Culinary Caveman
Full Member
Quite an interesting history lesson this morning. Enjoyed the yarn thus far.
The riddle of the lost Chinese Treasury
- Thread starter Crow
- Start date
doc-d
Bronze Member
Our Professor of all things treasure, the esteemed, black feathered bird, Señor Cuervo……..gracias a Dios……
Fascinating story…….one that leaves more questions than answers at present……. but I would guess our newly feathered black bird, approaching optimal bird condition will shed more light on this……
Vaya con Dios
Fascinating story…….one that leaves more questions than answers at present……. but I would guess our newly feathered black bird, approaching optimal bird condition will shed more light on this……
Vaya con Dios
OP
OP
Crow
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Who was this Rodney Gilbert?
Well it turns out this guy was a news reporter. He spent all about about 17 years in china and friends with leader of the Republican government of china at the time. But more about that later....
This man was not a ghost like some alleged treasurehunters. In fact he carved out a career in Journlism and wrote two books.
Rodney Gilbert (1889-1968) was an American conservative editorial writer and newspaper columnist. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Gilbert graduated from Franklin and Marshall College. In 1912 Gilbert went to China to travel the country; he began as a salesman for Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People but ended up spending 17 years there, becoming fluent in Chinese and eventually working as a correspondent for the North China Daily News. In 1926 his series of columns on traveling in Chinese Turkestan were compiled into his first book, What's Wrong With China.
He was a strong supporter of Chinese nationalism and of Chiang Kai-Shek, and firmly anti-Communist. In 1929 he joined the staff of the Herald Tribune as an editorial writer and returned to the United States. His editorials, which were largely conservative and anti-Communist in nature and which were published under the pseudonym "Heptisax," appeared regularly for 15 years, until 1944. From 1944 to 1946 Gilbert served as Dean of the Post-Graduate School of Journalism of the Central Political Institute of Chungking, organized and established under the auspices of Columbia University. Later, he collaborated with Columbia University to bring Chinese journalism students to the United States to study. In addition to his Heptisax column, articles and book reviews under his own byline frequently appeared in the Herald Tribune and, later, in conservative-leaning magazines such American Legion and National Review.
More about this mans life can be found at the Syracuse University Libraries. There is a special collection called The Rodney Gilbert Papers which consists of biographical material, correspondence, memorabilia, photographs, propaganda and writings.
Correspondence spans more than fifty years, and includes both incoming and outgoing items. The earliest correspondence is to his friend Francis Lyman Windolph, and consists of numerous long letters detailing his experiences during his first years in China (1912-1916). Notable correspondents include Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, CIA director William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan, Chinese ambassador Hollington Tong, Nancy Yu (Yu Meng-Yen), founder and editor of Taiwan's English-language newspaper The China Post, Commissioner of Narcotics H. J. Anslinger, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), for whom Gilbert engaged in anti-Japanese propaganda work. There is also correspondence with various publishers and editors, including Alfred Knopf, E. P. Dutton & Co., Ray Henle (Three Star Extra), Eugene Lyons (Readers Digest), and Frederic Nelson (Saturday Evening Post).
What may be of great interest is Correspondence dating from 1912-1916 which might give us more insight for this alleged treasure he was looking for. Also the correspondence Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. There might be some interesting insight into the fate of the Chinese treasury?
We know much about his travels as the following document illustrates below....
What is interesting is the provinces he was intending to visit in china is mentioned above.
To be continued...
Crow
Well it turns out this guy was a news reporter. He spent all about about 17 years in china and friends with leader of the Republican government of china at the time. But more about that later....
This man was not a ghost like some alleged treasurehunters. In fact he carved out a career in Journlism and wrote two books.
Rodney Gilbert (1889-1968) was an American conservative editorial writer and newspaper columnist. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Gilbert graduated from Franklin and Marshall College. In 1912 Gilbert went to China to travel the country; he began as a salesman for Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People but ended up spending 17 years there, becoming fluent in Chinese and eventually working as a correspondent for the North China Daily News. In 1926 his series of columns on traveling in Chinese Turkestan were compiled into his first book, What's Wrong With China.
He was a strong supporter of Chinese nationalism and of Chiang Kai-Shek, and firmly anti-Communist. In 1929 he joined the staff of the Herald Tribune as an editorial writer and returned to the United States. His editorials, which were largely conservative and anti-Communist in nature and which were published under the pseudonym "Heptisax," appeared regularly for 15 years, until 1944. From 1944 to 1946 Gilbert served as Dean of the Post-Graduate School of Journalism of the Central Political Institute of Chungking, organized and established under the auspices of Columbia University. Later, he collaborated with Columbia University to bring Chinese journalism students to the United States to study. In addition to his Heptisax column, articles and book reviews under his own byline frequently appeared in the Herald Tribune and, later, in conservative-leaning magazines such American Legion and National Review.
More about this mans life can be found at the Syracuse University Libraries. There is a special collection called The Rodney Gilbert Papers which consists of biographical material, correspondence, memorabilia, photographs, propaganda and writings.
Correspondence spans more than fifty years, and includes both incoming and outgoing items. The earliest correspondence is to his friend Francis Lyman Windolph, and consists of numerous long letters detailing his experiences during his first years in China (1912-1916). Notable correspondents include Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, CIA director William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan, Chinese ambassador Hollington Tong, Nancy Yu (Yu Meng-Yen), founder and editor of Taiwan's English-language newspaper The China Post, Commissioner of Narcotics H. J. Anslinger, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), for whom Gilbert engaged in anti-Japanese propaganda work. There is also correspondence with various publishers and editors, including Alfred Knopf, E. P. Dutton & Co., Ray Henle (Three Star Extra), Eugene Lyons (Readers Digest), and Frederic Nelson (Saturday Evening Post).
What may be of great interest is Correspondence dating from 1912-1916 which might give us more insight for this alleged treasure he was looking for. Also the correspondence Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. There might be some interesting insight into the fate of the Chinese treasury?
We know much about his travels as the following document illustrates below....
What is interesting is the provinces he was intending to visit in china is mentioned above.
To be continued...
Crow
OP
OP
Crow
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In 1927 the Nanking incident happened
occurred in March 1927 during the capture of Nanking by the Natiional revolutionary Army (NRA). Foreign warships bombarded the city defending the foreign residents against rioting and looting. Several ships were involved in the engagement, including vessels of the United Kingdom and United States.
The United States USS Noa shelled the city.
The HMS Vindictive provided fire support and United States marines and Sailors came ashore and rescue foreign civilians caught in the affray.
Both nationalist and communists participated in the looting of foreign residents in Nanking.
The following newspaper story below gives more greater detail.....
Afterwards the Nationalist Government issued a statement blaming the deserters from Zhang Zongchang's army for starting the attacks on the foreign consulates, and also accused the Communist soldiers within the NRA of committing atrocities which were wrongly assigned to the Kuomingtang.
National Revolutionary Army commander in chief Chiang kai shek suspected that the communist party of China and Soviet advisors in the Wuhan National Government used anti-imperialists and anti-foreign sentiments to instigate the Nanjing incident, and conspired to strengthen the communists and damage the right-wing faction of the kuomingtang . However the chinese had to save afce and finacially compensate United states for its intervention. Still more of this vast treasury was shaved off.
Therefore the Nanjing incident led to his determination to violently purge the communists from the Kuomingtang in Shanghai on 12 April 1927, formally ending their cooperation during the Northern Expedition and officially commenced the Chinese Civil war.
Two years on in bloody Chinese civil war in 1929 Rodney Gilbert made his way to London and from there he made his way back to the united States. From a one time treasure hunter to confidant of Chiang kai shek. Thier might of been a reason of behalf of the Chinese National army why he went to Britain first. Perhaps he was working for Chiang kai shek?
It was a long road Rodney Gilbert had traveled from treasure hunter to reporter to helping the nationalist army try to defeat the communists. Chiang kai shek must of saw some value in this man. By 1930 Gilbert was back in the United States after a 17 years in China.
The Nanking incident was important as it became the catalyst of what was to come...
To be continued........
Crow
occurred in March 1927 during the capture of Nanking by the Natiional revolutionary Army (NRA). Foreign warships bombarded the city defending the foreign residents against rioting and looting. Several ships were involved in the engagement, including vessels of the United Kingdom and United States.
The United States USS Noa shelled the city.
The HMS Vindictive provided fire support and United States marines and Sailors came ashore and rescue foreign civilians caught in the affray.
Both nationalist and communists participated in the looting of foreign residents in Nanking.
The following newspaper story below gives more greater detail.....
Afterwards the Nationalist Government issued a statement blaming the deserters from Zhang Zongchang's army for starting the attacks on the foreign consulates, and also accused the Communist soldiers within the NRA of committing atrocities which were wrongly assigned to the Kuomingtang.
National Revolutionary Army commander in chief Chiang kai shek suspected that the communist party of China and Soviet advisors in the Wuhan National Government used anti-imperialists and anti-foreign sentiments to instigate the Nanjing incident, and conspired to strengthen the communists and damage the right-wing faction of the kuomingtang . However the chinese had to save afce and finacially compensate United states for its intervention. Still more of this vast treasury was shaved off.
Therefore the Nanjing incident led to his determination to violently purge the communists from the Kuomingtang in Shanghai on 12 April 1927, formally ending their cooperation during the Northern Expedition and officially commenced the Chinese Civil war.
Two years on in bloody Chinese civil war in 1929 Rodney Gilbert made his way to London and from there he made his way back to the united States. From a one time treasure hunter to confidant of Chiang kai shek. Thier might of been a reason of behalf of the Chinese National army why he went to Britain first. Perhaps he was working for Chiang kai shek?
It was a long road Rodney Gilbert had traveled from treasure hunter to reporter to helping the nationalist army try to defeat the communists. Chiang kai shek must of saw some value in this man. By 1930 Gilbert was back in the United States after a 17 years in China.
The Nanking incident was important as it became the catalyst of what was to come...
To be continued........
Crow
Last edited:
Culinary Caveman
Full Member
Thanks for another fascinating morning read.
OP
OP
Crow
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Hello CC the story is complex one as the plight of Chinese treasury was plundered imparts over many years from its original size. There has been no greater blood split over a treasure other than the Chinese national treasury.
In 1927 Japanese nationals was looted and this became a pretext for Japan to invade into all out war in 1930s. Worst of all Nanking was yet again the subject of brutal invasion by the Japanese The Nanking Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking. The massacre occurred during a six-week period starting December 13, 1937, the day that the Japanese captured Nanking, which was then the Chinese capital of Republic of China. As the national treasure was moved away from Nanking by a dedicated staff.
During this period, tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians and disarmed combatants were murdered by soldiers of the Army. Widespread rape and looting also occurred.Several of the key perpetrators of the atrocities, at the time labelled as war crimes were later tried and found guilty at the Nanjing war crimes tribunal, and were executed after WW2.
Japanese reprisals against civilians in Nanking was harsh. The riverside was covered in corpses from the mass executions.
One terrible was crime was to buried Chinese civilian alive in hole.
There was perhaps no city that had gone through hell of looting and raping of Nanking.
The Japaneses ran though Nanking with indiscriminate killing spree on massive scale. Children and babies husbands was bayoneted while women were raped in mass. I could show far worse however for sake of clarity to do no need to be anymore lucid of this part the story it is part of strange journey the Chinese national treasure went through.
Two Japaneses officers had a competition to see who could cut the most heads off. They got up to about 100. The story of their ugly deed was reported in Japanese papers. it was alter used in war crimes tribunal against the two who were tried and convicted of war crimes after WW2 and executed.
Today the massacre remains a contentious political issue, as various aspects of it have been disputed by some historical revisionists and Japanese right wing nationalists in Japan,who have claimed that the massacre has been either exaggerated or wholly fabricated for propaganda purposes. As a result of the nationalist efforts to deny or rationalize the war crimes, the controversy surrounding the massacre remains a stumbling block in China Japaneses relations, as well as Japanese relations with other Asia-Pacific nations such as Philippines and South Korea.
Although the government of Japan has admitted to the acts of killing of a large number of civilians and looting, and other violence committed by the Imperial Japanese Army after the fall of Nanking,and Japanese veterans who served in Nanking at that time have confirmed that a massacre took place, a small but vocal minority within both the Japanese government and society have argued that the death toll was military in nature and that no such crimes ever occurred. Denial of the massacre (and a divergent array of revisionist accounts of the killings) has become a staple of Japanese nationalism In Japan, public opinion of the massacres varies, and few deny the occurrence of the massacre outright.Nonetheless, recurring attempts by right wing nationalists to promote a revisionist history of the incident have created controversy that periodically reverberates in the international media, particularly in China, South Korea, and other nations.
One of the American missionaries Harold John Timperly who stayed behind was eyewitness to some of massacres in letter below.
The world at the time reeled in horror of rape of Nanking as the newspapers gave somewhat lurid accounts of the massacre.
The national treasure what was left of it was removed to Peking. Even so some estimates of the gold and silver looted from Manchuria will never be known. Some historians claim 6000 tons of gold. Of or where they got the figure is a mystery. However none went to the Philippines as boasted in some books. This gold went the quickest route to Japan through Korea and across the sea of Japan to Japan.
To be continued...
Crow
Last edited:
OP
OP
Crow
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The Chinese republican government led by Chiang kai shek in 1928 had moved the capital to Nanking and so hah brought the nation treasury with them as they fought a civil war. However we the Japanese invaded they was forced to retreat to Peking and imaginable happened the Chinese communists and the republic joined forces to fight the Japanese.
It was two a long and bitter war to WW2. By 1943 stean had run out of Japanses forecs and fatigue was taken its toll with too large a country to control. the coalition of communists and republican chinses started to steamroll by pure numbers the Japanese was soon in full retreat looting again the countryside.
For now what remained of national treasure and tamperers of China's treasure combined was still in peking in the hands of the Chines Republican Army headed by Chiang kai shek.
To be continued....
Crow
It was two a long and bitter war to WW2. By 1943 stean had run out of Japanses forecs and fatigue was taken its toll with too large a country to control. the coalition of communists and republican chinses started to steamroll by pure numbers the Japanese was soon in full retreat looting again the countryside.
For now what remained of national treasure and tamperers of China's treasure combined was still in peking in the hands of the Chines Republican Army headed by Chiang kai shek.
To be continued....
Crow
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Culinary Caveman
Full Member
If memory serves me after the war didn't Shek and the Republican Chinese control the southern part of China while Mao and the communist took control of the north?
If I'm skipping ahead please disregard the question. I really enjoy history and as such am enjoying this story. I just watched a program about Claire Chenault and the flying tigers the other day.
If I'm skipping ahead please disregard the question. I really enjoy history and as such am enjoying this story. I just watched a program about Claire Chenault and the flying tigers the other day.
Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp
Gold Member
CC, I was there in 46 47 I have reported on this. want me to look it up and repost? I posted on a recon flight on the Tsingctao - Tsinan railroad complex,
Last edited:
Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp
Gold Member
Hol my friend, You may remember this, it is a repost
[h=2]Re: Misc data and adventures of a Tayopa treasure hunter[/h]
[h=2]Re: Misc data and adventures of a Tayopa treasure hunter[/h]
Bien venidos mi amigos "
It started in the winter of 46. We were curious on the military status of the Tsingtao - Tsinan rail road so decided to make a navigation flight following it.. We didn't realize that we were creating an international incident, with just was effectively a joy ride.
On the morning of Christmas eve, we left Tsingtao in one of our B-26's in the early morning in beautifully clear, but coooold weather. We soon picked up the RR and followed it north west at about 300 feet. As we flew along, I started photographing the old China landscape and villages. The most remarkable thing that I noticed that as we left the Nationalist holdings, and crossed over into the communist ones, was the sudden lack of anything, especially food. There were no pigs, goats, dogs, chickens, or pigs running around, just little old ladies that ran after us waving brooms? There were no men or children evident ?
As we flew over a crest we came to a RR junction where there were thousands of men, animals and trucks milling about, we learned later that they were forming for an attack on the nationalists. We circled, and came back over them. at about 50 ft waving at them, then circled again. But this time all that I saw were men diving for cover and pack animals scattering their cargos everywere with men frantically trying to catch them.. We realized our boo boo and climbed to about 500 ft and came back rocking our wings, then continued north on the RR. .
There were no further incidents, so we decided to return much further to the East and finally landed at our base in Tsingtao. We were met with several truckloads of Chinese soldiers fully armed pointing their rifles at us There were also a large no. of Chinese and American officials. They promptly demanded my film, but let me keep my camera. We were then escorted to the central office building and interrogated one by one about our flight. About this time I heard the local Chinese P-51's coming in to land, I had wondered why there were none when we had landed, but assumed that they were attacking the communist troops some where. I made a remark about this to one of the American consulate men. He just looked at me for a moment, then said "they were looking for you , in fact all of the Chinese National Air forces were. They had flat orders, backed by the US, to shoot us down on sight.. It seems that the Communists and the Russians had complained officially as to why the US was commencing combat flights against the Chinese Communists. We had broken up the planned attack, it was never carried out.
We then explained just what had happened and why, so soon it was brushed aside for what it was worth. . No one was officially repremanded nor were any notations put into our service records, but we were told that we had been extremely fortunate, That every one was looking for us to eliminate a potential problem.
That afternoon I decided that I would have a delicious shrimp dinner. This consisted of 3 huge shrimp / prawns cooked in hot sauce and were out of this world. The airfield was some miles outside of Tsingtao, and as part of the road was controlled by the Communists, it was the custom during the day for us to unfurl an American flag when we approached the fire zone, at which time an officer from each would appear, stop the firing, then escort us through the fire zone. We would then go on our way, and they back to their shooting.
When I arrived in town, I took a rickshaw to the restaurant, After, I decided to see "the Bells of St Mary, with' Bing Crosby. I was surprised to find that he spoke excellent Chinese he he. Due to the many breakdowns, it took longer than usual, I didn't notice the time, just that sitting a a flat board bench was a bit uncomfortable
When it finished, I Ieft the theatre, but found that I had overstayed and my ride had gone. Since it was the last one for that day, no-one tried to go over the disputed area at night, I was marooned in Tsingtao for the night. No problem, I would just go get a room in a hotel right? WRONG. I had forgotten that there were a few million refugees in town, there were no rooms available. I was dressed with my nylon flight suit under my uniform and long coat, still, I was freezing and trembling from that cold wind that was blowing right off of the Gobi desert, the coldest and most penetrating wind that I have ever experienced. My poor rickshaw man was dressed in only a padded cotton vest, his legs were bare.
After some hours we both were beat, everything was closed, no rooms. I was stopped, when he said "there is a place that has rooms, but is not normally used by white gentlemen. I said "let's go, we both have to get under cover or we will freeze to death tonight"
So he padded his way down to the docks and into a huge sprawling collection of shacks that were constructed of whatever could be found and used. There were no streets or alleys, only some space between the shacks to walk in. The entire compound had an indescribable horrible odor and oozed a palpable feeling of pure evil. I learned later that both the police and the military refused to go in there, yet here was a prosperous American stumbling around in the dark?? An obvious target . With every step the.45 under my clothes grew smaller and smaller.
We eventually ended up in front of a sprawling compound of perhaps 10 shacks connected together that were lit with candles. We entered, and he disappeared, I could hear distant voices raised, then quiet. He appeared from the shadows and said "Yes, you can have a room for the night, it will cost ---" "ok" I replied, "now go home and get warm.". I thanked him, paid the lurking madam, then gave him what I had left, except for breakfast - if I was lucky.. I figured the poor guy might as well have it as the bandits in the morning.
The madam then led me through the rooms and we ended up at the last one. It had a blanket to cover the door, and was about 8' by 15 ft. As you entered, it had the ever present charcoal stove at your right, which almost killed me that night from the fumes. At the far end, at right angles, it had two saw horses with planks over them. There was a cotton pad covering the 3 planks, and had a pillow that consisted of rice hulls. .There was a gal sitting at the end of the plank bed.in the shadows.
I thanked the madam then approached the pore worn out gal on the bed, I said that I was too tired for any activities, and to go sleep with one of her friends. She never said a word, but went to the the blanket door and left. Soon I could ear some low sniffing, so I went to the door and there she was crouched on the cold floor gently crying ? I asked she was crying ? She answered saying that if I threw her out, she would then have to live in the streets, that they wouldn't want her any more.
So what could a red blooded Yankee guy do ? I told her to come back into the room and sit on the bed. the plank bed wasn't really big enough for two to sleep on side by side So I was wondering how to pass the night. she solved part of it by rolling up the cover for a pillow to sit against the wall while leaving the rice hull pillow for me. Incidentally, for those of you that are not familiar with rice hull pillows, they are exactly the same if you fill them with sand.
So there we sat, even 'Ivan' wouldn't have touched her, so I scouted around about how to pass the night, then I found out with my "Me Tarzan you Jane Chinese " that she didn't know how to read or write, so I spent Christmas eve teaching a pore, worn out Ho basic written Chinese.
The next day as I found my way out the sprawl it didn't look nearly as bad in the sunlight as it did the night before. Although I later found that they collected a dozen or more bodies nightly. I presume that being pure of heart and action, the Lord was watching over me..©@
Don Jose de La Mancha
It started in the winter of 46. We were curious on the military status of the Tsingtao - Tsinan rail road so decided to make a navigation flight following it.. We didn't realize that we were creating an international incident, with just was effectively a joy ride.
On the morning of Christmas eve, we left Tsingtao in one of our B-26's in the early morning in beautifully clear, but coooold weather. We soon picked up the RR and followed it north west at about 300 feet. As we flew along, I started photographing the old China landscape and villages. The most remarkable thing that I noticed that as we left the Nationalist holdings, and crossed over into the communist ones, was the sudden lack of anything, especially food. There were no pigs, goats, dogs, chickens, or pigs running around, just little old ladies that ran after us waving brooms? There were no men or children evident ?
As we flew over a crest we came to a RR junction where there were thousands of men, animals and trucks milling about, we learned later that they were forming for an attack on the nationalists. We circled, and came back over them. at about 50 ft waving at them, then circled again. But this time all that I saw were men diving for cover and pack animals scattering their cargos everywere with men frantically trying to catch them.. We realized our boo boo and climbed to about 500 ft and came back rocking our wings, then continued north on the RR. .
There were no further incidents, so we decided to return much further to the East and finally landed at our base in Tsingtao. We were met with several truckloads of Chinese soldiers fully armed pointing their rifles at us There were also a large no. of Chinese and American officials. They promptly demanded my film, but let me keep my camera. We were then escorted to the central office building and interrogated one by one about our flight. About this time I heard the local Chinese P-51's coming in to land, I had wondered why there were none when we had landed, but assumed that they were attacking the communist troops some where. I made a remark about this to one of the American consulate men. He just looked at me for a moment, then said "they were looking for you , in fact all of the Chinese National Air forces were. They had flat orders, backed by the US, to shoot us down on sight.. It seems that the Communists and the Russians had complained officially as to why the US was commencing combat flights against the Chinese Communists. We had broken up the planned attack, it was never carried out.
We then explained just what had happened and why, so soon it was brushed aside for what it was worth. . No one was officially repremanded nor were any notations put into our service records, but we were told that we had been extremely fortunate, That every one was looking for us to eliminate a potential problem.
That afternoon I decided that I would have a delicious shrimp dinner. This consisted of 3 huge shrimp / prawns cooked in hot sauce and were out of this world. The airfield was some miles outside of Tsingtao, and as part of the road was controlled by the Communists, it was the custom during the day for us to unfurl an American flag when we approached the fire zone, at which time an officer from each would appear, stop the firing, then escort us through the fire zone. We would then go on our way, and they back to their shooting.
When I arrived in town, I took a rickshaw to the restaurant, After, I decided to see "the Bells of St Mary, with' Bing Crosby. I was surprised to find that he spoke excellent Chinese he he. Due to the many breakdowns, it took longer than usual, I didn't notice the time, just that sitting a a flat board bench was a bit uncomfortable
When it finished, I Ieft the theatre, but found that I had overstayed and my ride had gone. Since it was the last one for that day, no-one tried to go over the disputed area at night, I was marooned in Tsingtao for the night. No problem, I would just go get a room in a hotel right? WRONG. I had forgotten that there were a few million refugees in town, there were no rooms available. I was dressed with my nylon flight suit under my uniform and long coat, still, I was freezing and trembling from that cold wind that was blowing right off of the Gobi desert, the coldest and most penetrating wind that I have ever experienced. My poor rickshaw man was dressed in only a padded cotton vest, his legs were bare.
After some hours we both were beat, everything was closed, no rooms. I was stopped, when he said "there is a place that has rooms, but is not normally used by white gentlemen. I said "let's go, we both have to get under cover or we will freeze to death tonight"
So he padded his way down to the docks and into a huge sprawling collection of shacks that were constructed of whatever could be found and used. There were no streets or alleys, only some space between the shacks to walk in. The entire compound had an indescribable horrible odor and oozed a palpable feeling of pure evil. I learned later that both the police and the military refused to go in there, yet here was a prosperous American stumbling around in the dark?? An obvious target . With every step the.45 under my clothes grew smaller and smaller.
We eventually ended up in front of a sprawling compound of perhaps 10 shacks connected together that were lit with candles. We entered, and he disappeared, I could hear distant voices raised, then quiet. He appeared from the shadows and said "Yes, you can have a room for the night, it will cost ---" "ok" I replied, "now go home and get warm.". I thanked him, paid the lurking madam, then gave him what I had left, except for breakfast - if I was lucky.. I figured the poor guy might as well have it as the bandits in the morning.
The madam then led me through the rooms and we ended up at the last one. It had a blanket to cover the door, and was about 8' by 15 ft. As you entered, it had the ever present charcoal stove at your right, which almost killed me that night from the fumes. At the far end, at right angles, it had two saw horses with planks over them. There was a cotton pad covering the 3 planks, and had a pillow that consisted of rice hulls. .There was a gal sitting at the end of the plank bed.in the shadows.
I thanked the madam then approached the pore worn out gal on the bed, I said that I was too tired for any activities, and to go sleep with one of her friends. She never said a word, but went to the the blanket door and left. Soon I could ear some low sniffing, so I went to the door and there she was crouched on the cold floor gently crying ? I asked she was crying ? She answered saying that if I threw her out, she would then have to live in the streets, that they wouldn't want her any more.
So what could a red blooded Yankee guy do ? I told her to come back into the room and sit on the bed. the plank bed wasn't really big enough for two to sleep on side by side So I was wondering how to pass the night. she solved part of it by rolling up the cover for a pillow to sit against the wall while leaving the rice hull pillow for me. Incidentally, for those of you that are not familiar with rice hull pillows, they are exactly the same if you fill them with sand.
So there we sat, even 'Ivan' wouldn't have touched her, so I scouted around about how to pass the night, then I found out with my "Me Tarzan you Jane Chinese " that she didn't know how to read or write, so I spent Christmas eve teaching a pore, worn out Ho basic written Chinese.
The next day as I found my way out the sprawl it didn't look nearly as bad in the sunlight as it did the night before. Although I later found that they collected a dozen or more bodies nightly. I presume that being pure of heart and action, the Lord was watching over me..©@
Don Jose de La Mancha
Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp
Gold Member
I almost forgot. To us it appeared that the Communists were through, they were bunched on the Shantung Peninsula manged to receive arms etc from N.Korea, and retrurned to the fighting, while at the same time The Nationalists had had everything frozen for a year or so and their equipment, from trucks to P-51 's had creaked to a halt -- they swept through them like mowing wheat.
doc-d
Bronze Member
Our gov was complicit with the commie takeover of China………the demons (intended literally) were in power existed even back then……..
Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp
Gold Member
Hi Doc, the key was Marshal. He found the Nationalists were totally corrupt, and demanded that it be cleared up before any more American aid would be available. This gave the comunists bunched up on the Shantung, time to rearm from North Korea, and retrain. Meanwhile the nationalists rolling stock and aifcraft were kept moving 
by cannibalizing .
by cannibalizing .Culinary Caveman
Full Member
Xi xi Don José. In a way I'm familiar with tsing tao, I like the beer. Great story.
Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp
Gold Member
CC after my disastrous Christmas eve experience, I rented a 3 story building - complete with an exceptionally pretty chinese maid -just above the racetrack. It was built on the slope so it wasn't actually 3stories vertically you entered on the mid - second floor.l\ It was open for any service man that was cought after the last ride back to the airfield.
OP
OP
Crow
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Hello Don Amigo thanks for the input you were there at the time center of the storm of history that transpired. You must of seen amazing things good and the bad.
After the war millions upon millions of dollars was recovered hidden all across Japan. Of what was returned to various Asian countries half went back to China which fell into the hands of Chinese Republican Government.
As you can see from the morning bulletin dated 29th July 1947
To a certain degree to average Chinese at the time its was a choice between two Devils, either The republican Chinese nationalist government that was inherently corrupt or the Chinese communists. For those who had nothing left to give the communists was seen as a better option. Thus support grew against the The republican Chinese nationalist government.
To be continued Crow
After the war millions upon millions of dollars was recovered hidden all across Japan. Of what was returned to various Asian countries half went back to China which fell into the hands of Chinese Republican Government.
As you can see from the morning bulletin dated 29th July 1947
To a certain degree to average Chinese at the time its was a choice between two Devils, either The republican Chinese nationalist government that was inherently corrupt or the Chinese communists. For those who had nothing left to give the communists was seen as a better option. Thus support grew against the The republican Chinese nationalist government.
To be continued Crow
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