■Zou Zhaotao (PhD candidate, Department of History, Shanghai University)
The year 1932 marked the fifth anniversary of the April 12 counter-revolutionary coup. In Shanghai, exactly five years after the massacre, the persecution of the Chinese Communist Party by counter-revolutionary counter-currents continued unabated. Blood debt should be paid, justice will be sounded! On the evening of April 12, 1932, the Shanghai Party organization carefully planned the commemorative propaganda of the April 12 Massacre at the intersection of Hubei Road and Fuzhou Road. During this period, Xu Shifang (later renamed Xu Junman), a communist party member, was arrested and imprisoned, and spent two and a half years as the "darkest hour" of the Shanghai Revolution.
Xu Junman (1910-1986), real name Xu Shifang, a native of Yinxian County, Zhejiang Province, joined the Communist Party of China in September 1929, held important positions in the party's propaganda and cultural institutions such as Xinhua Daily, China Youth Daily and the Commercial Press, and was a loyal communist revolutionary and an excellent ideological front propagandist. In the past, due to the lack of records on our side, people know very little about Xu Junman's revolutionary history at the forefront of the propaganda struggle in Shanghai. Recently, the author found a set of documents from the archives of the Police Department of the Shanghai Public Concession Bureau, describing in detail Xu Junman's participation in the April 12 commemorative propaganda in 1932, his arrest and punishment, and his life in prison for more than two years after that. This article intends to regain the revolutionary imprint of the Party's propagandist Xu Junman in Shanghai and relive a fearless revolutionary propaganda struggle in Shanghai's "darkest hour" in 1932.
The publicity of the fifth anniversary of the 1st, 12th massacre and the arrest of Xu Junman
The area around Fuzhou Road and Hubei Road is a well-known entertainment destination in modern Shanghai, with various film theaters, brothels, dance halls, and high-end bathhouses gathered next to the street, and the songs and swallows danced night after night. Tuesday, April 12, 1932. Although it is a working day, this does not delay the gentlemen and rich people of Shanghai's idle class from indulging in the night. At about 7 p.m., 50 minutes after sunset in Shanghai that day, the sun was replaced by dazzling lights, and the "city that never sleeps" showed its style. In the wind and moon places along Fuzhou Road and Hubei Road, the cups and laughter are endless, and the gusts of word spread, and the streets are full of people, which is a lively scene.
At 7:15, the intersection of Fuzhou Road and Hubei Road was "Xiuyuntian" (according to the police archives, the place recorded in the police archives is Paradigm World, the author consulted some historical materials, and did not see Chinese name. From Lu Miqiang's "Zhou Liangzuo, the leader of the Shanghai store staff movement" mentioned Xu Junman's incident, but this name cannot correspond to the meaning of the noun in the police file, to be examined) In front of the door, a Chinese man in a robe took a deep breath. Subsequently, he began to give speeches, freely talking about the national anti-Japanese plan and praising the communist ideal. Soon, the man's speech attracted many passers-by, and the black pressure in front of the "Embroidery Cloud Sky" crowded the audience. This man was Xu Junman, a member of the Communist Party, who was still using his old name, Xu Shifang. Mr. Lu Miqiang pointed out with reference to the reminiscence materials that the evening event was a "flying rally" carefully planned by the Silk and Satin Industry Branch of the Shanghai Huzhong District of the CPC for the April 12 counter-revolutionary coup, and Xu Junman was accompanied by Communist Party members Cao Hongtang (vice governor of Anhui Province after the founding of the People's Republic of China, member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and other positions), Zhou Liangzuo (after the founding of the People's Republic of China, he served as the director of a major memorial hall of the CPC), and the two were Xu Junman's introduction to the party when he joined the Communist Party of China in 1929.
Xu Junman's emotional speech made the onlookers burn inwardly, and between speeches, some spectators spontaneously raised their arms and shouted patriotic slogans. Seeing that the time was ripe, Xu Junman resolutely took out a pile of propaganda materials from the inside of his robe and threw them into the air. The leaflets fell, and the blood-soaked audience scrambled to pick up and read them, and the cheers came and went.
After the patrol searched for the propaganda materials that Xu Junman distributed that night, they forwarded them to the intelligence department for translation and judgment. As a result, the police archives left a translation of the "No. 3 Leaflet" prepared by the Propaganda Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee. After reading it after 89 years, I can still truly feel the resentment of the progressive workers against the oppression of the Kuomintang after the April 12 Massacre, and the desire of the people to take power themselves:
"Look! Workers, toiling masses, what have we possessed during these five years of bloody rule by the Kuomintang? In addition to factories being sealed, unemployed, starving, sleeping on the streets, firing, beatings, and shootings, what did the Kuomintang give us?! Today, while the workers commemorate the fifth anniversary of the April 12 Massacre, the Kuomintang is betraying the country! They turned their backs on the interests of the people, colluded with imperialist bandits, plotted to attack the Red Army in the Soviet zone, and they suppressed all anti-imperialist and anti-Japanese activities! Workers, we should stand up, unite together, inherit the spirit and experience of the third armed uprising of the Shanghai workers in March 1927, declare a comprehensive general strike, establish soviet workers' and peasants' power, and overthrow the tyrannical and reactionary rule of the Kuomintang! ”
Just as Xu Junman was throwing leaflets, Poznikoff and L. Greenberg were on duty at the intersection of Fuzhou Road and Jiujiang Road. Grennburgt) happened to pass by "Embroidery Sky", and the crowds and flyers flying around made them realize that "things are not good". Poznikov quickly picked up a leaflet floating on the ground, and the striking pattern of the sickle and hammer on it made them exclaim in unison--"Communist! ”
Two foreign catchers rushed into the crowd and arrested Xu Junman and Wu Weixian, a student from Changzhou, Jiangsu Province (1918-?). ）。 When the patrol arrived, Wu Weixian, who was only 14 years old, was impressed by Xu Junman's speech and jumped to the side of the latter to lead the audience to shout slogans such as "Down with Japanese imperialism". When he was arrested, the ambitious Wu Weixian did not give in. Even though his hands were tightly bound, he still screamed at the high-toed patrols, "Stinky foreigners!" ”
Police files show that the two foreign arresters took control of Xu Junman at 7:30 p.m. According to this calculation, Xu Junman spoke for fifteen minutes that night! It should be known that in Shanghai during the White Terror, publicly preaching communism, especially carrying "physical evidence" (communist leaflets) with you, was an extremely dangerous move. The slightest carelessness will face the disaster of imprisonment, and there have been martyrs of the Party who have died gloriously because of similar incidents. Xu Junman fearlessly straightened his spine in the most prosperous section of Shanghai's most prosperous section, under the eyes of the concession patrol, in front of the background of the bright red leaflet flying, and generously stated for fifteen minutes, which was really a heroic revolutionary feat!
On the evening of April 12, the patrol room interrogated Xu Junman overnight. Faced with the intimidation of the enemy, Xu Junman calmly responded, always denying that he had distributed communist leaflets. In 1926, at the age of 17, Xu Junman entered the Jiuhua Silk Factory as an apprentice, and by 1932 he had six years of business experience, which provided him with a favorable cover identity. Xu Junman said to the interrogator: "I am a businessman, so when the uniformed patrol officers rushed toward me, I did not choose to escape. This clever trick left the enemy who inquired about Xu Junman speechless, and he had no choice but to put an hasty end to the preliminary trial.
On the night of Xu Junman's arrest, Wu Lianfu, manager of Jiuhua Silk Factory, personally visited the patrol room to intercede for Xu Junman. Jiuhua Silk Factory was formerly known as Shanghai Jiuhuazhuang, which was opened in 1919, specializing in clothes and hats, silk and leather. When Xu Junman entered the Jiuhua Silk Factory, the factory had begun to take shape. In this way, Xu is not the elder of the factory, and because of his ordinary position, it is difficult to make any significant contribution to business development. Why was Manager Wu Lianfu willing to take a huge risk to personally go to the patrol house to intercede for an ordinary employee who was "suspected of the Communist Party"?
The author does not rule out the possibility that the Jiuhua Silk Factory has a party organization background, or even a hidden place for party organization activities. This is not speculation. First of all, Xu Junman joined the Chinese Communist Youth League in the same year he joined the Jiuhua Silk Factory, and three years later he joined the Party in the post of Jiuhua Silk Factory (and according to Lu Miqiang's research, Xu's two introductions to the party were both employed in the Jiuhua Silk Factory at the same time). During this period, it was difficult for the management of the Jiuhua Silk Factory, who lived together day and night, to be unaware of the activities of Xu Junman and other revolutionaries, and it was more likely to take the initiative to escort Xu Junman's political progress; secondly, reading the advertisement showed that soon after Xu Junman was imprisoned in 1932, the Jiuhua Silk Factory began to tighten its operations, and without warning, it resold all the premises and real estate in early 1933. With such a coincidence, could it be that the party organization deliberately arranged for the Jiuhua Silk Factory to transfer to avoid the enemy because of Xu Junman's arrest?
Second, the nirvana of Xu Junman, a communist party member, in prison
On April 25, 1932, the Second Branch of the Jiangsu Provincial High Court pronounced judgment on the case of Xu Shifang and Wu Weixian. The "Declaration" published a judgment document on "Xu Shifang et al. in the case of endangering the Republic of China": "Xu Shifang, who publicized for the purpose of endangering the Republic of China, was incompatible with the Three People's Principles, and was sentenced to two years and six months in prison. Wu Weixian was "acquitted" because he was still young and did not have other evidence other than the patrol's confession to participate in CCP activities.
On April 25, 1932, Xu Junman began to undergo a two-and-a-half-year sentence in the Huade Road Prison (Tilanqiao Prison) in the Shanghai Public Concession. During the two and a half years inside the iron window, Xu Junman did not forget the original intention of the Communist Party members, smiled at the setbacks with a high spiritual outlook, and watched over the nirvana of the revolutionary life after his release from prison.
In prison, Xu Junman did not stop the pace of study, and he soberly realized that these two and a half years would be an excellent window period for him to improve his theoretical attainment and enrich his revolutionary skills. Eager to go further in the cause of communist propaganda that he had devoted all his time to, Xu Junman appealed to his relatives shortly after his imprisonment, hoping to obtain a batch of communication theory works for study. On September 7, 1932, Xu Shinian, his younger brother, who was a broker at Huacheng Lace Factory, wrote to Xu Junman, saying, "I have given the books you need to the lawyer, and you should receive them soon." But that "Journalism", I ran to many bookstores and did not find it. If I can buy it, I will send it to you as soon as possible. According to the famous publisher Huang Luofeng, Xu Junman, as a core member during his imprisonment, actively participated in the "Mutual Relief Association for Common Difficulties" organized by the party's propagandist Peng Kang, and secretly carried out current affairs reports and book clubs. The comrades who were in distress cheered each other up, forged ahead, and gazed in the direction of the re-illumination of the dawn of the revolution.
Xu Junman, a communist party member, insisted on his political convictions in prison and was also surrounded by warm family affection, which was silent and silent, and delivered rich spiritual nourishment to the nirvana of Xu Junman's revolutionary life.
In the police file, two letters identified by the patrol house as having "no police intelligence value" are eye-catching.
On September 22, 1933, Xu Shinian, a younger brother who had a good relationship with Xu Junman, lifted a trembling pen during his illness and sent his brother a heartfelt love.
"Dear Third Brother,
I haven't written to you in a long time. Except for a few words in the letter to greet your physical condition, it is really difficult to write anything more. I really have a lot to say to you, but I don't want to tell you while you're in prison.
······
Brother Affon, are you all right inside? Please adjust your emotions and don't spoil your body. Believe it, time flies faster than anything else! ”
What did Xu Shinian want to say in his letter? Obviously, those contents will be intercepted by the prison letter censorship system, which the reactionaries do not want to see. Those words may be related to Xu Shinian's heartfelt praise of his brother's revolutionary spirit, perhaps about the dynamics of the CCP organization after Xu Junman was imprisoned, or it may be Xu Shinian's resentment of the reactionaries' unreasonable detention of his brother, and his disappointment in the kuomintang's decadent and dark rule... However, no matter how many words are hidden, Xu Junman will definitely be able to perceive his brother's memories of himself and the spiritual growth of this teenager who is moving towards the stage of youth, which will make Xu Junman deeply pleased!
Another letter was sent to Xu Junman by his niece Xu Yinglan in October 1933.
"Uncle Three:
I haven't communicated for a long time, and I want to talk endlessly but I don't know how to express it.
It's getting colder, what are you wearing now? In August, because of the birthday of the little great-grandfather, the family went to Hangzhou. The second uncle is also with us, and he cares about us. I think that if you can go to Hangzhou with us, it will be even better! White colt crossed the gap, next year this time you should be out of prison, thinking of that moment, I am really happy and nervous, then we will greet you at the prison gate to come out! I haven't seen each other in more than two years, maybe you can't recognize us all at once?! Especially the little sister, she will be four years old next year, can already speak a lot, when she calls you 'uncle three', you will undoubtedly be very surprised. Presumably you will exclaim, "She's so old!" I remember that she was still the hairy head who was coaxed to sleep by me in the cradle! ”
Remember that? When we live in the villa on Jing'an Temple Road, you will always help your little sister cradle at dinner!
Take care, we are all right, rest assured
Yinglan"
In this letter, the words reveal another side of a Communist Party member who dedicates himself to the revolutionary cause -- he is soft in heart, pampers his lovely little niece, and there is warmth and tenderness flowing in his bones. Because the letter sent by Xu Junman in prison was not retained (it may also be that he only communicated with his family during the visit and did not send a letter for various considerations), we have no way of understanding his emotions when he saw Yinglan's text. But it can be guessed that at that time, the corners of Xu Junman's mouth will definitely float with a smile - his heart will fly over the thick iron wall and return to the old residence on Jing'an Temple Road, where the little niece sleeps sweetly and the family shares a rich dinner happily. That was his definition of happiness, and it was also what he saw as the future of China—it was precisely for the future happiness of countless families that he temporarily left his warm little home and practiced in a cold cell. Such a warm force is also a source of support for Xu Junman to stick to his original intention in two and a half years of prison life!
In October 1934 (some sources also refer to August), Xu Junman was released from prison. From the moment he stepped out of the iron gate, Xu Junman, who was reborn from the fire, was ready to continue to devote himself to the revolutionary cause, and he would wave the flag for the Communist Party of China with a more lofty posture and cheer for the Chinese nation to "stand up" again.
On January 17, 1941, Chiang Kai-shek unreasonably announced that he would "cancel the name of the New Fourth Army", further deepening the evil deeds of persecuting the anti-Japanese front-line communists. At that time, the Kuomintang reactionaries in Chongqing tried in vain to cover up their crimes by blocking public opinion. On January 18, Zhou Enlai visited the business department of Xinhua Daily and gave important instructions to several newspaper leaders, including Xu Junman: "Those of you who are members of the editorial board should take the lead in selling newspapers on the streets and take over the work of our newsboys... Make up your mind to send out today's newspaper! Xu Junman, then the chief of the business section of Xinhua Daily, took to the streets with a newspaper that exposed the true face of the reactionaries. Just like when he was on the beach more than a decade ago, in the face of the siege of the most dangerous enemies, Xu Junman was full of righteousness and ran around for the party's propaganda cause and for more people to be inspired by justice. On February 22, 1946, Xu Junman used his flesh and blood to prevent Kuomintang agents from destroying the Xinhua Daily, and was seriously injured by the mob - according to Shi Quan'an's recollection, Xu Junman was "broken in the head and covered in blood" by the agents that day, and was rescued by comrades before escaping from danger.
As time has passed, Xu Junman, a member of the Communist Party, has not changed his original intention of "telling the party's story well and guarding the position of public opinion" for the organization, and this is a real revolutionary!
After the founding of New China, Xu Junman was indifferent to fame and fortune and continued to dedicate himself to New China in the field of press and publication. Mr. Shen Pei, an outstanding children's cartoonist of the older generation, once commented on Xu Junman's character: "He is not familiar with official manners, has no official style, spares no effort in handling things, and is a very good person." According to Mr. Shen's recollection, Xu Junman was widely welcomed by his colleagues as secretary general of China Youth Daily and was given the warm nickname of "Old Daddy". Xu Junman's revolutionary life everywhere shows the integrity and loftiness of an outstanding Communist Party member, and the soul of "one heart to the party and two sleeves of clean wind" is the foundation of Xu Junman's "firm determination of the green mountains and not to relax" in the revolutionary years, and it is also the source of evergreen for The Chinese Communist Party members and the CPC organization to go through hardships and dangers and finally move from victory to victory.
In December 1929, Comrade Mao Zedong incisively analyzed in the "Resolution" of the Ninth Congress of the Fourth Red Army: "The task of the Red Army's propaganda work is to expand its political influence and win over the broad masses. Only by carrying out this propaganda task can the general tasks of the Red Army, such as organizing the masses, arming the masses, establishing political power, eliminating reactionary forces, and promoting the revolutionary upsurge, be attained. Just as this thesis never goes out of style, in the successive charge of the Chinese Communists in Shanghai without fear of the "white terror" and under the glorious banner of the "Xu Junmans" who have successively preached the truth, Marxism, the Communist Party of China, and the belief in the war of resistance of the whole nation have been sown into the hearts of countless Chinese people, inspiring the Chinese revolution to "stand up" and stride forward to the light of the decisive moment.
Source: Yinzhou History Research Office, Yinzhou District Committee, Ningbo City, No. 3, 2021