[bombs exploding] this is the battle of china. This is the great city of shanghai on a september day in 1937. This is the fearful beginning of a new kind of war. This is the first mass bombing from the air of the helpless civilian population. Why . Why are these innocent chinese men, women, and children to die beneath the hail of japanese bombs . To find the answer to these questions, we must understand something about china and japan. And to understand china, three facts must never be forgotten. China is history. China is land. China is people. Chinese history goes back for more than 4000 years. That is a long time. It was only 168 years ago that washington crossed the delaware. Only 452 years have passed since columbus discovered america. 1500 years since the world saw the fall of the ancient roman empire. 3400 years have gone by since moses received the 10 commandments. 3700 years have passed since the pyramids were built. But more than 4000 years ago, the chinese empire was already in existence. And more important, so was the chinese civilization, a civilization of art, learning, and peace. Yes, china is history. China is also land. More land than the entire continent of europe, a third larger than the United States, and rich in Raw Materials. This vast area consists of china and four other provinces. To the north is manchurian, huge and desolate, but abounding in abundant in Raw Materials. Next to manchuria, mongolia. Here lies the gobi desert, a vast plateau twice the size of texas, inhabited by nomad tribes who lead their caravans back and forth over ancient trade routes. To the west, tibet, the icy roof of the world. Its borders encompass the eastern and of the himalayan mountains, a mystery land that few have entered. And from these vast mountains of the west rise the three great rivers. The northernmost of these is the yellow river. Far to the south is the pearl the seahich enters pass, the great parts of hong kong. The greatest river of all is the one that flows between, the yangtze, winding for 3000 miles through the heart of china, bringing fertility to the good earth and bearing upon its broad waters half the commerce of china. Yes, china is land. Next to russia, the largest country in the world. Most important, china is people. 450 million of them. [singing] if the whole population of china were to walk past you, four abreast, there would never be an end to the procession. The new chinese would be born and grew up before the last man could pass by. Of every five people on the face of the earth, one is a chinese. And since 1 5 of all the human beings of the world are chinese, we should know what sort of people they are. In all their 4000 years of continuous history, they have never waged a war of conquest. They are that sort of people. They developed the art of printing for movable type. They invented the mariners compass, without which, no ocean could be crossed. There were among the first astronomers, and their observations of the stars and planets made possible the accurate measuring and recording of time. They are that sort of people. Why do we call our dishes china . Because the chinese invented the art of making porcelain. As we all know, they invented gunpowder, not as a weapon of war, but to celebrate their holidays and religious festivals. It was one of chinas great philosophers who, 500 years before the birth of christ, gave mankind these words. What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others. They are that sort of people. Enriching the world in which we live. Yes, china is incredibly old, incredibly big, incredibly populous. Yet, it was until recently, a land with which few of us concerned ourselves. But now, a great change has taken place. China is now our fighting ally. Or more accurately, we are chinas. But china has been fighting our enemy, japan, for seven long years. Why is this, why is the chinese, with all their 4000 years of history who have never waged an aggressive war, been forced to fight. To fight and die by the millions. Because china is land. 4 million square miles of it. And because china is people, 450 million of them. And because japan had a plan to use them both. That plan was finally stated in the tanaka memorial, a blueprint for world conquest. I formulated in 1927 by the Japanese Foreign minister. In order to conquer the world, we must first conquer china. Dream as very mad their mad dream. Phase one, the conquest of manchuria for Raw Materials. Phase two, the absorption of china for manpower. Piece by piece, though as not to arouse the rest of the world. Phase three, a tram to the south. Phase four, the move to crush the United States. One fact was obvious, china was to be the giant back on which japan would ride to world conquest. Just as russia was to be enslaved for german use. But how is it possible for japan, only 1 20 the size of china, and with only 1 6 of the population, to think of conquering china, much less the world . There were two reasons for this. In the first place, modern china, in spite of this age old history, was like the broken pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece controlled by a different ruler, each with its own private army. In modern terms, china was a country, but not yet a nation. While japan was a united highly regimented dictatorship. Second reason lies in the use that each country made of our western civilization. Lets see what china took. You will notice that this is a very old piece of film. Actually it is more than 30 years old, and it shows a very great man. In 1911, this man fathered a peoples revolution, which brought to an end chinas ancient imperial government and began its new era of a modern republic. In chinese history it secured a place as george washington. He and his followers chose for the cornerstone of their new republic chinese words that would echo those of another. Government of the people, by the people, for the people. To make these principles become reality, they built more schools and colleges. They established scholarship so that their young men and women could go forth to the universities of america and europe and bring back to their own country other western ideas. This new generation returned to china with new techniques of industry. Architecture, science, medicine, they built more hospitals to free their people from the blight of disease. They introduced education. Compulsory education. They laid down as essential for freedom for which we fight today. Freedom of expression and freedom of religion. In 1925, he died, but his disciples carried on his monumental work. Their aim, the unification and modernization of china. Chinese industry was oldfashioned and inefficient. Transportation was slow and inadequate, but now railroads began to link the great seaports and river harbors to the inland cities. A network of highways began to stretch beyond the Railroad Lines into the deep interiors. After leaving them untouched for centuries, china was beginning to use her vast store of Raw Materials. Soon the tools and machines of the new factories were delivering the goods and products for chinas new economy. For the chinese believed in using the best of western civilization for the progress of their country. While they were building this new nation, just a day and a half by steamer across the yellow sea lay japan. Here the god emperor and his fanatic warlords were using the same western civilization for one purpose, and only one. To create one of the worlds most powerful war machines. Their aim, the absorption of china and the fulfillment of the tanaka memorial. For years japan had deliberately copied military weapons and industrial techniques discovered in other countries. For years japan, under the pretext of lacking Raw Materials for industry, had been buying, in every corner of the world, materials not only to build this war machine, the materials which were to be stored to use in conquest they were planning. For years, while other nations were trying to outlaw war by reducing armaments, japan was feverishly and secretly building a modern army, a modern navy, a modern air force to strike from strike a blow to the civilized world. We all now know about the islands in the pacific, japan fortified in violation of all international treaties. These were the reasons why it was possible for japan, only one 20th the size of china, and only 1 6 of the population of china to think of conquering china as the first step to world conquest. And as you see, in 1931, they embarked on phase one, the occupation of manchuria. The small bonfire that the japanese lead in manchuria was to grow and spread with uncontrollable fury until the entire world was a flame. Phase one of the tanaka plan was completed, exactly as planned. They were confident this plan could be accomplished without them becoming involved in a major war, and they were right. The unification of china was still too remote for the chinese of the south to care for what happened to their kinsmen in the north. Using the stepbystep technique, a few months later, the japs took a crack at shanghai. [bombs exploding] the chinese resistance was so great, that hastily called that. They waited another year, struck in the north causing a lot of profit. This too they got away with. The world criticized, the chinese protested, but still the japs got what they wanted. Another piece of china without a war on their hands. To rule over manchuria, they set up a puppet government under their stooge, the chinese prince. The leaders of new china remembered other barbarians that had invaded their countries. The evidence still stood in the great wall, built by their ancestors more than 2000 years earlier, stretching for 1400 miles across mountain and desert to protect themselves from the barbarians of the north. Of the great wall, it has been said that it is the only work of man which would be visible from the moon. The chinese knew that modern barbarians cannot be stopped by a wall, however strong or high. They cannot even be stopped by people unless the people are united. By 1937, the unification of china was making such progress the japs got worried. The one weapon they could not permit china was unity. They would strike again before china could become a nation. This time it would be a big bite, five more northern provinces out of the heart of china. At the United States embassy in china, the military attache there was colonel william mayer. Let him tell you what happened. Col. Mayer the first thing they did was to prepare their usual fake alibi. This time it was not a damage track as it had been in muncher manchuria. A jap soldier was disappeared and obviously had been kidnapped by the chinese. Japans honor had been insulted. Once more the insult must be avenged. On the night of july 7, 1937, at the marco polo bridge, the jap war machine struck. [bombs exploding] within the space of a few weeks, the invaders were in control of two cities. It looked as if the japs would have another walkover. [cheering] now the japs sat back to digest and organize this new conquest. A peaceloving japanese did not want a war if they could get their land without one. This time they were in for a rude surprise. This time, instead of protesting and negotiating, the chinese struck back. Not in the north, but at shanghai where the japs least expected it. To understand the fighting that followed, we must know something about the city of shanghai itself. Situated near the mouth of the Yangtze River, it is the biggest city in china. As the largest seaport in the far east, it dominated the commerce and foreign trade. Through it passed most of the wealth of the orient. In shanghai, truly the east met the west. Within this city of three and a half million chinese was another city, a foreign settlement, made up of a french concession and a wellknown international settlement. There, the various powers, including great britain, the United States, and japan had stationed detachments of troops. Japanese, british, french, and our own United States marines to assist the police of a Shanghai Municipal council in the preservation of peace and order and to protect the boundaries of the international settlement. These detachments were limited in size, but the japs secretly, and in violation of treaties had increased their garrison, so that when fighting started in august of 1937, they thought they were fully prepared for any eventuality. [gunfire] the force of the chinese counterattack almost drove the japs into the river. Backed up by the heavy guns of their warships, however, they managed to hold out until reinforcements arrived. Jap landings were then made in the vicinity of the fort, and on the Yangtze River north of shanghai. The chinese drew back to positions five or 10 miles inland, where they could secure some protection from the heavy jap naval gunfire. [explosions] at the same time, the invaders succeeded in making a surprise landing some 20 miles to the south of shanghai. Put two divisions ashore, and pushed rapidly north to outflank the city. [screaming] the chinese position was thus made untenable and the withdrawal was ordered to the west and to the south. Only about half of the chinese army that had fought at shanghai was left to withdraw. Meanwhile, enraged at the idea of anyone resisting the Imperial Japanese might, the japs took their vengeance upon the civilian population in the city. A city without guns or planes to defend itself, and deliberately slaughtered thousands from the air. [explosions] [whistle of bombs dropping] for some there was refuge inside the international settlement, where japan was afraid to bomb the property of foreign powers. Just yet. But there was not room for all. For each who found safety inside, there were thousands huddled beyond the gates, standing helpless and undefended against the jap attacks. There was no escape for these surging and panic stricken people. They could only scurry through the narrow streets, pushing and packing into the center of the city to be trapped and buried alive in the collapsing buildings. Thus the japanese introduced the world to a new kind of war, a war of deliberate terrorization, of deliberate deliberate, of frightfulness. When the campaign was over, the japs occupied the entire peninsula east of shanghai. Reorganizing rapidly, they launched and organize drive on nanking. One column pushed along the railroad, while another swung further to the south. This column then split and continued its drive, hoping to cut off any retreat of the chinese army. Yangtze be here in the that they attacked an american gunboat, despite the distinctive marking. [gunfire] the ship was bombed and sunk,ith the loss of american lives the first of american warship to go to the bottom in this war. This was a mistake and the japanese government apologized. Meantime, chinese armies defended their city, which was the capital of the chinese republic. [explosions] [men screaming] [explosions] but again, japanese power was too great. After a battle lasting but a few days, the city fell to the invaders. [men shouting] in their occupation of nanking, the japs outdid themselves. The helpless populace was captured by the city walls and could not flee. The japanese soldiers went berserk. They raped and tortured. They killed and butchered. [gunshots] [speaking foreign language] in one of the bloodiest massacres of recorded history, they murdered 40,000 men, women and children. [gong sounds] those who lived might better have died, for the horror of their twisted and torn bodies was worse than death. These scenes were photographed by an american missionary and smuggled out of china after the rape of nanking. This nightmare of cruelty was all the more powerful because it was deliberately planned by the japanese command to tear the heart out of the chinese people, once and forever. Then it happened. Up, which was dreamed was toiled for, which is stronger than stonewalls was at tot born in china, the will resist. [speaking chinese] last bloody blow, the japanese had accomplished what 4000 years had failed to bring into being, a united china, and aroused china. [speaking chinese] but the chinese knew the will to resist was not by itself enough. They knew that china must develop the power to resist. They must also develop a plan. It was this. They would slowly yield territory, piece by piece, while they developed power and weapons. The industrial strength of china must be moved to the west, beyond the mountains. Beyond the Railroad Lines. Beyond the lines of communication. Safe from enemy attack, they might produce the guns they needed. They would trade space for time. Space for time. Blowup the roads. Space for time. Scorch the earth. Space for time. Blow up the factory building. Leave nothing for the invaders. And then the people rose and moved, riding, walking, crawling. 30 million of them, spontaneously driven by an epic impulse, rose and made their way westward. Them,rth teaming with moving westward on a track that stretched for 2000 miles of roadless wilderness. The world witnessed one of the most amazing spectacles in human history, the greatest mass migration ever recorded. Whatever could be of use and moved, the chinese took with them on a homeric journey. Their libraries, their schools, their hospitals, all dismantled and carted away. Machinery from over 1000 factories weighing over 300 Million Pounds was moved away in traps and ox carts and on their backs. Wherever they could, they gathered along the few remaining railroads. They waited, hoping to ride on their last westward road. When they had packed the last train with the last ounce of humanity and machinery, the tracks themselves were taken up, rail by rail, tie by tie. To be transported westward, to leave nothing for the enemy. Every river pointing westward was heavyladen. Every sandbag, every barge pressed into service, weighted down at the waters edge for the precious tools for new china. Nothing could stop them. Not even the rivers that narrowed into mountain gorges. Machineryith their more precious than gold. [singing] progress was measured by the mile, by feet, by inches. The trail they broke was moistened every step of the way by their sweats. Where there were no trains, no boats, no ox carts, there were still willing hands and feet and straining backs. 30 Million People moving westward. Westward from the invader. Westward from slavery. Westward from debt. Westward to freedom. [singing] now in the free Mountain Land of the west, ancient cities sprang with fresh and modern life. Chief of them all was the new capital of free china. Here, high above the Yangtze River, the chinese reestablish their government. They knew the people of the city would not be safe from ja