by John Rabe
Chang and Han came today to tell me that at Hsin Chieh Kou (we call it “Potsdamer Platz”) a Japanese-Chinese store has opened up where you can buy food of every sort. I immediately drive over with Han to determine if the report is true, and we arrive just in time to witness the building being torched. They want the city in ruins!
28 DECEMBER
Fires are still being set, everywhere, over and over. You feel like a seriously ill patient fearfully watching the hour hand inch forward. All the refugees are afraid of the New Year, because they expect the Japanese soldiers to get drunk and then commit more atrocities. We try to comfort them, but we have only feeble words of comfort. We don’t even believe them ourselves.
Someone has been spreading the rumor that today is the last day of registration. As a result, several tens of thousands of people have been thronging the registration office. The streets of the Zone are so overcrowded that you can’t even get through on foot. The German flag on my car opens a path, though with great difficulty, through this sea of human bodies. Everyone in the Zone recognizes my car with its swastika flag. They push and shove trying to create a space for the car to slip through. I move slowly toward my goal. The opening instantly closes again behind me. If we should be brought to a halt, I won’t easily get out of this crush again, that’s certain.
The reports we are hearing from all sides today are so hair-raising that I can hardly bring myself to put them to paper. Before registration began at some of the schools where refugees are camped out, the Japanese first demanded that any former Chinese soldiers in the crowd step forward voluntarily. They were given promises of protection. They were merely to be put into labor crews. At that, a good number of refugees stepped forward. In one case, about 50 people. They were led off at once. As we learned from one of the survivors, they were taken to a vacant house, robbed of all valuables and clothes, and when completely naked, tied up together in groups of five. Then the Japanese built a large bonfire in the courtyard, led the groups out one by one, bayoneted the men and tossed them still alive on the fire. Ten of these men were able to slip free of their ropes, leap over the courtyard wall, and vanish into the crowd, who gladly found clothes for them.
This news has come to us in much the same form from three different sides. Another group, larger than the first, is said to have been bayoneted in the graveyards in the West City. Dr. Bates is at present trying to get more detailed information about these groups. We have to be very careful what we say about such incidents in order not to put the person providing the information at risk.
Mr. Fitch has received a letter from Shanghai in which the Rotary Club informs him that they have collected 35,000 dollars for us. Money is of no use to us. What we need are people, foreigners,to come and help us; but the Japanese are letting no one into Nanking.
The officials at the Japanese embassy appear willing to make our situation more tolerable, but they also seem unable to make any headway with their fellow countrymen who happen to be in the military. We have heard that the military command here does not want to recognize the Japanese-Chinese Committee that the Japanese embassy has put together—one similar to our committee for the Safety Zone. It now turns out that Mr. Fukuda was right when on his very first day here he told us: “The military people want to make it very bad for the town, but we, the embassy, will try to avoid it.”
The Japanese major Yoshiro Oka in a caricature drawn by a well-known artist in Shanghai who worked under the name Sapajou
Unfortunately neither Mr. Fukuda, nor Mr. Tanaka, nor Mr. Fukui has succeeded in changing the military’s mind.
Letter from the Missionary E. H. Forster to George Fitch
Dear George!
In the vicinity of the Sin Ku Sze (a big temple) near #17 Sang Ya Street, are the bodies of about 50 men who have been executed as soldier suspects. They’ve been there almost two weeks now and are getting into a state where burial is imperative. I have a group of men who are willing to undertake this, but are afraid to act unless they have proper authority to do so. Is the latter necessary? If so, can you get it for me? Thank you.
LATER
This letter from Forster to Fitch throws the harsh light of day on current conditions here. In addition to the 50 corpses mentioned, there are still more in a pond not far from our headquarters. We have asked on numerous occasions to be allowed to bury the bodies, but have always been refused. How this all will end is a mystery to us, particularly since rain and snow have fallen now, which only accelerates the decomposition.
Dr. Smythe and I had a two-hour discussion at the Japanese embassy with Mr. Fukui and a Japanese Major Oka. The latter informed us that he had been asked by Dr. Trautmann, the German ambassador, to insure our safety. He demands that all Germans—a total of five men—move into one house, where he can then offer better protection. If I disagree with the suggestion, I am to write Mr. Oka a letter declaring I waive all claims to such protection. I was not about to mince words, so I declared that I demanded no other protection for my own person than that which the Japanese army had promised the Chinese here in the city. If I wanted to leave the Chinese in the lurch, I could have joined Dr. Trautmann and the other Germans on board the Kutwolong ago.
I have been assigned to safeguard your life, Major Oka declares. If there is proof that property has been stolen or destroyed by Japanese soldiers, it can be compensated for or replaced by the Japanese government. I can only reply that along with a number of American members of our committee I made a tour of the city on 14 December and found, for example, that all German property was intact afterthe fall of Nanking. Only with the entry of Japanese troops into the city did the looting and arson, the murder, rape, and mayhem begin. We were all prepared to swear to that. The few buildings that had been looted by the retreating Chinese troops were on Taiping Lu. No houses belonging to foreigners were among them.
John Rabe and the other members of the Safety Committee were refused permission to bury the bodies of victims left floating in ponds and ditches.
At 7:30 p.m. a noncommissioned officer arrives with my guard of honor: two strapping soldiers with bayonets fixed and horribly muddy standard-issue boots, who are ruining all my carpets and are supposed to protect me. They are immediately sent back outside and told to march back and forth in the snow and rain. Actually I feel a little sorry for them because the weather is so rotten.
At 9 o’clock this evening two Japanese soldier-bandits suddenly climb over my back garden wall without anyone noticing, and on my way outside I discover them in the pantry. I try to hold them there. Kröger is sent to fetch the men on guard; but they have both vanished! And when Kröger tells me that, the two intruders hastily swing themselves back up over the wall as well.
Mr. Fukui pleads with me not to write Shanghai anything about Nanking, that is, not to describe facts that the Japanese embassy finds unpleasant. I have promised him. What choice do I have? Since my letters can be forwarded only through the Japanese embassy, if I want them sent at all, I have to comply. One fine day the truth will out. I used the opportunity to ask Mr. Fukuda to see to it that the body of the Chinese soldier shot on 13 December be taken away at last. Fukui promises to deal with the matter.
He also informs me that our Zone has now been surrounded by Japanese guards, who will see to it that no prowling soldiers are allowed into the Zone. I’ve now had a better look at these guards and discovered that they did not stop and interrogate a single Japanese soldier. I even saw soldiers carrying looted items out of the Zone, and with absolutely no questions asked by the guards. What sort of protection is that?
Letter from John Rabe to His Wife in Shanghai
Nanking, 30 December 1937
My dear Dora,
Yesterday, 29 December, I received by way of the Japanese embassy here your sweet letters from 6, 12, 15, and 22 December. I cannot at present describe to you the details of my experiences here, but I can assure you that we 22 Europeans, as well as Mr. Han and his family, are all right. I still have a supp
ly of insulin. You needn’t worry about that. What has become of my baggage on board the Kutwo?Do you know anything about it? Let’s hope nothing has been lost. All my books are packed up in it, too.
There is much to do here. I would not be at all unhappy if I were soon relieved of my post as “mayor.” Physically we are all, as noted, in good shape, but psychologically each of us could probably use a nice vacation. I hope we shall see each other soon.
Greetings and kisses (despite what the censor thinks!)
from Your JOHNY
30 DECEMBER
The newly organized Autonomous Government Committee has ordered lots of flags made displaying five stripes. We’re expecting a big public ceremony on 1 January when the new flags are to be waved. This Autonomous Government Committee is to be our replacement. We have nothing against their taking over our work, but it looks to us as if they simply want to take over our money.
I’ll not voluntarily hand over anything. I’ll yield only under greatest pressure, and then only under loud protest. I’ve already noticed that the Japanese diplomats are ashamed of the Japanese army’s method of operation. They would love to exonerate themselves of the fact that 40 buildings flying the German flag have been looted and some of them even burned down.
Over the last two nights, here in the straw huts, in the muck and mud of my refugee camp, the so-called Siemens Camp, two children were born, a boy and girl. I am ashamed that I cannot provide these new mothers some other lodging. No doctor, no midwife, no nurse to help. There aren’t even any bandages or diapers. A few wretched dirty rags were all that the parents had for their newborn infants. I gave each couple ten dollars. In return, they named the girl “Dora” and the little boy “Johny.” Great fun!
I have bought two lovely dwarf pines in shallow porcelain bowls to give as New Year’s presents to Mr. Fukui of the Japanese embassy and Major General Sasaki, commandant of the Nanking garrison. The little trees are so pretty that I find it hard to part with them; but the Japanese come first these days. Moreover, I’ve made some New Year’s cards with my own original design: the coat of arms of our Safety Zone and my signature on the front, and the signatures of all 22 Europeans and Americans still in Nanking on the back.
CHAPTER 6
NEW YEAR
31 DECEMBER
TWO OF THE MALE OCCUPANTS of my Siemens Camp who were loitering outside the gate today were abducted by Japanese soldiers and forced to carry looted goods for them. When I returned home at noon, the wife of one of them knelt before me pleading for me to bring the men back, because otherwise they would surely be murdered. I then drove back down Chung Shan Lu with this truly shabby looking woman until we found the men in question. I stood across from about 20 armed Japanese soldiers, who did not want to hand the two Chinese over. It wasn’t a pleasant situation; I finally did prevail but was very happy to have the expedition behind me.
I gave these two foolish fellows a stern lecture in front of the assembled residents of the camp. I cannot go running after each of my 630 refugees if the rascals are stupid enough to get themselves caught. Why had they crept in here with me if not to hide? I issued a warning that I would not undertake a rescue like this a second time. It’s simply too dangerous over the long haul.
Japanese soldiers are being issued three-day passes for the New Year. There has been a promise that the Zone will be off-limits to strolling soldiers, but I don’t trust their peace. Tomorrow, 1 January 1938, the Autonomous Government will be solemnly constituted.
I JANUARY 1938
At 9:30 yesterday evening, my seven trusty lads, the Americans Fitch, Dr. Smythe, Dr. Wilson, Mills, Dr. Bates, McCallum, and Riggs, came to wish me a “Happy New Year.” We emptied the last bottle of red wine and chatted for an hour. Since Dr. Bates, usually one of our liveliest minds, dozed off in his armchair from sheer exhaustion, the party broke up early. And since neither my Chinese guests nor I placed any value on sacrificing a good night’s sleep, we were all in bed by eleven o’clock.
Around 7 a.m. our boy Chang appeared to tell me that his wife had suffered a relapse. I quickly got dressed and brought her and Chang to Kulou Hospital for the third time.
When I return home in my car, I am received with a royal salute. The lao bai xing,30my poor refugees, have formed two long lines and in my honor set off thousands of fireworks they’ve been given by the Japanese to celebrate the establishment of the new Autonomous Government. Then all my six hundred parishioners surround me and give me a New Year’s greeting written in red ink on white wrapping paper. They all bow three times and are very happy when I bow my head in gratitude and fold up the greeting and put it in my pocket. What a shame the paper is so big. There’s no possible way I can fit it into this book. One of my Chinese friends translates the greeting as follows:
For Mr. Rabe,
with best wishes for
a happy year.
Hundreds of millions are close to you!
The refugees of your camp
1938.
I’m still not sure what “hundreds of millions” means. It’s probably to be read as “hundreds of millions of good spirits.” When I ask number-one boy Chang, he puts it very succinctly: “In German mean just Prosit Neujahr!”
After I had finally escaped the shower of sparklers and firecrackers, all the servants and employees appeared in a solemn procession to make their usual New Year’s kowtow.
Sperling and Riggs pay me a New Year’s visit at noon and each is given a cigar as a present—a princely gift. Cigars now cost from five to seven dollars apiece here. Besides which, Sperling gets a new razor, since his was recently stolen. At 9 in the evening, several Japanese soldiers appear in a truck and demand girls. When we don’t open the gate, they finally move on. We watch them drive on to the Middle School, which is constantly harassed. I beef up the night guard in the garden, teams of two with whistles, so that I can be on the spot even faster if intruders honor us with a visit. But everything remains quiet, thank God.
2 JANUARY
Several Japanese soldiers have broken into a building next to Safety Zone Headquarters. Women and girls flee over the wall onto our grounds. Kröger gets up on our dugout and jumps from there over the very high garden wall. I want to follow; a policeman helps me up, and we both lose our balance and fall off the wall. But we land in a fairly heavy stand of bamboo that breaks our fall, so no one is hurt. Meanwhile Kröger has collared the Japanese; they immediately make themselves scarce. Ostensibly they were only inspecting!
The wife of my neighbor, the woman with the bayonet slashes whom I sent to Kulou Hospital, has been released again as cured. Since she has no money and has been in the hospital for ten days at a cost of 80 cents a day, I take care of her bill.
The common people have been plundered and are poorer than ever. Yesterday, while the orators of the new Autonomous Government were speaking of cooperation, several buildings torched by the Japanese were burning to the right and left of Kulou Hospital where the ceremony took place.
Mr. Sun, who is the vice chairmen of the new Autonomous Government and a member of the Red Swastika Society and speaks Japanese, condescendingly informs me that he must speak to me very soon about an important matter. Please do, I’ve been waiting for this. I have a very good idea of what your intentions are!
The streets of the Zone are still packed with people: Untold thousands just stand around or barter and trade. The sides of the streets are taken over by peddlers, most of them offering food, tobacco, and old clothes.
Everyone is running around with Japanese armbands or flying Japanese flags. In the side streets or on vacant lots between streets, entire villages of the refugees’ straw huts have sprung up, just like the one in my garden. There’s not a blade of grass left growing in my garden, and the lovely hedges have all been trampled underfoot. It’s inevitable with such numbers of people—they simply want to live.
Last night there was another series of atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers, all of which Dr. Smythe has wr
itten up. As usual we shall present the list in the form of a protest to the Japanese embassy.
Today we received our first visit from Chinese bombers over Nanking, something we’ve long been quietly worried about. And they certainly did not come as friends, but as foes! They dropped their bombs just as punctually as the Japanese before them, but so far, thank God, on pretty much the same target, the area around the airport south of the city. Japanese antiaircraft fire was also in evidence, but only just a little and very weak.
We’ll have to wait and see if these air raids remain restricted to the area outside our Zone; but we hope so. If that is not the intention, then the results could be far worse than before. Even Shanghai at noon is not as heavily populated as the streets of our Zone at present. One bomb landing in that bustling throng could cost a thousand lives. The mere thought makes me shudder.
3 JANUARY
At 7 o’clock yesterday evening Dr. Smythe came by with the following note addressed to Mr. Fitch from Dr. Hsü, a physician:
Dear Mr. Fitch:
Liu Pan-kwen, who had attempted to protect his wife from being raped by a Japanese soldier, was shot and killed today by the latter at about 4:30 p.m. this afternoon.
Since the house next door is occupied by Japanese soldiers, our house is now full of women who have fled to us. I have written Mr. Sperling and asked him to come quickly to us and stay here to protect us. If Mr. Sperling is not available, can you perhaps send another foreigner who can stay at Ninhai Lu No. 5 and protect us?
Sincerely yours,
DR. C. Y. HSÜ
While Dr. Smythe went out to look for Sperling, who is to camp out on Ninhai Lu for the night, I drove to the Japanese embassy with John Magee, who has received a full report of this crime, in order to ask Mr. Tanaka to petition the Japanese military authorities to investigate the matter. It’s a case of brutal premeditated murder.