Contributors & Bibliography

Contributors:

Xinwei Li

Hongyi Guo

Shuwen(Ella) Chen

Xiaoyi(Abbey) Chen

Wei Wang

Bibliography:

Brook, Timothy, ed. Documents on the Rape of Nanking. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1999.

Encyclopedia of world history, s.v. “East Asia, 1903-1945”

Tadao, Takemoto, and Ohara Yasuo. The Alleged 'Nanking Massacre': Japan's rebuttal to China's forged claims. Tokyo: Meisei-sha, Inc., 2000

Yin, James, and Young Shi. The Rape of Nanking: An Undeniable History in Photograph. Chicago: Innovative Publishing Group, 1997.

Berry, Michael. "Cinematic Representations of the Rape of Nanking." East Asia : An International Quarterly 19, no. 4 , 2001

Kaiyuan, Zhang ed. Eyewitnesses to massacre: American missionaries bear witness to Japanese atrocities in Nanjing. Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe, 2001

Speech: It is time to stand up!

This was a speech given by a young student just in front of the Beijing University on Feb 17, 1938. He stood in a humble stage and surrounded by numerous people. He was so brave because he might get shoot in every second. However, he looked like he got enough courage to face with death. His speech was inspiring and successful. It’s impressing for me, and I believe Chinese would remember him as well.

It is time to stand up!

As a Chinese student, I am really mad at what the Japanese did for the people who live in Nanjing. Actually, I was born in Nanjing. When the Nanking Massacre happened, I was studying University in Beijing. I was lucky that I have not been killed, but I lost the chance to fight with Japanese! When I heard the massacre happened, I was so worried about my family members who were still in Nanjing and finally I decided to go back. When I was on my way home, I got more and more information about the Nanjing’s miserable situation. They are so cruel. How could they kill 350,000 people in 6 weeks[1] without any guilt? Almost whole city was collapsed and corpses were everywhere. The city looks like a hell. Such a barbarian race! I think the whole world should stand up to against the Japanese. Especially the Chinese, we cannot accept the blatant aggression, which has broken the morality of human being. I know a significant amount of Chinese have the same emotion with me that we have nothing left but the motivation to defeat Japanese. We have the power to change the situation and fight against Japanese. What all of us need to do is to stand up, take our courage and duty as a citizen to fight for our nation. It is time to stand up!

　　　　When I found the picture that hundreds naked dead women were piling up besides river on the newspaper, it made me feel extremely angry. Now I see what exactly the Japanese think about Chinese, they even did not treat those women as human, and they just want to satisfy their sexuality, and then killed them. I believe everyone would feel upset about this, but only upset is not enough! People! Chinese people! We need to stand up! We cannot hide any more! We cannot witness our Chinese dignity trampled under Japanese feet. The Japanese killed our families, our friends and our people. We need to do something to show we are not cowards, and we are very mad at what they did to us. They have to pay for what they did. It is important for us to unify to protect our country, our rights and our dignity. Do not be afraid of being killed. At this time, the honor is more important then life. We are Chinese people, we are powerful and strong, any other countries attempt to invade us, we will not back up, and what we are going to do is to fight against the enemy. No matter how dangerous it will be, how much it will cost; we cannot lose our honor of being Chinese. All the Chinese people! It is time to wake up, use our power and faith to defend our country. 

China! It is time to stand up!

----Translated by Wei Wang

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[1] Michael Berry, "Cinematic Representations of the Rape of Nanking," East Asia : An International Quarterly 19, no.4 (2001), 85-108.

Refugees in Ginling College

18，December, 1937

Today, when I passed through Ginling College to go to the safety zone, I saw crowded population was waiting in front of gate of the college. People were queuing for getting in. When I was curious why, I saw some people hold straw mat on hands and carried cotton quilt on their back, and some of them hold their children. My subconscious told me that those people were refugees. Then, I saw a lady who was organizing those refugees to come into the campus. I know she is an American missionary and now becomes a chairman of the Education Department of Ginling College. I have interviewed her for reporting her personal experience so we are familiar with each other. She saw me and I waved my hand to her through the crowd. She smiled back and beckoned me in.   

“Sir, Could you help me? There are too many refugees, I have to ‘keep idlers out and let woman come in’[1].” She said quite quickly; I could see that she was very busy.

“Sure, Madam, what can I do for you?” I just realized that the people who could come in were only women and children.

“Actually, we had ‘persuaded the older woman to remain at home with their husbands and sons’[2] because our campus cannot provide any space to content those poor people anymore, even stairs and halls were too crowded to walk through. But those refugees’ husbands begged me to ‘just give them a place to sleep outside’ since even sixty-year-old women would be raped if they live at home. So, just help me to distinguish women from others, thanks.” She said in helpless voice.

I believe that it was not hard to distinguish women and children from others, because women have their own characteristics. But I was wrong because those women “had disguised themselves in every possible way-many had cut their hair, most of them had blackened their face, many were wearing men or boy’s clothes.”[3]

“Sir, How was the safety zone going on?” she asked to me because she knew I am recording the warfare.

“Madam, not quite well. More and more refugees come in, the safety zone has already too crowded, the supply of rice and coals are almost used up.” I told her the truth that all American missionaries are trying to seek for aids by sending telegrams to Japanese embassies and International Red Cross.

Christmas will come soon, people really need a warm place to celebrate and cheer. Actually, celebration and cheering are kind of luxury to Nanjing citizens now. They are experiencing the misery everyday; a safe place to sleep is the best Christmas gift for them!

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[1]  Zhang Kaiyuan, ed. Eyewitnesses to massacre: American missionaries bear witness to Japanese atrocities in Nanjing (Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe, 2001), 339.

[2] ibid

[3] ibid.

Interviewed a Translator

Tianxiang Tang was born in a wealthy family and he was well educated. He has studied in Japan for 3 years, after that he came back to Shanghai. He was caught after Shanghai was fallen and survived just because he could speak Japanese. Thus, he has to become a translator to help Japanese communicate with the local; otherwise he and his family would be killed.

Here is what he said when I talked to him in an embassy on January 1938.

 

“I felt sinful when I saw them [Japanese soldiers] kill the babies who just had been to the world. They were innocent! So were those poor residents[1]. “ The odor of blood and undressed wound, pain and hideous faces always make me wake up from a nightmare, I know how incompetent and coward I am as a Chinese. Every time when I was spitted by other residents, when they pointed at me and shouted ”black sheep or even wanted to kill me with a knife…I feel guilty! I feel angry about those Japanese devils!

…

Yesterday, I heard a Japanese Army Officer said they would go to Ginling College which has already become a prostitute recruitment for soldiers to rape those girls. I felt a qualm of disgust when they lasciviously laughed but the only thing I could do was to keep silence. I have no idea what they have done to those pretty girls who should have been educated in that college. They [the Japanese] had guards at the gate and they also dressed up as Chinese[2]. Afterwards, I coincidentally heard that the reason why they dressed themselves up is that they don’t want the whole world to know their horrendous acts. What a mean strategy! Based on this, they don’t allow foreigners to build safety zone, and then they block the newspaper telegram and forbade anyone to leave the city so that what happened in Nanking would be a secret[3]. I think the only thing I can do is to record the brutality of the Japanese heinous crimes. And that’s why I would like to tell you what had happened.

…

They not only satisfy with simply massacred people, but also seek for more excitement. MUKAI and NODA had a competition about which team could kill more people in a certain time[4]. Those Japanese military officers are talking about how many people they killed excitedly every day, it seems that they have a competitive game rather than committed the cruelest massacre. When they asked me whether I had better ideas to help them win the game, I really wanted to ripped him apart, but I can’t as I have the responsibility to take care of my wife and my little daughter, I was painful about that.”

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[1] James Yin and Shi Young,The Rape of Nanking: An Undeniable History in Photograph(Chicago: Innovative Publishing Group, 1997)  4-6

[2] Tadao, Takemoto, and Ohara Yasuo. The Alleged 'Nanking Massacre': Japan's rebuttal to China's forged claims. (Tokyo: Meisei-sha, Inc., 2000), 89-90

[3] Tadao, Takemoto, and Ohara Yasuo. The Alleged 'Nanking Massacre': Japan's rebuttal to China's forged claims.(Tokyo: Meisei-sha, Inc., 2000),46-49

[4] James Yin and Shi Young, The Rape of Nanking: An Undeniable History in Photograph (Chicago: Innovative Publishing Group, 1997), 91-93

A Victim Kangri's Dairy

While I was walking in a house which was a refugee house in Nanking Safety Zone during the rape of Nanking, one of the staff in the refugee house gave me a heavy notebook. He told me it was the diary of the former house owner whose name was Kangri Guo. On Dec.27, 1937, Some Japanese soldiers came and raped some of the refugees. Kangri was killed by Japanese soldiers when he was trying to stop them.

Parts of Kangri’s diary are presented as below:

Sep.25, 1937

Bombs were dropped everywhere in Nanking. My family and I hid in the basement.  I tried my best to calm down my children even though I was also fear and out of breathe. One of the houses beside mine was exploded into pieces and my house shook as well. My neighbor who lived in that house wasn’t killed by the bomb at first but badly injured. However when I sent him to the nearest hospital, I found the hospital destroyed… By the last minute of his life, he still believed our government would win the battle and peace will come to China again sooner or later.  

Nov.19, 1937

My friend Puying who works in The International Committee told me that the “Nanking Safety Zone” is going to be established, and our lives might be saved. However, where the Safety Zone will be is still unknown to him, but he will inform me as soon as he knows. In fact, I don’t really care about the war. The only thing I desire is the safety of my family and me. I couldn’t be worrier right now.

Nov. 23, 1937

Thank god! Puying told me my house is included in the “Nanking Safety Zone”. I was also told that because The International Committee was established by many foreigners like American and Germen, Japanese will not dare to attack the Safety Zone. Hope the zone would work well so that my family and I can step away from death.

Nov.24, 1937

I feel terrible! When Puying asked me if I want to set my house as a refugee house in order to accept those who lost everything in the war, I refused and said I am not a Saint… I really understand what those people feel exactly--The extreme fear and depression. I know that! But I also know that taking refugees might get myself killed. I am so sorry to be a self-fish…But I am not brave enough…  

Dec.6, 1937

I finally agreed to found a refugee house. I can’t tolerate seeing those poor guys and women without doing anything any more. I am Chinese and so are they! I decided to help them even though it’s a risk for me and my family. One of the staff told me the first part of refugees would come to my house tomorrow.

Dec. 16, 1937

I didn’t see Puying at dinner today. Another staff told me Puying was taken away by Japanese this afternoon[1]. I was shocked. I don’t know what his future will be like. The only thing I could do is praying to God for our lives. Everyone here is frightened although they don’t speak it out.

Dec.17, 1937

It’s said that our leader John Rabe had some conflicts with Japanese soldiers. It seems like they broke into Mr.Rabe’s house[2]. Now I realize no one here is really safe, even our leader. Japanese soldiers can go to anywhere they want, and take whatever they like. Maybe I should have escaped from here… but where can I go?

Dec.23, 1937

One of the guys I know in the Safety Zone was hit on his head by Japanese soldier and died at once. The girl walking with him was raped by several soldiers[3]. Although I was not far from them, I hid behind a building as fast as I could. Luckily, those soldiers were drunk and didn’t notice me. I really wanted to help them but my body was shaking and couldn’t move at all. I watched them being killed and raped and did nothing but just watching! It drives me totally crazy. I even wanted to kill myself!!   

Dec.26, 1937

Maybe death is getting closer to me. Maybe I can’t write any more. Maybe I will die just in a second. Maybe… Even now my hands are shaking because of fear. Today Japanese soldiers came to my house, raped and took away 2 girls here. I don’t know how to describe my feeling now. I lost my wife, my children and my parents. But I still believe there are things I can do: I have the refugee house which contains tens of refugees in Nanking. It’s my job to protect them. 

If last month I insisted refusing to found this refugee house when Puying talked to me, I would still be a coward who only thinks about himself. But now it’s different. I heard them laugh, I heard them cry. They all have families, friends and even dreams, and all of these above were destroyed into pieces by those Japanese soldiers. One of the girls they raped today dreamed to marry a handsome Chinese army officer, the other one just wanted to sit in a car sometime in the future. Now their dreams will never come true. If god exists, I will question him why he just ignored these savage acts! Yes I am afraid, yet I will protect my refugees. Because If I don’t do so, who else will do it?

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[1] Timothy Brook, ed. Documents on the Rape of Nanking (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1999), 33

[2] Brook, 34

[3] Brook, 54

About this blog and myself

I was born in California and graduated from University of California. I am currently working for The New York Times as a reporter. When Second Sino-Japanese world began in Shanghai, I was sent to collect the news in China on July 7, 1937[1] and offered my help to Chinese if it’s possible.

I lived in China for over 8 years and witnessed how cruel Japanese soldiers were[2]. I tried to interview different kinds of people involving in Second Sino-Japanese war. Sometimes I went with Chinese soldiers travelling to other cities and talked to the local victims or some brave students. Sometimes I met some missionaries who came from America as well. Sometimes I almost got killed by the Japanese who tried to stop me reporting the facts…

However, years went by, there is still one battle I cannot forget. It is like a nightmare for me, for the city, for the whole Chinese, even for whole human society!

In this blog, I will not give my own comments on Nanking Massacre that much. I just want to show some primary sources and my own experiences I got when I was in Nanjing in 1937. I think they are more powerful and reliable than any other words. The reason why I sign in this blog and share those unforgettable memories is to let more and more people know what had happened in Nanjing; I hope publics could think about the issue of morality on human society by demonstrating this massacre; also I would like to alert people the importance of world peace and keeping away from war.

                                                                    ---- William D. Green

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[1] Encyclopedia of world history, s.v. “East Asia, 1903-1945” page780

[2] Encyclopedia of world history, s.v. “East Asia, 1903-1945” page786-787