Chapter 110 109. Breaking off diplomatic relations with Germany

On March 14, 6, the Beijing government officially announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Germany. The content of the note is as follows: "Regarding Germany's implementation of the new submarine plan, the government of this country, which emphasizes world peace and respect for public international law, lodged a protest on February 9th with Minister Dagui, and stated that if it is out of China's wish In addition, the protest is invalid. As a last resort, we will cut off the existing diplomatic relations with your country. Since January, your country’s submarine operations have ignored the protests of the Chinese government, and as a result, many Chinese people have lost their lives. The lives of the people. Until March 10th, your minister was allowed to reply. Although it is said that your government is still willing to discuss ways to protect the lives and property of the Chinese people, but since it is stated that it is difficult to cancel the blockade strategy, it is not in line with the purpose of the government’s protest It is a great pity that the government of this country regards the protest as invalid. As a last resort, we have severed the existing diplomatic relations with your government. Therefore, we have a passport for your minister, staff of your embassy and their family members to leave the Chinese territory. Please send the photo to your minister, and I would be grateful if you could check it. To the consuls of your country in China, the headquarters has ordered all negotiators to issue passports to the country. The note is required."

At the same time, Li Yuanhong announced to the whole country: "This time when the European War broke out, our country strictly adheres to neutrality. We do not want to accept the German government's note on February 2 this year. Germany's new blockade plan will allow neutral merchant ships to sail within the restricted line from now on. There are many dangers and other words. The damage to the life and property of our people is already quite a lot with the attack on merchant ships that Germany has done before, but now the plan of submarine operations will cause more serious damage. In order to respect public law and protect people's life and property, we submit to Germany Made a serious protest and declared that if Germany does not revoke its policy, our country will have no choice but to sever the existing diplomatic relations with Germany. In our country, we deeply hope that Germany may not stick to its policy and maintain the usual friendship. Unfortunately, it has been more than a month since the protest , Germany's submarine attack policy has not been withdrawn, many merchant ships from various countries have been sunk, and there have been several deaths of our people. According to Germany's official reply on the 11th, it is difficult to cancel its blockade strategy, which is beyond our country's wishes. In order to respect the public law and protect the property of the people, we will sever the existing diplomatic relations with Germany starting today. It is hereby announced."

At the same time as the Chinese government announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Germany, it announced the withdrawal of the German concessions in Tianjin and Hankou, the disarmament of the German army in China, and the suspension of payment of German indemnities and arrears.The German diaspora is still friendly, and all Germans serving in various departments in China will be retained. German businessmen in various places will continue to operate as usual, and missionaries will carry out religious activities as usual.When the German Minister Xin Ci returned home under the flag, Li Yuanhong gave him many precious gifts.When Xin Ci passed through Shanghai and returned to China on March 27, the Shanghai authorities even sent people to the station to greet him. Soldiers raised their guns to salute, and the army played national music like a ritual. As the saying goes: "A gentleman will never make a bad voice."

After the severance of diplomatic relations between China and Germany, the Chinese government should return Germany's indemnities, and stop the payment of arrears, and deposit the money in the Bank of China.The Dutch envoy to China openly sent a note, claiming that he was entrusted by the German government to take charge of Germany’s interests in China. Since China and Germany had not declared war, the Chinese government could not apply the method of dealing with enemy countries and confiscate German interests and property.The British and French envoys to China requested that the above funds be deposited in foreign banks.

After the order to sever diplomatic relations with Germany was issued, Li Yuanhong breathed a sigh of relief. He thought that an article on Germany had been finished, but Duan Qirui thought that this issue was only halfway through, and the other half of the issue of declaring war had not been done. .Therefore, the deteriorating relationship between Li and Duan did not ease because of the severance of diplomatic relations with Germany, but worsened because of it.Because Duan believes that the case of severing diplomatic relations with Germany is the first step, and the second step is the case of declaring war on Germany.Liang Qichao first published the article "Urgent Issues After the Cutoff of Diplomatic Relations" to advocate the declaration of war against Germany.However, the atmosphere of opposition to the declaration of war against Germany was very strong all over the country. On March 13th Kang Youwei sent a telegram to Yuan, on March 14th Zhang Xunhan sent a telegram, and on March 16th Wang Zhanyuan sent a telegram, all of which were voices of opposition.Kang Dian said excitedly: "Please hang my eyes on the gate of the country to see the entry of German ships." He actually regarded himself as Wu Zixu.The Shanghai Chamber of Commerce sent a telegram to oppose joining the war, and chambers of commerce all over the country responded one after another.Feng Guozhang left Beijing to return to the south on the 11th, and there was also a telegram to oppose joining the war.Duan asked him why his remarks after leaving Beijing were inconsistent with what he said when he was in Beijing. He replied that it had been found out that the telegram against joining the war was drafted by the newly hired secretary Wu Xianzi and could not represent his own opinions.This is a ridiculous thing.Wu Xianzi was Kang Youwei's disciple, and may have been instructed by Kang to encourage Feng to oppose joining the war, but the telegram had already been sent in Feng's name, so how could it be said that it did not represent his own opinion?

Duan Qirui's original intention was also for the national interest. The reason why he insisted on declaring war on Germany was influenced by the victory of the Allied Powers. He believed that if he did not participate in the war, he would not be able to share the fruits of victory after the war.The warlords from all over the world objected to participating in the war because they were afraid that once they participated in the war, they would inevitably abandon their territory, power, wealth, wives and beautiful concubines, and they would lead their troops to fight in Europe. The enemy was the most capable German army, so the soldiers They all sang against Duan.Li Yuanhong had an emotional dispute with Duan. All he was told by his left and right was unfavorable information for Duan, and these information were all facts, so Li opposed Duan's case of joining the war.

How did Duan's "pro-Japanese" and "participating in the war" come into being? Duan Qinri was influenced by Cao Rulin, who was known as the leader of the new transportation system. His reason for persuading Duan was: "Although the United Kingdom and the United States are strong but far away, it is difficult to save the fire at a distance. This is where Yuan Xiangcheng's diplomacy failed; Japan is close but far away. Qiang, there is no one who can succeed in China's internal affairs without Japan's support. Yuan put his distance away, ignored Japan and was pro-British. As a result, Japan opposed the imperial system, and Yuan failed." His theory was specious, but it moved Duan.

Later, Duan was even more affected by the words of the Japanese envoy. The Japanese envoy said: "There is no country in the world that is uneasy at home and can fight against the outside world. If the Chinese government wants to achieve reunification, Japan is willing to borrow money and provide salaries. First, set an example." The army (note: it was the army that joined the war later) is the direct force of the central government, and it can be used as a force to unify China.” Duan was greatly moved by hearing this, and he considered himself the successor of Yuan Shikai, and he never gave up his dream of a China from the Beiyang system. .At the same time, he also knew that the old Beiyang system had been corrupted to the extreme, and the warlords were just a tool for waving the flag and using each other. If they wanted to unify China by force, they would have neither soldiers nor wealth to use.Now that the Japanese have hit his vital point, and are willing to support him in building an army to unify China by force, isn't it right in his arms.This is the reason why Duan Qirui is pro-Japanese.

As for the issue with Germany, Japan initially disapproved of China's severance of diplomatic relations with Germany, because China was following the United States in doing so, and Japan was quite jealous, so Japan repeatedly told China that if it wanted to sever diplomatic relations with Germany, it did not need to negotiate terms first.After China broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, the United States was very satisfied, thinking that what China had done was enough, and there was no need to further declare war on Germany. When the Japanese learned what the United States meant, they in turn strongly urged China to join the war.The relative attitudes of Japan and the United States in China are just like the attitudes of Lebanon and Duan toward the German issue. If you agree, I will oppose it, and if I agree, you will also oppose it.

Li believes that the issue of relations with Germany should only end with the severance of diplomatic relations, and opposes further steps to declare war.One day, Duan invited Xu Shichang, Liang Qichao, and Wang Shizhen to the government to discuss with Li the interests of declaring war on Germany, and asked Li to declare his reasons for opposing the declaration of war. Li said: "I have no prejudice against this issue, but I think The minority should obey the majority, and now the public opinion circles are against the declaration of war, so we have to pay attention to it.” Liang Qichao, who has always claimed to be an authority on public opinion, went on to say: “Public opinion? What public opinion? I am one of the public opinion circles, but I firmly advocate the declaration of war. " Li looked at Wang Shizhen and said: "The military does not approve of it either. Hiring an old man is just one." Wang Shizhen had no room to dodge when Li arrived, so he had to say vaguely: "The German army is the best in the world. If If Germany wins, things will be difficult."

In fact, at this time, the antagonism between Li and Duan has developed to the point where fire and water are incompatible, and Li's military staff are doing their best to reverse Duan's conspiracy.Ha Hanzhang took advantage of his relationship with Feng Guozhang in the military counselor's office in the late Qing Dynasty to encourage Li to adopt the strategy of uniting Feng Guozhang.Jiang Zuobin and Zhang Zuolin exchanged secret telegrams, and tried their best to lure Zhang Yongli to reverse the relationship, and promised to give him greater power and status as a reward after the event was completed.Duan found out Jiang's secret telegram, and Zeng issued a warrant for Jiang's arrest in a rage. Because someone advised him to think carefully, this warrant was not issued.Duan Yuan looked down on Zhang Zuolin, and he had to pay attention to it from then on, so he sent people to Fengtian to carry out liaison work. On March 27, Lu Rongting, the governor of Guangdong, arrived in Beijing after Feng Guozhang. This was the first person from the Southwest to send soldiers to Beijing in person after the War to Protect the Nation.Lu came from Shanghai via Jinpu Road north, met Feng Guozhang in Nanjing on the 22nd, and met Ni Sichong when the train passed Bengbu on the 24th. Ni accompanied him to Xuzhou to meet Zhang Xun.Zhang Xun and him had worked together in Su Yuanchun camp in the early years, so they regarded him as a close friend and came to the station to greet him in person.Zhang Xun said with great emotion: "We brothers haven't seen each other for many years. We are the only old colleagues left, and both of us are old men." a few days.When arriving at the Grand Flower Hall of the Touring Mission Office, Zhang Xun performed the kneeling and prostration ceremony that the former Qing colleagues met, and Lu had to kneel down too. During the banquet, Ni talked about a large set of reasons why he opposed declaring war on Germany. , and asked Lu to express his opinion.Lu said: "Soldiers take obedience as their bounden duty, and should not express opinions on diplomatic issues." After hearing this, Ni said disappointedly: "If the commander-in-chief (Lu) speaks official words, we have nothing to say." Zhang saw the situation Embarrassed, he changed the atmosphere and said: "Today, the old brothers gather together. We don't talk about state affairs, but just talk about old feelings." When Lu Rongting arrived in Beijing, he met Li and Duan on the 28th, and met Puyi at the Qing Palace on the 29th.Therefore, the Restoration faction spread rumors that he "offered his daughter as a concubine" and "Emperor Xuantong gave him 30,000 yuan."Duan placed great expectations on Lu, and wanted to draw him over as a powerful pawn in the southwestern provinces. Like Long Jiguang before, Li also attached great importance to Lu.Members of Congress hosted a public banquet at the Guest House on April 5 because of Lu's false reputation of "rebuilding the republic".When Lu was in Beijing, the hospitality he received was far greater than that of Vice President Feng Guozhang who left Beijing not long ago. Lu Fengren said that he is not greedy for fame, profit, power and position, and does not want territory, and is willing to "disarm and return to the land".He recommended his subordinates Chen Bingkun and Tan Haoming to succeed the governors of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces; he signaled the Beijing government to replace Zhu Qinglan, the governor of Guangdong who could not cooperate with him.Both Li and Duan understood that what he needed was a higher position and a larger territory, so on April 10 they issued an order to appoint Lu as the patrol envoy to Guangdong and Guangxi, and according to his request, Chen Bingkun was appointed as the governor of Guangdong Province, and Tan Haoming was appointed as the governor of Guangdong Province. Governor of Guangxi Province.This is the second tour envoy following Zhang Xun, the Yangtze River tour envoy.But Zhang Xun could not control the provinces of the Yangtze River, but Lu Rongting could control the provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi.Since then, patrol envoy has become a big title above the warlord.After the tour envoy's order was issued, Lu quietly returned to the south without saying goodbye to anyone. On April 18, the Beijing government ordered the dismissal of Chen Jintao, the Minister of Finance, because he was suspected of accepting bribes, and the case was transferred to the court.This is the first cabinet member to be arrested by the court for committing a criminal case.Li firmly advocated that Li Jingxi, one of Yuan Shikai's "Four Friends of Songshan", be the successor of the chief financial officer. It is not without reason that Li took a fancy to Li.It turned out that Li was the nephew of Li Hongzhang, "Hefei Xiangguo", who had a historical relationship with the Huai army system, and had a deeper relationship with Zhang Xun.Li originally wanted to use Xu Shichang or Wang Shizhen, a veteran of the Beiyang faction, to replace Duan to organize the cabinet, so as not to arouse the resentment of the Beiyang faction, but neither of them dared to accept it, so he had to choose the next best thing, and wanted to put this old bureaucrat with a powerful background in the cabinet. to send him from acting prime minister to full prime minister in due course.The nomination of the Treasurer passed the House of Representatives on April 27.