四四、致 Ithaca Daily News 書(shū)

（五月四日）

Editor Ithaca Daily News :

Sir—Dr. W. E-Griffis's statement concerning the Japanese demands on China, published in the Post-Standard yesterday morning and quoted in the evening papers here, calls for a word of comment.

"Let Japan direct the destinies of China," Doctor Griffis is reported to have said. "This is the wisest course to pursue in settling the troubles between the two nations."While we do not doubt the doctor's good will towards the Mikado's empire, nor his knowledge of that country, we can not help feeling that he has ignored one important factor. He has failed to see that the Orient of today is no longer the same Orient as he saw it decades ago. In these days of national consciousness and racial solidarity no nation can ever hope to "direct the destinies" of another in order to settle the trouble between them. Has Doctor Griffis failed to learn from his Japanese source of information that there have already been very strong anti-Japanese sentiments, nay, anti-Japanese movements everywhere in China? Does he think that the Chinese will long acquiesce to Japan's direction of their destinies, even if she can temporarily succeed to do so?

There is, however, an element of truth in the statement that "it is for Japan's own advantage for China to remain united and strong and to develop her resources." China is the bulwark of Japan, and as the Chinese proverb goes, "the destruction of the lips chills the teeth." It is for that very reason that there should be a better understanding and relationship between China and Japan. But if Japan thinks she can acquire this "advantage" by dominating over China and directing her affairs by force, then she is gravely mistaken. What she has done and is now doing to China is nothing but sowing the seeds of hatred deep in the hearts of the Chinese and lowering her own esteem in the eyes of the more humanitarian nations.

Doctor Griffis also tells us that Count Okuma "intends to be perfectly just to China". Does the learned doctor deduce the notion of "perfect justice" from the Japanese demands? We wonder what his criterion of "perfect justice" could be.

Very sincerely yours Suh Hu

〔中譯〕

致綺色佳《每日新聞》書(shū)

主筆先生：

W·E·格里菲思博士有關(guān)日本對(duì)華要求之聲明，已在昨日上午之《標(biāo)準(zhǔn)郵報(bào)》上發(fā)表。此間的晚報(bào)也作了轉(zhuǎn)載。此文使人不免要發(fā)一通議論。

據(jù)報(bào)道，格里菲思博士認(rèn)為，“讓日本掌握中國(guó)之命運(yùn)，這是解決日中兩國(guó)間爭(zhēng)端的最明智之選擇”。誠(chéng)然，我們毫不懷疑博士對(duì)天皇帝國(guó)所懷之好意，也毫不懷疑其對(duì)日本國(guó)之了解，然而，我們情不自禁地意識(shí)到，他全然不顧一個(gè)重要之事實(shí)。那就是，他不明白，今日之東方早已不再是幾十年前他所看到的那個(gè)東方了。當(dāng)此民族意識(shí)覺(jué)醒、國(guó)民日趨團(tuán)結(jié)之際，沒(méi)有哪一國(guó)會(huì)為了解決兩國(guó)間之爭(zhēng)端，而期望去“掌管另一國(guó)之命運(yùn)”。格里菲思博士難道還不曾從他對(duì)日本所掌握之材料中，看到反日情緒在中國(guó)何等的高漲？難道他還沒(méi)有注意到，早已席卷華夏大地之反日運(yùn)動(dòng)乎？他也不想一想，縱然日本對(duì)中國(guó)之統(tǒng)治，在短時(shí)間內(nèi)會(huì)取得像模像樣之成功，中國(guó)人難道就會(huì)長(zhǎng)期容忍日本來(lái)掌握他們自己之命運(yùn)乎？

可是，在其聲明中也有一點(diǎn)道理。那便是，“保持中國(guó)之團(tuán)結(jié)、強(qiáng)大，開(kāi)發(fā)中國(guó)之資源，這對(duì)日本是相當(dāng)有利的”。中國(guó)乃日本之屏障，正如中國(guó)一句老話(huà)所言，“唇亡齒寒”?；诖死?，應(yīng)更好地促進(jìn)兩國(guó)相互理解。但是，倘若日本認(rèn)為，它可以憑借武力統(tǒng)治中國(guó)，管理中國(guó)之事務(wù)，以此即可取得上述“有利條件”，那它便大錯(cuò)特錯(cuò)了。不論過(guò)去還是現(xiàn)在，日本在中國(guó)之所作所為無(wú)異于是在中國(guó)人心中播下仇恨之種子，也是在持人道主義之各國(guó)的眼中自降身價(jià)。

格里菲思博士還告訴我們，奧克姆伯爵“欲以完全之正義對(duì)待中國(guó)”。這位博學(xué)之博士難道是從日本對(duì)華之要求中推演出“完全之正義”這個(gè)觀念乎？我們不禁要詫異，他所謂“完全之正義”的尺度究竟是什么？

胡　適　謹(jǐn)上

書(shū)中所駁之W. E. Griffis為綺色佳人，曾居日本，著書(shū)甚多，甚負(fù)時(shí)名，其言不無(wú)影響，故不得不一辨之。

后得Dr. W. E. Griffis來(lái)書(shū)，其略如下，似是遁詞：

I gave the reporter in Syracuse the Japanese view of affairs, not mine, and the reports you justly object to are not accurate, nor my views…

〔中譯〕

余在給西雷寇《標(biāo)準(zhǔn)郵報(bào)》之聲明中，談到關(guān)于日本事務(wù)之觀點(diǎn)，這并非余本人之所見(jiàn)。你所反感之報(bào)導(dǎo)，是不太確實(shí)，不過(guò)這也不是余自己之看法……