Chapter 47 Section 2 Who Knows the Bright Moon Shines on the Ditch

During the several years when Hu Shi was sent to the United States as an envoy, he worked tirelessly all day long to make speeches everywhere in order to arouse the sympathy of the American people for China, and to intervene in the war with justice, so as to achieve the goal of "ending war with war".The Chongqing National Government headed by Chiang Kai-shek also declared to the international community the determination of the Chinese military and civilians to resist the war to the end with strong will and practical actions.However, determination without strength remains an illusory dream.When the Anti-Japanese War lasted until September 1939, the tung oil loan obtained by Hu Shi and Chen Guangfu was about to run out, and the national government once again fell into the double crisis of economy and war.According to Chiang Kai-shek's instructions, on September 8, Hu Shi, the ambassador to the United States, urgently asked Roosevelt to see him. On September 26, he met Morgenthau again, complaining about the seriousness of the domestic situation, and asking the United States to provide another loan to "give China a life-saving shot."Morgan's attitude was fairly positive, but under pressure from domestic politicians and Japan, Roosevelt demanded that he proceed with caution and "don't give anyone a handle."

On December 6, 1939, Hu Shi and Chen Guangfu revisited U.S. Treasury Secretary Morgenthau, explaining the deterioration of the current situation in China and their eager expectations for U.S. aid: “China’s war of resistance has lasted for more than two and a half years, the country is poor and people are scarce, and all supplies are urgently needed. Supplement... Please formulate measures as soon as possible... If Japan officially declares war, we will help you with more problems." After hearing this, Morgenthau was "quite moved, and promised to try his best to find ways."Afterwards, Chen Guangfu told the other party that today is his 59th birthday, and it is really the best birthday gift to get the promise of "doing his best" from Finance Minister Morgenthau.After hearing this, Morgenthau was deeply moved by Chen's professionalism, and firmly believed that with loyal people like Hu Shi and Chen Guangfu serving him, China would not perish, and a strategic counterattack would only happen sooner or later.With respect for Hu and Chen, Morgenthau immediately booked a plane ticket back to New York for Chen Guangfu himself, allowing Chen to go back to have a safe birthday, and promised that he would personally handle the loan matters.After learning that Chen had not yet discussed with Jones of the Federal Loan Office (he was the chairman of the American Renaissance Financial Corporation when Tung Oil took out the loan), Morgenthau offered to discuss the matter with Jones in person.Chen Guangfu was deeply moved, and later recalled the incident as "according to the decree to celebrate his birthday".

The result of discussions between Morgenthau and Jones and others is that China can get a loan from the famous Dianxi.Chen Guangfu and Hu Shi seized this opportunity and struck while the iron was hot. Hu Shi met with President Roosevelt twice in succession and tried his best to win each other to facilitate the Yunnan tin loan. On January 24, 1940, Hu and Chen met Jones again and declared that the Chongqing Nationalist Government would never make peace with Japan halfway, and that the Chinese people would rather die than die, and would never surrender.If the United States can help China, China will be able to persist until the final victory.In order to prove to the U.S. side that China really has a debt, Chen Guangfu urged Kong Xiangxi to deliver the tung oil payment as scheduled.With the joint efforts of all parties, on March 7, 1940, Jones, director of the U.S. Federal Loan Office, finally announced that he would lend another 20 million US dollars to the National Government of Chongqing. On April 20, Chen Guangfu formally signed the Yunnan Tin Loan Contract with the Export-Import Bank of the United States.In his report to Chongqing, Hu Shi pointed out that the loan interest this time is lighter than the previous one, the repayment time is longer, and the balance of tin sales can be used "freely", which can be called preferential conditions (0.5% less than the annual interest of tung oil loans) , the repayment period is 7 years, which is 2 years longer than the copper and oil loan period).Chiang Kai-shek expressed his deep gratitude to Hu, Chen and Mei for reaching a new round of loans, and called Roosevelt on March 9 to express his heartfelt thanks.Upon hearing this good news, most military and political officials of the Nationalist Government let out a sigh of relief and at the same time showed a rare smile. They strengthened their determination to resist the war to the end, and showed full respect for the efforts of Hu Shi and Chen Guangfu.

When both China and the United States were happy, only Kong Xiangxi, with complicated political goals and dark knots in his heart, expressed his dissatisfaction with the loan with jealousy, threatening that the loan conditions seemed to be too harsh, and that it would be better for Finland and other countries. Finnish loans do not require collateral, and the conditions are relatively lenient, while China not only uses tin as collateral, but the United States also asks for interest.In his formal reply as the president of the Executive Yuan, Kong criticized the US side, and blatantly blamed Hu Shi, Chen Guangfu and others for their ineffective negotiations and failure to win face for the country.Hu and Chen heard the news, while shocked and confused, they were very annoyed at the actions of Kong Xiangxi, the "second child" of Chiang Kai-shek. Unexpectedly, in the eyes of Kong Xiangxi, not only did they have no merit, but they became national sinners.In a rage, Chen Guangfu decided to return to China to explain to Chiang Kai-shek in person and confront Kong Xiangxi to set the record straight.Before leaving the United States, Chen Guangfu, who was full of grief and indignation, called Kong Xiangxi and forwarded it to Chiang Kai-shek. He said very clearly and unceremoniously: In the current United States, "in terms of interests, we are not close to each other, and in terms of friendship, it is not appropriate to share weal and woe. Why do you love alone?" For our poor and weak national government? There is no charity in the world...The future resistance war must be based on the principle of self-reliance."He also said, "I will help myself first, and others will help me. Otherwise, it will be difficult to ask for help." This remark was a strong blow to Kong Xiangxi, who was struggling with erections alone, and it was also a blow to Chiang Kai-shek himself and the senior officials of the Nationalist Government. A stern warning.

However, the world is complicated, and politics is even more complicated. Hu Shi's actions and efforts have still attracted various criticisms and criticisms from domestic politicians represented by the Kong and Song groups.Kong Xiangxi, who was originally incompatible with Hu Shi, especially Hu Shi's "thug" Fu Sinian, not only did not restrain himself, but repeatedly slandered him in front of Chiang Kai-shek, saying that Hu Shi was too bookish, "he had to get a degree everywhere because of his personal reputation", and was ineffective in his work. In the main missions of neutrality legislation, borrowing, embargo, and cooperation, there are not enough successes and more failures.As Hu Shi, who has always been lively and face-saving, it is true that he likes to receive honorary doctorates from various universities in the United States while giving lectures. In four years, he has received more than 30 honorary doctorate hats.Such a dazzling and flashy reputation is indeed too revealing, eye-catching, and provides the opposite with shells for attack.Therefore, Kong Xiangxi, Song Ziwen and others seized this point and spread it everywhere, muddying the water and obliterating all other achievements of Hu Zaimei, which eventually caused Jiang to lose his original trust in Hu. In June 1940, Chiang Kai-shek ignored Hu Shi and ordered his uncle Song Ziwen to go to the United States as his personal representative to seek loans to China.As soon as Song Ziwen got out of the car, he accused Hu Shi, who came to visit him, with an aggressive manner of the emperor's relatives: "Some people in China say that you speak too much and don't care about business. You should mind business!" Hu Shi said this After a blow, he refused to accept it, and argued with Song Ziwen on the spot.Since then, the two have had a grudge, and it is difficult to work and cooperate together.Song Wei was eager to make meritorious service and caught the "big fish". He also tore up his face and began to slander and squeeze Hu Shi either explicitly or secretly.

In October 1940, Song Ziwen sent a secret message to Chiang Kai-shek, publicly expressing his dissatisfaction with Hu Shi, saying: "If you want to get practical assistance from the United States, you must not get results from empty propaganda and speeches, and you must continue to engage in activities for various political leaders and all walks of life." He also said: "International At this critical juncture, there is an urgent need for a foreign minister to serve the United States." Song even publicly proposed to replace Hu Shi and recommended Shi Zhaoji to take over as ambassador to the United States.Chiang Kai-shek believed that Song Zhi's opinion was quite reasonable, but in view of Hu Shi's good relationship with President Roosevelt and his prestige in the eyes of the American people, he pondered over and over again and hesitated to make up his mind.In November of the same year, Hu Shi copied such a passage in his diary that day: "Chapter 19 of "Fengshen" said: I put my heart on the bright moon, but who knows that the bright moon shines on the ditch?" Unexpectedly, the resentment and pain of being slandered, slandered and stabbed in the back.

December 17 of this year is Hu Shi's birthday.Hu sorted out and reviewed his work in the past year, and was quite impressed. At the same time, he also had a more dialectical understanding of the difficulties in doing things: the evolution of the international situation is increasingly beneficial to China, which has indeed reduced the difficulty of doing things.However, the arrival of a group of "Taishang Ambassadors" made things a little more difficult, and I "had to endure this idleness."In such a predicament, Hu Shi still decided to fight against the beast, insisting on his own ideas and practices, in order to "make some face for the country" and "make people hate us less, despise us less, and make them understand us more".However, Song Ziwen, the "Taishang Ambassador", did not think so. He increasingly regarded Hu Shi's existence as a thorn in his eyes and a thorn in his flesh, and he wanted to get rid of it quickly.The Song family was in hot pursuit, and repeatedly sent secret telegrams to Chiang Kai-shek, urging Hu Shi to be removed from the post of ambassador as soon as possible, in order to "save the declining situation of diplomacy".With Chiang Kai-shek still undecided, on July 12, 1941, Song Ziwen, who couldn't hold back, sent Chiang Kai-shek a secret telegram again in vain saying that Hu Shi would not cooperate in his work, and said rather coercively: " If things go on like this, not only will Wen not be able to fulfill his duties, but he will also be embarrassing if he is responsible for the appointment. We can only beg to deal with it resolutely and publish it quickly.” At this time, Song Ziwen had no fear, and almost took over all foreign affairs, and pushed Hu Shi out of the circle. .Hu Shi, a white-faced scholar who has always been forgiving, finally couldn't bear it anymore, and angrily publicly declared Song Ziwen as the "Ambassador of the Supreme Being", which hindered and suppressed his work a lot, and the conflict between the two further deteriorated.Because Hu Shi had a belief in his heart that dragging the United States into the Pacific War would give China a chance to "turn over". While mediating with Song Ziwen and others, he still insisted on bearing the burden of humiliation, clenching his teeth and "waiting for change".When the Pearl Harbor Incident broke out, the stone that Hu Shi had been hanging in his heart for a long time fell to the ground with a bang, and he felt that the "big event" that he had been waiting for for many years had been forged, or that a new world pattern had been formed, and his own It's time for the mission to end. "Flying birds are gone, good bows are hidden; enemy countries are broken, and advisers are dead." Now that the situation in the Pacific has been reversed, the world's number one hegemon - the United States of America has joined the war, and powerful "carts, horses, and guns" have gathered in front of the battle. For the Kuomintang government, Hu Shi really became an insignificant and dispensable "pawn crossing the river".And it doesn't matter whether the pawn is desperately forward or back, or falls into the mud in the ditch.On the contrary, Song Ziwen took this opportunity to come up with a carp, miraculously boarded the chair of the foreign minister, and began to issue orders to Hu Shi justifiably, trying his best to squeeze out and suppress him.Faced with this embarrassing and resentful situation, on December 24, 1941, Hu Shi solemnly said to Song Ziwen, "When Guo Taiqi came to the United States, I once told him that I don't want to be a diplomat. I can leave at any time if you need to change the envoys in the United States. Now you are my old friend and new boss. I also declare to you that if the government wants to change the envoys in the United States, please don’t hesitate. I am always available Walk."

Hu's statement can be said to reveal his true feelings.However, Song Ziwen, who understands the rules of the official game, knows that if Hu Shi is driven away at this juncture, it will undoubtedly arouse the indignation of the domestic opponents and the strong backlash of the academic circles, and let the other side seize the unrighteous braids to counterattack. The position is extremely disadvantageous.Therefore, he adopted a method of mixing muddy mud to lift Hu Shi up and hang it aside, so that he could neither advance nor retreat. Half a year passed in a blink of an eye. Hu Shi, who had the name of an ambassador but had nothing to do, wrote a long letter to Weng Wenhao and Wang Shijie on May 17, 1942, describing his desolate situation and heartache.The letter said: "I have been here for more than four years, and I have always said for the brothers that they are 'hardship and waiting for change'. On December 7th last year, the world really changed. But the days of suffering are not yet gone. I still have to grit my teeth. It will take seven or eight months to hold on, and it will be the time when the green turns back to yellow." He also said: "A certain gentleman is here, and he seems to have no attitude of adversary. He can only flatter his will and dare not dismiss a word. I But for half a year, I have never participated in confidentiality, never saw a telegram, never heard a big plan, so I have nothing to say, so I have to hope for the two brothers.... I returned home from Congress on December 8 last year, I decided to resign. But soon there will be a return to the beginning. If I ask to go, people will think that I am "uncooperative", and I will explain it both internally and externally. Therefore, I have endured so far. I really want to find a suitable opportunity and I am determined to seek Go. I'm useless here, if I don't leave, I'll really become a 'love inn'."

Two days later, on May 19, Hu Shi recorded in his diary meaningfully: "Since Song Ziwen became a minister (since December last year), he has never shown me a telegram from China. He once ordered Ben The telegrams sent to and from the library, inside and outside the library, and the government, are copied to him every day. But he never sends me a copy of the telegram. Sometimes Mr. Jiang calls me and him, and he doesn’t either. Show it to me, and then reply alone (his subordinate Shi Zhizhi told others)." He also said: "Yesterday, I sent a long telegram to the snow boat, and specially copied it for Ziwen to read, and wrote a letter to tell him. He wanted to ask him how to reply, he replied to my text message today and said, 'I replied much in the same vein' (I have already replied with the same meaning)! He didn't even show me his telegram!" At this time, Hu Shi, as the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary appointed by the national government, was squeezed to such a pitiful state by Song Ziwen and his like. The dignity and face of a generation of academic masters were completely lost. Make the bystanders sigh.

Back in the day, when Hu Shi was appointed as the ambassador to the United States, he repeatedly claimed that he took up the post as a last resort, in "the most critical period of the country", "to find some wartime work for the country".In a letter to his wife Jiang Dongxiu, Hu Shi wrote, "I have been here for 50 days, and I have not received a single salary. There are more than ten people in the library, and I still need to borrow money to use it. I am always busy every day. I always go to bed very late at night....I am not afraid of suffering, but I only hope to benefit the country a little bit. My hair is gray on both sides, and now it is also gray in the middle." In another letter, he said, "Now that the country is here I have no way to escape. So I have to be an ambassador for a year and a half. I declare that until the war is over. Once the war is over, I will continue to teach my books. "In Hu Shi's view, sitting on the chair of the ambassador to the United States is not an opportunity for glory and fortune, but in the eyes of other bureaucrats and politicians, it is just the opposite.Therefore, before the war ended, he was pushed out of the circle by the Kong Song family.Faced with this sad ending, Hu Shi, who was constrained by etiquette, morality and sympathy, finally figured it out after learning from the pain.Since the avenues are not enough and the trails are full, I no longer take much care of them. I simply let go of the scholarly spirit of "I don't want to go out, what can I do with the common people", and immediately resigned from the post of ambassador, and returned to the scholarly society according to the ancient saying of Confucius "floating in the sea". , Carrying out old business.

On September 8, 1942, the State Council of the Executive Yuan of the Kuomintang government decided to remove Hu Shi from the post of ambassador to the United States and transfer Wei Daoming, the ambassador to France, to serve as him.After Hu Shi received the telegram dismissing his ambassadorship to the United States, it was nearly 11 o'clock in the night. He leaned on the sofa and let out a long breath. Later, he called back the Nationalist Government: "The central government is dying of illness. Thank you very much for your dismissal.” On September 18, after Hu Shi handed over his errands, he carried his luggage and sadly left Twin Oaks, his official residence in Washington, ending his four-year ambassadorial career as a "pawn who crossed the river and came to the ocean".In his diary that day, Hu Shi wrote: Leaving Twin Oaks at eleven this morning, leaving Washington. All my colleagues are standing by to see me off.Liu Kai hid in my room, and I suddenly realized that he didn't want people to see him cry.He sent me until Baltimore (Baltimore), and then went back.I also cried farewell to him. Hu Shi bid farewell to his colleagues with tears in his eyes, and came to 104 East 81st Street in New York alone, and began to live in an apartment intermittently teaching at the university and squatting in his rented house to study knowledge. This residence was another 4 years. Long. Now that he has stepped down as the ambassador to the United States, it marks the end of the "wartime recruitment" and it is time to be demobilized and return to his hometown. But why is Hu Shi still living in New York and refusing to return to China?The reasons for this are rather complicated. Apart from the fact that his two sons, Hu Zuwang and Hu Sidu, were studying in the United States and needed a sum of money, the central government of the Nationalist government did not want him to return to China immediately.Intrinsic reason, Guo Taiqi, who once served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (South Press: After the outbreak of the Pearl Harbor Incident, the one who was criticized by "Ta Kung Pao" for purchasing a private mansion with huge public funds), entrusted someone to bring it to Hu Shi on October 6, 1942. It was disclosed in a confidential letter of the Communist Party of China, which said: "Brother has held the festival for four years, and he has a good reputation all over the world. He has made great achievements in the country. Once he resigns, both China and foreign countries are deeply sorry." Universities have invited my brother to give lectures in the United States. If I despise my brother, if he can reluctantly invite him, it seems to be better than "just return". Because under the current situation, if my brother returns to China, it may be difficult for both public and private. , I'm afraid it won't be of any benefit." The words in the letter contained a lot of hidden language, but Hu Shi understood it.At this time, the center of the national government, or even Chiang Kai-shek himself did not want the outside world to have a bad impression and criticism of him as "a cunning rabbit, a running dog". Between some cracks and holes, it plays the role of repairing by knocking.As far as Hu Shi himself was concerned, he had just been relieved of the duty of a "pawn" who was fighting fortified bases and fighting at the forefront, and he also needed a buffer opportunity to take a breather and change his role, so as not to lose face in front of the Chinese people because he was dismissed from office.In this way, after nearly four years of staying in the United States under the rug, Hu Shi finally took the new title of president of Peking University and left New York at 1:50 pm on June 5, 1946. In residence No. 104, I took a friend's car to the pier, and walked vigorously onto the deck of the passenger ship.At 3:30 in the afternoon, the cruise ship pulled anchor and set off. Hu Shi, who was standing on the deck, looked at the fading New York with mixed feelings. In his diary that day, he recorded affectionately: This time I stayed in the United States for eight years and eight months (Sept. 26, 1937 to June. 5, 1946). Farewell, America!Farewell, New York! Interestingly, when Hu Shi crossed the vast Pacific Ocean and approached his homeland on July 4th, he was greeted by a violent storm first, and then a bloody setting sun.At this time, Hu Shi didn't realize that this sudden change of looking for scenery is not only a symbol, but also an ominous sign of "the Lord is very fierce" as shown in the hexagrams of "Yi".It heralds that the descendants of Confucius, Duke of Zhou, Duke of Civil and Military Affairs of the ancient Chinese nation, will once again launch a fiercer war and dramatic battle after eight years of bloody and fierce fighting against foreign abuse, followed by the future It is the defeat of the Kuomintang and the discoloration of the mountains and rivers in Chixian China. ——At this time, the negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party have broken down, and the smoke of gunfire in the north has danced with the yellow sand in the sky.More than a month later, that is, on August 10, the US special envoys Marshall and Leighton Stuart will officially announce that the "mediation" has failed. Brothers of the same race have used knives on rats in their courtyards—they will rise up in their nests.The turbulent trend of the historical process has divided this group of yellow-skinned and black-haired races into two camps: "red" and "white". People of all colors in this camp no longer have any room for maneuver and half a piece of freedom. home.Either the fighters of the revolution, or the culprits of the counter-revolution, all living beings have no choice but to throw away hoes, sickles and begging ladles, wear straw sandals and shorts, go into battle shirtless, and dance with sticks The fighting and biting of the spirit and the flesh unfolds. Hu Dan, who stepped off the bow deck at the Huangpu River pier, certainly didn't care whether the sun was rising, the east was raining in the west, whether it was a sign of good luck or "lord and bad luck".Just like his mission to the United States back then, his return to the motherland this time is for the "rejuvenation of Peking University" and the "major event" of the national academic circle. The past is over, and it is unbearable to look back. Dreams and glory, loneliness and humiliation are all past.One of the primary tasks and major goals before Hu Shi was to build Peking University into a first-class cultural center for education, research, and dissemination of scientific and democratic ideas in China and even in the world.