Chapter 35 Zhang Jiluan: "Old Reporter of the Republic of China"

Zhang Jiluan (1888-1941) was born in Yulin, Shaanxi, one of the founders and first editor-in-chief of Xinji "Ta Kung Pao", and the most prestigious newspaperman during the Republic of China. Wang Zhichen, who was lamented by Tang Zhenchang, an old man and historian of Ta Kung Pao, who "made a great home in Ta Kung Pao's research", firmly believes that "We Are Cutting the Rice" published on August 19, 1941, is the most important article of "Ta Kung Pao" and even the Chinese newspaper industry. One of the best editorials during the Anti-Japanese War.

Wang Zhichen, who was interviewed by reporters on his sickbed, was a little excited when he talked about the brewing scene of this editorial that he heard from his father Wang Yunsheng, and his thin body trembled slightly. In 1941, the Japanese army launched a large-scale bombing of Chongqing, the accompanying capital.The day before the editorial was published, Wang Yunsheng visited Zhang Jiluan, who was dying of illness, and talked with him about the bombing by enemy planes.Wang Yunsheng sighed and said: "Chongqing is very dull recently, why do we serve the people of our country?" Zhang Jiluan said: "Yunsheng, what's the use of sighing and sighing? We should think of a way to attack the enemy." Wang Yunsheng replied: "The enemy plane is coming. Without resistance, how can we use empty words to comfort the people of our country and attack the enemy?"

Suddenly, Zhang Jiluan, who was already extremely weak, stood up and said excitedly: "I will write an article today with the title "We Are Cutting Rice". Let me say that in the last ten days when the sky is clear and enemy planes are coming in again and again, Our farmers cut the golden rice in the thousands of miles of fields, let the enemy planes come and watch us cut the rice. Since the Anti-Japanese War to this day, cutting rice is our top priority. With food, we can fight.” The next day, "Ta Kung Pao" published the editorial "We are cutting rice" written by Wang Yunsheng.Eighteen days later, Zhang Jiluan died of illness at the age of 53.

Zhang Jiluan said in his will: "The rest of my life has been running newspapers as my only occupation. Since Xin Hai, I have always encouraged myself to fulfill my vocation as a journalist, hoping to make contributions to the nation..." The death of a journalist shocked the highest levels of the KMT and the Communist Party at that time.Chiang Kai-shek's telegram of condolence stated: "Mr. Ji Luan, a generation of scholars, sincerely patriotic, forgot to accumulate fatigue, and caused his body to be wasted." Mao Zedong, Chen Shaoyu (Wang Ming), Qin Bangxian (Bogu), Wu Yuzhang, and Lin Boqu's joint condolence telegram stated: "Mr. Ji Luan insisted on uniting in the war of resistance, and made great contributions to the country. He was shocked to hear of his death, and mourned deeply...." Zhou Enlai, Dong Biwu, and Deng Yingchao's telegram of condolences said: "Mr. The attainment is especially respected by scholars..." Chiang Kai-shek, Zhou Enlai and other dignitaries of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party went to the funeral to pay their respects.

After Zhang Jiluan’s coffin was buried in Xi’an, the position of him in the inscription may be in accordance with his will, which is very simple and does not "echo" the extreme mourning behind him. It only says: "Mr. Zhang Jiluan, Yulin, an old reporter of the Republic of China" . Wang Zhichen told the reporter that he heard that this tombstone had been smashed into pieces during the "Cultural Revolution". Gao Ji, Zhang Jiluan's nephew and a well-known reporter for Ta Kung Pao, once commented on his uncle: "He is not a politician, nor a newspaper boss, but a real journalist."

This newspaperman founded Beijing's "Minli Daily" in early 1913. The newspaper was well-informed and sharp, and attracted the attention of all parties. In June, because of disclosing the inside story of Yuan Shikai's "big loan for aftermath", which shocked the whole country, he was thrown into prison that night. This reporter, when he was the editor-in-chief of "China New News" in 1918, disclosed the news that the government had secretly borrowed from Japan with the Jiaoji Railway as collateral, which angered Duan Qirui and was arrested again. In 1925, this reporter was recommended by Hu Jingyi, a fellow villager who served as the Supervisor of Military Affairs in Henan Province, as the Longhai Road Association Office—a well-known "fat vacancy", but he left after less than a month in office, saying "don't do it." You son of a bitch, you should still be my poor reporter."

In the end, this reporter, together with Wu Dingchang and Hu Zhengzhi, bought the discontinued "Ta Kung Pao" in the name of Xinji Company, and republished it on September 1, 1926, thus opening a legend in the history of journalism in the Republic of China. In the "continuation issue" of that day, Zhang Jiluan wrote the social commentary "The Interests of Our Colleagues" under the pseudonym "Reporter", and put forward the famous "four nos" policy for running a newspaper: "The first is not to be a party...to express opinions purely as a citizen, without any prejudice or background. We support those whose actions are beneficial to the country; those who harm the country are corrected and impeached."

"Secondly, don't sell,...don't trade with speech. In other words, don't accept any financial subsidies of a political nature, and don't accept political investment. It is also true that our speech may inevitably be limited by knowledge and knowledge. Feelings, and never be swayed by money.” "The third is not selfish..... apart from being loyal to the inherent duties of the newspaper, there is no selfish purpose. In other words, there is no private use of the newspaper, and it is willing to open it to the whole country and use it as a public mouthpiece." "Fourth, don't be blind...following everyone's voice is called blind obedience; half-knowledge is called blind faith; emotional impulsiveness, not asking for details, is called blind action; fierce criticism, ignoring the facts, is called blind contention. Blind yourself."

Yu Youren once made a very accurate comment on this "old reporter of the Republic of China": a calm literati, a poor reporter, vomiting his liver and gallbladder.