Chapter 39 The earliest Americans who dealt with Deng Xiaoping——Deng Xiaoping and Carlson (2)

Carlson felt that Deng Xiaoping's "mind was as pungent as mustard".The breadth of Deng Xiaoping's grasp of the entire field of international politics "surprised" Carlson, and even "a piece of news" made him "stunned". During this trip, Carlson successively met He Long and Xiao Ke in Northwest Shanxi, and Nie Rongzhen and Peng Zhen in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei.According to Liu Baiyu: "But what really shocked Carlson's soul and gave him profound inspiration may be the long talk with Comrade Deng Xiaoping in the rain after Nangong met with Xu Xiangqian and Song Renqiong." About this long talk, Carl Xun later recorded in detail in his book "Twin Stars of China" (Twin Stars of China) published in 1940.It was during this conversation that Carlson felt that Deng Xiaoping was "short and fat, with a strong body and a mind as pungent as mustard."The breadth of Deng Xiaoping's grasp of the entire field of international politics "surprised" Carlson, and even "a piece of news made me dumbfounded."

As we talked, Deng Xiaoping had been eating fruit.Now he leaned back in his chair and began talking lively.He said: "The Ten Programs for Resisting Japan and Saving the Nation are: 1. Overthrowing Japanese imperialism; 2. General mobilization of the military throughout the country; 3. General mobilization of the people throughout the country; 4. Reform of political institutions; 5. Anti-Japanese foreign policy; Financial and economic policies; 7. Improving people's lives; 8. Anti-Japanese education policies; 9. Eliminating traitors and traitors who are pro-Japanese and consolidating the rear; 10. Anti-Japanese national unity."

When he listed these programs, I secretly compared them with the facts observed in Shanxi and Hebei.I have seen practical examples of the application of each of the principles.Since leaving the Yellow River in western Shanxi, the development of the united front has been emphasized everywhere I have been. The rainy season started, and the torrential rain that lasted for two days delayed our trip.This also gave me more opportunities to talk with Xu Xiangqian and Deng Xiaoping. Before joining the Eighth Route Army, Deng was a worker.He spent several years in France, studying the labor movement there.He was short and stocky, with a strong body and a mind as pungent as mustard.

One afternoon we discussed the entire field of international politics, and I was struck by the breadth of his knowledge.One piece of news made me dumbfounded. "Last year, the U.S. supplied the Japanese with more than half of the weapons they bought from abroad," he said. "Are you sure?" I asked.I understand that the situation of the Americans is biased towards the side of the invaded China. During my eight months in the interior, when I considered this issue, I always took it for granted that the American people would refuse to sell war materials to an aggressor. The country's.What extreme ignorance!

"Yes." He assured me, "The source is a news cable from the United States at the end of the first year of the war." Embarrassed, I said, "There must be a mistake in the cable." To intervene in the killing and devastation of the Chinese people that I have seen in the past year. Xu Xiangqian walked in, and the conversation turned to the situation on the ground.I asked him about the current situation in the area. The author had the honor to interview Mr. Ouyang Shanzun who accompanied Carlson on a tour behind enemy lines in North China and worked as a translator.This "literary and artistic working group" jointly organized by the Cultural Association of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region and the General Political Department of the Eighth Route Army accompanied Carlson to the guerrilla areas in North China in the name of going deep into the enemy's rear to carry out literary and artistic work.Before departure, Mao Zedong received all the staff and personally wrote letters of introduction to the generals of the Eighth Route Army at all levels.The literary and art working group left Yan'an on May 15, 1938, and passed through Northwest Shanxi, Chahar-Hebei, Central Hebei, Southern Hebei, Northwest Shandong, and Northwest Henan until they bid farewell to Carlson in Zhengzhou on August 6. The itinerary lasted 85 days. 6,000 Yu Huali, and then returned to Yan'an.What is valuable is that Mr. Ouyang Shanzun wrote down a very precious diary back then.

In this article titled "March Diary", we can see that Carlson and Deng Xiaoping met for the first time on July 16, 1938.It was a fine day, a sunny day.Carlson and the others arrived at Nangong at "five o'clock in the afternoon. They lived in a tobacco company with a building and a large place, very similar to a big hotel in Xi'an. The market here is lively... After a short rest, Commander Xu Xiangqian and Deng Xiaoping and Song Renqiong The political commissars are all here. We talked for a while and then we had dinner together..." The thing that Deng Xiaoping left Carlson "stunned" happened the next day. On July 17, "It rained heavily in the morning, but it stopped shortly afterwards. In the morning, Commander Xu Xiangqian came to talk to us about the situation in the southern Hebei guerrilla military area. We didn't go until we had lunch at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. We went shopping. The things are very cheap. We bought some. Carlson bought three raincoats for us, one for each of us, and each cost 8 yuan (Lin Shan stayed in Northwest Shanxi due to a foot injury, and Jin Zhaoye stayed in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei for work and left ). After shopping, Commissar Deng Xiaoping was looking for us and wanted to talk to us. He told us about the three major battles of the 129th Division. Carlson asked him many interesting and strange questions. He answered very cleverly and accurately, and talked about nine o’clock after dinner.” It was during this conversation that Deng Xiaoping raised the issue of the United States selling scrap steel to Japan to allow Japan to manufacture weapons to invade China.That night, "Xu Xiangqian, Deng Xiaoping, and Song Renqiong came and talked for a long time, and we parted at half past nine. They gave the three of us fifty yuan for travel expenses." At eight o'clock in the morning on July 19, it was still raining , Xu Xiangqian, Deng Xiaoping, Song Renqiong and Carlson said goodbye.

This year, Carlson was 42 years old.During the trip, he always called Liu Baiyu and Ouyang Shanzun, who were nearly 20 years younger than him, "Young Boys". Carlson said: "My opinion after consideration is that our future generations will regard the betrayal of the Chinese people by the American government during the Truman administration as a major mistake that has never been made in American diplomacy in the past." Proof of Carlson's vision. In April 1938, Carlson traveled again to the bases behind enemy lines of the Eighth Route Army.Epstein, Dutch documentary pioneer Joris Evans, and another photographer Robert Kepa were also there this time.This trip has three achievements, one is the famous documentary "400 Million People", one is that Carlson wrote "China's Twin Stars", and the other is that Carlson gave to President Roosevelt Wrote many personal reports.This is also what President Roosevelt commissioned Carlson to investigate in China. After the report was sent to the White House, President Roosevelt personally reviewed it.These reports are said to still be kept in the Roosevelt Museum in New York.

From 1939 to 1940, the KMT vacillated between resisting Japan and fighting a civil war. At that time, Japan had not opened fire on Britain and the United States. The British and American governments had planned to compromise with Japan at the expense of China and create a "Munich in the Far East."But Carlson did not hesitate to act in accordance with the beliefs he had formed in China, and publicly declared his beliefs—the Japanese militarism must be resisted.However, the U.S. military did not allow him to truthfully report the actual situation in China, and he was not allowed to publicize the victory of the Chinese Communist Party and the corruption of Chiang Kai-shek.For this reason, the loyal Carlson resigned from the US military.

After returning to the United States, he predicted that after Japan invaded the Far East, it would definitely fight the United States at sea.Sure enough, a year later, the attack on Pearl Harbor that almost wiped out the entire US Navy occurred.Under such circumstances, Carlson once again put on the military uniform and formed a Marine Corps assault battalion led by himself. This is the famous "Carlson Commando", using and drawing on the military management and combat experience learned from the Eighth Route Army. In theory, guerrilla warfare was carried out in the Solomon Islands, and more than 3,000 Japanese troops were wiped out in the First Battle of Meijin Island.The news of this victory shocked the United States.Later, Carlson was wounded in the battle and was admitted to the hospital. For this reason, President Roosevelt visited the hospital in person a week before his death.

Roosevelt asked him, "What would you like to do?" Carlson replied, "I'm going to retire in the country." Roosevelt said: "I also want to retire to the countryside like you, but I hope you will continue to go to China to do your work after the war." Unexpectedly, a week later, Roosevelt collapsed in the hot spring apartment where Carlson had been a bodyguard for him.Carlson died two years later.We can read such a meaningful sentence from Roosevelt's letter to Carlson on March 2, 1944, from which we can see the trust and affection between a president and a lieutenant colonel.

"My dear Carlson, . . . with regard to China, I think we are going through a period of transition, especially with regard to North China. I have done my best to dissuade certain leaders in China from taking more drastic action against the leaders of the Eighth Route Army against action, but it seems to be making things difficult for the Chairman. However, I am sure that someday we will all need you to go back there." From this we can see how sincere Carlson's friendship with the Chinese people is.According to Carlson's wife Becky, Carlson truthfully said the words of the Communist Party of China, but was attacked by some people in the United States as the Communist Party.During his illness, he was still concerned about the future and destiny of China. In April 1947, while on his sickbed, Carlson saw a piece of news in the "New York Times", reporting that the CCP had broken through the blockade of Yan'an and that the army was stationed in the Northeast. Within 18 months, the whole of China will definitely be under control." Carlson's prediction came true again.It is a pity that he passed away a month after saying this sentence.And the date when the Chinese Communists will liberate all of China is only a few months away from Carlson's prediction. After World War II, Carlson was already a brigadier general. Like Stilwell, he was convinced that the U.S. policy of supporting Chiang Kai-shek in the civil war and opposing the People’s Power led by the Communist Party had seriously damaged the U.S., as well as China and the long-term relationship between the two countries.At this time, Carlson again --- because he was seriously injured in the battle, he no longer served in the army and voluntarily retired. ——Standing up with his independent character and loyal attitude, on November 17, 1946, he uttered another deafening voice: "My opinion after consideration is that our children and grandchildren will make the United States during the Truman administration The government's betrayal of the Chinese people is regarded as a major mistake that has never been made in American diplomacy in the past." Undoubtedly, history has proved Carlson's foresight.After 22 years of ineffective efforts to isolate and "stuck" New China, the United States has returned to the starting point from the end——In 1972, Nixon came to Beijing, and Sino-US relations were fully thawed, opening a new era. one page.