The National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated stations present The Pacific Story. In the mounting fury of world conflict, events in the Pacific are taking on ever greater importance. Here is the story of the Pacific and the millions of people who live around this greatest sea. The drama of the people whose destiny is at stake in the Pacific War. Here as another public service is the tale of the war in the Pacific and its meaning to us and to the generations to come. The child in his puppet government. A handsome, soft-spoken, elderly Chinese sits alone in Nanking. He wears a blue silk robe and black slippers. In his body he carries a bullet. Two others were removed. His health is not good. He is head of the Chinese puppet government in Japanese occupied China. His name is Wang Qingwei. Wang Qingwei. We hate him. This is a Chinese nationalist. Wang Qingwei. We despise him. This is a Chinese communist. Wang Qingwei. We have nothing but contempt for him. This is a Japanese. One of those who sent him up as head of the puppet government in occupied China. The Japanese hoped that Wang Qingwei would be able to bring over to their side many of China's leaders. Not one of importance has come over. In 1942, there were rumors that the Japanese tried to purge Wang Qingwei's government in the army. Just two years before this, he had ridden smiling through the crowded streets of Tokyo. There he is. There is the Chinese country of Wang Qingwei. After a three-hour visit with Emperor Hirohito, he had said, This is the most glorious day of my life. This was the high water mark of Wang Qingwei's career of political manipulation. All his life he had been ambitious and far-seeing. In these years he had heard himself praised. There is poetry in him. He speaks with brilliance and beauty. He is a man of intellectual refinement and charm. In his youth, he had been a revolutionary. He went to the University of Tokyo and studied law. He was the editor of a revolutionary paper, Min Bao. And he was the head recruiting agent for the United Revolutionary Party of China. He worked for the destruction of the Manchu dynasty. When he was 24... Open up! Open up! Open up! Open up! What do you want? In the name of the Emperor, open this door! What is it? Wang Qingwei, you are under arrest. You will come with us at once. He was put in jail. Tried. Wang Qingwei, you have been found guilty of coming to Peking with a bomb to kill Prince Cai Chun, the Imperial Regent. It is the order of this court that your life be taken from you and that you suffer the pain... Back in jail, waiting for his execution, Wang was visited by the Prince he had come to Peking to kill. Why are you a revolutionist? And why did you come here to kill me? There are many reasons. Many reasons? Yes. With your permission, I shall write my answer. The Prince left, and Wang started to write. Three days later, the Prince returned. With him came the executioner. Wang was still writing. It is time, Wang Qingwei. I am not yet finished writing. You have so much to say. I could not finish in years. You will have years. It is my order, executioner, that Wang Qingwei's sentence be commuted to life imprisonment. Yes, sure. Before his imprisonment, Wang had worked with Dr. Sun Yat-sen in the movement against the Manchus. When the revolution came in 1912 and the Manchus were overthrown, Wang was released from prison. And that same year, 1912, he went to France to complete his education. He stayed too long. He stayed eight years until 1920. When Wang returned to China, he rejoined Dr. Sun Yat-sen. But close to Dr. Sun now was a young military genius, Zhang Gaisheng. Wang was still the favorite of Dr. Sun, and he wrote many of Dr. Sun's manifestos. It is said that it was he who took down Dr. Sun's last will and testament. When Dr. Sun died, open conflict broke out between Wang Qingwei and Zhang Gaisheng. The Nationalist Party, the Kuomintang, was split. Wang Qingwei leading the leftists, Zhang Gaisheng leading the rightists. The streets of Canton ran red with blood. Wang Qingwei is jealous of Zhong's power with the military. Wang Qingwei resents being under Zhong. Well, before Dr. Sun Yat-sen died, Wang rated above Zhong. There is more to it than that. Zhong wanted no part of the communists, and Wang is strong for them. Yes, Wang is the leader of the left-wing group of the Kuomintang, and he and those around him are taking steps to get... At last the trouble in Canton was put down, and Wang came into the Nanking government with Zhang Gaisheng. He became prime minister and head of the central executive committee, but he was still dissident, still irreconcilable. Zhang Gaisheng insists on excluding the communists from the Kuomintang. I say they belong within the party. This was Wang's position. Zhong stood firm against them, and presently... The left wing of the Kuomintang is split from the rest of the party. Under Wang Qingwei, the leftists have formed what they call the Wuhan Group, named after the three cities of Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang. They have set up a government of their own at Hankou. Zhang Gaisheng and the central government of Nanking have demanded that the government at Hankou disband, and that the Wuhan Group come back into the Kuomintang. The Wuhan Group, who have set up the government of Hankou, are demanding that Zhang Gaisheng be ousted before they will consider any reconciliation with the Nanking government. Around Zhang Gaisheng at Nanking were strong Chinese leaders. One of these was Marshal Feng. To Wang Qingwei at Hankou, Marshal Feng sent a meaningful telegram. In the name of the nationalist government, many things are being done which are wrong. He referred to Wang and the Wuhan Group. There is an effort being made to throw our country into further confusion for the personal benefit of a few individuals. Wang knew whom he meant. Many of the radical elements wormed their way into our party organization in an effort to control the entire Kuomintang movement. The finger was on Wang. They have done all the unlawful things they can to this end. Higher members in our party organizations have sought to stop this creation of unrest within our party. But the radicals have refused to obey. Zhang had worked for party unity. Wang against it. We have talked of remedies. Remedies. Wang knew what this meant. Those members of the central executive committee in the Hankou government who wish to go abroad for a rest should be allowed to do so. Wang took the hint. What is so restful as a voyage at sea and a rest in the quiet of Europe? Travel is so stimulating. In Europe, Wang had time to rest and to meditate and to improve his perspective on what was going on in China. Meantime, Zhang Kaisheng had declared himself willing to resign in the interest of unity, and resign he did. He went to Japan, and Wang Qingwei returned to China from Europe. But hardly had he returned to take over the reins of government when the great warlord, Zhang Zulin, started to march on the Nanking government. The only one who can stop Zhang Zulin is Zhang Kaisheng. Have we no generals? We have no Zhang Kaisheng. Then send for Zhang Kaisheng. This is what Zhang had been waiting for. As a condition for his return from Japan, he demanded that all military resources be mobilized behind the Guomindang in China. On this condition, he returned. The nationalist army was with Zhang, and Zhang forced the communists out of the party. He moved a step closer to him. Zhang is maintaining himself strongly with the army and without the masses. Therefore, I too shall go with the army and against the masses. Yes, being an opportunist, Wang moved a step closer to Zhang. But he did not capitulate, not yet. In 1930, he went to Peking, and headed another faction against Zhang and the central government. And the next year... Another revolt has broken out in Changtong against Zhang Kaisheng. Who is at the head of it? General Chen Chidong, and he is calling upon Zhang to resign or to fight to retain his office. General Chen Chidong isn't the real one. He's only the cat's paw. You think Wang Chenghui is behind the revolt? It could be no one else. He chose this time because it is the eve of the National People's Convention. Yes, he knows that now the attention of all China, of all the world, is on Zhang. Wang will fail. If it is Wang behind this revolt, it means that he has set up a new left-wing Guomindang government. And that he will... Wang succeeded in establishing a new left-wing Guomindang government. But this revolt was put down as all his previous efforts had been put down. At last, in 1931, he came to realize that Zhang was the strong man of China. Wang went over to him completely. Hardly had Wang gone over to Zhang, and the Japanese invaded Manchuria. The Japanese are like thieves in a house. They must be put out. We must fight them. All Chinese must fight them and drive them out of our land. This was a side of Wang that not many Chinese knew. With Zhang, he stood against the invading Japanese. He cried for a more strenuous fight against them. He cried for more action. But Zhang foresaw even greater dangers ahead. He foresaw that one day, as soon as the Japanese were ready, they would sweep down from the Manchuria they had just stolen and swarm over China. He foresaw that at this moment China was not strong enough to fight Japan. But that it must do all possible to prepare for this fight. Zhang set about getting China ready. Wang disagreed with Zhang. Was that actually Wang Qingwei? Yes. I recognized him as he went up the gangplank. Where is he going? He's going to Germany. To Germany? Yes. He has resigned as Prime Minister, you know. Again? I suppose he is going to Germany for his help. Yes. He is suffering from diabetes. That was 1932. Wang went to Germany. The next year he returned to China and under pressure because of the seriousness of the situation with Japan, he again took the post of Prime Minister in Nanking government. Now he was taking a stiff attitude toward Japan. China associates herself wholeheartedly with the world peace movement. Our faith in peace and in the arts of peace is one of the great traditions of our country. To this tradition we wish to be most meticulously loyal. My policy toward Japan is a policy of peace and goodwill. A policy of honest friendship. A policy of patient appeal to law, reason, morality, fairness. But I am not for peace at a price of wrong and dishonor. If further attacked, further invaded, we shall resist with increased vigor. These were the words of Wang Qingwei in 1934. But the pressure from Japan increased. In 1935, the executive committee of the Wumen Dong with Wang at its head met in Nanking to consider matters of great importance. The Japanese are stirring up revolt among our people. This was Sung Fan Min, a young newspaper man. They are prevailing upon the executive committee to make concessions to them. With others, Sung watched the manipulations in the session of the executive committee. They must not surrender to the warlords of Japan. At the end of the session, the world was advised of the conclusions reached between the executive committee and the Japanese. They have betrayed us. What did they decide? They did just what I thought they would do. General Shang Chen put a fat part of North China under the Chinese puppets of Japan. Not General Shang Chen. He is only the cat's paw. I know. I see the hand of Wang Qingwei. But Wang will not succeed. 48 hours after the deal was put through, Wang Qingwei and the other members of the executive committee were lined up to have their picture taken. Here, you cannot come in here. Why not? I'm a newspaper man. Here's my pass. Let me see it. Here. Yes. Sung Fan Min. All right, you can go in. You know, we have to be careful. We are keeping out all suspicious characters. Oh, hello, Sung. You succeeded in getting in, I see. I tried to keep me out. You got here just in time. You see, they are all lined up. All right. Get back. Get back. Give the camera my name. I think you think you can go. Just to the left of the center. Yes. Now give me a little room here. Shield me a little. Careful. Nobody sees the pistol. I'd like to get closer. Wang's about 35 feet away. You cannot get any closer. All right. Get back. Now, look out. Somebody's out. Somebody's out over there. Wang Qing Wei has been shot. Wang Qing Wei is shot. He's bleeding. He's shot in the face. Help him. Grab that man. Grab that man. Grab him. Wang Qing Wei fell with three bullets in him. One in the left cheek, one in the left shoulder, one in the back. Two of the bullets were removed. Wang hovered on the verge of death. At last, an announcement was made. Wang Qing Wei has suffered a heart attack. Because of failing health, Mr. Wang has decided to resign as prime minister. The tension between China and Japan was growing. Chong was striving, fighting time, trying to get ready before the first blow would fall. But progress was being made. Burdened down with numberless internal problems, faced with the prospect of imminent invasion by Japan, nevertheless, progress was being made by the central government. But the time was running short. The blow came in July, 1937. Japanese troops maneuvering in the vicinity of Beiping last night attacked Chinese soldiers at the Marco Polo Bridge. The fighting has spread and Japanese forces are striking at a dozen strategic points. Wang reappeared on the political scene. He came back to Nanking and worked with Chiang Kai-shek as deputy leader of the Kuomintang. Soon the Japanese were driving on Nanking. As the bombs and shells cascaded upon Nanking, Wang moved with the government to Hangkou. From Hangkou, Wang moved with the government to Changsha, from Changsha to Chongqing. There he worked with the party, helped organize and prosecute the war. Chongqing became the fighting capital of free China. But to observers in Chongqing, it became apparent that his interest in continued resistance was waning. Naturally, Mr. Wang, we know that you as a Chinese want to go on fighting Japan. You remember my statement that if we were further attacked, we would resist with increased vigor. Yes, I remember that, Mr. Wang. My readers in the United States are interested in your attitude toward Germany. It is very simple. Our enemy is Japan. Do you mean that China should not be concerned about Germany? Our policy is focused on Japan, and we are trying to isolate her. Of course. So we try to make as many friends as possible among the other nations. So if Germany does not encroach upon us, it is to our advantage to be friendly with her. But Germany has recognized Japan's seizure of Manchuria. Germany has explained that. She is trying to maintain neutrality. Recognizing the theft of a country is hardly maintaining a neutral position, Mr. Wang. The aims of Germany and Japan are different. Isn't it possible that Germany is actually helping Japan? Not very likely. Germany knows that if Japan controls the Far East, Germany will lose Japan's trade. But it seems fairly evident, doesn't it, Mr. Wang, that Germany is not helping China. Not directly. But if Germany reduces her help to Japan, she is indirectly helping us. And now, if you will excuse me, please, I have duties to explain. High officials in the central government watched Wang, learned to interpret what he did not say as well as what he said. Suspicion grew that he was in contact with the Japanese. In 1938, the blow-off came. Wang recommended to Chiang Kai-shek that the fighting with Japan be stopped. It is incredible, this position of Wang's. Not to Chiang Kai-shek. He has read Wang Jingwei out of the Guomindang party. Read him out of the party? Why, that is the same... Chiang has minced no words. He has branded Wang as a traitor and right now is arresting all Wang's followers. Wang remained in Chongqing and China went on fighting. The Japanese bombers came again and again and blasted and leveled the city. The Chinese dug into the solid rock and fought on. The long bombing season dragged on and as the clouds and the fog of winter closed in, Wang made other plans. He is gone. He is gone. Wang Jingwei is gone. Gone? Do you mean he has left Chongqing? Yes. He left by plane before dawn this morning. What of his children? He went to the country several days ago. He has deserted us. Possibly worse than that. Gone over to the Japanese? Where else could he go? He has been in our highest councils. If he goes over to the Japanese with all the information he has... We should never have let him out of our sight. How could he do it? He has been jealous of the Generalissimo. He has always wanted to be our ranking statesman. When he became convinced that he could never be, he deserted us. Shortly, Wang Jingwei turned up in the Japanese camp. In Tsingtao, he sat with Japanese officers around him, chatting amiably. This was the same Wang Jingwei who had said... I am not for peace at the price of wrong and dishonor. This was the same Wang Jingwei who had said... The Japanese are like thieves in a house. They must be put out. Now, among the Japanese, Wang Jingwei talked easily, warmly, charmingly as of old. He said nothing of Japanese aggression. As you know, I urged the Generalissimo to stop hostilities with Japan. He rebuked me and read me out of the party and called me a traitor. In his talk was an undercurrent, a compelling feeling that he must justify his deeds. I asked him to mediate with Japan through the German ambassador. He refused. I knew it was hopeless to stay longer in Zhongjing. The Japanese officers nodded and smiled. Some were grave, their faces inscrutable. Wang felt their attitude toward him too. We shall, of course, establish a truly representative government at Nanking. A government that represents the people. We will bring peace between our people and Japan. Soon, Wang was to come back to Nanking, to the city where he had been Prime Minister in the Nationalist government. To the scene of so many of his political conflicts. But now things were different in Nanking. The beautiful city had seen such terror as few cities have ever known. One of the few fine buildings still standing was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Japanese commander, General Nishio, took this building as his headquarters, and assigned a lesser building to Wang and his disciples. On March 20, 1940, Wang made a pilgrimage to the tomb of Dr. Sun, prayed there and then returned. And presided over a session of the Central Political Conference. I'd like to wire this dispatch to my newspaper back in the States. Let me share. The Central Political Conference, under the leadership of Wang Qingmei, today proclaimed the liquidation of the government of Chongkai Shek in Zhongjing, and ordered all civil servants to return to Nanking. The conference also decreed that the fighting between the Chinese and the Japanese cease. Yes, that is right. The session of the Central Political Conference lasted three days, during which time the hall was surrounded by hundreds of bodyguards with drawn pistols. I'm so sorry, but you cannot say that. What? That the hall was surrounded by hundreds of bodyguards with drawn pistols. It was, wasn't it? If you wish to wire this dispatch, you must delete the last sentence, otherwise it cannot be sent. Okay, okay. Eh, how's that? Now preparations went forward for the inauguration. At last, on March 30, 1940, they were ready to install Wang's puppet government. Correspondents came through the drizzling rain to attend the affair. This is funny, only Chinese here. Disciples of Wang. The Japs want this at least to look like the start of a real Chinese government. Sort of obvious, isn't it? Oh, the Japs are not completely absent. See, there's a handful of Japanese newspaper men over there. Yeah, there's sort of a paternal interest in the whole thing. Mm-hmm, with a couple thousand troops outside with fixed bayonets. Yeah, oh, there's Wang Qingwei himself working his place up on a stage. All those stooges around him look as if they've been set up there like so many dummies. They have. Remember, this whole deal has been postponed three times. This time the Japs want to make sure. Well, it's nice they got somebody to stand around up there. There isn't a representative of one foreign nation here. Except Japan. As Wang spoke, the rain drenched the flags that had been put up in the streets to celebrate the inauguration. Wang announced the birth of the puppet government, called it the national government. And then on a signal from him, his Chinese puppet underlings bowed. As the band played, Wang and his coterie of officials went to the steps outside to have their picture taken. Japanese officers in dress uniforms, now starting with the rain, carrying swords and pistols, grouped themselves around Wang and his government. Wang looks a little nervous up there. He ought to. He remembers the last time he posed to have his picture taken. Well, look at this. Jap fighter planes diving in salute. Yeah, that makes it official. Wang Qingwei now has the blessings of the Japanese military. And he can run his government any way they want. In the Paingchungjing government, the inauguration of Wang Qingwei in Nanking was observed by an order. It is the order of the government that every book written by Wang Qingwei or his disciples must be destroyed by fire. As the fires blazed high, an order came from Wang to all civil servants, to government clerks and officials and dignitaries, ordering them to report for duty in Wang's government at Nanking. Wang assured them that they would get the same rank in his government that they held in Chongqing, and that they would get the same pay. Each day, Wang reminds me more and more of Chen Kui. To be compared with Chen Kui in China is like being compared to Benedict Arnold in the United States. It is 800 years since the treachery of Chen Kui, but China has never forgotten. Every Chinese newsboy knows the story. It was when the Chins invaded China. Chen Kui had great influence over the Emperor of China, and all the time he was exerting this influence over our Emperor. He was in touch with the commanding general of the army. Our commanding general was Youfei. He fought bravely against the enemy and would have won, but his plans were thwarted and his orders were countermanded. At last Youfei was charged with treason and was thrown into prison. Behind all this was Chen Kui. In the trial it was shown that Youfei was not guilty of treason, but Chen Kui had so much influence over the Emperor that he had Youfei executed anyway. Nearly 50 years passed until this great wrong was righted. Then Youfei was honored and he became one of China's greatest heroes. All the years since then, curses have been heaped upon the traitor Chen Kui. And through all these years, we Chinese make pilgrimages to the grave of Chen Kui outside the city of Hangzhou and spit upon it. Wang strove to convince all Chinese, both in occupied China and in free China, that he was their true leader, but not a single Chinese of importance, not a single group of Chinese of any standing, came over to him. His name became a word of mockery among his people. The war against the Japanese goes on and in Chongqing, the capital of free and fighting China, world figures appraise Wang Qingwei's puppet government. The fact that Wang has not been able to deliver the Chinese people into the hands of Japan and that he has not been able to make them stop fighting Japan now has brought him the contempt of the Japanese. Yes, and there have even been reports of Wang's troops fighting the Japanese. The Japanese have tried to relieve the pressure on their armies by recruiting large numbers of puppet troops. You mean those 100,000 puppet troops in North China? Yes, and the 30,000 Mongolian troops. Actually, those puppet troops have little military value to the Japanese. About all they are used for is garrison duty. Whenever there is fighting, there has to be more Japanese troops there than puppet troops. Otherwise, the puppet troops will turn on the Japanese themselves. It's becoming more and more apparent that the Japanese are realizing they made a bad deal when they set up the Wang-Qingwei regime. Yes, Japan publicly set up and recognized and supported Wang's government. And now they cannot abolish it without losing face. The Pacific Story You have been listening to The Pacific Story, presented by the National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated independent stations as a public service to clarify events in the Pacific and to make understandable the cross-currents of life in the Pacific Basin. A reprint of this Pacific Story program is available at the cost of ten cents. Send ten cents in stamps or coins to University of California Press, Berkeley, California. The Pacific Story is written and directed by Arnold Marquis. The original musical score was composed and conducted by Thomas Paluso. Your narrator, Gain Whitman. This program came to you from Hollywood. This is the National Broadcasting Company.
