Part Three

CHAPTER II

A GUERRILLA PERSONALITY

WHO was this guerrilla leader Wang Yu-min, who so blithely talked of rescuing the 1800 internees from Weihsien concentration camp and flying them to West China?

Born of well-to-do peasant stock, he had the advantage of a good middle-school education and showed more aptitude for learning than for farming and the grain and weaving business in which his father was interested. Amongst the youths of his own age in his native village of Chingpu he was the only one who took a serious interest in political affairs. It was not long before father Wang realised that his eldest son had no desire to continue in the family business; nor did he seem fitted for the care of the land. Disappointed, but, on the other hand, secretly proud of his scholarly son, he needed little persuasion by Yu-min to give his agreement to his becoming a school teacher.

During his leisure hours Yu-min continued with his studies and soon became leader of the small discussion group of teachers from the neighbouring schools. His absorption in political affairs led him to join the Nationalist party, and as a member of this political organisation his reputation amongst the local community was further enhanced. Although his learning and comprehension of current affairs was well above the local standard, he did not lose touch with the uneducated masses of the village people. On the contrary, he organised village clubs at which open discussions were held on problems of common interest to the villagers. At these meetings Yu-min learned a great deal of their problems and their outlook on political affairs, which he soon found to be very limited. He took advantage of these meetings to expound certain points of the government policy, and by using the simplest language and interspersing anecdotes of human interest, he held their attention and gradually built up amongst the more intelligent a sense of national consciousness.

With the annexation of Manchuria by the Japanese, Yu-min devoted more of his time to the political aspect of affairs. For generations large numbers of Shantung peasants had emigrated to Manchuria to seek a living, but now, with the Japanese occupation, travellers returned empty-handed and with tales of hardship and oppression, and on such a back-ground of their personal experiences Yu-min painted the political scene to these people in simple and straightforward language.

Within a few years Yu-min was appointed principal of one of the local middle schools. In his hands rested the education of over one thousand children and directly under him was a staff of thirty teachers, men and women. In spite of this added responsibility, as the political situation in China deteriorated, Yu-min devoted more of his time to the furthering of political consciousness amongst the farmers and peasants. He made frequent trips to the provincial capital, Tsinan, and to the port city of Tsingtao, in order to better his political connections. He had come to realise that war with Japan was inevitable and that from the military point of view there was little he could do to prepare the people, but every day that passed gave him an opportunity to educate them towards a spirit of nationalism. His efforts were not without criticism from his colleagues, but he remained firm in his belief that success, whether personal or national, could only be achieved with the goodwill and backing of the people, and so, fully aware of the gathering storm, he redoubled his efforts.

At the outbreak of the war, Yu-min resigned from his role as principal. Freed from his educational ties, he travelled throughout his native district of Changyi from dawn till late in the night, from hamlet to hamlet, propagating a war of resistance. Realising that armed opposition was not yet possible amongst the farming population, he spoke of a war of passive resistance, of non-co-operation, pending the time when active resistance could be organised.

As the Japanese approached the borders of Shantung, an atmosphere of uneasiness and despondency prevailed amongst the people; there was some brave talk, but in their hearts they had no confidence in the ability of the provincial troops to stem the Japanese advance. Families of officials departed on long-delayed visits to relatives in more salubrious climes ; commodity and foodstuff prices began to fluctuate ; rumours, good and bad, spread from door to door and from town to village ; proclamations, edicts and news bulletins were issued by the various departments of the local government ; re-assuring statements and professions of 'loyalty to the Central Government were posted on the walls of towns and villages throughout the province on the order of the Governor. There was much marshalling of troops; parades were held, bugles were blown and interminable speeches were made; troops were moved here and there without any definite plan; an antiquated armoured train was dusted over and exhibited at various stations along the railway, but still no reinforcements were sent to the strategically important garrison towns on the northern border of the province.

With the occupation of the capital by the Japanese, a state of panic spread throughout the province, provincial administration collapsing with the flight of officials to safety. Isolated groups of militarists paused for a sufficient length of time to assume complete power in certain districts, plundered and looted, and then followed the government to the south. In other areas, rascals and opportunists assumed the role of local dictators, bled the people and passed to fresh fields, giving place to others of similar type. Pro-Japanese elements infiltrated, spreading a net of political intrigue and preparing the ground for occupation by the Japanese.

Following closely on the heels of the Japanese occupational forces came Chinese puppet officials of the new administration. The melting-pot of war had brought to the top the scum of the country, loose-living rascals and adventurers, and it was they who now formed the link between the Chinese people, the farmers and peasants, factory workers and industrialists, teachers and students, merchants and labourers, and their conquerors, the Japanese.

Graft and corruption, murder and blackmail, thievery and rape flourished side by side to an extent hitherto unknown throughout the centuries of Chinese history.

It was not long before the first signs of active resistance became apparent. Here and there, throughout the province, military men with the courage of their convictions began to gather around them groups of patriots who, fired by anti-Japanese propaganda and the inalienable desire to protect their soil and livelihood, were anxious to join in active resistance. These military leaders, hard-bitten and adventurous men, were for the most part local Garrison Commanders serving under General Han. To assume that the motives of these men were based purely on patriotic ideals would be entirely erroneous. Soldiers of many years' standing, they had seen innumerable phases of Chinese politics, switching their allegiance from one war-lord to another : here to better their financial position, there with the prospect of an influential and lucrative post, on other occasions for sentimental reasons to help an old friend. Their reaction to the current crisis was one of "wait and see" rather than of immediate flight. Perhaps the situation could be turned to their advantage and at the same time enhance their reputation as patriots. But this situation differed from previous ones inasmuch as all had a genuine hatred of the Japanese and a knowledge of what to expect from first-hand experience gained during the occupation of Manchuria and the subsequent activities of the Japanese in the administration of that area.

News filtered through to Yu-min that an old friend of the family and a native of Changyi, Wang Shang-chih, was recruiting and training a resistance unit some hundred miles to the north-west at the garrison town of Loling. Wang Shang-chih was an old hand at the game. After graduation from school he entered the National Government's Huang P'u Military Academy, but was dismissed from this institution on political grounds before graduation, whereupon he entered General Feng Yu-hsiang's Officers' Training School from which he graduated and subsequently held the position of Company Commander under General Feng. The outbreak of the Manchurian "incident" found him in the north-eastern provinces and he immediately joined a force of guerrillas and operated against the Japanese for two years. As the Japanese consolidated their control over Manchuria, the unit with which he was fighting was forced to disband and, together with his personal followers, he moved into Shantung, where his soldiers were absorbed into Governor Han's provincial army and were retained at the garrison town of Loling. Wang himself retired. With the Japanese attack on North China and the subsequent collapse of organised resistance, he decided to get back into the business, and, gathering his old retainers about him, established himself at Loling.

As an influential member of the "Ch'ing Pang", one of the most powerful secret societies, he soon found himself surrounded by volunteers, men and women, young and old, all anxious to take some part in opposing the Japanese aggression. With the collapse of provincial authority and the retreat of the government forces, the people, bewildered and shorn of leadership, eagerly supported Wang. Soldiers, deserted by their officers, arrived daily with what arms and ammunition they could collect, neighbouring garrisons sent word of their desire to co-operate, and young farmers volunteered for training, bringing with them an assortment of the most antiquated rifles and muzzle-loading flintlocks, spears and cutlasses.

The original garrison of some one hundred men became instructors, working from dawn to dusk, drilling and coercing the "lao pai hsing", or the "old hundred names", as the farmer-peasants were called, into some semblance of military discipline.

By the time Yu-min had arrived, Loling vas an armed camp with a force of over four hundred regular soldiers and one thousand militia in course of training. Wang was delighted to have Yu-min with him and they spent several weeks in planning and discussing the organisation of this resistance movement.

Returning to Changyi, Yu-min lost no time in spreading the news of the commencement of armed resistance, recruiting and soliciting funds from the local merchants. In the mean-time, an additional unit of resistance had been formed to the south of Changyi by another old and tried military man, Yang Hsiu-feng ― he also was a native of Changyi. Already over sixty, he had served as a commander under the Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi in the Imperial Cavalry, and as such had opposed the revolutionary forces of 1911. He later gravitated to the north-eastern provinces and Mongolia, but he too had left Manchuria after the Japanese occupation, and, suffering from T.B., retired to his native homestead to lead a quiet and simple life. He was much respected by his former followers and was particularly popular with the rank and file of his soldiers, whom he treated with a kindness seldom to be found in a military man. In spite of his age and failing health, he had been persuaded by his former subordinates to take up the sword again, and found no lack of support.

Yu-min stayed with Yang for a couple of weeks and before leaving had arrived at an understanding of mutual support and co-operation between these two resistance units. Greatly pleased at this, his first achievement in the political field, he returned to Loling. He felt at last that he was beginning to find his feet ; his most cherished hope of armed resistance was materialising ; he had shown himself to have a competent and in political affairs, and finally, his wife would soon be presenting him with a second child — that it would be a son, he did not doubt.

Organisation at Loling proceeded apace with almost 3000 troops now under training. (Every effort was made to contact and effect liaison between Loling and other independent units in northern Shantung.) Well-planned but cautious attacks had already been made on puppet forces with the main object of augmenting the supply of arms and ammunition.

The lull in the Japanese operations after the capture of the capital city of Tsinan enabled the few remaining officials in the south of the province to pause in their flight, and, taking stock of the position, they officially appointed Wang Shang chih as Commander-in-Chief of the "Second Guerrilla Area" and then, having convinced themselves that they had done all in their power to organise resistance behind the Japanese lines, continued on their way to the as yet unmolested areas in the south. To the Chinese, to whom titles are as gold braid to the armies of the South American republics; this was almost as stimulating as a train-load of ammunition.

Wang Shang-chih was now officially recognised as the leader of guerrilla operations in north-east Shantung and as such could command the loyalty and co-operation of all forces within this area. Shortly after this he appointed Yang Hsiufeng as second in command and Yu-min as his Chief of Staff. As Commander-in-Chief of the Second Guerrilla Area, Wang had something like 20,000 men under his command, loosely scattered through this area, and Yu-min was sent on a mission throughout the command in an endeavour to assess the position and to consolidate and ensure the allegiance of the scattered forces.

The Japanese, getting wind of this resistance movement, decided to investigate, and dispatched a force of three hundred troops in the direction of Loling. Wang's intelligence brought him news of this expedition and immediately plans were made to ambush the Japanese column. Within a few hours a motley crowd of soldiers and militia had been assembled and, armed with rifles, flintlocks, cutlasses and hand-grenades, set off at dusk to meet the Japanese.

Within a week Wang had returned to his Headquarters. Although perturbed by the high casualties, he had been successful in so far as the Japanese had retreated to their garrison, taking with them eleven cartloads of dead and wounded. This had cost Wang over four hundred casualties but he had made a gain in armaments, thanks to his policy of conserving rifles by the use of cutlasses and hand-grenades.

While the force was still licking its wounds, intelligence brought news of six hundred Japanese troops, including cavalry and light field-guns, en route for Loling. Unprepared to meet this reprisal, Wang ordered immediately a general move southwards, not only of the troops but of the whole civilian population.

Every possible means of conveyance was brought into use: mule-carts, ox-carts, horses and donkeys, wheelbarrows and bicycles, all loaded to capacity with grain. Women hurriedly seized supplies of food, a few cherished possessions, some clothes and bedding and, herding children, pigs and goats before them, left their homes and all they valued to the Japanese, who, enraged to find but an empty village, burned it to the ground, together with the wounded, who had been unable to leave, and the few elderly people left to care for them.

Considerably reduced in numbers and burdened with women and children, Wang Shang-chih was in no position to offer resistance, a fact well realised by neighbouring puppet officials who had long been jealous of his growing power and prestige. Seizing this opportunity they forced him south of the railway.

Jealous for his independence and "face", Wang was not prepared to turn to his allied units for support. He was confident that, given the opportunity, he could successfully reorganise. For the next few months they moved from one district to another, eking out a meagre existence; food was scarce and funds short. The Japanese influence was growing and the newly organised Chinese puppet troops, arrogant and ruthless with their newly acquired power, took every opportunity to bring pressure on this roving band.

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