Chapter 154 153. Refusal to sign the Treaty of Versailles

On the day when the Beijing government approved the resignation of Cao, Zhang, and Lu, the British Minister to China, Zhu Erdian, telegraphed the news to the British Consul General in Shanghai, Fares, and asked him to advise Chinese businessmen in the Shanghai Concession to open the market. After the three people, Lu and Lu, had indeed stepped down, the merchants ended their strike and the workers ended their strike. This time the patriotic movement was victorious, but the price paid was not small, and the Anhui warlords also cruelly adopted high-pressure methods. On May 30, 8, Anqing middle and higher schools responded to the strike, and Anhui Governor Ni Sichong ordered all schools on strike to be disbanded. On June 1, Hubei Governor Wang Zhanyuan sent troops to surround the Wuchang Higher Division and ordered "shoot or kill" the parade students. Sixteen students were beaten by the military and police, and one of them, Chen Kaitai, was seriously injured and died.Hubei police chief Cui Zhenkui led Inspector Du Jie and brigade policemen to chase and beat the lecturers. Li Hongru, a student from Wuchang Zhonghua University, threw himself into the river in anger. On June 7, Wang Guilin, the head of the Nanjing Police Department, commanded the police to oppress the merchants to open the market, and clashed with the students. Chen Changsheng, a student of Jinling University, was stabbed with a bayonet and recovered from his death. On June 12, Xu Guoliang, chief of the Shanghai Police Department, whipped the students himself. On the night of that night, the Concession patrol shot and shot citizens participating in the patriotic parade at the intersection of Shandong Road and Aiduoya, causing many deaths and injuries.Shandong and Fujian also had arrests of students and shootings of representatives. The Governor of Hunan, Zhang Jingyao, prohibited Hunan newspapers from publishing news about the Lu case.

Wu Peifu roared like a lion again. He is from Shandong. The Shandong issue is the focus of the patriotic movement. Naturally, he, a Shandong native, has to express his attitude. On June 9, he had Qingdian opposed the arrest of the students, advocated the convening of a national assembly, asked the government to declare diplomacy, and strive to take back Qingdao, and then Jiadian advocated the cancellation of the Sino-Japanese secret agreement promised by Duan Qirui. After Qian Nengxun resigned, Xu Shichang wanted to succeed Zhou Shumo, but the Anfu Congress would not pass it. Xu showed his cards to Duan Qirui: "If I want to continue working, I must pass Zhou's Prime Minister."Duan promised to talk to the Anfu Congress. He called Xu Shuzheng and asked him to handle the matter. Xiao Xu said: This matter is not easy to handle. The Congress may not pass it.Sure enough, the National Assembly, which was used by Duan, did not listen to Duan's orders. They threatened: "We, as members of parliament, have no more obligation to obey than soldiers." Xiao Xu showed Duan a telegram they had prepared. This telegram was sent when Zhou Shumo was nominated as Prime Minister, and the members of the Anfu Congress were about to declare that the Anfu Congress was an illegal Congress, and the president elected by the illegal Congress, Xu Shichang, was also an illegal president.

As a result, Xu Shichang did not dare to insist on nominating Zhou Shumo. On June 13, Zhun Qian Nengxun resigned and was appointed as Gong Xinzhan and Acting Prime Minister. Although the patriotic movement won the victory due to the resignation of the three pro-Japanese factions of Cao, Zhang, and Lu, the purpose of this movement was to oppose the decision of the Paris Peace Conference on the Shandong issue, so after Cao, Zhang, and Lu stepped down, the movement did not end. The Beijing government hoped to participate in the signing of the Paris Peace Treaty, because if it did not participate in the signing, it could not join the League of Nations.

The patriotic movement started by the May Fourth Institute did not end after Cao, Zhang, and Lu resigned. Instead, they continued to ask the Beijing government to order the peace conference representatives to refuse to sign the peace treaty. On May 24, the State Council of Beijing sent a secret telegram to all provinces in Beijing to solicit opinions on whether they should sign. Dare to betray people's hearts too much.So there was no flag-waving. The second goal of the national patriotic movement was to oppose China's signing of the Paris Peace Treaty.It was the people of Shandong who initiated the petition first. On June 18, representatives from various groups in Shandong set off for Beijing to petition on the 19th. When they left, people from Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province, went to see them off. The scene was excited and tense. Said that if the goal is not achieved, he will not survive.

On the 20th, 85 representatives of seven groups from Shandong Province arrived in Beijing early, got off the car and went to the presidential palace to petition. Xu Shichang refused to meet him.In the pouring rain, the representatives knelt outside the Xinhua Gate and wailed loudly. Xu had no choice but to send the Secretary-General Wu Jisun out to spread the word, and it was scheduled to send the Acting Prime Minister Gong Xinzhan to meet the President on behalf of the President the next day.The news of the Shandong petition representatives' arrival in Beijing shocked the city of Beijing. The Japanese ambassador to China, Kohata, prepared a special banquet for them. They refused to accept it, but accepted the welcome party held by the Beijing Student Federation at the Faculty of Peking University.

On the 21st, Gong Xinzhan met with Shandong petition representatives. The representatives asked the government not to sign the peace treaty. Gong Xinzhan said that the problem was too big to accept.So the representatives unanimously requested to meet the president. Xu Shichang had no choice but to meet them at the presidential palace on the 23rd. This was a moving scene. The representatives cried out that the Japanese regarded Shandong as their territory, and treated the people of Shandong as slaves to cattle and horses.One of the representatives wept excitedly and questioned Xu in a hoarse voice: "May I ask the President, is Shandong part of our territory? May I ask the President, are the people of Shandong Chinese? Do the President still want us?" His words After speaking, tears flowed down, and other representatives also cried.Faced with this tearful petition, Xu was at a loss, so he could only hesitate to say that the government had ordered Special Envoy Lu to sign the petition.

Xu Shichang's reply to the representatives of the Shandong petition was not true. The telegram sent by the Beijing government to the Chinese representatives in Paris only ordered Lu Zhengxiang and others to "handle it at the camera" rather than "slowly sign".Its intention is to ask the Chinese representatives to accept the intention, take the responsibility of signing on their behalf, and sign directly regardless of domestic opposition. But patriotism is consistent, and the Chinese representatives are no exception. As early as May 14, Lu Zhengxiang sent a secret telegram to Xu for instructions. The telegram said:

"Xiang signed in 1915. If he is willing to sign again, he will not be here. However, before he is dismissed by an explicit order, he should be responsible for the overall international situation. The current discussion of the Chinese people is awesome, and the public opinion in the future It is especially scary. Should I sign it? If it is difficult to keep one layer when signing the contract, then do you decide not to sign it? Call immediately." Xu's camera processing was to reply to Lu's telegram. The scene of Shandong representatives crying at the court of Qin in Beijing immediately shocked the whole country. In addition to petitioning the Beijing government, they also telegraphed Shandong Beiyang faction soldiers Lu Yongxiang, Wang Zhanyuan, Wu Peifu, etc., asking them to jointly prevent the Beijing government from signing the peace treaty.During the same period, people from all walks of life in Shanghai demanded to denounce and disband the Anfu Faction in view of the Anfu Faction's "secret mischief and insisted on signing."

On June 27, more than 400 representatives of students from Beijing and Tianjin, students returning from studying in Japan and Europe, and representatives from Shandong joined forces to petition the Presidential Palace, requesting that the peace treaty be rejected.Xu Shichang still refused to meet them, and told them to go to Gong Xinzhan and Fu Yuefen to express their opinions.The representatives insisted that they must be interviewed by Xu personally, and promised not to sign a contract in person, otherwise they would not withdraw. Xu had no choice but to meet them. Xu said some rambling words to the representatives of the petition, without expressing anything clearly, which made the petitioners very dissatisfied. Qu Wu, a student from Shaanxi, burst into tears on the spot and touched his head against the wall. Xu got angry and walked away .The petition representatives did not leave until 8:40 pm on the 28th.

On the 28th, 108 representatives from the second batch of petitions from Shandong also arrived in Beijing. On the 30th, more than 70 representatives from Tianjin also arrived in Beijing. Representatives from other provinces also arrived one after another. Therefore, the wave of petitions in various provinces and the student movement formed a torrent and merged together. The city of Beijing suddenly became a city of petitions, where petition representatives from all provinces could be seen everywhere, citizens and shops warmly welcomed them, which made the Beijing government at a loss for what to do.

The Beijing government hastily sent telegrams to the provinces to prevent the representatives of the provinces from continuing to go to Beijing. At the same time, fearing that the students in Beijing would go on strike and march again, they announced that all schools in Beijing would be closed early, and summer exams would be rescheduled after the start of school on September 1. On the 29th, all walks of life in Shanghai held a People's Diplomatic Conference that refused to sign the peace treaty. The Shanghai military authorities closed the gates of the public stadium in advance, and there were military police outside the gates, so the conference could not be held.Various groups protested to the Songhu Guards, and the meeting was finally held on July 1. The nationwide petition movement has increased the people's interest in politics and patriotism at the same time. The Chinese people in the imperial era developed the habit of not being interested in politics and dare not be interested in it under autocratic rule. Foreign aggression and brave patriotism, so during the petition.Some people suggested electing people's representatives to go to Europe to carry out national diplomacy, and some advocated convening a national congress to resolve diplomatic issues and ransom money.While participating in the petition for refusal to sign the peace treaty, the students devoted themselves to boycotting Japanese goods, revitalizing domestic industries, and promoting compulsory education. When there was a movement across the country to refuse to sign the "Treaty of Versailles", the Chinese representatives attending the Paris Peace Conference were facing a historic choice in their lives. As a result of the Paris Peace Conference, the "Versailles Peace Treaty" was signed on June 28, 2008 in the Palace of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. The Palace of Mirrors is located in the apse of the main Palace of Versailles. There are 17 square mirrors set on the wall, and on the top of the hall are seven large paintings and 22 small paintings by the famous painter Li Peng. People in the hall are like being in Qionglou Yuyu. At 3:00 p.m. on June 28, representatives of the Allied Powers dressed in top hats and gathered in the Hall of Mirrors. The "Treaty of Versailles" was reached after half a year and was officially signed by representatives of 27 countries.The Chinese representative was absent and called the government to take the blame and resign. The original electric cloud: "The signing of the peace treaty, our country notified the General Assembly on the Shandong issue on May 26, and after maintaining our reservations in accordance with the declaration made by Xiang in the meeting on May 6, we distributed it to all parties and submitted it to the record through telegrams. Our country Backed down step by step, initially advocated injecting into the contract, which was not allowed; after changing the appendix, it was not allowed; changed it outside the contract, but not allowed; changed it to only a statement, not reserved words, and it was not allowed; as a last resort, it was changed to temporary The separate letter declares that the signature cannot hinder future reconsideration. Unexpectedly, it has been completely rejected by noon. This matter has a great relationship with the integrity of our country's territory and the future. Xiang and others have never dared to relax. I want to keep this question alive, and also avoid the ominous influence of the other hope conditions mentioned. Unexpectedly, the conference has become so arbitrary that it does not care about our country's decency, and I am indignant.  … With Filipino material, he was mistaken for an important task. He came to Europe for half a year, and things backfired. He was guilty of God, and he was ashamed to discuss it. From this point forward, it is hard to see the gains and losses. All of them are from Xiang and others. And the worries of the whole country. Begging to be ordered to expel the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chairman of the Committee, Zhengting, Weijun, and Chen Group, etc., to be punished together. On the other hand, he quickly ordered the officials to prepare for the German-Austrian peace treaty. Remedial matters, can't wait The worst crime!" Then Lu Zhengxiang added another telegram saying: "Our country has not signed the German treaty, and the state of the Sino-German war can be regarded as legally valid. I would like to ask the National Assembly for a proposal to declare the end of the Sino-German war. After it is passed, it will be issued in a decree. The sooner the better, please do not delay!" On June 30, the Beijing government published Lu Zhengxiang's frugal telegram, and the movement to reject the peace treaty came to an end. On July 2, the Beijing government convened an important meeting at the Presidential Palace to study Lu Zhengxiang's call. Xu Shuzheng advocated withdrawing Lu Zhengxiang and reassigning Hu Weide as the chief representative. Regarding the diplomatic issues after not signing the peace treaty, the government sent a special telegram to the Paris envoy, and the telegram said: "The situation has changed, and it has been declared that it cannot be done. The government is deeply indignant. The German treaty has not been signed. The so-called preservation of our government's right to make the final decision should be handled as it is after preservation? This matter is of great interest to the country. Important. The plenipotentiaries and other responsibilities must be carefully considered. Don’t seek remedies. It is not convenient to take the blame and fluff and resign. Here, it is proposed to be consulted by the National Assembly to declare the end of the Sino-German war. Once passed, a decree will be issued. Is it effective or not? Or is there a precedent for this in diplomacy? How will all the various relations with Germany end in the future? On July 10, Xu Shichang formally issued an order explaining that the Chinese representative had not signed the peace treaty, saying: "The Paris Conference has a great relationship with the German peace treaty. After repeated telegrams, the plenipotentiaries have been urged to proceed cautiously. According to the telegram of the plenipotentiary Lu Zhengxiang and others on June 28... and other words. After reading it, Liang deeply regrets it. The Jiao-Australia issue, based on the relationship between China, Japan and Germany, proposed a peace conference. Over the past few months, due to various relationships, my original hope could not be achieved. It is sad to see the general situation of the friendly countries and reflect on the internal situation of our country. However, the origin of this problem is not a matter of one day, nor is it the end of today's decision to sign or not to sign. Now the German peace treaty has not been signed, and the peace will be compromised. Suspension, since then the external problems have become more and more onerous, especially the goodwill of all the allies of the treaty must be ignored. Where the national interests lie, how to seek relief; when the international status is concerned, how to plan for safety, urgently need to be deliberated and properly resolved. People, you must know that the great unity of the sea is the most important thing, and the diplomatic relations between countries are of the utmost importance. You cannot leave the world and be independent. Waiting, we can plan carefully and carry it out with all our strength. The people from all over the world are united as one, helping each other in difficulties, and the hope of our country's endless future is actually tied to this. There are many people who need to be informed, and everyone will know! This is today." On September 10, 1988, the Chinese representative signed the peace treaty with Austria, and the Beijing government announced on September 15 that the state of war with Germany had ended and signed the peace treaty with Austria. The two orders are as follows: "On August 14th, 2006, the Republic of China declared a war status against Germany. The main purpose is to uphold public law, maintain humanity, prevent war disasters, and preserve peace. Since joining the war group, everything has been the same as the Allied countries. Attitude. Now that the war in Europe has come to an end, the peace treaty with Germany was signed in Paris on June 28 this year by the plenipotentiaries of all countries in the treaty. , failed to agree, so refused to sign, but the rest of the clauses, our country and the Allied countries have always unanimously recognized. The state of war between the Allied countries against Germany has come to an end, and our country is one of the Allied countries, and the status of Germany is of course the same. This is hereby If it is submitted to the National Assembly for resolution, it should be declared that the Republic of China's state of war against Germany will be terminated. Wherever we have people, let the envoys know! This order." The Guangdong military government also declared peace to Germany, Wen Yun: "Since the outbreak of the European War, the Germans have used the submarine blockade strategy to endanger neutral countries. China's warnings to Germany were ineffective, followed by the severance of diplomatic relations, and finally declared war with the United States. Immediately declare that all treaties, contracts and agreements signed by China and Germany in the past are invalid. Because the two countries are in a state of war, they will be abolished. On November 11 last year, the Allied Powers of China and Germany signed an armistice treaty, and a peace conference was held in Paris, and our country also sent a commissioner to attend the conference. However, the three clauses concerning the Shandong issue of the peace treaty , the other clauses, and the clauses on Sino-German relations, all of which our country agrees with. Today, because my special envoy proposed that the reservation of Shandong is invalid and has not signed the peace treaty, this is an act of our country to promote sovereignty and must not be done. As for the countries of the treaty, the real I am very sorry. As for Germany's intention to restore peace, it is the same as that of the countries in the treaty, and it has not changed because of the non-signature. The Republic of China hopes that all allies will consider the three items of the Shandong issue, and it is a fair and righteous proposition. , and for the permanent guarantee of peace in East Asia, who also prayed for the sweet fragrance. Hereby announce!" Lu Zhengxiang returned to China right after the conclusion of the Paris Peace Conference. After his return to China, he once wrote such a statement in his diary: When I came back from the Paris Peace Conference, the boat arrived at Wusongkou, and thousands of people stood on the shore, holding flags.The big book on the flag reads "No signature" and "Representatives who do not sign are welcome". The owner of the ship didn't know what was going on. He didn't know whether the people opposed or welcomed it. It was five o'clock in the afternoon, and I was shaving my beard.The owner of the ship told me to be more careful.I said that since they are welcome, nothing will happen.Those who rushed to Wusongkou thought that I was going to disembark at Wusong, but our ship sailed straight to Shanghai.People in Wusongkou have all rushed back to Shanghai.Several friends from Shanghai came to welcome me, but they couldn't come near because there were so many people on the shore.I went to Beijing by car that night.Please see the station master, he said that the people are surrounded outside the station, can you let them in.I said of course let them in.I went to the train station, all the way was blocked.Patrolmen and secretaries yelled along the way to let Special Envoy Lu board the car.After boarding the car, I met the people in the car.They shouted, "Representatives who don't sign are welcome." I replied, "I don't know if I'm doing right or not? The government ordered me to sign, but I didn't sign. Since you welcome them, I think I probably did nothing wrong." The people shouted: "There is no need to negotiate directly with Japan." I said: "Please rest assured on this point. Since I have not signed, I am refusing to negotiate." The people cheered.That night, there were mountains of people at every station, wishing to see the special envoy. I was tired and had already gone to bed. I asked Representative Wei to meet the people and express my thanks on my behalf.When I arrived in Beijing, staff from various embassies came to greet me, but none of them were able to shake hands, because the support of the public was abnormal.The next day, the embassies came to make up the gift again to congratulate. But after I arrived in Beijing, a team of Shandong people's representatives went to see President Xu every day. They said that because Representative Lu did not sign, the Shandong people suffered from the Japanese revenge.In front of the presidential palace, there were those who cried bitterly, and the president had nothing to say, so he told them to come to me.I replied to them: "I feel sorry for the sufferings suffered by the people of Shandong. I am really sorry for the Shandong people, and I am sorry for the government, because the government ordered me to sign. But when I returned to China, all places welcomed me. I did not sign. Offended the Shandong people, signed the signature, and the whole country suffered, please think about it yourself. You don’t have to tell people all this in detail when you go back, just say that Representative Lu suffered together with the Shandong people.” Yun Yun.