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(1928) Fighting in Kiaochow

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In June when Hellen was eight and a half months pregnant with her next child, she was riding in the Peking cart among the graves between Seeguan and Huangrun[?] holding Roy in her lap when the mule was frightened and took off, carrying them both down the road [more description here]. The cart driver hung onto the mule's reins and was dragged along, not letting go. He eventually brought the cart and mule to a stuttering halt.

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Roy, Hellen
Doris, Oscar
Rinell
Kiaohsien, China
1928
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On Tuesday, July 10 at 7:00 PM blue eyed and blond haired cute little Scandinavian girl was born. [Born in a little room at Faber Kranken Haus]. Oscar asked his wife, Hellen, what name she wanted to give their new daughter. 'Ingegärd', she said. In Swedish 'Ingegärd' is a beautiful-sounding name. The letter 'g' is pronounced as a 'y', the 'e' has a short 'a' sound, and the ä has a soft e sound. Oscar, however, went to British schools in Cheefoo, China where the letter 'g' was a hard sound. He repeated the name back to Hellen with hard g's.

"That will never do."

"Ja, well you name her then!"

"We will call her Doris."

Doris was the name the name of a girl Oscar had a crush on at the Chefoo school. Doris became here name with Hellen her middle name after her mother.She was to be known as 'Dollan'.

Dollan's life looked as though it would be a short one. Dollan contracted whooping cough, a contagious bacterial infection. Hellen would pull thick phlegm out of Dollan's throat to keep her breathing. Eventually, however, Dollan recovered.

On Monday August 13th Wang Tien-we, the Northern Magistrate of Kiaochow resigned and was replaced at the yamen by Hoa Shu-shing with authority of the Shantung Provincial Government1 in Taian.

The very next morning on Tuesday Wang unexpectedly left, taking the first train to Tsingtao.That same morning men of Chou the Tiger,2 chief of the military police, came into the yamen under orders to arrest Hoa and his staff. Among the staff arrested was also Lu Shing-tai, appointed by the Hoa as Chief-of-Police3 and Yang Doa-lin, who had just returned to China after being a student in the United States. Yang was to open negotiations with the Japanese garrison at Kiaochow. Hoa and his staff were bound and removed to military headquarters.

Why this coup d'etat had taken place no one knew. Some of the Chinese thought that Hoa and his staff were taken prisoner because they were southern Mandarins; Kiaochow had been normally ruled by the northern Mandarins. Others thought the military had taken Hoa prisoner to make negotiations easier with the South. Up until this time General Koo Chin had been unsuccessful in his negotiations with the South. Actually, for a southerner and his staff to assume control over Kiaochow was dangerous to say the least; this may indeed have been why he had been taken prisoner.

The resignation of Wang had been unexpected. He had successfully governed Kiaochow during some stormy times. The previous summer for instance he had to make arrangements to to accommodate a large number of Marshal Sun Chuan-fang's troops while they were in retreat. In the fall Wang negotiated with the Red Spear Society (Hongqiang Hui). The Red Spear Society began in the Warlord era in the 1920s in northern China. They were made up of local groups of small land-holders, and farmers who were organized to defend villages against warlords, bandits and tax collectors. Over time, apparently, their initial desire for defense eventually got out of hand, and they turned into forces that could threaten villages and towns. Banditry could be lucrative for the families back home. 3.1 Though the Red Spears did not listen to him, his efforts did lessen the amount of fighting in the area when the government sent out punitive expeditions against the Red Spear Society later.

Besides risking his own life in negotiating with various armies he also was successful at finding funds and grain for the homeless and poverty stricken, and in doing everything in his power to protect the foreigners and their property. His relationship with the different missions in Kiaochow was also very cordial. During the difficult Japanese occupation he carried out his duties admirably. He improved roads in the area and extended many roads for motor traffic in the country. He won the hearts of the people of Kiaochow as no other Mandarin had done before. Though it might have been better for him personally to be finally out of the volatile area, the people of Kiaochow were worse off by loosing such a dedicated magistrate.4

The coup d'etat occurred on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday the city was heavily guarded as were strategic positions in the suburbs. No looting was reported and everything seemed quiet.

On Thursday though fighting broke out again within the walled city. Several hundred members of the Red Spear Society entered through the watergate. Joining with members of the Red Spear Society already within the walls, they started fighting in the east suburbs, thus challenging the authority of the Safeguard Corps, 5 Poa Wei Turn. 6 The Japanese troops stationed at the Kiaochow railway station joined the fight helping the Chinese military police. Fierce fighting lasted from 8:00 AM to 10:00 A.M., which stopped all street traffic. Eventually the Chinese military police and the Japanese routed the Red Spear Society. Some thirty soldiers on both sides were reported to have been killed or wounded. More guards were placed at strategic spots in the city and the suburbs. The city gates were closed while a house to house search was carried out by the police. Fortunately, no one was hurt in either the Swedish Baptist Mission, the United Lutheran Mission or the Catholic Mission and none of the missions property was damaged.7

It was not known why the Red Spear Society had attempted a rebellion at that time. It may have been that they were in sympathy with the southern cause and had promised to support the southern magistrate Hoa who had been take prisoner. They may had been trying to release Hoa and his staff. It is more likely though that the Red Spear Society found this an opportune time to take revenge over the punitive military expeditions against them in the Kiaochow district. An additional reason for the rebellion may have been the enormous sums of money that the military under General Chou had been demanding from the people.

In the mean time Hoa and his staff were still being held prisoner by General Chou except for the student who had just returned to China from the United States. He had been released since he had not played any part in the new regime. Lucky for him that he had been a student all that time. He was summoned on occasion, however, to act as interpreter with negotiations with the Japanese. The old magistrate who had made a hasty retreat to Tsingtao was still in that city and apparently not interested in coming back to take up his old job.

On Sunday, August 19th, General Chou appointed Yang Deng-kiao as the new magistrate of Kiaochow. Meeting with the gentry of the city on the same day, General Chou suggested increasing the number of men in the Safeguard Corps and supplying them with more weapons and extend the protectorate to include the district of Kaomi. Kaomi had been without a Mandarin to govern for quite some time. Though this idea was presented to the gentry, they were not in a position to disagree considering General Chou the Tiger was in effect dictator of Kiaochow.8 Chou proceeded to carry out his plans. Rather than fill the ranks of the Safeguard Corps with citizens of Kiaochow, however, he naturally enlisted his own men.

Things were again quiet in the city of Kiaochow. In southern Kiaochow district around Wangtai the situation was different where the Red Spears were reported to be causing trouble. The crops in the fields provided convenient cover for the bandits. It was suggested, therefore, that traveling be limited in the Kiaochow and Kaomi districts.9

On Wednesday, October 3rd, part of the military police which was connected with General Goo Chin's army left the Kiaochow and went 20 li south. The rest remained with Chou the Tiger. In the mean time the Japanese garrison stationed at the railway station figured out that the Safeguard Corps were nothing but regular military under his direct command. They were not going to stand for that arrangement. Just in case there may be trouble the Japanese garrison 10 dug trenches around the train station and trained their guns on Kiaochow. They then ordered the military police out of the area while a military plane with the Japanese emblem scouted the area on Thursday to see if any trouble was in the making. Thankfully, no fighting occurred. The military police force 11 was disarmed and Chou the Tiger was in the hands of the Japanese garrison at the railway station. The Tiger had been caged. The Japanese troops then entered the city proper and into Chou's military headquarters. With the military police disarmed the local Chinese police were in charge of the city.

Hoa who had been taken prisoner the day after he had assumed the position of magistrate by Chou was let go as were his staff - all except Lu Shing-tai 12 who had been ordered shot by Chou about two weeks previous.13

Chou, now in the hands of the Japanese, was transferred to Tsingtao. It was rumored that he may be tried for unlawful actions during his time of rule in Kiaochow and may go on trial at the Chinese Court in that city. Chou's men who had been disarmed were now out of a job. Many of them were roaming the countryside demanding weapons and food from villagers. They had also been attacked by the Red Spears. Kiaochow itself though was quiet.

As these troubles continued in the area.the Swedish Baptist Mission concluded its annual Chinese conference. Tallying up their work they now had four residence stations, 194 Chinese workers engaged in evangelistic education and philanthropic activities, ?? organized churches 14 with a total of 2822 15 members. The churches baptized 495 people during the year. Primary schools totaled eighty-seven students, and Junior Middle Schools two totaled 1547 students.16 Two dispensaries and an orphanage were operating. 17 Johan Alfred was put in charge by an medical doctor to dispense medications for the plague.18

Roy and Margaret Jewett

At the beginning of the year on January 20, 1928 a visa was given to Margaret "Good for journey via Hong Kong, Straights Settlements, Ceylon, and Egypt [underlined on visa] en route Europe" by the British Consulate in Peking.

Roy and Margaret did not leave China together. Roy was working or living at Peking Union Medical College. Evidently, he expected to remain for a while yet. On January 30 he paid his annual dues of $25 dollars, not a small amount in those days, to the Association of Chinese and American Engineers. On August 18 he paid $35 dollars for his 'Absent Member Dues' [what is that?] to the American Club of Shanghai and on July 21 $50 admission fee to the American Chamber of Commerce in Peking.

By February 29, 1928 Margaret was in Colombo, Ceylon. Her rubber-stamped visa states: [center justify]

HARBOR POLICE
ALLOWED ON SHORE
DURING STEAMER'S STAY
IN PORT OF COLOMBO
29 FEB 1928
No. 5
COLOMBO

About three weeks later on March 21, 1928 she was at the Port of Genoa, Italy (Porto di Genova) having sailed around India to the coast of Africa, and up through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea. The next day Margaret was in Chiasso, Switzerland, located at the border with Italy, and is the southernmost of Switzerland's municipalities. Apparently Margaret entered Switzerland at this border town. On the same day she was in Como, Switzerland. Margaret was doing it right. Como is one of the loveliest towns in Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. One may guess that she was traveling by train. But Maragaret was not in Switzerland for the sightseeing though she probably did plenty of that. She had become infected with tuberculosis, an often fatal disease. She was in Switzerland for treatment.

We don't know how long she stayed in Como. Perhaps it was in Como where she underwent medical treatment or started her treatment. On July 7, 1928 - Davos, her passport carries a rubber stamp mark 'Angemeldet' or in English 'Announced'. A country is not clearly indicated, but the word Davos is clear. Davos is in Switzerland.

Two days later her passport is stamped with the dates July 9, 1928 - February 21, 1929. Canton Grisons, Switzerland. The ending date of February 21, 1929 is simply when the visa is to expire and does not indicate how long she was in the that canton. However, since another visa was requested and granted starting February 15, 1928 it could be that Margaret stayed for a time in Canton Grisons. Grisons is largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland, and is also known as Graubünden and Grigioni. On February 12 of 1929 her passport was stamped at the Swedish Consulate in Zurich, Switzerland.

In the mean time Roy was still back in China, but he, apparently, was making arrangements to move their possessions to the USA. In November Roy received a letter from the American Consulate General Letter from Robert B. Streeper, American Vice Consul at the American Consulate General, Tientsin, China, November 26, 1928 to L. R. Jewett, Peking Union Medical College, Peking, China. The letter also states that Roy registered as an American citizen at the Consulate General on February 12, 1920, and in the years 1921 through 1928. answering a request from him for a document stating he was a foreign resident. Roy thought that he would need such a document to import "household effects" into the United States. He was told that such a document was not required, and that he only needed to make a sworn declaration on arrival in the USA. On November 29, 1928 Roy received a new U.S. passport from the Legation of the United States of America , and a visa from the Imperial Japanese Legation Peking on December 14, 1928. However, a letter from Roy to the American Consulate in Mexicali, Mexico on February 17, 1930 states he arrived in the USA about fourteen months previously, which means he would have left China about the end of 1928 or the beginning of 1929.

Margaret received her second visa for Canton Crisons is dated February 15, 1929 to March 1, 1930.

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Footnotes

  1. The Nationalist government I'm assuming.

  2. Chou Kuen-shan

  3. This position was the chief of the Peace Preservation Corps of the first Nationalist Government in Kiaochow according to a December 20, 1929 article (page58 in collected articles).

3.1 Len, see article in Wikipedia regarding the Red Spear Society. The article indicates that the Red Spear Society was only defensive. It appears they went beyond this to a banditry mode later. Confirm this through more research.

  1. "Kiaochow's new Mandarin prisoner. The Tsingtao Times [English Edition]. August 16, 1928.

  2. The Safeguard Corps was probably the military police. I believe this is what they are referred to in other articles. Verify this.

  3. Check this spelling with original.

  4. "The Flare up in Kiaochow." The Tsingtao Times [English Edition], August 18, 1928.

  5. Kiaochow sometimes spelt Kiao-chow apparently. But spelt both ways in one article. See "Kiaochow Notes", page 43 in collected articles.

  6. Kiaochow sometimes spelt Kiao-chow apparently. But spelt both ways in one article. See "Kiaochow Notes", page 43 in collected articles.

  7. The Japanese were staying in barracks previously built by the Germans for their own troops according to Oscar.

  8. Probably referring to the Safeguard Corp. Check this out.

  9. The article footnote here, spells the name Liu Shan-tai. I am assuming this is the same man considering the spelling of person and place names is often varied in the Tsingtao Times. Lu Shing-tai had been appointed Chief-of-Police by Hoa. He served in that position only one day before being taken prisoner. In a later article on December 20, 1929 his name is spelled "Liu Tsi-kai."

  10. "Kiaochow Notes." Tsingtao Times [English Edition], October 6, 1928.

  11. Check original for exact number.

  12. Check original for exact number.

  13. Len, check all these numbers in original. The photocopy is difficult to read.

  14. "Kiaochow Notes." Tsingtao Times [English Edition], October 13, 1928.

  15. This is according to a note at the end of this chapter written by Oscar. Not sure thought that 1928 was actually the year that he was given this responsibility.

CHAPTER

Foreign Devils: A Swedish Family in China 1894 to 1951
© 2012-14 Lennart Holmquist
Lorum • Ipsum• Dolor • Sic Amet • Consectetur

Updated: 02-May-2019

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