A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 609 Fierce Debate

Communication with the United States was relatively smooth, and Li Yu quickly received Michelson's telegram.

He received a lot of similar telegrams, not only from the American Physical Society, but also from the University of Chicago, Harvard University, Yale University, and Columbia University. Almost every one of them sent at least two telegrams.

But Li Yu really couldn't leave now, so he could only reply a telegram and tell Michelson to let him know in advance when he went.

The reason why Li Yu couldn't leave was naturally because there were many new things happening in the country.

The first thing is that the many schools he opened across the country suddenly accepted a large number of students who returned from Japan.

The "Twenty-One" incident has been made public, and international students are extremely indignant. Those who responded the most strongly were students studying in Japan.

They were so angry that they spontaneously organized a group to leave Japan and return home to express their strongest protest.

There are quite a lot of students studying in Japan who have returned to China this time, almost 4,000.

Li Yu immediately published an article in the newspaper. According to their place of origin, these students can enter schools in Wuhan, Changsha, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hong Kong and other places; if they have already attended university in Japan, they can enter Shanghai Datong University to continue their studies.

It is normal for students to be bloody, and Li Yu supports them. But just like when Cai Yuanpei organized Chinese public schools in Shanghai to take in students who had returned from Japan to protest, he himself still had something to do, and he had to let these people continue to finish their studies. ——The more knowledge, the greater the effect, and the greater the threat to Japan.

This is the third large-scale return of students studying in Japan.

The first time was in 1905, when Japan promulgated the "Regulations on Banning International Students" and Chen Tianhua committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea.

The second time was during the Xinhai period, when students studying in Japan returned to China to participate in the revolution.

The third time was when I returned to China because of the "Twenty-One Measures".

Fortunately, Li Yu had prepared well in advance. The area of ​​​​the school construction was not small, and they were all separated, so that each school would not bear too much pressure.

However, it has exceeded the designed capacity, and some aspects can only be compromised, such as poor accommodation conditions, not enough tables and chairs for classes, and the need to stand, etc.

On the contrary, because Datong University is large enough and there are not so many college students, it is actually quite full.

Japanese universities are not as interesting as those in Europe and the United States, but basic education is pretty good, so the level of returned Japanese students is pretty good.

Li Yu specially took Lu Bicheng south to Shanghai to visit the Japanese students who entered Datong University.

After arriving in Shanghai by train, Li Yu saw that there was still a strong boycott of Japanese goods here.

A few months ago, Yuan Shikai once again ordered all provinces to strictly prohibit boycotts, especially not to use banners with the words "Boycott Japanese Goods".

Beijing is close to the city and is severely suppressed, while Shanghai is more relaxed.

Although businessmen no longer dared to legitimately boycott Japanese goods, they ingeniously gave up the term "boycott" and instead put forward the slogan of "revitalizing domestic goods". They continued not to use Japanese goods, and established the "Association for Encouraging the Use of Domestic Products" and "Consciousness of Shame". Society" and other organizations.

In addition to boycotting Japanese goods, there is also the "National Salvation Fund Group", which aims to raise funds to help develop domestic industries. The idea is very good. If we want to boycott Japanese products, we must come up with corresponding alternatives.

The timing of this boycott of Japanese goods was quite coincidental. Stimulated by the imbalance of international trade during World War I, national industry was developing rapidly and became an important factor in promoting China's industrial development at that time.

It is obvious that after the boycott of Japanese goods broke out, the production of various light industries in China increased significantly.

If we rise to the political level, I always feel that Japan's strategy towards China was quite a failure throughout the Republic of China period. They are too tough and always want to take shortcuts and quickly occupy the entire land of China.

Moreover, Japan has always had this kind of blind self-confidence, and it is extremely inflated.

In fact, this will only arouse huge resentment among the Chinese people. The hatred for Japan has lasted for a hundred years and still has no intention of dissipating.

They also don’t think about how much worse they are than Britain. Britain spent hundreds of years unable to conquer an India that only had a geographical concept. What’s more, Japan, a skinny snake with a big mouth, wants to swallow a giant elephant with thousands of years of continuous culture?
Li Yu bought a newspaper and found that even Americans could see that Japan was counterproductive. In the English newspaper, the American correspondent analyzed the determination of the Chinese people to unite inspired by the "Twenty-One" and the relationship between China's economy and Commercial potential. He believes that China's efforts to develop industry, especially the cotton textile industry, may be "sustainable in the long term" and will therefore have a "fatal" impact on Japan's main trade.

Because at this time, Japan had few industrial products to offer, mainly the textile industry.

He wrote in the press release: "So many Chinese people are filled with a sense of national humiliation, deep resentment and mental bitterness, making the boycott of Japanese goods practical and necessary, because the people have made up their minds not to buy Japanese goods as much as possible. ”

Although American reporters were overly optimistic about the situation, the Chinese people have indeed begun to realize the need to save the country, but their efforts to build the economy are still preliminary. After all, there is no industrial base; but the hatred is real.

Li Yu came to Datong University and worked with Hu Gangfu to calm down the students' emotions. The effect was not very good. They traveled across the ocean to Japan, and now they are back across the ocean and are very angry.

All I can say is looking forward to the future. But looking at the near future, there is no good future, because Yuan Shikai is going to become emperor, and they will definitely be busy by then.

A revolution is indispensable, and Li Yu only hopes that they can read as much as possible after the revolution, which will be good for the revolution itself.

Fortunately, Li Yu's reputation is not small, and the students can listen to him to some extent.

In the office, Hu Dunfu said to Li Yu dumbfounded: "If I were a few years younger, I would be like them."

Li Yu said with a smile: "Young people are full of energy. It's no problem to do other things while studying. And we can't blame them. Who told the Beiyang government to do something so annoying?"

"Judging from the reported news, Yuan Shikai really doesn't want to be president. The world will be in chaos by then. For the sake of his own selfish interests, he puts all the people in dire straits. What kind of emperor is he?" Hu Dunfu said, "I think he will definitely leave a reputation! But! What does a person who lacks most need nothing more than fame? "

"I can't figure it out logically," Li Yu said. "Maybe you and I have never participated in politics and can't understand it. What politicians have to do is hide their inner feelings."——

The domestic headquarters of the Chinese Science Society has moved to the campus of Datong University. Li Yu and Hu Dunfu stopped by to take a look.

The circulation of "Science Magazine" maintains a good level, and the difficulty of publishing articles is becoming more and more sophisticated. This is mainly due to the fact that after becoming famous, more people are submitting articles. Not only international students from the United States are contributing, but also international students from Japan and Europe. Very enthusiastic.

As soon as he arrived at the door, Li Yu heard editor Jin Bangzheng yelling angrily: "Traitor, how come he has become a traitor!"

Li Yu asked curiously: "Who is the traitor?"

"Ah, Mr. Academician, I didn't know you were back!" Jin Bangzheng put down a manuscript in his hand and stood up.

Li Yu waved his hand: "No need to be formal."

Jin Bangzheng handed a pile of manuscripts to Li Yu, and then said: "Since Japan proposed the damn 21, American students have become passionate, and the "Chinese Students in the United States Monthly" run by the Student Union has made a lot of reports. Several issues have devoted considerable space to discussing this issue.”

Li Yu flipped through the manuscript and found that the mood of the students studying in the United States was not much better than that of the students studying in Japan.

Some students say that we should fight and imitate Belgium's resistance, rather than being conquered and ruled by Japan like Korea; some believe that it should not be "Japanized"; and some believe that the current domestic crisis requires everyone to "give up" original plan for his own future" and make "significant sacrifices."

One of the representative editorials said: "We should do what is most beneficial to the country, even sacrificing our lives if necessary. ... China now needs capable talents more urgently than anything else. Therefore, we My responsibility is very simple – go back to your country!”

It's just that during World War I, it was difficult to book ferry tickets, and the prices skyrocketed. It was far from being as convenient as returning home from Japan.

Since they couldn't return home for a while, they took advantage of the holidays to go to American military camps for training...

After Li Yu read it, he said to Jin Bangzheng: "It's very positive, why are you a traitor?"

Jin Bangzheng showed the manuscript he just read to Li Yu: "The traitor is Hu Shi. Look at what he wrote! He is an officer of the Students' Union in America and the editor of the domestic newsletter of "Chinese Students in America Monthly" , how can you write words that allow everyone to maintain "sober patriotism"? No matter how beautiful the words are, they are still whitewashing the Japanese!"

Li Yu sat down and straightened the manuscript: "Let me see what he said."

At this time, Hu Shi was studying with Dr. Dewey at Columbia University. Unlike the rising anger among students studying in the United States, he wrote an "Open Letter to All Chinese Students", calling for calm and excerpting a key part:

"In my opinion, what we international students should do at this time, so far away from China, is: let us calm down and fulfill our responsibilities, which is to study. The most important thing is not to be led away from us by the noise of newspapers. Let us read our books seriously, calmly, without being harassed or shaken, and prepare ourselves well until our country overcomes this crisis - I am convinced that she will overcome this crisis - okay. To help her progress or, if necessary, to raise her from the dead...

The final solution to the Far East problem does not lie in our immediate war with Japan, or in the intervention of other powers... In the end, the real answer must be sought elsewhere - perhaps a deeper answer than we imagine now.

I don't know where the answer is, I just know it's not here. We must find it out calmly and objectively..."

"The answer is blowing in the wind," Li Yu repeated Hu Shi's last sentence. "He said he didn't know the answer, but in fact he always wanted to express his answer."

"The answer is traitors!" Jin Bangzheng said angrily. "The whole article is full of non-resistance. How is it different from the Qing government's practice of paying reparations to various places? When you study in the United States, you need to be exposed to new ideas. Do American universities teach this?! Take a look at the rebuttal of Kuang Xukun, the editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine, who said that Hu Shi’s thoughts are only rooted in the teachings of Lao Tzu, Jesus, and Sakyamuni!”

Li Yu touched his chin and said, "There is indeed a problem."

Li Yu originally warned them in the United States to study hard first in order to accumulate strength before doing big things.

At this time, Hu Shi seemed to have misinterpreted this sentence and only emphasized non-resistance at the moment.

Moreover, language itself is about art, and different expressions have very different meanings.

Li Yu only told them that these international students should study hard. And Hu Shi actually wrote a so-called "Open Letter to All Chinese Students" in a grand manner. Isn't this just an attempt to represent all students in China?

To be fair, he is still just an ordinary student at this time. How many people are willing to be represented by him? And he is a minority, why should he be allowed to represent the majority?
Hu Shi obviously made a big mistake this time.

Jin Bangzheng said: "Twenty years have passed since the Sino-Japanese War of 1894. Everyone can see the thinking of the Japanese. They want compensation to develop their navy. They ceded treasure islands and coveted Liaodong. Now they want to covet Qingdao. They are blindly pursuing Qingdao. How long will it take to be patient?”

Jin Bangzheng took out another letter from another international student, "I think the one named Mei Yiqi wrote it right. He agrees that the student's responsibility is to study, but he doesn't agree that a student who is very concerned about the current domestic crisis should be regarded as He has neglected his responsibility as a student. Only a student who seriously studies the national crisis can truly fulfill his responsibility - the responsibility of solving urgent problems, right?"

Many students studying in the United States at the same time believed that what Hu Shi proposed was not "sober patriotism" but "unpatriotic nonsense."

Li Yu nodded: "This is indeed the case on major issues of right and wrong. Some of Hu Shi's views are obviously influenced by pure theory, are too idealistic, and do not consider the actual situation. But even if we do research, this should not be the case. I will write him a letter Telegram, tell him to pay attention."

Jin Bangzheng said: "Mr. Academician, don't you know his mentor Professor Dewey? Send him an email too."

Li Yu said: "That's fine."

Many of the views in Hu Shi's article are simply untenable and overly pessimistic.

"Go and raise her from the dead, if necessary."

But by what means can a country be resurrected from the dead? Is it possible to do this by holding the Bible in one hand and an equally useful book, such as Browning's Collected Poems (which Hu Shi was more familiar with than any other book) in the other?

Everyone must admit that once Japan takes over by force, force must be used to expel them.

Surviving from death is much more difficult than resisting before the invasion!