Red clerk of the "notary firm"
A small examination of the deeds of the martyr Jin Jianxiao
Author: Yangpu Notary Office Cai Yu
It is a very meaningful work to fully excavate the historical materials of Chinese notarization and tell the red story of Chinese notarization. Today's article is about the martyr Jin Jianxiao, who joined the Communist Party of China in Shanghai in 1931 and served as a clerk in the "notary firm affiliated with the Eastern Province Special Regional Court" in the early 1930s.
Jin Jianxiao, male, born in 1910, Manchu, underground communist party member, formerly known as Jin Chengzhi, number Peizhi, also known as Mengchen, pen name Jianxiao, Ba Lai and so on. He was a pioneer of Heilongjiang's "left-wing" literature and a warrior of the War of Resistance, a combination of painting, novels, poetry, dramas, and directors, and was a very famous revolutionary literary and artistic fighter of the party in northeast China. On the afternoon of June 13, 1936, Jin Jianxiao was secretly arrested by Japanese agents in Harbin, and was killed in Qiqihar on August 15 of the same year, at the age of 26. [1]
Many articles and books on the deeds of the martyr Jin Jianxiao have been published before and after the liberation, and here, based on the reminiscences of his comrades-in-arms and relatives, the Annals of Jin Jianxiao and other materials and related historical archives and documents[2], this article makes a preliminary review of his revolutionary experience during the "notary office affiliated to the Eastern Special Regional District Court". Due to the limited information available and inaccuracies, please forgive the reader.
At present, the earliest information I have seen that Jin Jianxiao is engaged in notarization work is the "Unfinished Composition" written by Xiao Jun[3] (signed by Tian Jun) in Qingdao in September 1936, published in the sixth issue of the first volume of "Zhongliu" published on November 20, 1936. In the text, Jin Jianxiao's name is replaced by "k", and when recalling the scene when the two people first met, Xiao Jun recalled: "We just began to talk for a few more sentences. 'What time do you go to work?' I asked him. 'Eight o'clock in the morning... One o'clock in the afternoon...'. 'What's that place?' ''A notary's office—a Russian.' ''Do you know Russian?' 'No, I'm a copy of the ,...... of Chinese'. As he drank tea, he looked at me with a childish smile and said, "Don't make jokes... I'm still a third-class clerk. ”[4]
In addition, on August 1, 1937, the "Wind and Snow of Xing'anLing" edited by Bai Lang and Jin Ren, published by the Night Whistle Series Publishing House, appended the article "Golden Sword Scream" by Jiang Chunfang (signed at the time of publication: Jiang Shui), which stated: "In 1931, a few days before the outbreak of the September 18 Incident, he returned to the northeast. "Unemployment" led the painter to a Harbin notary as secretary. ”[5]
Because of the political environment at that time and the conservative "party secrets" and other reasons, these two manuscripts were written relatively obscurely, without mentioning Jin Jianxiao's identity as an underground member of the CCP, and the author's name was pen name[6], because Xiao Jun's article was written about a month after the martyr's death, according to the two people have known each other for only four or five years, and also painted details of Jin Jianxiao's self-description of Xiao Jun's "third-class clerk grin", so it is more accurate than other comrades-in-arms and relatives' recollections after Xiao Jun's liberation. Therefore, some reminiscence articles about Jin Jianxiao's position in the "notary institution" were Chinese and the statements of recorders, secretaries, clerks, clerks, and clerks seem to be inaccurate. [7]
Jiang Chunfang's reminiscences are slightly later than Xiao Jun's, and although jin Jianxiao's position is described as "secretary", it describes that his work place was at the Harbin notary office. [8]
Jin Jianxiao joined the Communist Party of China in 1931 while studying at Shanghai University of the Arts, and returned to the northeast a few days before the outbreak of the "918 Incident". At that time, there were two "Russian" notary firms in Harbin. One is the First Notary Office of the Eastern Province Special Regional Court, and its address is on the second floor of No. 34 Daoli Central Street according to the relevant local records, and the notary is Fodorov. [9] The other was the Third Notary Firm of the Eastern Province Special Regional Court, whose address and notary public were unknown at the time. The firm opened on 1 November 1921 as Sagovits,[10] at 39 China Avenue in Daoli,[11] but was suspended for fraud and taken over by Isakudorf, when Ishedov took over, and whether Ishydov was still working on the original site is unknown. The institute was closed down due to wrongdoing and reopened in September 1934 by Sagovy, located on China Eleventh Street. [12]
According to Fang Wei'ai's recollection in 1964, "In the winter of 1932, I joined the Communist Party of China through the introduction of Jin Boyang and Huang Yinqiu, and soon after, Jin Boyang asked me to live a group life, led me to see the party group leader, and in a secretary's transcription room in a notary office on Daoli China Street, I met the group leader, who turned out to be Jin Balai. [13] This recollection was confirmed by Jiang Chunfang's recollection, "and gradually he let me know where he worked: a Russian-run legal notary office on Central Avenue, where he specialized in copying documents." [14] In Xiao Jun's august 15, 1979 speech, "Comrade Jin Jianxiao I Know", it was also mentioned that "for the arrest of this member of the regiment, I went to the notary office to find him." We stood on the veranda facing the street", which coincided with the first notary office of the Eastern Province Special District Court on the second floor. [15]
Therefore, judging from the materials currently available to the author, it is very likely that Jin Jianxiao worked at the "First Notary Office of the Eastern Province Special Regional Court" on the second floor of No. 34 Central Avenue in Daoli, but because he did not consult the relevant original archives, it is not excluded that he worked at the "Third Notary Office of the Eastern Special Regional District Court".
In February 1932, after Harbin was occupied by the Japanese army, under the personal management of the Japanese invaders, Puyi took office in puppet Manchukuo on March 9 of the same year, and proposed a general decree on "temporarily invoking the former decree"[16], the puppet Manchukuo authorities did not immediately change the original "Eastern Province Special District" notary office system, so several "notary firms" under the "Eastern Province Special Regional Court" continued to operate.
Jin Jianxiao took advantage of his position as a clerk of the "Notary Office Affiliated to the Eastern Special Regional District Court" to actively engage in revolutionary activities.
According to the recollections of Jin Jianxiao's old comrade-in-arms, the "notary office" where he worked was one of the secret activities of the underground party organization of the Ccp in Harbin at that time. Jiang Chunfang, then an official of the Propaganda Department of the Manchuria Provincial CPC Committee, recalled: "This office was located on Central Avenue, where he specialized in copying and copying documents. If I have an urgent need, I can go to the agreed meeting place and go directly to the notary to see him during his office hours. ”[17]
Jiang Chunfang's working connection with Jin Jianxiao was that Jiang Chunfang was responsible for editing the party newspaper "Manchuria Red Flag" (later renamed Northeast People's Daily), managing the secret printing and distribution of two organs. Newspapers and all kinds of propaganda materials must have pictures of publicizing the anti-Japanese deeds in northeast China and exposing the reactionary behavior of the enemy and the hypocrites. Comrades who do secret printing, although they write neatly, cannot draw. According to the introduction of Comrade Xiao Li (party name) and He Chengxiang, director of the Organization Department of the Manchuria Provincial CPC Committee, Jiang Chunfang and Jin Jianxiao were jointed, and each time Jiang Chunfang told Jin Jianxiao the content and quantity of the paintings, went back to paint them, agreed on a time and place, handed the paintings to him, and then assigned new tasks. Because the comrades who carved the wax plate could not paint, the painter was required to draw directly on the wax paper with an iron pen and then give it to the printing house. This added danger to Jin Jianxiao, who wanted to keep contraband in his own home—steel plates, iron pens, and wax paper—and secondly, he had to take the painted wax paper with him and give it to Jiang Chunfang. Jin Jianxiao completed this task very accurately and astutely. [18]
Fang Weiai recalled: "In the winter of 1932, I joined the Communist Party of China through the introduction of Jin Boyang and Huang Yinqiu, and soon after, Jin Boyang once asked me to live a group life, led me to see the party group leader, and in a secretary's transcription room in a notary office on Daoli Central Avenue, I met the group leader, who turned out to be Jin Balai. [19]”
In the spring of 1932, Jin Jianxiao was inaugurated as a member of the Western District Committee of Harbin City, and at the behest of Comrade Zhang Guanyi (that is, Yang Jingyu), secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, he and Luo Feng, member of the Propaganda Committee of the Eastern District of Harbin City, jointly founded the secretly distributed anti-Manchu anti-Japanese mimeograph newspaper, and united some left-wing cultural people to carry out revolutionary literary and artistic activities in Northern Manchuria. [20]
Jin Jianxiao actively participated in the activities of the "Anti-Japanese Meeting", a mass organization led by the party. According to the article "My Father Jin Jianxiao" written by Jin Lun, the daughter of Jin Jianxiao, on April 5, 1979, on the Qingming Festival, the work entrusted to her father by the party was to engage in anti-Japanese work in Harbin's literary and art circles. [21] In 1932, a major flood occurred on the Songhua River. After the flood, under his leadership, an exhibition of disaster relief paintings was held, most of which were his works, and many oil paintings, gouache paintings and sketches full of revolutionary passion participated in the exhibition, such as "Underground Flames", "May Day", "From the Ground", etc., but paintings related to politics could not be displayed. [22]
When and why did Jin Jianxiao leave the "notary office" in the end, and the Annals of Jin Jianxiao record that in 1932, he "resigned from the Russian notary office in order to adapt to the work of the party and seek a life." Founded the 'Tianma Advertising Agency' in Daoli Fifteen Avenue Street to cover revolutionary activities, cultivate artistic talents, and help poor young people. The female writer Xiao Yin (Xiao Hong) and the revolutionary martyr Hou Xiaogu both served as his advertising deputies. [23] This time of departure is different from the memories of Comrades Jiang Chunfang, Xiao Jun and other comrades after liberation. Further verification of historical information is pending. [24]
The Qingming Dynasty is approaching, and finally an excerpt from a long poem created by Jin Jianxiao, "The Wind and Snow of Xing'anLing", is used as the end of this article to mourn the revolutionary martyr Jin Jianxiao.
Four one thoughts
They have a mind.
Villagers, knights...
In a mind
Filled with their hopes.
Withstand the harsh winter,
Isn't it spring?
Through the dark web of the night,
Isn't it the glimmer of dawn?
- As long as there is spring
- As long as there is a glimmer
- Live, buddies,
That's all they hope for.
The difficulties of the harsh winter are being pursued
With the passion of their truth.
Cutting the net of the night,
With their sharp swords.
They have a mind,
In a thought,
Filled with their hopes. [25]
[1] Foreword, Jin Jianxiao: Foreword to The Collection of Golden Swords, Heilongjiang University Press, 2011, pp. 1-5.
[2] Liu Shusheng and Li Dong: Annals of The Golden Sword, Qiqihar Municipal Archives: The Collected Works of the Golden Sword And Xiao Memorial, 1986 edition, pp. 200-207.
[3] A famous writer, he once served as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a member of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and an advisor to the China Writers Association. Xiao Jun: "Comrade Jin Jianxiao I Know", Jin Jianxiao: "The Collection of Golden Swords and Xiao", Heilongjiang University Press, 2011 edition, p. 130 notes.
[4] Xiao Jun (signed Tian Jun at the time of publication): "Unfinished Composition", Middle Stream, Vol. 1, No. 6. The punctuation marks in the text are adjusted for reading convenience.
[5] Jiang Chunfang (signed Jiang Shui at the time of publication): "Jin Jianxiao", "The Wind and Snow of Xing'anLing" edited by Bai Lang and Jin Ren, published by Night Whistle Series Publishing House on August 1, 1937, pp. 27-28.
[6] Jiang Chunfang: "Jin Jianxiao and the Harbin Revolutionary Literary and Art Activities", Qiqihar Municipal Archives: "Jin Jianxiao Memorial Anthology", 1986 edition, p. 18.
[7] Jin Jianxiao: Appendix to The Collected Works of Jin Jianxiao, Heilongjiang University Press, 2011, pp. 120, 237, 260, 283, 288. Jin Lun: "Remembering My Father— Jin Jianxiao", New Cultural Historical Materials, No. 2, 2002. Of course, before becoming a clerk, Jin Jianxiao definitely needed to perform certain procedures, and before he officially became a clerk, he may have held a similar position as a Chinese recorder.
[8] Jiang Chunfang (signed Jiang Shui at the time of publication): "Jin Jianxiao", "The Wind and Snow of Xing'anLing" edited by Bai Lang and Jin Ren, published by Night Whistle Series Publishing House on August 1, 1937, p. 28.
[9] Harbin Local History Compilation Committee: "Harbin Chronicle, Public Security, Judicial Administration", Heilongjiang People's Publishing House, 1996, p. 330. As far as the author can see, the name of the notary Chinese, in addition to Fodorov (the Chinese is called the Chinese name on his notary seal), is also translated as Fordlauf and Fodorov.
[10] Also translated as Sagaovich, Sagovitch.
[11] China Avenue was later renamed Central Avenue. Yang Rongqiu and Xie Zhongtian: "Heavenly Street Is Colorful • Harbin Central Street", Plastered People's Liberation Army Literature and Art Publishing House, 2000 edition, p. 2.
[12] It may have been opened on September 18, 1934 or September 10, 1934. "The Third Notary Firm Has Resumed", The Times, September 19, 1934, the original newspaper published a date of opening seems to have a typographical error. On June 19, 1933, the "Eastern Province Special Administrative Region" was renamed "North Manchuria Special District" by the decision of the Puppet Manchukuo State Council Meeting, and "Harbin Special City" was established, so the name of the notary office was also changed to "the Third Notary Office of the District Court of the North Manchuria Special Administrative Region". See Heilongjiang Provincial Archives, ed., Timeline of Heilongjiang History (1931-1945), Heilongjiang People's Publishing House, 1986 edition, p. 53.
[13] Fang Weiai worked as an editor in harbin International Association Daily in the 1930s, excerpted from his 1964 letter to the Propaganda Department of the Qiqihar Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Fang Weiai: "Remembrance of Jin Balai", Qiqihar City Archives: "Jin Jianxiao Memorial Anthology", 1986 edition, p. 117.
[14] Jiang Chunfang: "Artist Jin Jianxiao", Jin Lun and Li Rudong, eds., Collected Poems of Jin Jianxiao, Heilongjiang People's Publishing House, 1981, pp. 115, 119. Jiang Chunfang's article is a book that does not indicate the date of completion, but only says: "More than forty years later, this commemorative article recalling Comrade Jin Jianxiao was written word by word with tears in my eyes." ”
[15] Xiao Jun: "Comrade Jin Jianxiao I Know", Qiqihar City Archives: "Jin Jianxiao Memorial Anthology", 1986 edition, p. 38. In the original book, "Notary Firm" was mistakenly published as "Impartial Firm", and the author's name was "Xiao Jun".
[16] (Japanese) "Compilation and Publication of the History of Manchukuo", ed., Shi Jilin Compilation Group Translation of the Fourteenth Year of the Fall of Northeast China: "On the History of Manchukuo", Printed by the School-run Printing House of Northeast Normal University, 1990 edition, p. 1. The original title and editor have no quotation marks.
[17] Jiang Chunfang: "Jin Jianxiao and the Harbin Revolutionary Literary and Art Activities", Jin Jianxiao: Appendix to the Collection of Golden Swords and Xiao, Heilongjiang University Press, 2011, p. 101. According to this page note (1), Jiang Chunfang, former consultant of the Central Compilation Bureau, editor-in-chief and translator of the Encyclopedia of China Publishing House, and former head of the Propaganda Department of the Manchurian Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China. However, according to the text of the article, at that time, the provincial party committee did not have a propaganda minister, and Comrade He Chengxiang, the head of the group, Xiao Li (the name of the party), temporarily concurrently served, and I served as the director of the Propaganda Department. Pages 109-110 of the same book.
[18] Jiang Chunfang: "Artist Jin Jianxiao", Jin Lun and Li Rudong, eds., Collected Poems of Jin Jianxiao, Heilongjiang People's Publishing House, 1981, pp. 114-116.
[19] Fang Wei'ai wrote a letter to the Propaganda Department of the QIQIHAR Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1964. In the 1930s, Fang Weiai worked as an editor in the Harbin International Association Daily. Fang Weiai: "Memories of Jin Balai", Qiqihar City Archives: "Jin Jianxiao Memorial Anthology", 1986 edition, p. 117.
[20] Liu Shusheng and Li Dong: Annals of The Golden Sword, Qiqihar City Archives: The Collected Works of the Golden Sword And Xiao Memorial, 1986 edition, p. 203.
[21] Jin Lun: "My Father Jin Jianxiao", Qiqihar City Archives: "Jin Jianxiao Memorial Anthology", 1986 edition, p. 129.
[22] Jiang Chunfang (signed Jiang Shui when published): "Jin Jianxiao", "The Wind and Snow of Xing'anLing" edited by Bai Lang and Jin Ren, published by Night Whistle Series Publishing House on August 1, 1937, p. 28. Jin Lun: "My Father Jin Jianxiao", Qiqihar City Archives: "Jin Jianxiao Memorial Anthology", 1986 edition, page 130.
[23] Liu Shusheng and Li Dong: Annals of the Golden Sword And Howl, Qiqihar Municipal Archives: The Collected Works of the Golden Sword And Howling, 1986 edition, p. 203.
[24] According to Jiang Chunfang's recollection, he met Jin Jianxiao in June 1933, when Jin Jianxiao was still working in a "notary". Jiang Chunfang: "Artist Jin Jianxiao", Jin Lun and Li Rudong, eds., Collected Poems of Jin Jianxiao, Heilongjiang People's Publishing House, 1981, p. 114. According to Xiao Jun's recollection, in the second half of 1933, Jin Jianxiao also worked in the "notary office". Xiao Jun: "Comrade Jin Jianxiao I Know", Qiqihar City Archives: "Jin Jianxiao Memorial Anthology", 1986 edition, p. 38.
[25] Bai Lang and Jin Ren, eds., The Wind and Snow of Xing'anLing, Night Whistle Series Press, August 1, 1937, pp. 27-28. Ba Lai et al., "The Wind and Snow in xing'anLing", printed by Lianhua Bookstore in August 1937, pp. 54-55. The latter text has individual punctuation marks that are inconsistent with the former