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

Chapter 611 Chinese Workers
Li Yu and Liang Qichao took a photo together, and now Li Yu pays attention to taking one for records at any time.

Taking pictures has become much more convenient after having the Leica prototype. Another small optical factory was built in Shanghai - it was the one that Li Yu "fooled" from Germany. Although the scale was not large, it was still there.

It's just that when the light is bad, the results of the photos taken by the Leica prototype are unsatisfactory.

Liang Qichao asked Li Yu for several more wireless telegraph machines.

"Ren Gong wants to be a long-distance military advisor in Shanghai?" Li Yu asked.

"With this plan in mind, I want to send several other units to Yunnan." Liang Qichao said.

"It seems that you still feel that just relying on pen and paper is not enough." Li Yu said.

"I can't wait to learn how to shoot a gun now!" Liang Qichao said.

Li Yu said: "There is no need to join the army."

Liang Qichao was very concerned about the situation of the National Defense Army. During the entire war, he had been actually involved in the decision-making and command of the front line.

As a student of Liang Qichao, Cai E often sent telegrams to inquire about his military policy.

Liang Qichao did not forget a key question: "Is this thing highly confidential?"

Li Yu explained: "Secrecy lies in the level of encryption. There are no domestic agencies that intercept telegrams. As long as the password is slightly difficult, military aircraft will not be leaked."

Liang Qichao said: "This makes me feel relieved."

During this period, Liang Qichao would live in the Shanghai Concession and follow the Yunnan front line remotely.

The War to Protect the Country was fought relatively smoothly on the whole, especially after Guizhou, Guangxi and other places joined in later, the situation basically completely tilted towards the side of the National Protector Army.

Coupled with the fact that a group of Beiyang senior officials openly opposed Yuan Shikai, it can be said that Comrade Yuan was betrayed and separated from his relatives, and the country was in decline.

So nothing to worry about.

Li Yu still focused on going to Datong University to give a few lectures.

Recently, he teamed up with a group of students to develop a new patent - spotlight.

It's a flash for photography.

Previously, flashes used magnesium powder (mixed powder with potassium chlorate, antimony sulfide, etc.). After the magnesium is energized, it undergoes an oxidation reaction with oxygen in the air to produce strong light, illuminate the subject, and produce a large amount of smoke. , so the flash was always called the spotlight in the early days.

In the Once Upon a Time series of movies, Aunt Thirteen once took photos with this kind of lamp, and even shocked Huang Qiying.

But it has a very troublesome problem, that is, the smoke.

Li Yu led his students to develop a flash bulb: the principle is not complicated, that is, placing a filament wrapped with aluminum and magnesium in an oxygen-filled bulb, and then igniting it through electronic ignition. Not only does it avoid smoke, but it is also much more compact and convenient. However, this bulb is still disposable and needs to be replaced after use.

But for some mobile scenes, when there is no time to set up a bulky camera, a small portable camera plus a portable spotlight can come in handy, so once it is launched, it can definitely completely replace magnesium powder.

Li Yu subsequently registered the patent in Beijing and then in the United States.

There were many war reporters during World War I, and the need for flash was huge.

Through this patent, students can make some money (perhaps a lot), and it can also allow them to feel the charm of technology and continue to devote themselves to invention and creation. ——It is simpler than engaging in mathematical and scientific research and has more practical significance.

It took them a week to complete the experiment, and they made many samples and selected the best ratio through testing.

When Li Yu was testing with them, a student came to Li Yu and asked, "Principal, can I take this invention to France?"

"France?" Li Yu didn't react for a moment.

The student said: "Soon I will go to Weihaiwei and board a ship to France with many Chinese workers."

"So that's it," Li Yu knew about the Chinese laborers in World War I, "Are you here as a translator?"

"Yes," the student nodded, "I just want to go to France to study Western art."

Li Yu said: "I haven't asked your name yet."

"My name is Guo Yinglin." the student said.

"I wish you all the best," Li Yu said. "The French front line is a meat grinder. The Entente and Allies have been preparing for a whole year, and the decisive battle is about to break out."

Guo Yinglin said: "We are just doing logistics and will not go to the front line."

"Then you have to pay attention to safety. Bullets don't have holes in them. There is a Work-Frugal Society in France. I will send them a telegram to take good care of you," Li Yu said, and then directly gave him a portable camera to record the Chinese workers in Europe. deeds.”

Guo Yinglin took it with both hands: "I originally wanted to draw it with a pen, but it would be more realistic if I used a camera."

1916 was the bloodiest year of World War I. Both the Verdun Meat Grinder and the Somme Meat Grinder were used in this year. France fought very hard. It is said that the Battle of Verdun was the one that destroyed a generation of French people. .

A year later, the British army replaced the French army and became the main force on the Western Front.

Currently, both sides have four to five million troops on the French front, and they are both ready to defeat their opponents with one blow.

As a large number of young and middle-aged laborers were recruited to the front line, the industry, agriculture, and transportation industries in the rear suffered a serious shortage of manpower. There was an urgent need to import a large number of labor forces from abroad to maintain the normal operation of the war, production, and life.

The Beiyang government could not do without the support of Britain and the United States, but it was unable to participate in the war, so Liang Shiyi proposed an extremely shrewd diplomatic strategy: replacing troops with work.

Liang Shiyi's move was quite wise, because with the national strength of the Republic of China, it was impossible to send troops to directly participate in the war, and the logistics costs alone could not be met. If workers were replaced by soldiers, it would not only have a substantive effect and solve the urgent needs of Britain and France, but also be easily accepted by the Allied Powers; Chinese workers would receive wages from Britain and France, and the Beiyang government would not have to pay, and at the same time they would be able to obtain various rights of the victorious countries.

Although it is somewhat idealistic, for example, the Beiyang government can enjoy the same rights as the British and French powers after the war, it is impossible to think about it. However, judging from the practical process, the strategy of replacing troops with workers was still the best choice for the diplomacy of the Republic of China.

Under this guiding strategy, 15 Chinese workers rushed to the battlefields of Western Europe and wrote a glorious page in the history of World War I.

This is not the first time that Chinese laborers have gone abroad. The Chinese laborers have performed very well in Russia before. It may be because of their previous outstanding performance that Britain and France are willing to recruit Chinese laborers in China.

According to the contract given by Britain and France, Chinese workers need to work abroad for five years, working up to 10 hours a day, and receive a daily salary of 5 francs, which is almost equivalent to two oceans. Half of it is used to pay for food, accommodation, and medicine. Each worker gets 2.5 francs per day, which is an ocean.

This income level can be said to be very attractive to the majority of farmers (if the offer is small, no one will be willing to travel that far, and it will still be a war zone).

At this time, some domestic senior staff in Shanghai, Tianjin and other places earn about 40 yuan a month; ordinary workers only earn 10 yuan a month for their hard work.

Most of the Chinese laborers were recruited in Shandong. During the Republic of China, there were several disasters in Shandong. Many people were very difficult at home, so after being notified, they signed up very enthusiastically.

Approximately 4 of these Chinese workers were employed by the French army, 10 by the British army, and 1 were later employed by the US military, working in more than 100 camps.

Judging from the subsequent performance, Huagong is quite good. They are engaged in hard and arduous work, such as digging trenches, building fortifications, field rescue, field communications, exhuming corpses, clearing mines, building roads and bridges, unloading grain and grass, loading and unloading supplies, manufacturing arms, forest logging, and mining mines. … As long as the war requires it, the Chinese laborers will go and do almost anything.

Even during the Battle of the Somme, after tanks were introduced, Chinese workers had to repair them. ——At first, the British army did not allow foreigners to approach the tanks. After all, this was a high-level secret.

But later they discovered that Chinese workers could repair tanks faster than British workers, so there were three Chinese labor groups dedicated to repairing tanks for the British army.

The Chinese workers' spirit of hard work, bravery, fearlessness, and sacrifice soon won unanimous praise from the Allied forces. French Marshal Foch, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces, once said: "Chinese workers are world-class workers and the makings of outstanding soldiers. Under modern artillery fire, they can endure any hardship and complete various tasks with quality and quantity."

Lloyd George, one of the three giants of the Paris Peace Conference, British War Secretary and Prime Minister, also praised the Chinese workers in his "War Memoirs": "The Chinese workers are all as strong as cattle. You will be surprised to find that some Chinese workers are as strong as cattle." He can pick up a large piece of wood or a bundle of iron plates weighing three to four hundred pounds and walk as fast as if these heavy objects were as light as ordinary rocks."

As we all know, World War I was a trench war, and Chinese workers were absolutely good at digging trenches. A report from the British Foreign Office pointed out that if an Indian, a Chinese and a British person are compared together, the efficiency of Chinese workers in digging trenches is twice that of Indians and higher than that of British workers.

This is what the British said themselves, and they were not meant to discredit Ah San.

Most of the Chinese workers did not understand English and French, so 400 more students were selected to serve as translators. Logically speaking, 400 translations are not enough, but I really can’t find any more.

Fortunately, the Work-Study Society in France helped a lot. They helped to establish some schools in France to teach Chinese workers to read and read.

The British army imposed many restrictions on the movement of Chinese workers, which was no different from military management. The British authorities never believed that Chinese workers and British people were equal in terms of personality. They insisted on a tough policy and prohibited Chinese workers from interacting with European soldiers or civilians.

Compared with the condescending racism of the British, the French were less discriminatory towards Chinese workers. French officers had a more democratic attitude towards the Chinese workers under their command and were more concerned about the living habits of the Chinese workers.

It is said that many Chinese workers married French women, and a large part of them were Chinese workers who were pursued by French women. In the end, about 3,000 of them stayed in France and became early expats.

In short, the Chinese laborers not only gained huge bargaining chips for the Beiyang government at the Paris Peace Conference, but also inspired enthusiasm for staying in France.

There were many great figures among the subsequent students who studied in France.

These people are different from the international students in the past. In the past, the cost of studying in Europe was horribly high, and most of the international students were children from wealthy families.

After World War I, many students studying in France came from less wealthy backgrounds. Most of them had to work-study, so they were well aware of the hardships of life. The First World War was also the first major break with the tradition that students studying in Europe belonged to the leisure class.

There are many students in Shanghai, and many of them go to France voluntarily. There are dozens of them at Datong University, so Li Yu naturally supports them.

He said to Guo Yinglin: "Tell all the students going to France to go to the school office to receive 200 yuan each before leaving. From now on, I will remit money regularly through the Work-Study Society in France."

Guo Yinglin said gratefully: "Don't worry, principal, they will take care of food and accommodation."

Li Yu said: "I hope you can broaden your horizons. The money will definitely be used."

Guo Yinglin no longer declined: "I will definitely live up to the principal's trust."

Li Yu said: "They are all our own students, as they should be."

A few days later, Shanghai students studying in France gathered at the pier and prepared to take a boat to Weihaiwei.

Together with the Chinese workers, they would first take a boat to Vancouver, then take a train to the east coast of America, and then take a boat to France.

Although reaching Marseille, France, via the Suez Canal is also an important route, the Mediterranean Sea has long been blocked by German submarines and is very dangerous.

At the pier, Li Yu went to see him off in person, and also met Johnston, who worked at the Weihai Weihua Affairs Department.

"Mr. Li Yu, we meet again." Johnston greeted.

Li Yu shook hands with him: "Hello, Teacher Zhuang."

Johnston said: "Teacher?"

Li Yu said: "Teacher is an honorific title."

"Thank you for your respect," Johnston said, "Isn't it possible that Mr. Li Yu also wants to go to Europe in person?"

Li Yu said: "I don't understand military affairs, let alone ballistic calculations."

Johnston said: "Before, you taught surveying and mapping in schools in Beiyang."

Li Yu didn't expect that he even knew this, so he said: "There is a big difference between theory and practice, and I prefer teaching mathematics. In fact, the key is that I will not serve in foreign armies."

"It would be best if you don't go, sir," Johnston said. "From the information sent back, it has become a hell on earth. The frontline troops suffered heavy losses. Several large ships built together with the Titanic before, such as the Britannic, the Mauretania The cruise ship was all requisitioned by the military as a hospital ship. I learned from private sources that many of the wounded soldiers on board were in terrible condition and many needed amputation.”

The amputation surgery at this time needs no further description.

Li Yu said: "I'm afraid the real nightmare has not yet come."

Johnston was also worried: "Germany has no intention of retreating, and we don't know when the war will end."

Li Yu said: "Now that the National Defense Army and the Beiyang Army are also fighting, many things cannot be done perfectly. I hope the British side can be friendly to the Chinese workers and students."

Johnston said: "Sir, don't worry about this. What is needed on the front line are strong and healthy workers. They will not suffer. After all, it is not the slave trade of a hundred years ago. It's just that the journey of more than a month will spend most of the time floating on the sea. Seasickness is inevitable.”

In fact, more than 3,000 people died during the journey due to disease and German submarine attacks.

The deeds of the Chinese workers were very touching. After World War I, about 11 Chinese workers who served Britain and France went through hardships and eventually returned to their countries to reunite with their families.

Of the more than 3 people who did not return home, nearly 1874 died from war or disease. Among them, the bodies of 69 named Chinese workers were buried in cemeteries in Europe.