Chapter 21 20. The mayor left, and Rabe, a foreigner, became the "Mayor of Nanjing"

This matter was confirmed by Han Xianglin. On December 1st, the city of Nanjing, where the mountains and rain were about to come, was like a small boat swaying in the wind and waves. All the people on this "boat" in Nanjing were not thinking about their own calculations— —Including Mr. Chiang Kai-shek and his wife, Ms. Song Meiling.Only Rabe and other twenty or so foreigners from the International Committee who decided to stay in Nanjing were relatively calm. While the entire city of Nanjing was in a state of busy moving and fleeing, Rabe and other members of the international committee were preparing supplies everywhere for use in the "safe zone".

At 9:30, Rabe took his assistants Kroeger and Sperling to Pingcang Lane to attend the meeting of the International Committee.At this meeting, on the recommendation of Rabe, the Commission identified the following appropriate bodies and their heads, namely: President: Rabe Secretary (actually Secretary General): Dr. Smythe Director General: Fitch Deputy Director-General: Hang Liwu Treasurer: Kroeger Director of the Chinese Secretariat: Tang Zhongmo There are five division committees: Inspector General: Sperling Director of the Grain Committee: Han Xianglin Deputy Director: Thorne Housing Committee Director: Wang Ting

Deputy Director: Riggs Health Committee Director: Shen Yushu Deputy Director: Dr. Trimer Transport Committee Director: Hirschberg Deputy Director: Hartz "Mr. Rabe, can I do it? I have never been an official!" Han Xianglin was very surprised and excited about being appointed as the "Director of the Food Committee" and asked Rabe like this. "You can do it. I believe you will be able to complete the food raising work you are responsible for, and I think you are the most suitable candidate for all of us." Rabe patted Han on the shoulder and said, "In fact, you have already Performing duties—didn't you get several truckloads of food?"

"Ah?! I...then I will do well!" Hearing this, Han Xianglin thought to herself: So this is what being an official is like!So he secretly made up his mind: to get more food for Mr. Rabe. "Of course, what are the refugees most worried about? There are two things: food and housing! You have a great responsibility, so I will entrust this task to the most trusted person like you." Rabe said. "Then—that's how I, the director of the food committee, count?" Han was still a little unbelievable when he was so excited. "Of course! I personally appointed your position, so why doesn't it count? I am the chairman, and all appointments of the International Committee must be signed by me." Rabe said with wide-eyed eyes.

"Good!" Han Xianglin was excited like never before, and hummed a little tune to tell her family and those Chinese friends. Mayor Ma of Nanjing also attended Rabe's meeting today, and brought good news to Rabe: the government gave 30,000 bags of rice and 10,000 bags of flour to the future safe zone. "This is an exciting and great event!" Rabe and the committee members all came to shake hands with Mayor Ma and expressed their gratitude. "If I want to say thanks, I would like to express my gratitude to you on behalf of all the citizens of Nanjing! It is your selfless help and sacrifice that pointed out a way out for hundreds of thousands of citizens..." Mayor Ma bowed his hands in thanks.

Rabe had a busy day.After returning from a meeting in Pingcang Lane, he arranged for Han Xianglin to deliver 12 barrels of gasoline to the Gulou Hospital, and then brought back a water tank by the way and put it in his yard. Now the third air-raid shelter in Rabe's yard has also been built, with a solid iron plate on the top and a brick entrance, which is relatively strong. In the afternoon, Rabe rushed to Tang Shengzhi's headquarters, where he received the first 20,000 yuan of the 100,000 yuan that Chiang Kai-shek's headquarters promised to donate to the International Committee.

"When will the rest be given?" Rabe shrewdly asked Dr. Hang Liwu, the Chinese representative.Hang shrugged and said, "Maybe soon, maybe never!" "Is that so?" Rabe was stunned for a long time, thinking: this little money may be enough for the refugees to feed for a day.Well, it's better to get it than not to get it at all! No. 5 Ninghai Road is now used by Rabe's International Committee headquarters, so Fitch, Kroeger, Smythe and other members of the International Committee came here together, hoping to observe their "chairman"'s new office .

"Mr. Rabe, you should change your name to 'Mr. John Rabe Rockefeller' now!" Dr. Smythe said to Rabe after seeing the beautiful and luxurious residence. "Haha... I'm the richest man in the world! Rabe Rockefeller!" Rabe smiled all over his face.Rockefeller was an American oil magnate and the richest man in the world at the beginning of the 20th century.The reason why Smythe called Rabe a Rockefeller was because the residence that Rabe now "owns" is indeed too beautiful and luxurious: this two-story Chinese-style building, in terms of the city of Nanjing at that time, was definitely considered a "big brother" , especially the large garden in front of the main entrance and the large lawn stretching out, used as a place to rescue refugees, it is really a good place to dream of!In short, the environment is good, the place is big, the whole building is eye-catching, and there are solid air defense facilities inside, which is very suitable for Rabe as an "office" place!

At 6 o'clock that evening, Rabe and the others held another international committee meeting at the location of the British Council. Unlike the previous few times, they invited many news media this time.At the meeting, Rabe, on behalf of the International Committee, officially announced their plan to establish a "safe zone" (translated in Chinese as "refugee zone") in Nanjing and the positions of relevant personnel. Chinese and foreign journalists paid close attention to Rabe and his international committee, and the various inquiries that night also made Rabe a little overwhelmed:

"What is the attitude of the Japanese side towards the establishment of your safe zone?" "There is no statement from the Japanese side yet," Rabe replied. "This means that the Japanese side may disagree with your approach. If so, will the safe zone you set up provide convenience for the Japanese army to massacre the Chinese people?" "We cannot predict the progress of the war, but the establishment of the safe zone is in line with international humanitarianism. Any country's army that violates humanitarianism will be condemned by the whole world!" Rabe replied.

"The behavior of the Japanese has proved countless times that their army will not pay attention to this kind of condemnation. It is their dream to occupy Nanjing, the capital of China. When they enter Nanjing as victors and enter your safe zone to commit crimes, you have How can it stand against their guns and bullets?" "We have no guns or bullets, but we have a righteous heart and believe that there is one thing in the world that is sharper than guns and bullets. This is our conscience and justice." Rabe replied calmly and firmly . "I heard that you also wrote to your German head of state to ask for support for your plan. Has the head of state responded?" "Not yet. But I'm sure he won't leave me alone!" Rabe said. "Is that so?" "I think so." The audience roared with laughter. Rabe blushed suddenly, stood up and said: "I promise in the name of a member of the German National Socialist Workers Party: Our head of state will understand and support such behavior!" There was another burst of laughter. It was later proved that Rabe’s judgment was completely wrong, because Hitler’s behavior of saying one thing and doing another not only deceived the Germans, but also deceived the Soviets and other peoples. Hitler soon stood on the sidelines with Japanese and Italian fascists Together, and became the main heart of the three Axis powers.Rabe, who was proud of the "Nazi" party all his life, also thoroughly regretted the glory he once had in his later years.This is all for later. At this moment, Rabe is still full of hope: if Japan ignores his international committee, then he hopes that his head of state can at least come forward and say a word to the Japanese. After the press conference, the committee moved to the Capital Hotel for a meeting. The focus of the meeting was still on how to proceed without the Japanese answering.The debate is not unified and Chairman Rabe has to make up his mind. "I believe that our original motion is correct. One of the reasons why Dr. Smythe recommended me to be the chairman is that there is a Hitler behind me-our head of state. I still believe: he will not abandon me. Never mind!" Rabe wrote this in his diary that day.It can be seen that he had deep trust in Hitler at that time. "Thank God, we are saved!" Rosen told him that his telegram to the head of state had been delivered through Mr. Rahman, the head of the Chinese branch of the German National Socialist Workers Party.Rabe almost cheered when he got the news. The meeting lasted until around 8:00 p.m. Ma Chaojun, the mayor of Nanjing, brought a group of people to the Capital Hotel and had dinner with Rabe and the others. "Dear Chairman Rabe, gentlemen: I am here today to bid farewell... As you all know, the Japanese will soon enter Nanjing City, and our people will evacuate. Once they evacuate, the entire Nanjing City will be gone. Leaders, you have become the only support for hundreds of thousands of Nanjing citizens. Please, Mr. Rabe, please!" Shaking hands, he held Rabe's hand for a long time, and finally said: "Mr. Rabe, I, the mayor, have actually been unable to issue orders a few days ago. Now, from now on, I will hand over the power of the mayor to you." Here you are—Dear Mr. Rabe!" "Don't dare! You are the mayor!" Rabe was flattered. Back at the residence, Han Xianglin, who was still excited about taking up the important job, came over to Rabe and said, "I'm not wrong! You are our mayor now!" But Rabe said with a serious face: "I am just the chairman of the committee, how can I be the mayor? No. It is absolutely impossible to be the mayor, let alone the mayor of Nanjing, China!" Whether the Japanese side agrees to establish a safe zone has been entangled with Rabe.The next day, December 2, French priest Jacques finally delivered a telegram from the Japanese authorities from Shanghai: The telegram was kept in Rabe's hands for a long time. He read it over and over again, and sat silently at his desk without saying a word. Han Xianglin asked anxiously: "Sir, do you agree or disagree with our safe zone?" "Isn't that very clear—don't agree!" said another servant. "But the last sentence says that as long as we don't conflict with their military measures, they will still try to respect our safe zone!" "Well, diplomatic rhetoric is complicated, and what can be said clearly has to go around." Sperling came over and said: "I just heard the comment on the British radio on the radio that the Japanese side flatly rejected our plan." "Britain thinks so?" Rabe asked. Spelling nodded. Rabe stood up from his chair and paced back and forth: "I don't think Japan is flatly rejecting our plan, because from a diplomatic point of view, its reply still leaves a way for us, that is to say, the Japanese give us The plan put forward a prerequisite - as long as we do not conflict with their military operations, they can allow our safe zone to exist. Therefore, it is beneficial to us to carefully analyze this answer from the Japanese side." "Sir, do you think so?" Han Xianglin and the others showed excitement on their faces. Rabe nodded frequently and said, "Anyway, I think so, at least we have room to talk with Japan!" "That's good! That's good!" The atmosphere suddenly became lively. "Mr. Sperling, we must immediately ask the US embassy to try to convey our response and goodwill to the Japanese side," Rabe said to his aides. "what do you mean……" "In my name, immediately send a telegram to the U.S. embassy, ​​declaring that we have obtained the opinion of the Japanese side." Rabe sat down at the desk again, picked up a pen, and began to draft the telegram: That night, Rabe made a formal statement to the outside world about the Japanese side and the content of his telegram through a press conference, in order to once again plead with the Japanese side to give "friendly consideration" to their international committee's proposal to establish a safe zone. ", because "because of the need to take prior measures to rescue thousands of civilians who can find refuge only in safe areas, it is urgent for the Commission to start working immediately. An immediate response to this recommendation is urgently desired on humanitarian grounds". — Rabe was quoted in the press release. What is Rili Wanji?Rabe, the "mayor" who is not the mayor, felt deeply from the moment he shook hands with Mayor Ma. At the press conference on December 2, Rosen revealed to him one thing: the German ambassador to China Tautman and his wife suddenly returned to Nanjing. "Are you here to support me?" Rabe was surprised. "No. It is to help the Chinese authorities deal with Japan..." Rosen said. "In any case, I will invite my husband to Fuchang Hotel tonight. Dr. Hang Liwu is leaving!" Han Xianglin hurriedly came to report to Rabe. "How can Hang leave! He is our deputy director general! He is a big man, what should we do if he leaves?" Rabe was in a hurry. "I heard that President Jiang personally named him to complete a special mission before he decided to leave." The insider reported to Rabe.It turned out that Hang Liwu was transferred to secretly escort the treasures of the Forbidden City. More than 14,000 boxes of treasures!They are all things left by our ancestors, such a task cannot be done without someone!After meeting with Hang, Hang Liwu quietly told Rabe about the secret mission he had undertaken. "What a pity! What a pity! Once you leave, we will lose a lot. I can't find a more suitable person to take over your job." Rabe was a little frustrated. "In the face of national crisis, there is nothing we can do!" Hang sighed. "The condition put forward by the Japanese side is that our safe zone will not conflict with their military measures. This obviously tells us that China cannot have any military operations and military personnel in the safe zone. Commander Tang, can our safe zone It cannot be openly used as a refuge for Nanjing citizens. There is only one condition: your army cannot conduct any military operations or soldiers in the area. I hope you will issue an order to your troops for the sake of the fate of hundreds of thousands of Nanjing citizens in the future. A special order." At the press conference, Rabe grabbed Commander-in-Chief Tang Shengzhi, and begged or begged in a sincere and firm tone. Tang kept a straight face and did not answer for a long time.Finally, he spit out a sentence from his mouth: "Mr. Rabe, I respect your suggestion. Tomorrow I will issue an order to the troops to stop any military operations in your safe zone, including immediately stopping the construction of fortifications." "Thank you, General Tang!" Rabe was very grateful.That's all he wanted. But Rabe soon discovered that Tang Shengzhi's orders could no longer be carried out to the troops below, or he might not have really acted as he told Rabe at night.The next day, when Rabe and other members of the international committee met, everyone reported that officers and soldiers of the city defense forces were still digging fortifications in the area, and some places were even re-erecting military radio stations. "I must solemnly protest to you: if this continues, I, the chairman of the international committee, will have to resign!" Rabe was so angry that he called the Chinese authorities directly. After getting the "guarantee", Rabe breathed a sigh of relief.But Rabe believed that at this moment, even if Chiang Kai-shek stepped forward, not all the people in Nanjing would listen to him, and the same was true for the army.Understanding from this level of reality, Rabe calmed down a bit of anger—Han Xianglin always explained similar problems to him from the perspective of the Chinese, which gave Rabe a new perspective on how to deal with things.For this, he has always been very grateful to Han. No matter what, the work in the safety zone cannot be stopped or delayed. Every day that is stopped and delayed, the disaster will be bigger and more terrible.Rabe decided: It is necessary to let the people of the city understand and know what is going on in their safe zone as soon as possible.So there was an announcement they gave to the press and the city police that night, entitled "Temporary Measures for Settling Residents in Safe Zones and Distributing Food".The content is: 1. The safety zone is not yet ready for large-scale resettlement of residents.The current war situation has not yet reached the point where this must be done. 2. In order to minimize the number of people fleeing into the safety zone at the critical moment (that is, the last moment), the committee suggests that families can arrange their own accommodation now through private consultation with relatives and friends.The committee reserves the right to house refugees in these houses if necessary. 3. A special committee in charge of refugee resettlement is currently busy in the district to find out about all the houses that can be considered for refugee resettlement.For those refugees who cannot find housing in the district through personal relationship, the committee will resolve it through negotiation.This method will not be implemented unless it is absolutely necessary (that is, the situation of the war is urgent).Once this moment arrives, an official announcement will be issued to formally announce the activation of the safe zone. 4. Private negotiations only apply to private houses, not public buildings or schools. 5. The available space in the safety zone is limited, so furniture or similar properties are not allowed to be brought into the zone.Only bedding, clothing and food are allowed. ... This is the first public announcement issued by the International Committee. It also specified when to open the safe zone, pointing out that it must wait until "all Chinese military personnel and all their military facilities have left the zone."Rabe gave this sentence serious consideration. First, it could urge General Tang Shengzhi to issue the strictest orders as soon as possible. Second, it was also for the Japanese to read. "The Germans are too shrewd!" It is said that Tang Shengzhi said this after reading the news in the newspaper the next day.Later, he issued a death order: all the guarding troops withdrew from the safe area, and they were no longer allowed to place military facilities there, let alone carry out military operations in these places. December 5th is Sunday.The bells of St. Paul's Church were still ringing low and crisp.This day is the first Sunday of the month, and missionary Foster is still preparing for the ordinance—— ... A piece of "I Bless You Today" was floating in the sky above Nanjing City, with a gentle and somewhat melancholy tone. Church attendance was less than usual, but slightly more than Foster had imagined, and women made up the majority.Leaving the church, Foster was going to go to the pastor Magee's house by car, but as soon as he got on the road, three bombs whizzed past his head, and then the anti-aircraft guns on the ground not far away fired in unison, and Foster hurried out of the church with him. The women quickly hid in the air-raid shelters on the side of the street.At Pastor Magee's house, Foster, Magee and others had a heated discussion on how to suggest that the Chinese should stop defending the city. "Since there is no certainty that we can resist the Japanese army from entering the city, it is also wise to open the door to let the robbers in. Why bother to let the angry robbers kill innocent people." Pastor Magee also advocated this. "I'm afraid that Mr. Chiang Kai-shek will not accept such a proposal. He has been scolded by the Communist Party for several years for not resisting the Japanese, so now Mr. Jiang is going to risk his life and work hard to show some appearance. This time in Shanghai, he will put all his The elite troops are all-in..." Foster said. "What can happen in the end?" Maggie said, "China's national power and strength are not comparable to Japan. Chiang Kai-shek bet on the great Shanghai and lost; what else does he want to do in the capital Nanjing? I still say the same thing: Since you are powerless to resist, just open the city gate..." Foster laughed: "How can we ordinary priests influence President Jiang? Come on, let's pray for the citizens of Nanjing before God!" In front of the statue of Jesus, Maggie and Foster silently placed their hope for peace in their hearts. "Boom——" The situation on Rabe's side was different. He was living in reality—the Japanese bombs had approached his office time and time again.Sometimes the explosion was too loud, so he asked his servant to move the table away from the window.The radio was placed on the table, which almost became his only closest "partner". All the most important news came from the news released by Shanghai Radio Station on the radio. The Shanghai radio station said that the vanguard of the Japanese army had arrived only 13 kilometers away from Nanjing City. "If this information is true, then the Japanese will enter the city within two or three days, not the two weeks that General Tang Shengzhi said." Rabe analyzed with Han Xianglin. "Is it so fast?" Han didn't understand military affairs, and when he heard Rabe say this, he asked anxiously, "Our safety zone is not yet fully prepared, and the citizens don't know exactly how our safety zone is going to be, should we hurry up? Put up some announcements or something?" "I think so too. There are people in our committee who are still doing the work of your Chinese leaders. I hope they will simply open the city gate when the Japanese army comes..." Rabe said. When Han heard this, he was stunned for a while, and asked, "Isn't this surrender?" Rabe glanced at Han and said, "Leaving defenses alone is also a military measure, and it doesn't mean surrender." Han still thought: "I think it is similar to surrender. If you don't fight, you will open the city gate. This is tantamount to surrender! I am afraid that the Chinese army and the people of Nanjing are not willing to accept it. It is too embarrassing!" Rabe shook his head and murmured: "The Chinese are all about saving face. Wanting to save face will only kill more people!" "Mr. Rabe, as far as we know, there are still many military activities in your safe zone, which is very dangerous." Dr. Rosen, a left-behind staff member of the German embassy, ​​hurried over and said to Rabe . "Didn't General Tang clearly promise that he would order the complete withdrawal of the army from our place and the cessation of all military activities in it!" Rabe didn't believe there was such a thing. Rosen said: "General Tang's order is true, but the soldiers below are becoming more and more afraid that the Japanese will enter the city to kill them, so they are sneaking into your safe zone in various ways..." Rabe rubbed his hands anxiously: "This is too dangerous! This kind of thing must be stopped!" He ordered Han Xianglin and other preparatory and organizing personnel to arrange vigilance at all streets in the safety zone in the next few days to strictly prevent soldiers and soldiers in plain clothes from entering . On the morning of December 6, the air raid sirens kept ringing.The news from Wuhu confirmed that the "Takwo" ship of Jardine Matheson and the "Datong" ship of Swire Matheson, which were moored in the dock, were hit by Japanese fighter planes, killing and injuring hundreds of Chinese.The captain of a British warship anchored nearby was also wounded in the air strike. The situation in Nanjing City is even more tense.The Japanese bomb fell on the Pukou Railway Station, killing more than 20 people at once. Rabe came to Colonel Huang of the Chinese garrison army and discussed with him about not allowing soldiers to enter the safe zone. Colonel Huang objected to Rabe's establishment of the safety zone itself: "The establishment of the safety zone itself will psychologically break down the morale of our defending troops." "This is very obvious." Colonel Huang explained, "You think, in the past we lost this war because of our own faults, and now it's time for us to hold on to the capital Nanjing. At this time, we must do our best Go forward, mobilize all available forces to meet the decisive battle with the enemy, and prevent the Japanese from occupying an inch of our land. But now you have created a safe zone, and the people have moved in one after another, and even some of our soldiers are hiding in it. In this way , Who will support us when we are fighting the Japanese? Isn’t this shaking the morale of the army? I don’t agree with your establishment of any safe zone! Firmly disagree!” Colonel Huang looked very angry, turned around, and didn't want to pay attention to Rabe. "Mr. Colonel, it's like this." Rabe felt that what Colonel Huang said was absurd, and he must understand the purpose and significance of establishing a safe zone, otherwise there would be a big misunderstanding. "It's like this. Those who want to enter our safe zone are those who stayed in Nanjing City. The reason why they stayed was because they had no money to escape with their families and a little property. They were the poorest of the poor, Is it up to poor people like them to make up for the mistakes your military made in the past with their lives?" "When did I say let the poor be responsible for the mistakes we made and make up for something?" Colonel Huang looked at Rabe angrily. "I'm sorry, I didn't express it exactly." Rabe quickly apologized, and then said, "Dear Colonel Huang, what I want to ask is, why don't you order those wealthy citizens in Nanjing, those rich people with more than 800,000 yuan who escaped Citizens stay? Why should it always be the poorest sections of society who give their lives?" After a moment of silence, Colonel Huang said: "Even if the so-called safe zone is established as you said, it should be at the last moment, because we fought with the Japanese, and even after they entered the city, our troops still have to fight." Fight them in the streets to the end! It may be more useful to build a safe zone at that time." Rabe objected: "I don't think Colonel Huang's idea is realistic." He went on to say: "If you don't make advance preparations, once the Japanese army enters Nanjing City faster than you expect, street fighting may not start at all. The army has withdrawn from Nanjing City, even if someone wants to build a safe zone at that time, it may be too late!" "No! I insist that until the last moment, the establishment of a safe zone is an act to shake the morale of the army. This is related to China's image and the combat effectiveness of the Chinese army. I will not agree!" Colonel Huang seemed to have no room for maneuver. Rabe's conversation with Colonel Huang was a little frustrating.After he came back, he hunched over his desk in pain and remained silent for several minutes.what to do?Some Chinese soldiers are like smelly and hard cesspit stones. Unrealistic Chinese soldiers, let their dignity and honor go to hell! Rabe thought of the Japanese.Yes, only by asking the Japanese, they are the key.If the Japanese agree to build a safe zone, Rabe's international committee can safely and boldly carry out the work in an all-round way.Yes, hasn't the Japanese side already made a statement?We should strike while the iron is hot, and then make demands on them.Thinking of this, Rabe immediately drafted another telegram to the Japanese authorities: After completing the telegram to the Japanese side, Rabe thought for a while: I felt that it was not enough to just give it to one aspect. After all, to make the safe zone operate normally, Nanjing is still under the control of Tang Shengzhi, how can we do without him?Besides, Tang himself already expressed his support for our safe zone two days ago!The problem is with his subordinates and some military men like Colonel Wong.We should continue to win the support of Tang Shengzhi.Thinking of this, Rabe picked up his pen again and drafted a telegram to Commander-in-Chief Tang Shengzhi: When Rabe sent two telegrams, he felt that it seemed a little whimsical: Can the Japanese army who had already reached Tangshan, a suburb of Nanjing, take into account the suggestion of him, a member of the German "Nazi"?General Tang Shengzhi is probably busy preparing for his own escape, and he still has the mind to think about him, a "hamburger businessman"? Resign yourself to fate!Rabe consoled himself.But on the morning of the 7th, when I woke up and saw a large number of Chinese planes passing overhead, it once again proved the whole meaning of Rabe and his stay-Mr. President Chiang Kai-shek bid farewell to his capital. Colonel Huang, who fought to the last moment, is said to have left Nanking with the Supreme Commander. Now there are basically only three types of people left in Nanjing: poor people without money, foreign missionaries, businessmen, professors and doctors who are unarmed but have faith, and Chinese soldiers who don’t know how to fight and are ready to evacuate at any time. The defenders of the city were doing two things: sealing most of the city gates and sealing them firmly; burning down all the residential houses outside the city gates, so as not to bring convenience to the Japanese attack.As a result, there was a sea of ​​fire and smoke outside the entire city of Nanjing, so that the residents and farmers whose houses had been burned poured into the city in large numbers, living in camps, and some directly entered Rabe's "safe zone". "These people are not the poorest, they are just the vanguard. They still have some money, and they can spend money to borrow money from relatives who live in the safe zone. People who really have nothing have not come in yet." Both Rabe and Han Xianglin think so, they I learned this from talking to the refugees who were the first to enter the safe zone. "Food is a big problem." Rabe asked Han Xianglin, director of the Food Committee, to consider this matter first. "At the same time, it must be open to school students." Rabe believes that college students, primary and secondary school students are the first objects to be protected. "These students have problems eating, and they can provide group meals." Rabe instructed. "What food do we provide for the students?" Han was a little at a loss when he saw the children entering the safety zone in groups. "Porridge, of course it's porridge! Who can afford rice?" Rabe's eyes widened.He wondered how a smart person like Han couldn't think of such a simple question. "It would be good if we let everyone drink a bowl of gruel. Who would dare to eat rice in the safe zone? God dare not nod." "Yes. I think it's porridge!" Han breathed a sigh of relief. He is the director of the food committee in the safety zone. He may have to solve the problem of feeding hundreds of thousands of people in the future. He never thought of it in his life I will take such a big responsibility. "It's not easy to be an official!" For the first time, Lao Han had a different feeling of being an official. The point is that at this time, it is often agreed that someone will send a few truckloads of rice, but in the end half of what they get to Rabe is Amitabha. It is nothing new to be stopped by soldiers and unidentified people halfway. "Only 2,117 bags of rice came in today, which is nearly half of what was promised. Damn it!" Lao Han reported. "Don't complain, it's useless. The Supreme Command promised to give me 100,000 yuan, but now I only get 40,000 yuan. The 60,000 yuan must have been lost. Who is to blame?" Rabe is seeking truth from facts. In the afternoon, he and all the members of the committee went into battle together, marking all the main parts of the safety zone with flags, and posted a notice to the citizens on the street: On December 8, the 26th year of the Republic of China, the Chinese bulletin translated "safe area" into "refugee area" because Rabe and the others believed that this word was easier for the people of Nanjing to understand.At the same time, in order to ensure the orderly accommodation of the citizens who flocked into the safe zone, Rabe ordered Dr. Smythe to provide the newspaper with a press release detailing the accommodation and meals as follows: 1. Accommodation: (1) It is recommended that residents reach private housing agreements in safe areas as much as possible.The rent to be paid should be as low as possible, and should never exceed the prices prevailing in peacetime. (2) Public buildings and schools in the safe zone are reserved for the poorest people who cannot afford private housing agreements.Schools are only allowed to open as a last resort. (3) For families living in public buildings and schools, their family members can be housed together, but the dormitory placement will be differentiated according to gender.The placement of this accommodation is free, and in order to accommodate large-scale refugees, the dormitory area provided to each person does not exceed 16 square feet. (4) After the safety zone is activated, if the above facilities are not enough to accommodate all refugees, the committee will require the owners of all vacant houses or houses that are only partially used in the safety zone to accept the remaining homeless people free of charge. 2. Meals: (1) Rice and flour designated for distribution to the Commission and reserved by the Commission are sold by private traders licensed by the Commission. (2) Meals (porridge) for the poor are provided at low prices by porridge factories managed by the Red Cross Society and the Red Cross Society.The porridge factory is located in Mount Wutai, near Jinling University, and at the intersection of Shanxi Road... Rabe was extremely busy: one moment, someone reported that his rice-delivery vehicle could not get in outside the city gate, and then someone told him that soldiers had pulled down small flags in several places in the safe zone. "This is absolutely intolerable! Pulling out the flag is telling the Japanese that this place can be bombed, so what about our refugees? It's too dangerous! I'll go and see!" Rabe became anxious when he heard that, and he strode towards the victims. Go where the flag was pulled. "Look, the mayor of Nanjing is here!" Some Chinese whispered when they saw Rabe. Rabe was secretly surprised by these words: Am I really the mayor of Nanjing?He suddenly remembered that at a tea party in Beidaihe two years ago, Mr. Tautman, the then German ambassador, had made such a joke to him.Now I actually became the "Mayor of Nanjing"! Although Rabe ignored the street chatter of the Chinese, he felt somewhat complacent. "I was a little unhappy when Mr. Taudman said this. But now, this joke is almost becoming true. Of course, under normal circumstances, it is impossible for a European to become the mayor of a Chinese city But now there is a situation: Mayor Ma, who has been cooperating with us for a while, left Nanjing yesterday. So the committee has to start dealing with municipal management and problems in the refugee area. In this way, I am really a bit like an 'executive The mayor's gone. Rabe, Rabe, get carried away!" In his diary on December 8, Rabe wrote the above passage. "Now I am the supreme leader here. You, Commander Tang, personally agreed to us. The establishment of the safe zone was clearly approved by the Chinese side on November 22. Now you enter the security zone that we have planned. area, and pulled out the sign of the area we announced to the public without permission, which is a breach of trust! On behalf of the International Committee, I resolutely protest this behavior! I hope you will correct the mistake immediately!" Rabe stood angrily in a group of flags in front of Chinese soldiers. "Who are you? How dare you block our military operations?" Several junior soldiers were very unconvinced when they saw this foreigner gesticulating in front of them. Probably their chief knew Rabe, and saw a captain come over to make peace with Rabe: "Sir, don't get angry! We are also following orders. If you don't agree, we will withdraw." "Of course I won't agree! I have the map of the safe area agreed by your Commander Tang..." As he spoke, Rabe took out the newspaper from the previous day, which contained the "Notice to the Citizens of Nanjing" and the "Safe Area Map" on the "safe area" . The soldiers looked around and exchanged winks, but there was no more sound. “走吧走吧。”军人不耐烦地吹着口哨，走了。 “简直莫明其妙！”拉贝笔直地站在原地，很是威风。 “先生今天可真像市长啊！”韩湘琳在一旁乐。 “像吗？真像吗？”拉贝来劲了，干脆把脖子挺得直直的，然后斜着眼，问韩湘琳。 “像！关键是您发号施令，连军队都不敢违抗。” “哈哈……”拉贝好不得意，“走，到其他地方看看。” “是，市长先生！”韩湘琳等前呼后拥地跟着。 日本人的空袭，已经是随心所欲了，因为中国军方的飞机显然放弃了空中的抵抗，或者根本就没有了战机。这是12月9日的景况——日军飞机在城南投下大量炸弹，使得拉贝他们的运米卡车无法正常进城。其中一辆卡车费了九牛二虎之力与守城军人说通经过城门后，日军战机的炸弹便随即落在这座城门口，当场有40余人被炸死…… 下午2时许，拉贝和贝德士、施佩林等在中国军方一名上校的陪同下，巡视了安全区沿线。他们站在山丘上登高俯瞰，只见到处浓烟滚滚，正在燃烧的民房冒出的烟雾笼罩着城郊。 “那里有一个高射炮阵地！”施佩林眼尖，突然指着安全区西南界内的一个地方喊了起来。 “怎么还在我们的安全区内安置高射炮阵地呀？”拉贝扶着眼镜，也看到了那一排高射炮，很生气地质问随行的中国守城军上校。 “呜——”上校还未来得及回答，便有3架日军战机从拉贝他们的头顶呼啸掠过……“快卧倒！”拉贝动作迅速地滚倒在地上，同时招呼别人。 “哒！哒哒哒……”那安全区内的高射炮突然猛烈向日机射击。拉贝等仰头看着空中的一场近距离激战。可惜地面的炮火总是打偏。“或者说幸亏它总是打偏，否则日本飞机上的炸弹一定投在我们的身上。”拉贝事后认真地说道。 “你都看到了，上校先生，如果你们的军队再不从安全区撤走，我将向我的元首报告，报告你们的唐将军失信，而我们的难民区将无法继续工作下去，我这个主席也不想当了！”拉贝从地上站起来，连尘土都没顾上拍净，便冲着随行的中国守城军上校发火。 “我有什么办法？”上校悻悻然道，“都这个样子了，谁还有本事拦住日本军队？如果先生有可能的话，我倒是建议您应该直接向唐将军提出，让他下令把部队撤出南京，别再硬撑着打什么保卫战！根本就是鸡蛋碰石头嘛！” 拉贝愣愣地盯着上校，半晌没说话。 “对啊，我们找唐将军，看看他现在的态度如何？”末后，拉贝突然像缓过神似的说道。 “唐将军会改变主意吗？”施佩林等怀疑拉贝的想法。 “只要有一点希望，我们就该去争取。”拉贝坚定地准备试一试。 “可以啊，我本人没有什么反对意见，只要您能说服我们的蒋先生。”拉贝无论如何也想不到，在他把“停战”建议向唐生智司令长官提出后，对方竟然表示理解和同意。 “看来唐本人也已经对守城不抱希望了。现在就看蒋先生的决定了。”拉贝等兴奋地议论着。“既然如此，我们再努力一把，全力以赴争取停战的结果！”拉贝俨然是一个主宰南京城命运的大人物了，他匆匆地带着一行人，赶到停在下关的美国炮艇“帕奈”号——美国大使馆的艾奇逊先生在上面。 “艾奇逊先生，我以国际委员会主席的名义，想立即通过您请在汉口的你们的大使，给中国政府最高统帅蒋介石先生和日本当局提出停战的建议。”拉贝有些激动地对艾奇逊说。 “好啊，我的南京市长，如果你能促成此事，我们美国方面肯定乐见其成。” 于是，拉贝回头又分别将两封内容接近的电文发给汉口的美国大使馆，请其转交中日双方： 在国际委员会能成功地得到日本军事当局（中国军事当局——发向日方的电文则这样称。笔者注）在可能的情况下放弃对城墙内南京城的进攻（采取军事行动——同上）这一保证的前提下，已经在南京城设立了安全区的国际委员会将出于人道主义的考虑向中国当局建议（向日本当局建议——同上），在城内不采取军事行动。为了达到这个目的，委员会建议南京附近的所有武装力量停火3天，在这3天内，日军在现在阵地按兵不动，中国军队则从城内撤出。考虑到大量受到危害的平民的困境，委员会请求立即对此建议表态。拉贝在电文的最后庄重地署下“国际委员会主席拉贝”的字样。 中日在南京决战到最后时刻，双方都红了眼，这样的一份“停战”建议到底会带来什么结果，没有人知道。 拉贝像刚刚签发了一份几十万人的“生死状”，心情激动而紧张，激动的是他这位“汉堡商人”竟然在异国他乡能够有权去过问几十万中国人的命运，紧张的是如果一旦电文被蒋介石和日本当局当作废纸一张，他这个“市长”的权威性将受到极大质疑。 使命和虚荣心一时让拉贝内心涌起万丈波澜。 从“帕奈”号上岸后，他们穿过燃烧的下关回城。晚上7时的新闻发布会结束后，拉贝等听说日本军队的前方部队已经将炮火推到光华门了。这已不是什么可以瞒过大家的事了——南城门和光华门那边的火光肉眼都能看得到。 此刻的城内，路灯全被熄灭，夜幕中从前线抬回来的伤员和撤下的部队，三三两两，到处皆是，他们无目的地在街头流浪着。安全区各个进口处已经有大量的人涌入，其中不乏一些脱下军装的军人混在里面。这让拉贝他们很着急。 “日本军队一进来，发现这些人后，将对整个安全区带来不可估量的麻烦。必须采取措施，不让军人进来。即使是放下武器、穿着便装的军人。”拉贝说得非常严厉。 韩湘琳觉得不太可能做到这一点：“我们怎么可能去一个个核实其身份，再说他们也很可怜。” 拉贝的嗓门高了：“怜悯他们，就等于让更多的平民去送死！我们的任务是尽可能地保护更多平民！你们明白我的意思了吗？” “明白，先生。”韩等人不再坚持了。但事情有那么简单吗？ 又一份经拉贝审阅批准的公告，于9日当晚通过新闻媒体发出： “让我们进去！我们要进去！”在交通部门口，几百名带着铺盖和食物的老百姓，拼命往院内挤，却被安全区的“警察”死死拦住。 “怎么回事？”路过此地的拉贝看到后，责问那些护卫人员。他们告诉拉贝主席：里面两间房子里发现武器和弹药。 “那就先把难民们安置到另外的地方。”拉贝给出了解决的办法。 12月9日的夜间，所有南京城内城外的市民们没有人不被阵阵惊天动地的炮火声所惊醒。拉贝的国际委员会除了不停地接纳潮水般涌入安全区的难民和脱掉军装的男人们外，似乎只有等待两个字——等待日本军队进城后的可怕命运。 城内现在最多的是伤员，断腿缺胳膊的伤员到处都是。医生成了这个时候最受欢迎的上帝。中央军的军医金大夫前来向拉贝报到，说他手下8所军队医院还有80多名军医可为安全区提供服务。 “简直是奇迹！”拉贝高兴得拥抱金大夫，“越多越好，未来几天里，医生将最受欢迎。我敢肯定。” 马吉牧师已经向拉贝报告了他要在南京城成立一个国际红十字会南京分会。“这个建议很好。你在欧洲人脉好，如果他们批准你的请求，就可以公开招兵买马了！现在我愁的就是救助伤病员。”拉贝非常赞同马吉的建议。 “只要有利于为市区的难民服务，我们支持所有建议和行动。”拉贝虽然做事严谨，但思想又非常开放，他的这一主张颇有市长风范，让身边的韩湘琳佩服得五体投地。 “下关的士兵要烧我们的粮食，你说怎么办？”韩又报告不祥消息。 “这是胡闹！决不答应！”拉贝觉得中国军队疯了。他们企图通过烧光的手段来阻挡日本军队进城，实在有些可笑，拉贝觉得。 “五台山上的那个炮兵阵地一直在向日本军队开炮，这样下去，日军将随时会用十倍的炮弹攻击我们的安全区……”又是一个可怕的信息。 拉贝无法忍受了！他让韩湘琳跟着他找到中方守城司令部，交涉的结果算是勉强成功。“你们假如要拿自己同胞的生命当儿戏，那我实在是没有办法了。”拉贝这回唱的是悲情剧，不过他说的也是实情，一旦军队继续在安全区内向日本军队打炮，日军的大炮更加猛烈回击是自然的事。何况，此刻的日军气焰异常嚣张。 拉贝最关注的还是蒋介石和日本方面对他的“停战”建议是否有回应。从汉口约翰逊大使那里传来的消息，拉贝得知他的电文已呈至蒋介石手中，而且约翰逊大使本人和美国大使馆对“停战”建议给予支持和肯定，但从大使非正式的口信中获悉：蒋介石批评唐生智同意“停战”，认为是个“严重错误”。这意思是说，蒋介石并不赞成拉贝的建议。 拉贝沮丧至极。他不甘心，绝不甘心！ 于是他又向蒋介石发了一份新电文——当然还是通过美国在汉口的驻华使馆转呈。 12月10日，南京城内已经感觉时时在地动山摇。拉贝这一天的日记也是非常特别，有几个分段：早晨的、中午的和晚上的……而10日这一天的南京，其实是异常沉闷，沉闷得令人喘不过气来，因为日军总司令松井石根已经向城内的守军通过飞机散发了“劝降”书，并且给了唐生智一天的时间回答。但以唐为首的中国守城军在松井石根规定的时间里没有答复。这样，日军便认为是中国军队没有投降的意思。于是，更加激烈的、南京最后的决战开始了—— 拉贝的日记里记载了当日午夜后的情况： 午夜2时30分的时候，响起了猛烈的炮火声，其间还伴着机枪声。炮弹开始可怕地从我们的房顶上呼啸而过。我让韩先生一家以及我们的佣人们进入防空洞，我自己则戴上了一顶钢盔，头“最为高贵”，一定要完好无损。A fire broke out on the southeast side, and the flames illuminated the surrounding area for hours.All the windows rattled incessantly, and the building trembled regularly at intervals of a few seconds amidst the roar of shell explosions.The Wutaishan anti-aircraft artillery position was shelled and returned fire at the same time, and my house was within the shelling area.Shelling also began from the south and west.After a little getting used to the deafening explosion, I lay down on the bed and went to sleep again.In fact, I can't sleep at all, just take a nap.在日本人攻城之前，南京人大概都不可能闭着眼睛睡大觉了。炮火连天的夜晚过后，当第二天的晨曦微露，拉贝从床上轻手轻脚起来，拉开门窗的那一刻，他有些心怯，担心门外会不会有日本兵持枪顶着他胸前吆喝着“八格牙路”！ 还算好。日本兵没有在门口站着。但屋里的水电全部停了。往大街上瞅一眼，“市长”拉贝有些不习惯：他的市民仿佛全都涌到了街头——仔细一看：原来都是为了躲避炮火而向安全区转移的难民。 不知是喜还是悲。前些日子，拉贝等人整天忙着贴公告，插旗子，以标明何处是他们的安全区，现在看来，他的市民们完全清楚和熟悉哪个地方是“安全区”了。 “安全区”真的安全吗？在炮火连绵、势如破竹的日军进攻面前，拉贝突然反倒比过去那些日子少了几分信心，尤其是当他看到人群中夹着为数不少的士兵也跟着不顾一切地涌进安全区时，他感到自己的心脏就悬在嗓门口——多少次电文里和新闻发布会上，他作为国际委员会主席、一个一向标榜“说话算数”的德国汉堡商人，一而再、再而三地向世人声称他的安全区里没有军人！ 不是在说谎吗？不是在日本军队面前明着说瞎话吗？这种说谎和说瞎话的结果是什么呢？拉贝不能不紧张，因为他知道日本军队等的就是这种结果：你的什么的安全区，原来是给败下阵的中国军队作庇护所！ 死啦死啦的！ 拉贝颓然地坐在椅子上，喉咙里直冒烟。 “韩，你赶快组织人，到安全区里，务必让那些士兵把身上的枪和其他所有武器全部、一样不少地丢在地上，我们把它们收拢起来……”拉贝的嗓子瞬间失声，严重沙哑地叫来韩湘琳。 “先生要武器干吗？准备跟日本人干？”韩觉得奇怪，有些不明白。 这让拉贝更着急，跺着双脚冲韩说：“你傻！你等着日本人来杀我们？” 韩猛然明白了，连连点头：“噢——你是说等日本人来了，我们把没收的武器交上去？好的，我马上去办。” "Boom—" "Boom—" 安全区终于迎来了第一批日本炮弹的袭击。施佩林马上给拉贝报告了他所负责管理的福昌饭店的情况：有21人当场死亡，12人重伤。 “我自己的胳膊也被玻璃碎片擦伤，流了不少血……”施佩林同时还报告了安全区另一个地方——一所中学内的伤亡：13名学生在炮弹攻击中死亡，20多人受伤。 “我马上去安全区检查！”拉贝知道接下来的伤亡会更严重。他叫上马吉牧师，两人坐上车子，行至山西路广场附近，见不少士兵在那里挖壕沟等工事。问他们为什么不执行唐司令的命令“不准在安全区内从事军事行动”，士兵们根本不理睬他这洋人。在中山路，更多的士兵在长官的指挥下，正在扛沙袋做路障，树木被大片大片地砍断横倒在路中央，并且用铁丝网联结着。拉贝与领队的军官交涉，军官尚算客气，但坚决地回绝拉贝“停止军事行动”的请求，说：“日军马上要攻城了，我们必须尽一切可能坚决地抵抗到底！” 拉贝无话可说，心想：要真能抵抗得了，他作为一战的老兵，愿意跟着他们一起干，但他绝不干痴心妄想的蠢事。 晚上依旧如故的“新闻通气会”还按时举行，可惜除了拉贝他们几个国际委员会成员和几家新闻单位的记者外，再无其他人参加。 记者没有从拉贝他们那里获得任何有价值的“军事情报”。斯迈思向在场的记者们报告了委员会成员在安全区抓到一个小偷。没事可做的记者们对此事反而有了兴趣，纷纷打听拉贝他们这个委员会如何处置这样的小偷。 是啊，我们该怎样处理？拉贝等有些不知所措。国际委员会对所有难民们的事一一有了事先的安排，唯独关于安全区内出现小偷这样的“违法”行为缺乏处理预案。 “我们没有法务机构。南京市所有的法院现在业已关门，怎么办？”最后几个聪明的洋人一商量，宣布道：根据国际委员会临时“陪审团”审议，判处该小偷死刑。 “哇！”记者们一片哗然。 拉贝紧接着又宣布：根据目前战时的南京市内缺少监狱和监押设施，对此小偷减刑为24小时拘留期。 “啊——”又是一片哄笑。 连拉贝他们都笑得前仰后合。其实，因为连拘留所都没有，这个小偷很快就被释放了。 12月12日。一整天内，拉贝如同一名警察，一会儿在安全区的左进出口查问和挡着那些看上去像军人的男人们，希望他们自觉地将身上的武器扔掉，当然能不进安全区最好，一会儿跑到右边的进出口指挥那些老弱病残和妇女们进安全区内……他发现，即使他有十条胳膊、十条腿，也无法在如潮水般的难民队伍里做成几件事。 听天由命吧！ 大街上，所有的人都变得无所适从，曾经有过的狂奔乱跑现象也似乎一下停滞了下来：原来市民们和败下阵来的守军们，都不知道该干什么。死亡，还是活路？活与死，都是一样，都不属于他们自己能定局的…… how terrible!拉贝第一次感到恐惧：原来人没了任何可想的时候才是真正可怕呀！ 拉贝突然觉得自己也不知该干什么了。他回到自己的屋里后，不停地将药品放入皮包内，还有洗漱用的工具，似乎明天也要被日本人抓到什么地方去度苦狱一般。反正，像个小丑似的。“表演吧，小丑！全都成了小丑！”日记里他这样说。 晚8时，全剧的最后一幕开始了——猛烈的炮击，地动山摇，六朝古都的所有城门仿佛都在开裂…… The flames reddened the entire southern sky.Refugees in the yard squeezed all the way to the edge of the air-raid shelter.Someone was banging on the two courtyard doors, and women and children begged us to let them in.Some daring men climbed over the courtyard wall from behind the German school and tried to enter my courtyard for protection.I couldn't bear to listen to this kind of begging, so I opened the two doors and let in everyone who wanted to come in.防空洞里已经没有地方，我便把人们安置在房子之间以及房屋的旮旯里。Most people brought their own bedding and lay down on the ground in the open air.Some smarties have placed their beds under a horizontally hung German flag for protection against Japanese bombing, and the place is considered a "bulletproof zone"! Cannonballs and bombs roared non-stop, getting denser and closer.The entire horizon to the south turned into a sea of ​​fire, and the sound of landslides and ground cracks was everywhere.我戴上了钢盔，给我的中国助手、好心的韩先生也戴上了一顶，因为我们俩是不进防空洞的，再说那里面也已经没有地方了。I ran up and down the yard like a hound, weaving among the crowd, reprimanding here, soothing there, and finally everyone listened to me obediently.Towards midnight there was a dreadful muffled noise in front of my courtyard door. 我的朋友、礼和洋行的克里斯蒂安·克勒格尔来了，他是我们安全区的财务部长。“我的天，你来干什么？”我激动而紧张地对他说。“只是来看看你们。”他说得平静。然后又说：“刚才有人愿意出手一辆尚未使用过的公共汽车，只要20元，你说要不要？”我快要疯了，说：“都什么时候了，克里斯蒂安！”“如果你不反对，那明天我让他到我们办公室来办此事。”克里斯蒂安走了。我望着他的背影，感慨万千：国际委员会有这样的伙伴，我们还怕做不出一些伟大的事吗？ To the north, the handsome Department of Transportation building is burning.I feel pain in every muscle and bone, and I haven't closed my eyes for 48 hours.我的客人们也都睡觉了，办公室安置了30人，储藏煤的地下室外安置了3人，有8个妇女和孩子睡在佣人的厕所里，剩下的100多人分别在防空洞里。在露天、在院子里、在石子路上…… 这是南京大屠杀前夜的拉贝日记的部分内容。他这个“市长”院子里所安置和保护的200多人，在炮火的光亮中正向没有日本鬼子的最后日子告别。 第二天，他们迎来的将是人类历史上最惨无人道的一页——南京大屠杀的黑幕，伴着日本军队的铁蹄声，正徐徐拉开……