是毁了我30年养成的独立地位，而完全不能有所作为。结果是连我们说公平话的地位也取消了。 ⑧ 多么绝妙的自白!既感蒋介石的知遇之恩，愿意帮政府的忙，给他做面子，又要保留着“独立”的面具。这便是过河卒子特别聪明的地方!胡适终生未参加国民党，大约也与此有关罢。 胡适不入政府作官，仍留北京大学当校长，但北大已不是当年的中国公学，更不是蔡元培主持的北京大学了，时世的变化，使北大真成了一副乱摊子。 当时，蒋介石政府政治黑暗腐败，贪污贿赂公行，加上内战军费开支浩大，便滥发纸币，引起通货膨胀，物价暴涨，把老百姓推到了饥饿与死亡线上。教育界人士的生活也是朝不保夕，诸多困难与忧虑。大学里正是“教授教授，越教越瘦”的年月。胡适出长北大，本来也想学习蔡元培的作风，把北京大学建设成为现代学术的重要中心。1947年，他曾提出一个《争取学术独立的十年计划》，即发展高等教育的十年计划，建议政府集中国家的最大力量，在第一个五年之内，办好北大、清华、浙大、武大和中央大学等五所重点大学，使它们成为学术研究的大本营；第二个五年再办五所，以求“建立起中国学术独立的基础”。⑨应该说确是一个雄心勃勃的宏伟设想，也反映了胡适作为一位教育家执着教育学术事业的见解与态度。但是，当他在北大召开教授会，讨论这个十年计划的时候，他的梦想却在现实面前碰碎了。到会百余位教授，大家想的，谈的，“都是吃饭”!一位教授说，“我们今天愁的是明天的生活，哪有工夫去想十年二十年的计划?”这是实际情况。胡适当校长，为师生的粮食，教员薪水，以致冬天取暖用煤等奔走，竟花去不少精力。素以乐观著称的胡适也难免悲观起来，说：“这样的校长真不值得做!”⑩这年5月，国民党统治区爆发了轰轰烈烈的学生爱国民主运动，展开“反饥饿，反内战，反迫害”的斗争。北平的学潮，以北京大学为重要中心，更是来势不凡；也弄得胡适校长应付不暇，处在既不敢得罪政府又不能对不起学生的两难境地。 他虽然拥蒋反共，其实面对时局，内心也很矛盾，而对学生运动也大致还抱同情态度。1947年5月，他在答《经世日报》记者问时，仍说： 二十年来我发现一个通则，古今中外均可应用。即凡一个国家政治没有走上轨道，既不满人意，又无合法代表民意机关监督政府改善政治，干预政治，提倡改革政治的责任，一定落在青年学生的身上。 胡适主张“疏导”的方针，反对武力镇压。他曾利用自己的地位和声望，奔走于行辕市府之间，希望避免惨案的发生，并极力阻止“军警入校捕人”。谈到南京学潮时，胡适还公然说“