Taiwan newspaper "United Daily News" Sunday published the full text of the oral account by Mr. Chang Hsueh-liang in 1990 during an interview. The then 89 year-old Chinese patriot personally gave an oral account of his mood and the cause of the "Xi'an Incident"to Historian Guo Guanying and Tang Degang, a scholar residing in the United States. According to the United Daily News, this was the first time that Chang accepted an interview on the "Xi'an Incident".
In this over 10,000-character record of his oral account, Chang said "the 'Xi'an Incident' took place under the compelling circumstance", Chiang Kai-shek rebuked him for failing to use machine guns to suppress the students in the December 9 Demonstration and called him a double-dealer. Chang flushed with anger at Chiang's words of "turning the machine guns towards students instead of Japanese aggressors". He decided to "teach Chiang a lesson". After the "Xi'an Incident", Chiang Kai-shek was forced to promise cooperation with the Communist Party in fighting against Japan.
In the said record, Chang said among the contemporary Chinese figures, he admired Zhou Enlai the most. They felt like old friends at the first meeting.
Chang mentioned the matter again that the Japanese intended to make him "local emperor of the Northeast". He said to the Japanese, "Don't you remember I am a Chinese!" Chang repeatedly expressed to the recorder that "none of the Chinese wants to see a split motherland".
During the interview, the recorder could often feel Chang's generosity and humor. In the meantime, Chang expressed his firm anti-civil war stand. He said, "what I want is stopping the war in China. Don't go to war. I am really and thoroughly opposed to civil war."
He also recalled a letter left to the Northern Expeditionary Army in the headquarters of Lanzhou-Lianyungang (Longhai) Railway at that time. "It was a lengthy letter, and I still remember several matters I mentioned: first, I could have burnt the remaining army provisions. But I want to use them as relief for the common people, so I did not burned them. Second, I said I would blow up the Yellow River Bridge. I also knew clearly that you would pursue me by crossing the bridge. You could not repair it in a short time if I destroyed it. However, I did not blast it because the bridge belonged to the country. Third, …(I forget)".
As it is reported by United Daily News, Chang has another verbal account record in the US Columbia University which, however, can be published only after the death of person(s) concerned.
( October 29, 2001)
