Night Angels(10)
There was also this fundamental distinction between Fengshan and his superior, of which he was acutely aware. Ambassador Chen was a seasoned veteran who was attuned to the nuances of internal and international affairs, whereas Fengshan, having worked as the first secretary in Istanbul, was on his second post in Vienna, still a neophyte charting the meandering waters in diplomacy.
After a curt greeting from his superior, Fengshan gave a brief report of the consulate’s finances and the news he had gathered—the rumor of Chancellor Schuschnigg’s house arrest, the exile of many Communists and Schuschnigg supporters, the clandestine visit of the first secretary of the Soviet legation and his request. Fengshan concluded his report with Grace’s arrest—not to ask for sympathy, naturally, only revealing in the spirit of transparency.
“Did it make it to the news?”
His superior had had the same concern as he. “I don’t believe so.”
“Good.” The ambassador’s voice sounded unfazed. “Fengshan, I’m calling to inform you that the German secretary of foreign affairs has declined to meet me.”
Fengshan was shocked. This was devastating news. The relationship between Germany and China had reached a new low indeed. Germany had given the ambassador the cold shoulder last year, purposefully postponing the confirmation of his credentials by seven months. When Hitler had declared his recognition of the Manzhouguo years ago, the illegitimate government that the Japanese had set up in the northern area of China they had conquered, the German ambassador to China had tried to ease the tension. But just about a year ago, Germany shocked them again by signing the Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan. Ostensibly, the goal was to contain the Soviet Union’s power, but the pact was a raw reminder that Germany’s diplomatic direction had shifted decisively.
It was worth noting that before Hitler, China had enjoyed a solid relationship with Germany for years. Their diplomatic ties had gone back to the early 1920s, when Germany, a defeated country, was stripped of resources and lost consular jurisdiction in China, in accordance with the Treaty of Versailles. But his government had been gracious and cultivated a close partnership with Germany, providing them with raw materials to help them recover. In return, China received military modernization from Germany. Many elite Chinese politicians sent their sons to Berlin for military training, including his party’s president, Chiang Kai-shek.
Fengshan rubbed his forehead. He thought of Adolf Eichmann, who had mistaken him for the Japanese consul general. All signs pointed to a strengthening bond between Japan and Germany and a deteriorating future for China and Germany. This was a new reality that they must face: the age of China as Germany’s partner was ending. “Ambassador Chen, what’s your order?”
“Do not let your emotion interfere with your judgment, Fengshan. The incident with your wife is unfortunate, yet for our country’s best interest, I suggest forgetting it. Our relationship with Germany is tenuous, but to lose an ally when our country is under attack is a risk we can’t afford. We need Germany’s sophisticated weapons to fight the Japanese. Without the weapons, we cannot win the war. Germany is the only country that can help us.”
This was true. The British and the French had turned a deaf ear to them, and the Americans had the Neutrality Act in place, effectively prohibiting them from selling weaponry to any country at war. If Ambassador Chen’s plan to win the funds from the League of Nations succeeded, then the ambassador would use his resources to purchase rifles, bullets, tanks, and a squadron of Luftwaffe, armaments his government desperately needed.
The situation in China was dire. His government was bankrupt, and the Nationalists’ antiquated tanks and guns were no match for the sophisticated weaponry the Japanese possessed. In the past nine months, Japan had attacked many important cities on China’s east coast, such as Qingdao and Shanghai, slaughtered countless people in the capital, Nanjing, and captured the city. The entire Nationalist government had retreated to Wuhan, with the Japanese bombers and tanks and cavalries chasing closely behind, threatening to annihilate them all.
“Ambassador Chen, how may I assist you?”
“Fengshan, you’re aware I have submitted a request for a loan from the League of Nations; I was notified that to grant the funds, the League must first convene a meeting. But the British and the French have repeatedly ignored me. I’m looking at other channels, the Americans, for instance. They wield a huge amount of influence over the diplomats, and I’m hoping they’d help put in a good word for us in front of the League. I have an important mission for you.”
Created after the Great War, the League of Nations had deemed war a crime to humanity. To prevent future conflicts, it passed twenty-six articles restricting armaments, threatening offenders with a punishment of economic sanction, arbitration, and even joint military actions by all members. When Japan, a council member, failed to uphold the principle of the League by attacking China’s Manchuria during the first Sino-Japanese War, the League deemed it a violation, and Japan left the League. Consequently, the League was unable to take further actions to penalize Japan.
“Anything, Ambassador Chen.”
“Are you on good terms with the American consul general in Vienna?”
“I believe so.” Fengshan had met Mr. Wiley, the previous chargé d’affaires of the American legation, now the consul general of the American consulate, at a party and discussed China’s critical situation with him. The consul had listened. A man in his forties, he had the unruffled manner of a well-trained diplomat and exuded a certain amicable air.