Chapter 76 6. The lives of Japanese prisoners of war

In this anti-"mopping up" campaign, Kihide Abe, who was killed by the Eighth Route Army during the first phase of the battle, was a senior general who was lost on the battlefield during the Japanese invasion of China at that time, and it was also the first time that the Eighth Route Army killed a Japanese lieutenant general commander It is also the first time in the history of the Chinese people's war of resistance. One day after the anti-"mopping up" victory was over, the Wuhuiling intelligence station forwarded a letter from the Japanese army, addressed to Yang Chengwu, with three chicken feathers stuck in the mouth to show "extreme urgency".

Yang Chengwu opened it and saw that it was written by Xiao Chai, the commander of the Japanese Army Garrison stationed in Zhangjiakou.The letter reads: Yang Chengwu showed this letter to his comrades, who smiled knowingly.Yang Chengwu replied to him immediately, first refuting his so-called "national disputes have nothing to do with us, and participating in the war is just for food", pointing out that he himself is a tool of fascist aggression.We are fighting a just war, and a just war must be won.Then inform him that the Eighth Route Army has always treated prisoners preferentially, and will treat enemies who lay down their weapons with leniency.The captives lived well and had begun to realize their crimes of aggression against China and expressed their opposition to this war of aggression.For the dead who were cannon fodder and suffered disasters from the Japanese authorities, we have properly buried them and erected stone tablets to mark them.

In this battle, the Eighth Route Army captured many Japanese soldiers. With the help and education of comrades from the Eighth Route Army's enemy engineering department, these prisoners gradually realized their crimes and expressed their opposition to this war of aggression. The Eighth Route Army's policy on treating captives was stipulated in the "Three Major Disciplines and Eight Points of Attention of the Eighth Route Army" promulgated by the Central Military Commission as early as the beginning of the reorganization of the Eighth Route Army. The three major disciplines include: implement the program of resisting Japan and saving the country; obey the command of the superior; and do not take anything from the people.

The eight points of attention include: going in and out for publicity; The discipline of the Eighth Route Army clearly stated the rule of "not killing enemy (captured) soldiers".During the war, the Eighth Route Army has been implementing its own "Three Disciplines and Eight Points of Attention", so some Japanese prisoners were often captured on the battlefield, and many Japanese turned to serve the Eighth Route Army. As early as when the Eighth Route Army went to the front line of the Anti-Japanese War and directly confronted the Japanese army, in order to divide and disintegrate the enemy, the Eighth Route Army set up an enemy engineering department to deal with the issue of prisoners of war, and gradually established a policy of preferential treatment for prisoners of war.

In September 1937, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued a declaration against Japanese soldiers, distinguishing Japanese soldiers from the Japanese warlords who launched the war. "Japanese capitalists, landlords, and warlords launched a war of aggression against China, and forced Japanese workers and peasants to the Chinese battlefield in large numbers, where they died as cannon fodder. Every day on the Chinese battlefield, tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers Sacrificial. You left your hometown, your parents and wives, and you died in battle on the battlefield in China, and no one took your body back. What a tragic thing... The Chinese soldiers who fought with you on the front line also Workers and peasants. In order to protect China's land, to protect their own hometown, and to oppose the aggression of Japanese warlords, the Chinese army had to wage a sacred and just war of national liberation. But the Chinese army is by no means against Japanese workers and peasants. He only opposes Japanese warlords. Therefore, Japanese soldiers should unite with Chinese soldiers against the common enemy, Japanese warlords.” And, he publicly promised: “The Chinese army will never torture and kill a Japanese soldier. As long as the Japanese soldiers are disarmed, they will be killed immediately If he is willing to go back, he will be sent back; if he is willing to do something in the Chinese army, then he will be given something to do." ("Communist Party Central Committee Report to the Soldiers of the Japanese Navy, Army and Air Force" (September 25, 1937) ), see the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China: "Since the Sixth National Congress - Secret Documents within the Party", Volume 1, Beijing: People's Publishing House, February 1981 edition, pp. 863, 864.)

At the same time, he sent a letter to Japanese soldiers in the name of the Eighth Route Army, disclosing his identity, hoping to unite with soldiers from Japanese workers and peasants to oppose Japanese militarism. "You have probably heard the name Red Army before. Our current Eighth Route Army is the original 'Red Army', which is often referred to as the 'Communist Army' in Japanese newspapers. It is unfortunate that we met on the battlefield today. You are all from Japanese workers and peasants. You were forced by your warlords to wear military uniforms and sent to the battlefield in China, leaving your parents and wives and your hometown. We are all from Chinese workers and peasants. Going to the front line to fight today is only to resist the aggression of the Japanese warlords, defend China’s territory, defend the interests of the Chinese people, and at the same time protect the interests of Japanese workers and peasants! We will never oppose Japanese workers and peasants, and we always hope to join hands with Japanese workers and peasants.” "Japanese soldiers! Come to our side. We will never abuse you or kill you indiscriminately. If you come to our side voluntarily, you are also our own brothers and friends of the Chinese people." (Ibid., pp. 865-866.)

By July 1938, the Eighth Route Army had formulated a more complete "Order on the Treatment of Japanese Prisoners": 1. It is strictly forbidden to hurt or insult Japanese captives, and it is strictly forbidden to confiscate or damage their personal belongings.Commanders and fighters of our army will be punished if they violate it. 2. Special care and appropriate treatment should be given to wounded Japanese prisoners. 3. All Japanese prisoners who wish to return to Japan or return to the original army shall be given all possible convenience. 4. Japanese prisoners who are willing to stay in China or serve in the Chinese army should be given appropriate jobs; those who are willing to learn should be assisted to enter appropriate schools as much as possible.

5. Those who want to communicate with their relatives and friends should provide convenience. 6. The Japanese soldiers who died in battle should be buried, and stone tablets or wooden plaques should be erected in front of the graves. The implementation of these preferential policies for captives had the effect of dividing and disintegrating Japanese soldiers.Xiao Linqing recalled the preferential treatment he received after being captured on the battlefield in Shandong. Although he had escaped, “the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Route Army who came into contact with me neither beat me nor scolded me. Except for my guns, bullets, Except for the bayonet and other weapons being confiscated, all my personal daily necessities were not touched at all, and I kept them all by myself. They also treated me very warmly and cared about my health. They took the trouble to find opportunities to chat with me, Inspired and educated me...Although most of them could not speak Japanese, they patiently asked comrades who could speak Japanese to act as translators to talk to me, helping me to correctly understand that the war of aggression launched by the Japanese militaristic government was unjust and made I understand that the people of China and Japan should communicate with each other in a good-neighborly and friendly relationship, and that the people of China and Japan have no hatred and should be friends." (See Xiao Linqing: "On the Land of China—A Self-Report of a "Japanese Eight Routes", cited above, p. 203)

In the life of the revolutionary team supply system, Japanese prisoners of war enjoyed higher living conditions than ordinary comrades. "Students of Japanese workers' and peasants' schools are all treated as company grades, with a monthly allowance of 3 yuan. In terms of food supply, Chinese comrades mainly eat millet, while we mainly eat white noodles and rice. Usually, there is one dish and one soup in the morning and one soup in the afternoon. Two dishes and one soup. In addition to various vegetarian dishes, there is almost a little meat every day, and dumplings can be made once a week." (Ibid., p. 88) If students are sick, they will enjoy better care .

Xiao Linqing later not only joined the Eighth Route Army, but also applied for naturalization as a Chinese citizen, connecting the rest of his life with the fate of the Chinese people.