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[Centenary of the May Fourth Movement] Xu Deheng: Where there is a will there is a way
Apr 30, 2019
Peking University, April 25, 2019: As the pioneer of the May Fourth Movement, Xu Deheng has been a legendary figure. He was the drafter of the May Fourth Statement but was not satisfied with its results. As a straightforward thinker, he feels free to express his opinions even if he might differ from political leaders and celebrities. As a devoted educator, he managed to pass down his spirit to his students and others who are keen to contributing to the liberation of China and its rejuvenation after the founding of PRC.

The May Fourth Movement was the starting point of Xu Deheng’s career and Peking University was his forever spiritual homeland. Xu went through hardships and challenges, but the May Fourth Movemnet spirit in him remained unchanged. 

A Youth Pioneer

Xu Deheng was admitted to the English Department of Peking University in 1915. In March 1916, when Xu had just finished his first semester at Peking University, his father passed away, leaving him with no money to continue his studies. Thanks to the help of President Cai Yuanpei, Xu was offered a part-time job as a translator with a monthly salary of 10 silver dollars. Ten dollars at that time was just enough for a wealthy student’s expense of a day or two, but for Xu, it was a large fortune. He assuaged hunger with plain noodles. He had only one sheet, half of which he slept on and the other half he covered his body. In this way, he managed to save five dollars a month to send to his mother.
On May 3, 1919, the night before the May Fourth Movement, Xu stayed up late. Faint candle lights flickered in Xu’s dorm. By the candlelight, Xu tore the only white sheet he had into pieces. These pieces of sheet would be used as banners for the next day’s parade. What he should sleep on and use to cover his body, he did not give a thought to.

On the afternoon of May 4, over 3,000 students from Yenching University, Peking University and other schools gathered in front of Tiananmen. They shouted "Struggle for the sovereignty! Get rid of the traitors!"; "Rebut the 'Twenty-One Demands'", and "Don't sign the Treaty of Versailles". They voiced their anger and denounced the government's spineless inability to protect China’s interests, and called for a boycott of Japanese products. After the rally, students marched to Dongjiaomin Alley, ready to submit to the foreign embassies the Statement. However, the students were blocked by the security outside the alley. After two hours of negotiation, Xu stepped forward as a student representative and submitted the Statement to the American embassy.

Indignant that some Chinese officials were in cooperation with the Japanese government, the students marched again to Cao Rulin, one of the official’s house and set fire. Soon, police and soldiers arrived. Some student protesters were arrested, jailed, and severely beaten. Xu was one of them. The arrested students were sure they would be shot, but no one showed fear. They encouraged each other by saying: “Twenty years later, we are still great men.”

At the time of the May Fourth Movement, Xu was two months away from graduating. When asked why he would risk four years’ hard work to participate in the movement, Xu answered without hesitation: “It’s my duty to my country.”
 

On February 1, 1949, Professor Xu gave a lecture on land reform in the democratic square of Peking University, which attracted more than ten thousand listeners

A Modest Patriot

In 1947, the Peiping Students' Union named the square behind the Red Building of Peking University as Democracy Square. On the evening of May 4, 1947, the Students’ Union of Peking University held a memorial event at the Democratic Square. Xu was invited to deliver a speech. In his speech, Xu introduced the May Forth Movement to the audience. He recalled that after they were arrested, many of their schoolmates went to the police station to accompany them. “This is the spirit of Peking University, the responsibility of sparing no effort to fight for a brighter future of our nation and the courage to face the consequences of what one has done.”

However, Xu was not satisfied with the results of the May Fourth Movement, nor was he happy when being called a youth pioneer.  On August 29, 1919, he wrote in a letter to Zeng Qi, his friend and a young politician: “I am very regretful that we failed to make full use of the good timing and good cause of the movement. We could have had a greater impact on society if I had been more knowledgeable and versatile. I will definitely work on it from now on.” Half a year later, Xu boarded a cruise ship Bordos and embarked on his journey to France where he learned Socialism while working to make the ends meet.

When Xu looked back on his own life in his late years, he said with great modesty: “I did so little for the country despite of my deep love for her.”

A Straightforward Thinker

Xu once said that of all the historical figures he knew, he most admired Sun Yat-sen and Cai Yuanpei. Sun is referred to as the “Father of the Nation” in the Republic of China due to his role in overthrowing the Qing dynasty during the Xinhai Revolution. As for Cai, the deeply-respected president of Peking University, without his policy of “freedom of thought and embrace of diversity” at Peking University, there would have been no May Fourth Movement. Therefore, Xu considered them his role models.

Xu admired Sun very much, but not in a blind way. He dared to express different opinions from Sun. In August, 1919, Xu, together with a few other students from the National Students’ Union, visited Sun at his apartment in Shanghai. Sun praised the May Fourth Movement. Also, he believed that students should be armed to confront the Peiping government. On hearing Sun’s opinion, Xu made no bones about refuting. He argued that the success of the May Fourth Movement was due to the fact that the masses from all walks of life were mobilized by students, while the problem with the Revolution of 1911 and the Movement for the Protection of the Law was that they relied too much on armed struggle and did not fully rally the masses. With an open mind, Sun said he wanted to collaborate with students to overthrow the Peiping government. This made Xu admire Sun even more.

Among other celebrities, Li Dazhao and Chen Duxiu, two leading figures in the New Culture Movement, were also respected by Xu as the spiritual role models for the youth of his time. Xu’s acquaintance with Chen began with an anecdote. In January 1917, Chen began to serve as the dean of the Department of Literature. He was very angry when he heard that some students in Xu’s class were often absent from class. And he mistakenly took Xu for one of them.

Xu had always been a diligent student who never missed class and spent all his spare time reading in the library. When told that his name was posted for his absence in class, he tore the notice off the bulletin board. However, the notice was reposted by the indignant Chen for students’ disobedience. Once again, Xu tore it off, shouting angrily, "Chen! Let’s get this thing clear!" This got him his third warning.

When President Cai heard about this, he helped cleared out the misunderstanding between Chen and Xu. It did not occur to them that the May Fourth Movement would deepen their connection and friendship.

A Devoted Educator

Xu’s greatest achievement in life was to educate people. As an instructor, he never failed to influence young people with his spirit. He once wrote that “by teaching”, he could “make ends meet in the future”. He always said that teachers should pass on knowledge as well as wisdom in life.

In 1931, Xu returned to Peking University to teach. Ever since the Mukden Incident, he often went to various universities to propagate the importance of overthrowing Japanese governance. As a result, Xu was arrested and got rescued by Soong Ching-ling and Cai Yuanpei. After his release, he joined the Chinese Civil Rights Alliance and worked even more actively in promoting patriotism. Xu joined the December 9th Movement in 1935, fighting for the country’s freedom from invasion. Xu’s zeal and firmness encouraged students profoundly.

In a letter sent to Xu celebrating his 100th birthday, Xu’s students during the December 9th Movement period wrote: "In the struggle for the survival of the Chinese national spirit, the bumpy road to national liberation, we were deeply moved and greatly influenced by your teachings and support. The fact that we are enabled to follow the Communist Party of China along a correct path, to seek the truth of national liberation, to explore the true meaning of life, to shoulder the responsibility of constructing a new China are inseparable from the exemplary vanguard role you played.” 

In 1980, 90-year-old Xu admonished young students to always think of themselves as a member of China and shoulder their responsibility for the future of China. When the May Fourth Movement is celebrated for its 100th anniversary this year, his words resonate with its spirit and will continuously motivate the young generation.
 
Reference:

1.许近.许德珩:不以五四学生领袖自居 最让陈独秀恼火.北京日报.2009.5.8. http://dangshi.people.com.cn/GB/85038/9267433.html

2.May Fourth Movement.Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Fourth_Movement

Written by: Qiu Kanghua
Edited by: Yan Shengnan
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