Interesting, at least to the Coconut but not so much the Jack, that as events in history turned out, their great grandpa eugene's second wife, Georgette en.wikipedia.org , was daughter 4 of 5 of gentleman named Zhang JingJiang (birth name) en.wikipedia.org , one of four founders of the KMT, and the lead financier of the revolt given his vast wealth. He had staked Dr Sun Yat-sen en.wikipedia.org w/ the undertaking, "whatever sums you need, just let me know". Erita studied China history, and India, and is now delving into history of Africa. Apparently there is quite a bit. Next shall be Arabic / Persia, and European histories.
Grandpa en.wikipedia.org as 55 and Georgette was 24 when they married. Georgette, according to the video clip and understanding of history of the Republic of China (now restricted to Taiwan province) was the most able of the 5 Zhang daughters. After grandpa's passing, Georgette was married again, but insisted on keeping her name Chen.
youtube.com video about Zhang Qin Jiang and his 5 daughters
Video about Eugene, a documentary coincidentally released in China, the People's Republic, a few days before Xi Jinping was to meet Trump - all about trade war, Russia, unequal treaties, and such
Am wonder how Jinping wish to be remembered in a hundred years?
youtu.be
Here is the transcript of the documentary
The British Fleet Threatened, but He Stayed Tough to Recover the Hankow Concession
Synopsis: The Qing dynasty government was forced to sign a series of humiliating treaties, did serious damage to national sovereignty in the form of Foreign Concession. In the period of the Republic of China, there was a diplomat who was not afraid of authority, resisted the British threat and intimidation of force, and successfully recovered the Hankou British Concession. He was Chen Youren (Eugene Chen). In the modern China under the dark clouds, there was such a group of people who are familiar with European and American legal systems, good at handling barbarians, some had signed unequal treaties, nailed to be shamed as traitors, and others had were recovered the Foreign Concessions, and became patriotic heros. They fell into the cracks of history, never escaped the shackles of the times and destiny. They are the first batch of modern Chinese diplomats. "Phoenix big vision" Republic of diplomatic war tells you about the situation of the diplomats of the Republic of China.
Jiang Nan: Welcome to the current "Phoenix Panorama". On January 4, 1927 the Hankou British Concession consul general and a naval commander aggressive charged into the Wuhan National Government office building, they walked into the office of foreign minister. The day before the Wuhan people in the Hankou Miaojia terminal held a meeting to celebrate the victory of the Northern Expedition and the National Government’s moved to Wuhan, and the British concession soldiers used force. The incident came to be known as 1-3 tragedy. The perpetrators were amongst the British, but asked the national government to apologize. The British believed that the patriotic Chinese will inevitably succumb to their demand, but did not expect that this time they encountered a hard stake. Commentary: On January 3, 1927 in Hankou Nan Yang Building, the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT / Nationalist) party and government held joint meeting and Eugene Chen impressively attended as the national government diplomat. However, the occurrence of the triumph of the meeting was interrupted, and Eugene Chen immediately met with the British Consul General in Hankou and the British ship commander.
Chen I-wen (Eugene Chen’s grandson): The British stated that as their lives and property were under threat, and Eugene “you are the Foreign Minister, solve the problem”. Eugene Chen said at that time “In this case, the safest way is that the British, including the soldiers, of the Concession best withdraw to the British ships for protection”
Commentary: British side feigned calm, said to ask the British Embassy in Beijing for response, but soon found that they simply could not resist the Chinese people move to recover the Hankow concession.
Chen I-wen: The Communist Party, including the Li Lisan, Zhou Enlai, also organized people / mass movement in Wuhan on a large scale, forming a great threat to the British, including its soldiers and businessmen.
Shi Yuanhua ("Republic of China diplomats" series editor of Fudan University professor): forced the British to agree to allow three brigades of the Chinese army into the Concession, then forced the British army to get on the British naval ships.
Chen I-wen: the British at that time agreed and withdrew all soldiers to the ships.
Comment: After the withdrawal of the British, Wuhan, all walks of life in Hankou held anti-British conferences and demonstrations. Angry masses entered into the British Concession. Wuhan National Government decided to formally take over the British Concession, and established the Hankou British Concession Provisional Management Committee, with Eugene Chen elected as chairman of the Committee.
Wanyan Shao Yuan ("Republic of diplomat" series of authors): Eugene Chen at the time had a high reputation.
Use British law to refuse the British return to the Concession
Commentary: the national government took over the British Concession, and the people's momentum gradually subsided. At this time the British once met with Eugene Chen, stressed that the Hankow Concession to be reverted to state before the 1-3 event. Chen I-wen: After a few days, the whole situation calm down a bit, and the British stated to Eugene Chen that calm had returned and our people to come back to the Concession. Eugene Chen stated the British cannot return. Wanyan Shaoyuan: Eugene Chen was also a British lawyer, he was very skilled in Anglo-American law, so he was talking with the British very precisely. Commentary: Eugene Chen was skilled in English and the British way of thinking. Chen I-wen: In accordance with the laws of the United Kingdom, should the owner of fixed asset completely abandoned the property, then the property to be returned to the state. The British said, no, we also had the patrols of the ethnic Indian troops in the Concession, but later learned that Indian patrols in the past few days had also been removed. Eugene Chen positioned that therefore the entire Hankou British concession sovereignty reverts back to China. The situation is you have given up, we have recovered. Commentary: In this case, the British side on behalf of O’Malley had to retreat, proposing that the Hankou British Concession to be a ‘public’ concession. The Chinese side would participate in the management. The proposal was turned down by Eugene Chen.
Wanyan Shao Yuan: Eugene Chen on behalf of the Wuhan National Government's request was that the Concession shall be managed by the Chinese. The British troops to vacate, and so on.
Chen I-wen: The representative of the United Kingdom positioned that because the Chinese people losses were caused to the British, and if, if the government is a civilized government, losses should be made good and the incident must be controlled. Eugene Chen was angry, and stated to talk about civilization, two thousand years ago, the Chinese people wearing silk when you the British were still covered with blue paint and rummaging. Commentary: Eugene Chen's solemn position eventually forced the British to agree to give up the Concession, to be changed to a Special Area. The negotiations between the two sides became smooth. Wanyan Shao Yuan: At that time, O’Malley put forward a memorandum, including seven appendices stipulating various conditions. In face of British Intimidation Refused to Sign and Terminating Negotiations Commentary: But soon after, the British Prime Minister Chamberlain suddenly announced a British expeditionary force of 12,000 troops to Shanghai, and also note that the US government jointly sent troops to defend the Shanghai concession.
Wanyan Shao Yuan: The troops were from Hong Kong, and India, for demonstration of force and to intimidate.
Commentary: Eugene Chen was not scared by the British threat of force, and immediately sent for local hydrologist. Chen I-wen: Because this time is in January, and January is dry season. The war ships cannot reach Wuhan. Knowing so, Eugene Chen adhered to a very tough negotiation position. Feng Wei (Professor of History at Fudan University): At this time, Eugene Chen decisively decided to terminate the negotiations, refused to sign the agreement as drafted, and refuted the British government memorandum. Commentary: February 1, Eugene Chen issued a declaration that the British threatened the national government by force, and it is impossible for the Chinese side to sign agreement under the threat. Eugene Chen's hard-line attitude was not what the British imagined, and the British marveled at how the national government had a so difficult to deal with the foreign minister. Born in the Colonies, Answered Call of Duty of the Revolution, and Gave up Good Life and Return Home Jiang Nan: In fact, Eugene Chen is not a native of China. He was born in the British Trinidad, is British by nationality. His father was a general of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Rebellion. The Taiping Rebellion was crushed and the army was exterminated, This general of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom fled to overseas and eventually settled in Trinidad. Chen has a certain economic strength, invested in several plantations, and 25-year-old Eugene Chen passed the exam to obtain a British lawyer license and became Trinidad's first Chinese lawyer, Eugene Chen also came to head a locally prominent family. But Eugene Chen was not satisfied with life in Trinidad, and never forgot that he is a native of Guangdong, China.
Commentary: In the autumn of 1911, Eugene Chen traveled to London as in previous years. A major event that changed his life.
Ma Jianbiao (Associate Professor, Department of History, Fudan University): After the outbreak of the Revolution of 1911, all the world knows and he could see the news of China in the London Times newspaper, and he knew his roots in China, his ancestors in China, and he wants to come back.
Wanyan Shao-yuan: but he was actually affected by his father, he cared about his own country, the motherland, so the Revolution of 1911 to overthrow the Qing government, overthrew the government that his father struggled against, made him very happy at the time.
Feng Wei: In a moment of excitement Eugene made the biggest decision of his life, to go to China, did not even return to Trinidad.
Comment: After arriving in China, Eugene met by introduction Shi Zhaqi the Transportation Minister of the Beiyang government, and who later became the Foreign Minister. Eugene Chen did not speak Chinese. Ma Jianbiao: Eugene became Shi Zhaoji's secretary, and later established the English language Beijing Gazette. Chen I-wen: Beijing now has a "New Beijing Gazette". The fact that most readers do not know the why the "New Beijing Gazette", because there was a "Beijing Gazette ". Ma Jianbiao: Eugene dared to expose the authorities, dare to criticize Yuan Shikai, dare to criticize Duan Qirui, whereas many of Beijing journalists accepted these people's bribes. Commentary: May 1917 Eugene Chen published a famous English article "Betrayed China", disclosed Duan Qirui collusion with the Japanese government to sell Chinese rights and interests, and ultimately Eugene was arrested for jeopardizing the crime. Chen I-wen: Some people give Eugene the idea that he should tell the Beiyang government that he was a British national and because the extraterritorial rights, he can handle the arrest. Eugene Chen noted, I came back after I gave my British passport to the British embassy, ??so from that time I was not the British, I am Chinese. Commentary: In the same year that Eugene Chen was arrested, Sun Yat-sen in Guangzhou launched a law enforcement war, crusaded against the Northern Government. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary ideals attracted Eugene Chen. Shortly after his release Eugene Chen chose to join the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, following Sun Yat-sen. Shi Yuanhua: Sun Yat-sen commissioned Eugene to do a Kuomintang's English version of the "National Daily" as a communication channel to the international community. Chen Yiwen: Later, the newspaper had not enough money - newspaper is a very costly endeavor. Eugene returned to London, moved the whole family from Trinidad to London, and then he asked my grandmother to return to Trinidad to sell property and much of the proceeds were remitted to China.
Ma Jianbiao: Sun Yat-sen had two secretaries; the Chinese secretary was Wang Jingwei, the English secretary was Eugene Chen. Sun’s “Three Principles of the People” was translated into English by Eugene Chen.
Commentary: Sun Yat-sen met with the Soviet envoy, reorganized the Kuomintang (KMT), and set upon the policy to work w/ USSR, the Communist and support of agriculture and rural population. Major policies such as Northern Expedition March Eugene Chen played important role at Sun’s side. Ma Jianbiao: When the Kuomintang was supported by the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union sent over the representatives of Borodin, who came to China to be received by Eugene Chen, who in fact was basically the informal Foreign Minister before becoming the actual Foreign Minister. Wanyan Shaoyuan: Before Sun Yat-sen died, he signed three wills, for the nation, his family, and his Soviet comrades. The first two wills were drafted by Wang Ching-wei, and the will to the Soviet Union was drafted by Eugene Chen. That was a very important document. Britain had to Withdraw Troops and the Republic of China Recovered Hankou British Concession
Commentary: May 1926 Eugene Chen as the national government foreign minister officially entered the Kuomintang's core leadership, and put his hard style into the diplomatic system, became known as the iron-fist diplomat. At this point the face of the British military intimidation Eugene had no fear. Jiang Nan: At the end of January 1927, there was a strange phenomenon outside the British Consulate in Hankou. Every day, the garbage paper of the consulate was thrown out and was soon taken away, and the people who received the garbage were not sanitation workers. These junk paper, like the baby was quietly sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the National Government, and finally appeared on Eugene’s desk. During the Sino-British negotiations over Hankou British Concession, it was garbage paper that enabled Eugene Chen to quickly understand the movements in the negotiations. Commentary: from inside of the trash came out information, making Eugene aware that on his tough refusal to sign the O’Malley Agreement as drafted, the British domestic response is strong. Chen I-wen: Eugene Chen pieced together the garbage paper that were draft cables he was able to grasp some of the main contents of some of the communication linking the British consulate and the British Ministry of Foreign Office. Reaction to the Hankou matter was very strong, and there were much debate within the British Parliament. Feng Wei: the United States, France, Italy have expressed their reluctance to participate in the British action. Eugene Chen refused to sign caused an uproar in the United Kingdom. Manchester City government even decided to ask the government to withdraw troops from China. Commentary: February 7 British Prime Minister Chamberlain was forced to make concessions, hoping to reopen the Sino-British talks, but Eugene Chen stated that before resuming the negotiations the British must resolve the troop issue in Shanghai. Wanyan Shao Yuan: Eugene proposed two conditions, that British must recognize the national government is the only representative of the Chinese government, when the British would prefer the Northern government, and place the Wuhan (KMT) national government as a local government negotiation counter-party. Eugene stated this the position is an attitude. The second condition is that the Wuhan National Government not engage in negotiation under threat of force. Commentary: On February 12, the British negotiator, O’Malley, visited Eugene Chen and conveyed Chamberlain's call, saying that aside from the ethnic Indian troops the British troops dispatched to China on their way to Shanghai were concentrated only in Hong Kong. Come to Shanghai. February 19, Eugene Chen agreed to resume peace talks, but asked the Indian troops immediately withdraw in the afternoon, O’Malley replied that the landed troops are withdrawn. Wanyan Shaoyuan: This is actually a proclamation that the Chinese people shall not engage in diplomacy under the threat of arms. Public opinion of the time regarded the development as a win by Eugene Chen. Chen Yiwen: The British side, including the Parliament debated, and to maintain business, the Chinese conditions were accepted. Ma Jianbiao: Britain had basically been weakened, and basically WWI started the British declining, especially after the Paris meeting, the British in the whole world stage its status in the decline. Britain was in no position to go hard-on-hard the Revolutionary Diplomacy of China. Commentary: On February 19, Eugene Chen and O’Malley formally signed the Agreement on the Recovery of the Hankou British Concession. On March 5, the Second Special Administrative Region of Hankou, the National Government, was formally established. On the same day, Jiujiang British concession was also officially recovered by the Chinese government. Shi Jianguo ("Republic of diplomat" series of books): Eugene had been progressive. He was very disgusted with the Western colonial aggression, because he was in Latin America, Latin America, in fact, the original is the Western colonies, he has such a personal experience, but he was also a colonial Chinese who had to step by step struggle, study and achieve. He has experience, so he is particularly opposed to imperialism, he was more radical, a diplomat with a sense of justice. Children Memories: Home of Eugene Chen was Not Severe Commentary: by recovering Hankou and Jiujiang British concessions, China's dominance in diplomacy raised Eugene Chen’s public prestige. He was hard in the face of the British invaders, but in the eyes of children and grandchildren is not the case. Chen I-wen: no matter from my uncle and his memoirs, and from my father and what he wrote, my grandfather was not a very harsh father, but it demanding of his children. He was not an iron-fist father. Commentary: Eugene Chen had a bunch of children, but he did not have much time to enjoy the grandchildren, as the revolutionary wave was not extinguished, Chiang Kai-shek in 1927 launched a 4.1.2 coup in Shanghai, in the recovering the Shanghai Concession the KMT and the Communist Party split. To Eugene this was very sad, and with Soong Ching Ling, jointly published "to discuss Chiang Kai-shek". Given his position his was forced to leave the leadership of the National Government. Jiang Nan: 1931 56-year-old Eugene Chen re-married to Zhang Liying (Geogette), who was the daughter of the the Kuomintang veteran Zhang Jingjiang. Zhang Yiying was 28 years old, a media interview she said why would be willing to marry a more than 20 years old, and Eugene Chen was a famous Kuomintang leftist, whereas Geogette’s father Zhang Jingjiang was a rightist, and although he was rich in overseas assets, but by this time the wealth was exhausted; Zhang Liying replied that because Eugene Chen was a beautiful man, and in her eyes Eugene's beauty is not only in appearance, but also because of his sincerity and patriotic heart. In 1941 the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, Eugene Chen then living in Hong Kong was forced back to Shanghai, and tried to coerced him to join the Wang Jinwei’s puppet regime, but Eugene Chen refused and was placed under house arrest. May 1944 a Japanese doctor treated Eugene for dental issue and complications led to Eugene’s death at the age of 69 years old.
Here is the story of Georgette done relatively recently by National Art Gallery of Singapore, and the volumes 1 & 2 of 3 covers her first meeting w/ Eugene and their life together. The lady seems quite special. My brother met the lady in early 1990.
nationalgallery.sg
 |
