Chapter 125: Anti-Japanese

In March 1932, in Gannan, the lingering spring chill had not fully faded. Inside a plain house in Ruijin, Yongzhi held the telegram he had just received, his brows knit. He hurried toward the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, his military boots striking the bluestone slabs with a rapid clatter.

The conference room was already packed with people; Shijie, Yu Jie, Wang Xiang and others wore clouds of gloom on their faces. Yongzhi slammed the telegram onto the table, the sound cracking through the room like thunder:

"Comrades! Japanese Imperialism has already propped up the puppet Manchukuo in Changchun—this monstrosity! It is the most blatant insult to our Huaxia Nation!"

Shijie rose at once; his voice was calm yet carried undeniable authority: "We must issue a declaration at once, exposing the true nature of this puppet regime to the entire nation. At the same time we must accelerate military deployments in the Northeast, consolidating the anti‑Japanese armed forces from all regions."

The meeting lasted into the night. Under oil lamps, the participants debated fervently on countermeasures. Yu Jie pointed to the Northeast region on the map and offered concrete deployment proposals. Wang Jiaxiang was tasked with drafting the external proclamation. Determination and resolve were written on every face.

The next day, the *Provisional Central Government Declaration of the Chinese Soviet Republic* was officially issued. With a sharp pen, the declaration denounced the puppet Manchukuo as Japan's colonial tool of "using China to control China," calling on the whole nation to "unite, overthrow the puppet Manchukuo, and drive out the Japanese invaders." The proclamation spread rapidly north and south through secret channels, provoking strong reactions across all circles.

At the same time, in the snow‑blanketed Changbai Mountain region, a special gathering was underway. Representatives of the Anti‑Japanese Volunteer Army from various areas assembled in a hidden cave; outside the howl of the cold wind, inside burned a fierce anti‑Japanese zeal.

"Comrades!" Yang Jingyu stood at the center of the crowd, his voice resonant and powerful, "From today onward we are no longer scattered guerrilla units; we will form a unified Northeast Anti‑Japanese United Army!"

An elderly fighter from Jilin exclaimed excitedly, "It should have been like this long ago! We will make those little devils know that the Northeast will always be the Northeast of the Huaxia people!"

In the days that followed, the Anti‑Japanese United Army fighters slipped through forests and snowfields, striking the Japanese‑Manchukuo forces with ghost‑like agility. They blew up railways, raided strongholds, punished traitors, making the invaders uneasy day and night. Whenever night fell, the small detachments surged like sharp swords, vanishing back into the vast woods before dawn.

The establishment of the puppet Manchukuo was like a massive stone cast into a tranquil lake, stirring a surging anti‑Japanese wave across the nation.

In Modu, tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets, brandishing slogans of "Return the Northeast to Us," protesting Japan's aggression. Students organized lecture teams, exposing the true nature of the puppet Manchukuo in alleys and thoroughfares. Workers launched strikes, voicing support for the Northeast compatriots' struggle.

In Yanjing, university professors jointly issued a statement, condemning Japan's violation of international law. In bookstores, anti‑Japanese publications were displayed in the most prominent spots. Theaters were packed with anti‑Japanese dramas. Cultural figures also threw themselves into the rescue movement. Led by Zhou Shuren, essays were published in the *Shenbao*, sharply exposing the colonial nature of the puppet regime.

Even overseas Chinese joined in. In Chinese communities of Singapore, San Francisco, Bangkok and elsewhere, people donated money and supplies to support the anti‑Japanese rescue movement at home.

Compared with the surging popular tide, the response of the Jinling National Government was more cautious. The Chairman paced back and forth inside the President's Office, holding urgent telegrams arriving from various regions.

"Damn it!" he snapped, throwing the telegram onto the table, "The Japanese are getting more and more outrageous!"

Beside him, He Yingqin said cautiously, "Chairman, the whole country is now demanding that we adopt tougher measures. Look…"

"I know!" the Chairman interrupted, "But you must understand, our top priority now is Bandit Suppression! If we rashly go to war with Japan, it will only let those people reap the profits!"

Nevertheless, on the international diplomatic stage, the Jinling Government still displayed a firm stance. The Minister of Foreign Affairs denounced Japan's aggression at the League of Nations meeting, declaring that the puppet Manchukuo would never be recognized. Huaxia representatives argued persuasively, earning sympathy from many countries. Li Yuxuan publicly declared that they would fight Japan to the end.

Within the Kuomintang, the establishment of the puppet Manchukuo also sparked fierce debate. Some Patriotic Generals spontaneously organized anti‑Japanese actions, defying Jinling's non‑resistance policy. At the same time, secret anti‑Japanese forces inside the Kuomintang were active. Patriotic members of the CC Clique and the Whampoa Fifth Army Clique covertly organized support for the Northeast Volunteer Army, smuggling weapons, ammunition and medicine through secret channels. Though limited in scale, these actions did provide tangible aid to the Northeast anti‑Japanese forces.

On the Rehe front, an unnamed Division Commander told his subordinates, "The orders from above tell us to hold our positions, but I cannot stand by and watch our Northeast compatriots suffer! Relay my orders and covertly supply ammunition to the volunteer forces!"

Similar scenes unfolded quietly across various war zones. Some units deliberately "lost" a cache of weapons; some commanders turned a blind eye to passing anti‑Japanese units. These spontaneous anti‑Japanese actions, though small in scale, provided valuable support to the Northeast Anti‑Japanese United Army fighters.

As night fell, from the forest‑snowfields of the Northeast to the water towns of Jiangnan, from the high plateaus of the Northwest to the coastal Southeast, the entire Huaxia was immersed in a mood of sorrow, anger and resistance.

The Huaxia Government's petition sparked a strong reaction in Geneva. The League of Nations dispatched an investigative team led by British diplomat Lord Lytton to the Northeast. Team members traversed the Northeast, interviewing people from all walks of life and gathering abundant first‑hand information.

In Changchun, the team personally witnessed Japanese military police committing atrocities against ordinary civilians. In Harbin, they heard the blood‑stained pleas of patriotic patriots. In Shenyang, they inspected factories and mines seized by the Japanese army. These observations left the investigators deeply shocked.

The Lytton Commission's final report clearly stated: "The so‑called Manchukuo is not a spontaneous independent movement of the local people, but a product of Japanese military aggression." The report had a significant impact internationally, leaving Japan isolated in the international community.