On July 7, 1937, the Japanese army suddenly launched an attack on the Chinese defenders stationed at the Lugou Bridge in Beiping, and the Chinese army rose up to resist, which was the July 7 Incident that shocked China and foreign countries.
After the outbreak of the July 7 Incident, Liu Xiangyi, the "King of Sichuan," changed his style of always cowering at the beginning and looking left and right when major domestic events occurred, and at the first time took the initiative to call Chiang Kai-shek to ask for a war of resistance, and at the same time sent a telegram to the provinces to call on the general mobilization of the whole country: "The Japanese army's aggression is by no means a problem of one province and one unit, and advocates a national general mobilization and a fight with the enemy." ”
On August 7, at the telecourse of Chiang Kai-shek, Liu Xiang, together with Deng Hanxiang and others, flew from Chengdu to Nanjing. Before leaving Sichuan, more than 5,000 people from all walks of life in Chengdu went to the airport to see them off. Representatives of the Anti-Enemy Support Association from all walks of life submitted a petition to Liu Xiang for the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and Liu Xiang accepted it wholeheartedly on the spot, and he subsequently issued a written statement saying: "In today's situation, there is no other way to abandon the War of Resistance. ”
Before the July 7 Incident, around the power struggle between the central and local governments, Chiang Kai-shek and Liu Xiang fought openly and secretly, and for a time even looked like a mortal enemy, but in the face of the new situation of the War of Resistance, Chiang Kai-shek's attitude toward Liu Xiang could not but change. On the afternoon of Liu Xiang's arrival in Nanjing, Chiang Kai-shek made an appointment and said to him: "Knowing that you are coming today, I have decided to convene a national defense conference tonight. The rest of the matter will be discussed at another time. ”
At the national defense conference that night, it was Liu Xiang's turn to speak, and he made a generous statement: "Don't be afraid, our Chinese region is so big, the population is large, and the military resources are very sufficient. Sichuan's manpower and material resources can be used as a powerful backing for the War of Resistance, and if the War of Resistance is revived, 300,000 troops will be sent at present, and in the future, 5 million strong dings and a large amount of grain and materials will be sent for the use of the War of Resistance! As soon as the words fell out, the generals present applauded.
The impression of Liu Xiang in the outside world has always been a wooden and non-verbal appearance, but he did not expect that this time he was full of spirits, talking, and a lecture was ten minutes, and the whole atmosphere was driven by him.
The place where Chiang Kai-shek arranged for Liu Xiang in Nanjing was Zhang Xueliang's former self-built villa at the foot of the Purple Mountain. This is a combination of Chinese and Western styles, beautiful appearance, and the interior furnishings are also very gorgeous. After the meeting, some guests came to visit Liu Xiang and couldn't help but praise him.
Liu Xiang was in a particularly good mood those days, and even talked like a naughty boy. He questioned: "Zhang Hanqing (Zhang Xueliang) is really strange, how did he think of running here to repair the villa?" He also sighed with emotion, believing that after the Xi'an Incident that year, Zhang Xueliang escorted Chiang Kai-shek back to Beijing but was imprisoned because of this, which was not worth it: "Zhang Hanqing is also too naïve, let him (referring to Chiang Kai-shek) walk, it is enough, but also personally sent to the door." ”
Liu Xiang's War of Resistance (1) serial, to be continued.......