Chapter 19 4. Cold and warm diplomacy

During the arduous eight-year war of resistance, both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party made great efforts and sacrifices. The war of resistance required huge military expenditures. Who can fight for US aid?Who is the most suitable messenger?Chiang Kai-shek entrusted this important task to his wife Song Meiling. I studied in the United States since I was a child, and I speak fluent American English, more authentic than Americans! Song Meiling was obliged to do so, and Song Meiling volunteered. For her husband, no, for the entire Chinese nation, she boarded the "Meiling" special plane, came to a foreign country again, and returned to the United States where she was studying.

Soong Meiling's best performance on the diplomatic arena was when she "conquered" the United States in 1943. On February 17, 1943, Song Meiling and her party arrived at Union Station in Washington DC at 5:10 p.m. after their trip to the United States by train from Hyde Park. The station was crowded with welcome crowds.The White House welcomed Soong Meiling as a state guest. She was due to deliver an important speech in the House of Representatives the next day.She must vividly introduce the situation of the Chinese people's struggle to resist the war to the U.S. Congress and the American people, so as to arouse the sympathy and further support of the U.S. ruling and opposition parties for China.

Mrs. Roosevelt accompanied Soong Meiling to the Congress, and the congressional seats and auditoriums were full.Soong Meiling swayed with lotus steps, smiled and nodded to the applauding senators. Song Meiling originally planned to deliver a speech to the House of Representatives. Before she arrived in Washington, she was invited by Vice President and Senate Speaker Wallace to "speak a few words" to the Senate. Song Meiling said at the beginning: "Yu is not an orator who is good at giving speeches. In fact, Yu is not an orator; but Yu is not without courage. A few days ago, when Yu was in Hyde Park, he visited the president's library. What he saw there was the most impressive. For those who are interested, there is the first draft, the second draft, and the sixth draft of a speech by the President in the glass window. I mentioned this to the President by chance yesterday, saying that there are well-known and well-known orators such as your Excellency. , the number of drafts of his speech must be so many, which makes Yu feel consoled. The President replied that he had as many as twelve drafts of his speech. But secondly, Yu is here to speak temporarily today, gentlemen Please forgive me."

The wonderful opening remarks and his English proficiency more idiomatic than Americans won thunderous applause from the audience. She said: "Yu spent a period of physical and mental growth in your country. I spoke the language of the kings, not only the words of the hearts of the kings, but also the words of the mouths of the kings. Therefore, coming here now feels like seeing family members. " Song Meiling's speech was interrupted by applause from time to time.Her one sentence in the epilogue won a lot of applause. She said firmly: "Based on five and a half years of experience, the Chinese people are convinced that it is wiser to risk failure than to accept failure by those who are despicable and shameful."

As soon as Song Meiling's words fell, the audience erupted into prolonged applause.A congressman said that he had never seen such a scene, and Song Meiling almost made him cry. President Roosevelt's wife praised Song Meiling's speech in this way: "Not only was it very popular for a while, but it was also unparalleled in the world." The former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress, Bloom, said: Madam Chiang's speech is elegant, the analysis of the world situation is profound, and the English is fluent and dexterous, which not only enables the audience to understand its meaning, but also agree with her point of view.

A housewife living in East Orange, New Jersey, sent a money order of 3 yuan and a newspaper clipping of a refugee child in Shanghai crying at a train station to the White House, requesting that they be delivered to Soong Meiling on her behalf.The American lady said: "The money order for three yuan was jointly given by my three daughters to that little friend who was crying at the train station." This is the best proof that Soong Meiling's congress speech was broadcast across the United States by radio and touched the hearts of millions of Americans. Every day, hundreds of letters from all over the United States are sent to the White House, and the recipient is Song Meiling.

"What does she want? It's for humanity on the planet," wrote one Washington Post reporter. On the second day after her speech in Congress, Soong Meiling attended the press conference held by the President of the United States for her in the Oval Office of the President of the White House. 172 reporters crowded the office, vying to see the demeanor of the "First Lady of an Asian Power". At the meeting, Song Meiling sat in the middle, Roosevelt was on the right, and Mrs. Roosevelt was on the left. "Time" magazine said that Soong Meiling was like a girl who made her debut on stage. The president was smoking all the time, and the president's wife put one hand on Soong Meiling's chair.It seemed to protect her.Roosevelt, who hosted thousands of press conferences, introduced his beautiful niece like a pampering uncle.He said that "Mrs. Jiang is a special envoy like no other", and he asked reporters not to ask difficult questions.

Wearing a black cheongsam with a Chinese Air Force emblem pinned to her chest, Song Meiling was extraordinary the moment she opened her mouth. She said that she had visited the frontline countless times in the Chinese battlefield, and she didn't know what to be afraid of, but seeing the reporter's pen kept waving, she didn't know whether to be afraid or not. "However, I see smiles on your faces, and I feel that I am your friend..." The reporter applauded enthusiastically. Nevertheless, American journalists asked a series of tough questions straight to the point.A reporter asked her, I heard that China did not make full use of its manpower?

Soong Meiling, with displeasure on her face, raised her voice and replied that China has done its best in terms of manpower, but it lacks ammunition. China has no shortage of well-trained pilots, but it does not have enough aircraft and gasoline. A reporter immediately asked: How does China obtain arms?Song Meiling skillfully pushed the difficult problem to Roosevelt.She turned respectfully to Roosevelt and said it was best for the President to answer that question. Facing many similar situations, Roosevelt immediately said that it would be extremely difficult to transport planes and supplies to China, but the U.S. government was doing its best.

He said that if he was a member of the Chinese government, he would also ask: When will it be shipped to China?Why not send some more?As part of the US government, he will answer: We will send supplies to China as fast as God allows.After Roosevelt finished speaking, a smug expression appeared on his face. A reporter immediately asked Soong Meiling what suggestions she had for speeding up the export of American arms to China. Soong Meiling stood up, staring at the front, then turned to President Roosevelt, and said slowly: The president just said that the supplies will be shipped to China at the speed allowed by God, "But I remind everyone to remember: God helps those who help themselves." Roosevelt I laughed out loud. The "old politician" Roosevelt knew that if the press conference continued, Song Meiling would be more popular than him, so he announced the adjournment of the conference.

At the press conference, Soong Meiling answered every question with ease.The columnist Kleiber was very addicted. He said that maybe one day the movie star Helen Hayes will play this role, but no matter how good she plays, she can't compare with Song Meiling in real life. A reporter also said: "Song Meiling's pen is better than the blade, and her Ci is even better than the pen." In the evening of the same day, Soong Meiling and her party left Washington by train to start her busy and tight "conquest of America" ​​speech itinerary.Soong Meiling's train passed a small town in Utah in the middle of the night, and the residents of the town waited at the station all night, hoping to catch a glimpse of Soong Meiling's demeanor. After the emergency stop of the train, Song Meiling was still sleeping.In a hurry, a maid dressed as Soong Meiling and wearing her shawl walked to the platform, nodding and smiling to the crowd frequently.This maid, who doesn't understand English at all, has seen too much of the hostess's demeanor, and after some pointing, the villagers thought she was Song Meiling, and kept shouting: "It's her! It's her!" In the following months, Soong Meiling visited many states, gave speeches, and achieved great success. "Time" magazine boss Henry Luce also set up a "New York Citizens Welcome Madam Chiang Preparatory Committee" .270 celebrities from New York State participated. The governors of nine states in the eastern United States paid a special visit to Song Meiling. More than 20,000 New Yorkers held a grand welcome party in Madison Garden. Song Meiling also delivered her third important speech after coming to the United States to an audience of 30,000 at the Hollywood Bowl, and met with more than 200 people in the film and television industry who supported China's resistance against Japan. Well-known movie stars in China, such as Robert Taylor, Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman, Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Rita Hayworth, Shirley Temple, etc. Everyone came to listen to her speech. Soong Meiling's familiarity with Hollywood movies not only surprised the movie stars, but also greatly admired the film and television reporters.Movie stars all actively donated huge sums of money.Appeal to support China's war of resistance. The American media made a lot of reports on Song Meiling and the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japan.Under the pressure and influence of public opinion, the US government has repeatedly made it clear that it will speed up aid to China.At the same time, private donations also increased sharply. Song Meiling's visit to the United States this time can be described as infinite scenery, which caused an unprecedented sensation in the United States. The bloody battle of the Chinese people has been recognized by the world anti-fascist front. Soong Meiling bravely went to the national disaster, not only won the recognition of the world's anti-fascist front, but also won the high evaluation and appreciation of the whole world. In July 1943, Song Meiling accompanied Chiang Kai-shek to attend the Cairo Conference where the leaders of Britain, the United States and China met.The Cairo meeting was all men's world, only Song Meiling's "mother Cairo" was on an equal footing with Chiang Kai-shek, Roosevelt, and Churchill, and the summit of the Big Three became a meeting of the Big Four.It has been said that her dress, speech, and manner were the most vivid and living images besides the pyramids and sphinxes near the meeting place.Although all the important members of the Chinese delegation could speak English, Song Meiling felt that they "couldn't convey the full meaning of the chairman's thought", so she often re-translated Chiang's statements and the other party's conversations in person. Chiang Kai-shek wrote in his diary on the last day of the meeting: "From the time Mrs. Today visited President Roosevelt to discuss economic issues at 11 o'clock, until Huo (Hopkins) left, there was almost no time for 10 hours. He was concentrating all the time and couldn't relax for a word, so he was exhausted by 10 o'clock, and he had never seen him in such a state." Churchill mentioned in his memoirs that he had a pleasant conversation with Madam Chiang, "It can be seen that she is a very special and charming person." Churchill said to Mrs. Chiang that it was a pity that he could not meet in the United States last time.It turned out that when Soong Meiling visited the United States in the first half of 1943, it happened that Churchill was also visiting the United States.One day President Roosevelt said to Churchill: "I want to introduce you to Mrs. Chiang, she is a beautiful woman." Roosevelt immediately called Mrs. Chiang and invited her to come to the White House the next day to have lunch with Churchill, but Soong Meiling refused. up.She said that Churchill had to call her first before she would agree, and the lunch finally failed. At the Cairo meeting, her beauty, gentleness, wit and humor left a deep impression on the haughty Churchill, who admitted that Soong Meiling was one of the few women he admired most.This evaluation is not too high. The "Cairo Declaration" enabled China to obtain the international status of one of the top four, and paved the way for China to obtain the qualification of a permanent member of the United Nations.It should be said that this is a diplomatic victory for the Chinese nation, and it is also a diplomatic victory for Soong Meiling. Song Meiling also went to Maicheng sometimes. Times change and the world trend is irresistible. The world is warm and cold, and the world is hot and cold, who has never experienced it? In 1948, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party were facing a decisive battle of life and death. Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling never imagined that they had fallen into the abyss of internal and external difficulties. Domestically, the all-out and key attacks launched by the Kuomintang army on the liberated areas were smashed one after another, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army began a full-scale counter-offensive. Abroad, the U.S. ruling and opposition parties have publicly expressed disappointment and dissatisfaction with the corruption and incompetence of the Chiang Kai-shek regime. The building is about to fall, but Chiang Kai-shek doesn't know it, or he is deceiving himself. Chiang Kai-shek bit the bullet and wrote a letter to President Truman, nominally congratulating him on his re-election as president, but actually begging the U.S. government to continue to support him.This time, he did not want dollars, nor weapons and ammunition, but only hoped that the Truman administration would issue a "resolute declaration" in support of his own government. He believed that this declaration was more powerful than the atomic bomb, it could maintain the morale and popular support of the Chiang dynasty, and it could strengthen the position of the Chinese government.Chiang Kai-shek never expected that this poor request was immediately rejected by Truman. This undoubtedly gave Chiang Kai-shek a blow.Feeling hopeless, he is unwilling to withdraw from the political arena that has been painstakingly managed for decades.How to get the support of the US government?Chiang Kai-shek thought hard, and finally settled on his wife.He wants Soong Meiling, who is good at communication and familiar with American politics, to go to the other side of the ocean to play his wife's diplomacy. At this time, Song Meiling, seeing that Chiang Kai-shek's situation was gone, was very worried.She knows very well that things are different and people are different, and yesterday's yellow flowers are gone.Helpless to see Chiang Kai-shek extremely sad, vomiting blood continuously for days, my heart softened. On November 30, 1948, the "Meiling" arrived in San Francisco again.Arrived in Washington the next day. On December 5, Song Meiling, accompanied by Mrs. Marshall, met Marshall at the hospital and had lunch together. This meeting did not resolve any substantive issues.A reporter once interviewed Song Meiling and asked her if she had gained anything.She didn't answer directly, but just asked a rhetorical question: "Who can see General Marshall and not feel rewarded?" Later, Soong Meiling called on Acting US Secretary of State Lovett and reapplied to the US government for aid to China.On official occasions, Song Meiling's arrival seemed particularly embarrassing.Only the few people who agreed to help Chiang Kai-shek, such as the Republican Party, expressed sympathy for her begging for aid, while more officials responded extremely coldly. Truman finally broke the silence and invited Song Meiling to a tea party.Truman seemed polite to her. Half an hour after the tea party, Truman became impatient. He invited Soong Meiling into his study and gave her half an hour to defend his request.Song Meiling reiterated the old saying, asking the United States to: 1. issue a formal declaration supporting the Nanjing government to fight the Communist Party and save the country; assistance. Truman took the topic and said straight to the point: "The friendship between China and the United States has left an important page in history, but I am sorry because the United States can only pay 4 billion U.S. dollars for the promised aid plan to China, and this aid can continue. Go on, until it is exhausted, the United States cannot guarantee indefinite support for a Chinese government that cannot be supported.” This time, it was as if someone had cast a spell, and Soong Meiling's outstanding eloquence and charming demeanor were completely lost.Not only did Truman lose face to Song Meiling at the time, but he also unceremoniously issued a statement to the press, revealing that the total amount of US aid to Chiang Kai-shek had exceeded 3.8 billion U.S. dollars, which was very close to the amount of aid promised by the United States. Many observers believe that the reason why the Democratic Party’s Truman has strong hostility towards Chiang Kai-shek’s regime is that apart from accusing Chiang Kai-shek of the “discoloration” of mainland China, it also has a lot to do with Dewey, who clearly supported Truman’s opponent during the US presidential election. relationship. In the 1948 U.S. general election, Chiang Kai-shek and his wife thought New York Governor Dewey would win the presidential election, so they bet their "treasure" on him.For this reason, Chiang Kai-shek was very busy, and he specially appointed Gu Weijun, the ambassador to the United States, to award Dewey a special "Auspicious Star Medal". Kong Xiangxi and his son Kong Lingjie, who were "recovering from illness in the United States", also obeyed Chiang Kai-shek's will and ran around for Dewey's campaign to create public opinion.As a result, people are not as good as heaven.Contrary to Chiang Kai-shek's expectations, Dewey was out, and Truman was re-elected President of the United States.Everything that happened after that really echoed the saying: one careless move, and everything is lost! Frustrated, Soong Meiling openly compared American politics to "unpolite bumpkins."This came after years of generous U.S. support, infuriating Truman: "They're thieves, everyone the fuck is." In May 1949, U.S. President Truman learned that Kong and Song had 2 billion U.S. dollars secretly stored in multiple banks in Manhattan. $500 million. They stole it and invested it in real estate, some of it in New York." He resolutely published the white paper "Relationship between the United States and China" and allowed the Chiang dynasty to collapse, and it was based on this kind of righteous indignation. Song Meiling went to the United States again, wanting to make some efforts to continue to get more "American aid", but time has changed, Yankees are not stupid. What I got during this trip was only an "international scandal" that revealed the astonishing corruption of the Kuomintang, and an order from US President Truman: to investigate how much of the "US aid" to China was pocketed. This visit to the United States, Soong Meiling ended in cold reception and failure, which formed a sharp contrast with the great success and boundless glory five years ago. Song Meiling's life can be said to be the epitome of modern China. From her, we can see the beauty and decline of the Jiang family dynasty. Song Meiling, after all, is a member of the Chiang family, which represents the decadent power.