"Today the news from the Far East is worse than ever and I have
read your statements as to Japanese brutality. The Japanese
ambassador here boasted a day or two ago of his country's having
killed 500,000 Chinese people...
"This simply means the policy of Mussolini and Hitler is
expected to be applied to the world and what a sad result this
would be. "
That was the chilling confidential telegram sent to then US
president Franklin D. Roosevelt by William Edward Dodd, then
American ambassador to Germany.
It reveals that the killings and rapes the Japanese soldiers
committed were not confined to Nanjing; and they had massacred
hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians even before the Japanese
army occupied the city on December 13, 1937.
Wang Lan, a researcher with the Chinese State Archives
Administration, who recently found Dodd's letter and other
documents at the US National Archives and Records Administration
said: "The telegram, dated December 14, 1937, showed that massacres
had begun even before the Nanjing Massacre when the Japanese army
moved south from Shanghai."
Wang discovered that the Japanese ambassador to Germany
mentioned in the telegram was none other than Shigenori Togo, one
of 14 Japanese Class-A war criminals.
Wang also called attention to a "Killing 100 competition", which
was widely reported in Japanese newspapers then. Two second
lieutenants in the Japanese army's 16th Division raced to be the
first to kill their 100th Chinese from November 30 to December 11.
The two officers killed 106 and 105.
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the dark day when Japanese
forces marched into Nanjing, then the nation's capital, to begin a
six-week rampage during which they killed over 300,000 Chinese
civilians and captives, raped more than 20,000, and burned down
one-third of the urban buildings.
Horror still haunts Wu Xiulan and other survivors who lived
through the massacre.
Wu always mistakes her third daughter, Zhou Meihua, for her
second, who died in her arms during a bombing raid in December
1937. The bombing cost Wu her left leg and two young daughters,
whose last word, "mom", still lingers in her mind.
At the age of 94, Wu spends most of her time lost in thought,
sitting in a wheelchair at home. "She refused to talk to some
Japanese reporters who wanted to interview her," said Zhou.
Chang Zhiqiang, a 79-year-old man who lost his parents and three
younger brothers, has lived a lifelong nightmare as well.
"My father is very introspective. And we dare not let him retell
those stories," said Chang's daughter.
Sometimes, after being interviewed by reporters, Chang wouldn't
eat or talk for days, his daughter said; and his doctor said the
symptoms stem from depression.
Qin Jie, who leads an association to help the survivors, said
"it is tragic to see how most of the survivors live".
"Their bodies were damaged during the war and they are haunted
by both illness and bitter memories."
Founded in August 2004, the Association for the Survivors of the
Nanjing Massacre, a non-governmental group, has provided support
for about 200 survivors with donations of about 3 million yuan
($455,000) from home and abroad.
The funds are mainly used to cover medical fees and living
expenses.
"It was a race against time to help them and I hope all of
society will extend their support," said the 80-year-old Qin.
"But even our help isn't enough, as most of the survivors are
fragile from both age and bad memories."
A total of 1,756 survivors were identified in 1985 when the
Nanjing Memorial Hall of Compatriots Murdered in the Nanjing
Massacre was founded.
According to the most recent survey, 400 have died and most of
those still alive are over 80 and in poor health, Qin said.
A survivor himself, Qin, the retired deputy director of the
standing committee of Jiangsu people's congress, recently visited
other remaining survivors.
"The horrible chapter left me physically deformed. But I feel
more emotional pain on days marking the invasion of the Japanese
troops," said 87-year-old Zhou Shaohua in Suojin Village of
Nanjing.
A total of 179 survivors have also been given certificates by
the local civil affairs bureau, which grants them allowances to
cover their medical care and living expenses.
"There are fewer and fewer survivors as each day passes," said
Professor Zhang Sheng from Nanjing University's history department.
"But history must be remembered. So we should spare no effort in
protecting the elderly survivors and record their memories."
(China Daily December 13, 2007)
