胡適留學日記卷九二四、致留學界公函

卷九二四、致留學界公函

　　（三月十九夜）

　　AN OPEN LEITER TO ALL CHINESE STUDENTS

　　My dear Brethren:

　　If I may judge from the sentiments expressed in the last issue ofthe Monthly, I am afraid we have completely lost our heads, and have gone mad. "Fight and be vanquished, if we must", says one Club. Even Mr. W. K. Chung, a Christian of mature thought, declares in fiery eloquence: "Even if we fight and be defeated and consequently suffer the disgrace of losing our country, —even this course should be inevitable and preordained. I still say, we could not but choose to fight…Let us fight and be conquered like Belgium." Even our Editor-in-chief who in his editorials advised us that hotheads have no place in the deliberation of such great national danger and that we should consult our heads as well as our hearts, —even he writes on another page: "The Chinese will have no choice (which they will not hesitate to make) but to fight!"

　　Now, let me say that all this is pure insanity. We have lost our heads. We are excited, nervous, nay, "patriotically insane. "My Brethren, it is absolutely useless to get excited at such a critical moment. No excitement, nor high-sounding sentiments, nor sensational suggestions, have ever helped any nation. Talking of fighting "on paper" is the most shallow course for us to take, who call ourselves "students" and "capable men".

　　It seems to me that the right course for us students to take at this moment and at this distance from China, is this. Let us be calm. Let us DO OUR DUTY which is TO STUDY. Let us not be carried away by the turmoil of the newspaper from our serious mission. Let us apply ourselves seriously, calmly, undisturbedly and unshakenly to our studies, and PREPARE OURSELVES to uplift our fatherland, if she survives this crisis—as I am sure she will, —or to resurrect her from the dead, if it needs be!

　　My Brethren. THAT is our duty and our right course!

　　I say, talking of fighting Japan at this present moment is insanity. For how can we fight? Our Editor-in-chief says that we have the fighting strength of one million determined soldiers. Let us look at the facts, we have at most 120,000 soldiers that can be called "trained", but poorly equipped. And we have absolutely no navy: the largest vessel in our navy is a third-class cruiser with a displacement of 4,300 tons. And how about munitions? What shall we fight with?

　　So I say with all sincerity and with all devotion to China, that it is pure nonsense and foolishness to talk of fighting when there is not the slightest chance of gaining anything but devastation, and devastation, and devastation!

　　And you talk of Belgium—of heroic Belgium! My dear Brethren, let me tell you with all my heart and soul that to resist the tide of an ocean with a single hand is no heroism, and that to strike an egg against a rock is no heroism! Moreover. Belgium did not contemplate such an utter defeat. Read such books asHow Belgium Saved Europeby Dr. Charles Sarolea of Belgium, and you will see that she was sure of French assistance and of British support. And she was confident of her Liege and her Antwerp which had the reputation of being the strongest fortifications in the world. So Belgium staked all her fortune for the "glory" of being a heroic nation! Was that true courage? Was that true heroism?

　　And my Brethren. think of Belgium and of the Belgians of today! Is the "glory" of heroism worth all the sacrifice?

　　I am not blaming the Belgians. What I want to point out here is that Belgium is not worth China's imitating, and that whosoever wishes China to follow Belgium's path and fate is sinning against China.

　　In conclusion. let me repeat: DO NOT GET EXCITED: LET US DO OUR DUTY WHICH IS TO STUDY.

　　The final solution of the Far Eastern Question is not to be sought in fighting Japan at present; nor in any external interference by any other Power or Powers; nor in any temporary relief such as the equilibrium of powers or that of the Open Door; nor in any such proposal as the Japanese Monroe Doctrine. The real and final solution must be sought somewhereelse—far, far deeper than most of us now suspect. I do not know wherein it lies: I only know wherein it does not lie. Let us study it out calmly and dispassionately.

　　Read this letter carefully before you condemn me.

　　Very earnestly.

　　Your brother.

　　Suh Hu

　　Ithaca. N. Y.

　　〔中譯〕

　　致留學界公函

　　諸位：

　　以上月期刊中各位所表示之義憤觀之，餘擔憂吾輩皆頭腦發熱，理智失常。某一學生會以為「吾輩非戰即死」。甚至連這位通情達理之基督徒——W·K·鐘君也義憤填膺，宣稱「倘使吾輩命中註定：凡戰必敗，終要遭受亡國之辱，餘仍要說，吾輩別無選擇，只有決一死戰……寧可像比國人一樣，非戰即死。」甚至連該刊主筆先生，日前還在社論中勸誡眾人，在此民族危亡之際，切不可魯莽行事，亂了方寸，義憤之餘還須訴諸理智，如今他也在另一文中寫道：「中國人別無選擇，只有決一死戰！（國人將毫不猶豫作此選擇）」

　　此刻，餘要說上述言論完全是瘋話。吾輩情緒激動，神經緊張，理智失常，可以說是得了「愛國癲」。諸位，在此危急關頭，情緒激動是決無益處的。激動之情緒，慷慨激昂之愛國呼號，危言聳聽之條陳，未嘗有助於國。吾輩自稱「學子」、「幹材」，若只是「紙上」談兵，則此舉未免過於膚淺。

　　以餘觀之，吾輩學子，遠去祖國，愛莫能助；當務之急，當以鎮靜處之。讓吾等各就本分，各盡責職；吾輩之責任乃是讀書學習。不可讓報章上所傳之糾紛，耽誤吾輩之學業。吾等正要嚴肅、冷靜、不驚、不慌，安于學業，力爭上流，為將來振興祖國作好一番準備，只要她能倖免于難——餘深信如此——若是不能，吾輩將為在廢墟上重建家園而努力！

　　諸位，這才是吾輩之責任！才是吾輩之當務之急！

　　餘以為，此刻言及對日作戰，簡直是發瘋。我何以作戰？主筆先生說，我有一百萬敢決一死戰之雄獅。且讓大家來看一下事實：我僅有十二萬士兵談得上是「訓練有素」的，然其裝備甚為簡陋。而且，我海軍毫無戰鬥力：軍中最大之戰艦乃一三等巡洋艦，其排水噸位僅為四千三百噸。另外，軍火又如何呢？我何以作戰？

　　余赤誠以報祖國，此時言及作戰，純系一派胡言，愚不可及。其後果，不僅于國無所改觀，而且所得只是任人蹂躪！任人蹂躪！再任人蹂躪！

　　至於說到比國——那個英勇的比利時！諸位，餘要披瀝肝膽向你們陳述：螳臂擋車、以卵擊石決不是英雄主義！更何況比國當時也不曾料想有今日之慘敗。奉勸諸位讀一讀，由比國人查理·沙羅利博士撰寫的《比利時如何拯救歐洲》一書吧。蓋比利時深知，一旦戰爭爆發，英法兩國必然赴援。加以列日和安特衛普享有全世界最堅固堡壘之美譽，比國人自信此二城市固若金湯有恃無恐。於是，比國人才為國家之榮譽而孤注一擲！試問，這是真正的勇敢嗎？這是真正的英雄氣概嗎？

　　諸位，看一看比國，想一想今日之比國人罷！試問，為這種英雄主義之「光彩」而作出全部之犧牲，值得嗎？

　　餘並無指責比國人之意。在此，餘想指明的是，比國並不值得中國仿效。任何人，若想硬要中國重蹈比國之覆轍，則無異於是對祖國之褻瀆。

　　綜上所述，余再重申前言：切勿感情用事：讓吾等各就本分，各盡責職，吾輩之責任乃是學習。

　　遠東問題最終解決之癥結，不系於對日作戰，不系於某些列強施加之外來干涉；不系於任何治標之方法，也不是由列強在華勢力均衡或門戶開放政策所造成的；更不系於採用日本之門羅主義；凡此種種皆不是最終解決之方法。真正、最終解決之道一定是另有法門——它較吾人今日所想像者當更為深奧。餘也不知其在何處，只知它不在哪些地方罷了。還是讓吾輩作些冷靜、客觀之研究吧！從長計議罷！

　　深盼諸位在詈罵餘之前，細讀拙文，實不勝企禱之至！

　　諸位之弟胡適　謹上

　　紐約，綺色佳

　　讀三月份《學生月報》已，已就寢矣，輾轉不能成寐，披衣起坐，作此書至夜分二時半始睡。

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