Letter from C.Y. Sun, Tientsin, to Alfred E. Stearns May 2, 1932
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from C.Y. Sun, Tientsin, to Alfred E. Stearns May 2, 1932
Subject
Letter from C.Y. Sun, Tientsin, to Alfred E. Stearns May 2, 1932
Transcription
May 2nd 1932
My dear Mr. Stearns,
Your most kind letter of March 16th was received and hereby acknowledged with many thanks. It was a great pleasure to learn that your health, not only restored, but improve d* after the operation.
Your impartial statement on the Japanese question is deeply appreciated; and it is doubly significant, because it came from a man like you. You asked me to give you some inner reasons for the Japanese action. It is a long story and will require volumes of writing if one is to be explicit, and I don’t think I am in a position to tell you everything correctly. But anyway I shall try to relate to you what I know. I believe that the real motive of the Japanese to cause the present trouble is mainly an attempt to re-enforce the twenty-one demands which are familiar to the whole world. They took a series of actions as follows: —
First. Before the Mukden occupation took place, the Japanese instigated with false rumors to arouse the Korean feeling to such an extent that a few hundred innocent Chinese were killed without interference from the authorities.
Second. In the Wanpaoshan case, the Japanese took the law into their own hands and started irrigation by diverting water from the main river without the consent of the Chinese Government.
Third. Mukden was occupied on the night of September 18th, 1931 without the least bit of provocation and warning and continuously they occupied the whole of Manchuria and formed the so- called the Manchurian Government or Manchukou in order to obtain what she could not get in any other manner from the Chinese government in connection to the twenty-one demands.
Fourth. The Tientsin incident started, as that of the Mukden affair, without the least bit of indication the night the attack was launched. The attackers were Chinese morphine fiends who were customers to Japanese suppliers. They were forced to take the front line after being reminded that they would be mowed down by machine guns if they retreat. In this manner, hundreds of morphine victims were killed.
Fifth. In the dreadful Shanghai affair, the Japanese took the excuse of a slight quarrel between a few Japanese priests and the people in the Chinese City. It was nothing of any importance that can be called " serious". The Japanese consul-general made four demands with which the Mayor of Shanghai painfully and reluctantly complied. The document of this compliance was delivered at the Japanese consulate-general between one and two o’clock, and the Japanese consul general had declared his acceptance and also signified his satisfaction of the settlement. About four o’clock in the same afternoon, the Japanese admiral occupied the Chapei district where they found no Chinese soldiers. This was confirmed by the eye-witness of the Reuter agency who was at the Chapel railway station when the Japanese took possession of that region. The very first things the Japanese started to do was to bomb from the air the Commercial Press and other industrial factories. The former was a gigantic concern and was the main source of supply for our educational purposes. And the atrocities inflicted upon the inflicted and defenseless inhabitants within that region was so horrible that it is too cruel to repeat in writing.
There is another thing which the Chinese could not understand, and that is the International Settlement should allow the Japanese to land within this area and fight the Chinese with it at their back and the Shanghai River(Huang Poo River)at their right thus making it impossible for the Chinese to outflank them in the manner with which they can do to us. For one instance, that may be worthy mention, that is our soldiers had once driver back the Japanese forces back to the Yangtsepoo Road and came quite near to the International Settlement. And our poor soldiers had to retreat in order to avoid International complication. This certainly will contribute something new to the rule of War.
Tom is joining the Kailan Mining Administration in Tonshan as a member of the senior staff. He leaves to-morrow, but still hopes for a chance that some opening in the Government service might be found for him in the future. Mary is also leaving for Shanghai in a few days to offer her voluntary service in a Mission Hospital. Charlie will arrive in June 7th on the steamer Cange of the Lloyd Tristino Line. And Arthur is serving the Government with a nominal pay of $50- per month and happily accept the situation quietly. It is indeed a joy to have all my children back with me.
As for me, ever since I came back to Tientsin last year from Shanghai where I helped to conduct the Famine Relief Campaign I have been suffering from certain kind disease which cause numerous eruptions on my body. Now I have fully recovered and expect to go down South again in a few days to see what service I can render for our common cause.
Regarding the balance of Mary’s account of $3963,80, and Tom’s of 2251,99. totaling $6215.79., I have written you a letter (copy of which is herewith enclosed for your reference) gave it to the Tientsin Branch of The National City Bank of New York to advice their home office to collect from you the said sum of $6,215,79. Please note in that letter I used the word ($6,215,79) or “thereabout”. I did so because there might be some Charges against my children’s accounts not yet entered. I wish to take this opportunity to thank you again for all the kindess you have done to my children. Trusting this will find you in better health. With Kindest regards,
Yours most sincerely
C.Y.Sun
My dear Mr. Stearns,
Your most kind letter of March 16th was received and hereby acknowledged with many thanks. It was a great pleasure to learn that your health, not only restored, but improve d* after the operation.
Your impartial statement on the Japanese question is deeply appreciated; and it is doubly significant, because it came from a man like you. You asked me to give you some inner reasons for the Japanese action. It is a long story and will require volumes of writing if one is to be explicit, and I don’t think I am in a position to tell you everything correctly. But anyway I shall try to relate to you what I know. I believe that the real motive of the Japanese to cause the present trouble is mainly an attempt to re-enforce the twenty-one demands which are familiar to the whole world. They took a series of actions as follows: —
First. Before the Mukden occupation took place, the Japanese instigated with false rumors to arouse the Korean feeling to such an extent that a few hundred innocent Chinese were killed without interference from the authorities.
Second. In the Wanpaoshan case, the Japanese took the law into their own hands and started irrigation by diverting water from the main river without the consent of the Chinese Government.
Third. Mukden was occupied on the night of September 18th, 1931 without the least bit of provocation and warning and continuously they occupied the whole of Manchuria and formed the so- called the Manchurian Government or Manchukou in order to obtain what she could not get in any other manner from the Chinese government in connection to the twenty-one demands.
Fourth. The Tientsin incident started, as that of the Mukden affair, without the least bit of indication the night the attack was launched. The attackers were Chinese morphine fiends who were customers to Japanese suppliers. They were forced to take the front line after being reminded that they would be mowed down by machine guns if they retreat. In this manner, hundreds of morphine victims were killed.
Fifth. In the dreadful Shanghai affair, the Japanese took the excuse of a slight quarrel between a few Japanese priests and the people in the Chinese City. It was nothing of any importance that can be called " serious". The Japanese consul-general made four demands with which the Mayor of Shanghai painfully and reluctantly complied. The document of this compliance was delivered at the Japanese consulate-general between one and two o’clock, and the Japanese consul general had declared his acceptance and also signified his satisfaction of the settlement. About four o’clock in the same afternoon, the Japanese admiral occupied the Chapei district where they found no Chinese soldiers. This was confirmed by the eye-witness of the Reuter agency who was at the Chapel railway station when the Japanese took possession of that region. The very first things the Japanese started to do was to bomb from the air the Commercial Press and other industrial factories. The former was a gigantic concern and was the main source of supply for our educational purposes. And the atrocities inflicted upon the inflicted and defenseless inhabitants within that region was so horrible that it is too cruel to repeat in writing.
There is another thing which the Chinese could not understand, and that is the International Settlement should allow the Japanese to land within this area and fight the Chinese with it at their back and the Shanghai River(Huang Poo River)at their right thus making it impossible for the Chinese to outflank them in the manner with which they can do to us. For one instance, that may be worthy mention, that is our soldiers had once driver back the Japanese forces back to the Yangtsepoo Road and came quite near to the International Settlement. And our poor soldiers had to retreat in order to avoid International complication. This certainly will contribute something new to the rule of War.
Tom is joining the Kailan Mining Administration in Tonshan as a member of the senior staff. He leaves to-morrow, but still hopes for a chance that some opening in the Government service might be found for him in the future. Mary is also leaving for Shanghai in a few days to offer her voluntary service in a Mission Hospital. Charlie will arrive in June 7th on the steamer Cange of the Lloyd Tristino Line. And Arthur is serving the Government with a nominal pay of $50- per month and happily accept the situation quietly. It is indeed a joy to have all my children back with me.
As for me, ever since I came back to Tientsin last year from Shanghai where I helped to conduct the Famine Relief Campaign I have been suffering from certain kind disease which cause numerous eruptions on my body. Now I have fully recovered and expect to go down South again in a few days to see what service I can render for our common cause.
Regarding the balance of Mary’s account of $3963,80, and Tom’s of 2251,99. totaling $6215.79., I have written you a letter (copy of which is herewith enclosed for your reference) gave it to the Tientsin Branch of The National City Bank of New York to advice their home office to collect from you the said sum of $6,215,79. Please note in that letter I used the word ($6,215,79) or “thereabout”. I did so because there might be some Charges against my children’s accounts not yet entered. I wish to take this opportunity to thank you again for all the kindess you have done to my children. Trusting this will find you in better health. With Kindest regards,
Yours most sincerely
C.Y.Sun
Creator
C.Y. Sun
Publisher
Phillips Academy
Date
May 2, 1932
Rights
All Rights Reserved by Phillips Academy
Language
English
Type
Correspondence