PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPY: ORIGINAL MATERIAL RESTRICTED

This is a rough draft of my play (try to forgive me after reading it. As the Chinese say, it's most inferior.)

Agnes Smedley

PERSONS IN THE PLAY

General Wang Shih-pu. Commander of a Chinese Army.

Colonel Wu Yeh-tze, his young friend and chief-of-staff.

Major-General Chou Tien-ying, his friend and divisional commander.

General Li, commander of an Army under General Wang's general command.

Miss Frances Stone, an American artist and journalist.

Lin Seng, young Chinese journalist and poet.

Kuo-hwa, little boy orderly in General Wang's headquarters.

Captain Lo, young guerrilla officer.

An Old Donkey Driver, with his donkey loaded with hay.

A foreign woman nurse.

A foreign doctor.

A secret Wang Ching-wei traitor.

Chinese guards, soldiers, townspeople; wounded soldiers.

A Japanese officer in command of puppet troops.

A group of Chinese puppet troops with the Japanese Army.

A group of 5 Chinese student actors "wandering minstrels."

Peasant carriers.

1

PROLOGUE

(Stage is totally black save for a white hospital bed, with a small table and chair near the head. On the table a water-bottle, glass with thermometer, and a glass with toothbrush. Also a small table light, shaded. On the foot of the bed hands a wooden board with temperature chart.)

Wu Yeh-tze (enters noiselessly, goes to bed) Old Wang! General Wang!

General Wang: (rolling out of bed in pajamas) Did anyone see you come in?

Wu: Who knows? The Japs have spies everywhere--as thick as bed-bugs.

The ear will be here in half an hour. Here are the clothes--and here's

the chauffeur's license and badge.

Wang: Any more news from General Fang--or Colonel Chou?

WU: The same as yesterday: their troops are scattered but still fighting.

... terrible losses! Hundreds of students and the political prisoners

who broke out--lying like bloody leaves over the wheat fields. . . The

troops are trying to assemble in Paoing—the Japs know it—they bombed

Paoing three times yesterday. If you can get through the lines, you'll

find them in that neighborhood.

Wang: If I get through? And you--what about you?

Wu: I'll try to catch up with you at the Buddhist Temple at the end of
the road in the southern hills. If I'm not there two hours after you
get there, don't wait. Take the bicycle from the monk—he'll give you
some money too—and get out.

Wang: I need only one hour's start. You must leave this place within
an hour. The Japs have taken to calling at all hours—one came last
night at nine. . . . To tell me that they've appointed me head of the
puppet government! Turtles!

Wu: I know--the whole country knows it by now. The Japs broadcast
the news. . . now they think you'll never dare take one step without

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their protection. . . we'll soon fix spike that! Students have already got out a handbill listing the traitors to be killed--your name heads the list. . . . Hurry up--get dressed! . . . The handbill accused you of surrendering Peiping while your Army fights and dies. It charged that Major Liang's batallion surrendered because you did--at your orders.

**Wang:** (pulling on clothing) I gave no orders! The Government sent me none! I surrendered the city to save it from destruction--and because I thought--and still think--that the Government will reach some agreement with the Japs. Whatever it does, it would have been better if I'd blown out my brains.

**Wu:** (pacing back and forth, sometimes stopping in shadows to listen) If you want your brains blown out, let the Japs do it in battle.

**Wang:** (shaking his head impatiently) My brain's still OK, half-dead! Haven't slept for nights. . . I keep hearing Chou's voice--and Fang's--and sometimes yours. That last night we were together--you remember?

**Wu:** That's all past. From tonight. . .

**Wang:** Chou's voice kept saying: "first appeasement--then treason." Then it said: "While you lick the boots of the Japs, we'll fight with sticks and stones." Fang's voice kept saying: "First Manchuria, then Jehol. . . then Chahar. . . then East Hopei. . . now all north China. Tomorrow, all China--and the next day the world."

**Wu:** From tonight you bury all that! You'll soon be in command of your troops and prove to the country that you're no traitor.

**Wang:** You, Fang, Chou--you're all young. But my head will soon be gray. . . each night I lie with my regrets. . . Now you must become my teachers--that's why you must not fail me tonight. Leave here within an hour. (standing up, fully dressed in black the clothing of a poor civilian) Look--do I look like a chauffeur?

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**Wu:** No--you look like a military man in civilian clothes! Slouch a little! (General Wang tries to look like a civilian. Wu looks at his wrist-watch.) The car ought to be here!

**Wang:** Do you trust that foreign doctor? He may not come--this is not his country.

**Wu:** It's risking nothing by taking you out of the city. The Japs don't search foreign cars yet, and his car flies the American flag. His chauffeur's just your size--and dressed like you. When the car comes, wait until the chauffeur has come inside--he will pass right on through the kitchen in the back. Then you walk out calmly, take the driver's seat, and drive off. If Jap sentries stop you, look dumb and let the American do the talking.

(The purr of a motor car is heard. Both men listen. Wu goes into shadows and looks below.)

**Wu:** They've come! The chauffeur's coming in. . . . all right--go now!

(General Wang goes swiftly into darkness back. Wu stands in shadows, watching below until the motor engine starts and slowly dies away. He glances at his watch, then starts and listens as if hearing something. Goes swiftly to bed and climbs in, shoes and all, and pulls the sheet up over his head just as a white-clad foreign nurse enters quietly and looks curiously about. She goes up to bed and stares at the covered figure. Tucks in covers. Tries to pull sheet back from the face, but fails and leaves it. Looks about again and turns.)

**Nurse:** I was certain I heard voices! (She goes out noiselessly.)

(BLACK OUT for a few seconds, then lights come on again, slowly, more clearly than before. Same scene. Covered figure in bed. The same white-clad nurse, with a foreign doctor in white, enter from back. Doctor has a stethoscope about his neck.)

**Nurse:** I didn't wake General Wang up this morning, Dr. Anderson.

He sleeps so badly--and was talking in his sleep again last night.

**Doctor:** I'd do more than that if I were in his shoes! There's not a thing wrong with him that I can see--though I don't tell the Japs that. Anyway, shake him up--the city's filled with wounded and I've no time to waste on him. Say, have you heard the latest. . .

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**Nurse** (shaking the figure on bed) General Wang! The doctor's come! Wake up! (turning to doctor) No--what's the news? (Nurse pulls the sheet back from covered head).

**Doctor:** (looking at nurse) A new puppet government's been formed and. . . (Wu Yeh-tze rolls out of bed fully dressed and walks past the doctor and nurse without a word. The nurse utters a little cry. Both stare in amazement).

**Doctor:** Well, I'll be everlastingly damned!

DARKNESS

5

STREET SCENE PRECEDING ACT I.

(Before the curtain. A typical Chinese village scene. Simultaneously, from left of stage come some street vendors: a barber carrying implements of his profession in a little square wooden box with a rope handle; and a low round stool--and behind him a customer in a long blue denim gown who sits down on the kixiex stool at once. The barber opens his little box and takes out an ear-cleaner (a bit of cotton on a long piece of thin bamboo). Simultaneously, a vendor of sandals and cloth shoes, carrying his wares over strings over his shoulder, comes in and squats by the street. Carefully unfolds a dirty piece of newspaper and places the shoes and sandals on them. Right behind him is a "walking restaurant": a short, dishevelled little man without a hat and in loose trousers and a short jacket. He has a shoulder pole from the ends of which hang two small boxes. These he sets on the earth and begins to arrange his wares, taking them from the boxes and piling them on top of first one, then the other. His wares consist of a number of little piles of peanuts, four tiny tangerines, and piles of long, loose cigarettes.
Some Chinese soldiers, in blue-gray uniform, wrinkled but clean, without belts, amble on, out to see the sites. They bargain with each vendor for the love of bargaining. Buy nothing. The soldiers wear caps with the blue and white Army insignia, but no other sign. Two Chinese peasant women, in loose trousers that reach nearly to the ankle, short jackets fastened up to the hip, and cloth shoes, come on and examine and bargain with each vendor, but buy nothing. One carries a bamboo rake over her shoulder, the other a large bundle done up in a dirty rag. Their hair is dishevelled and they look harried with anxiety.
Other soldiers and civilians pass or stand about gossipping. One or two buy peanuts and share them with others to whom they talk. Vendors keep crying: "peanuts two coppers; tangerines twenty coppers; cigarettes four coppers." Shoe vendor cries: "Shoes--$1.00 a pair-- sandals twenty cents."

Two travellers, accompanied by two peasant carriers, enter. The carriers each have a shoulder pole from the ends of which hang two rolls of bedding, a typewriter, a Red Cross first-aid kit and a wooden box with the Red Cross marked on each side. The carriers wear thread-bare, faded loose trousers that reach above the ankle; straw sandals; no hats, short black cotton jackets that hang open and expose their bare brown chests and part of the stomach. The drop their luggage and sit on some of it and take out little pipes with long, thin stems; light and begin to smoke and look about at the sites. The other two travellers are Lin Seng, a Chinese journalist and poet, a young, thin man with sensitive face. He carries a camera about his shoulders. He wears the same kind of uniform as the soldiers, but a soldier's cap without the insignia.

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about the narrow leather belt around his waist hangs an enamel drinking cup and a flashlight; a small face towel is looped over the belt.

The second traveller is dressed much the same as Lin Song. She is Miss Frances Stone, American writer and artist who does first-aid work when necessity calls for it. She also wears a soldier's uniform and a cap without insignia, belt with a drinking cup, flashlight and soiled face towel. Like Lin, she wears Chinese cloth shoes with cloth soles without heels. About one shoulder she carries a leather attaché case. She and Lin have fountain pens in their left breast pockets and their pockets bulge with papers, note-books, and odds and ends. They are weary and covered with dust and Frances sinks down on one of the rolls of bedding, takes her face towel and mops her face and head. When she removes her cap, she is seen to have blonde hair, shingled short like a man's. Her face is as brown as her companion's. Lin also mops his face and head.

From right comes a little boy in small soldier's uniform, loose and shabby. He is supposed to be 11 but is 9 or 10, a war-orphan. This is Xuo-hwa, a small orderly in the Army. He can't get past the donkey loaded with hay, so crawls under its belly, then mingles with the crowd, bargaining but buying nothing.

Lin Sheng the journalists takes his drinking cup from his belt and Frances does the same and hands it to him. Without a word he goes off stage left, then comes back with cups filled. Gives one to Frances. They drink.

From afar off comes the distant sound of a little drum, tapped as in a march. The strains of a flute come faintly, then dies away.

**Frances:** (taking the cup of water from Lin and drinking). God, but I'm tired! We must have walked thirty miles today--and what a trip! That deserted town last night got me down!

**Lin:** The Japs had been there a week before they were driven out. That's why the gutters were filled with excrement.

**Frances:** I wonder how many men have been killed on this front. Did you count the wounded last night? I was so busy that I forgot.

**Lin:** Well, I was so busy helping you that I forgot. I haven't had time to write a line for a month!

**Frances:** Nor I.

**Lin:** We'll have more time now--General Wang's headquarters must be in this neighborhood.

**Frances:** The guns sound far away--fifteen or twenty miles at least-- from here. But back there we could hear the machine-guns and rifles all the time!

**First carrier:** (over his shoulder to them) Sometimes the devils

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advance a little--ten li maybe. Then we drive 'em back. They've
never got this far. But they bomb it sometimes. They bombed it
this morning.

**Lin:** We ought to get out of here and find headquarters, before they
come again.

**Second carrier:** It don't matter where you go--if they don't get you
here, they get you there. So take it easy.

**Shoe-vendor:** Shoes--$1.00 a pair; sandals twenty cents!

**Frances:** (going over to shoe-vendor, examining a pair of shoes and
measuring them to her feet). I'll take these--knock here's a dollar.

**Vendor:** (bargaining cunningly) They cost one dollar for each shoe.

**Frances:** (warily angry) You think I'm a fool? Cheat! (drops shoes
and goes back and sits on her bedding).

**Vendor:** (in an injured tone to the street) That's a real foreigner!
Got eyes like a cat! Foreigners are rich, yet won't help a poor man.

**Peanut-vendor:** Is that person a man or a woman?

**Barber:** (wisely) That person's maybe a Soviet adviser.

**Shoe-vendor (more injured than ever):** Soviet! They say the Soviets
love the oppressed. If they love the oppressed, what's an extra
dollar to them!

**Old Donkey Driver:** (complacently) That's not a Soviet! It's an
American--and a woman at that. I talked with her back there on the
road.

**Peanut-vendor:** American--all Americans are rich.

**Barber:** American? Is that down river?

**Old Donkey- Driver:** (filled with knowledge) It's two packs away.

You go on a boat. I'm going there one of these days. Maybe as soon
as I deliver my hay to the hospital. There's all kinds of people in
America. I'll look at them all.

**Peanut-vendor:** What kind of people?

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**Old Donkey Driver:** (wisely) Oh, all kinds of people. Tall people, short people, thin people, fat people. High noses, low noses. Black eyes, brown eyes, blue eyes, gray eyes, green eyes.

**Barber:** Green eyes? You're lying!

**Old Donkey Driver:** It's the truth. Some have got black hair, pale hair like this foreigner, brown hair, red hair.

**Barber:** Now you've gone too far! Red hair and green eyes! Hai-h-h-h!

Red hair and green eyes and four feet! (street roars with laughter.)

(A man in strange military uniform comes on stage from right but can't get past the donkey. He is a tall young man in a faded, light-blue jacket, black cotton trousers, and he wears green cloth puttees from the ankle to the knee. Cloth shoes and a regulation blue-gray soldier's cap with a white sun insignia. He is Captain Lo, a guerrilla commander.)

**Captain Lo:** Hey, old countryman, you're blocking traffic. I can't get through.

**Old Donkey Driver:** Then crawl under like everybody else. Who do you think you are, anyway?

**Capt. Lo:** I'm from the guerrillas--going to kuxx General Wang's headquarters.

**Old Donkey Driver:** Hai-h-h-h! A guerrilla! Wait, I'll get my donkey out of the way. My first born is a guerrilla. Maybe you know him. (Old Donkey Driver pushes his donkey over by sheer physical force).

(The noise of the street stops suddenly as five students come on stage from left. The first, a man, has a little drum which he is tapping. The students all wear weather-worn, dishevelled military uniforms and soldier's caps. After the first student comes a second carrying a standard rolled up. After him two girl students, their hair out but showing beneath their cap brims. One girl carries a flute, one a kuxx huxchin, or Chinese violin. A man student, very thin and pale, follows. He is dressed in bedraggled black and carries a pair of hollow bamboo castanets with which he keeps time.

Students stop. The one with the banner unrolls it and holds the standard while a girl takes the end of the cloth and holds it out. Across it are the words: "Students' Anti-Japanese Resistance Theatre."

**Soldier:** Hey, students, give us a dance!

**Student in black:** Countrymen! We'll give a show down at the drum tower at seven tonight. Tell everybody to come.

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**Crowd:** Give the show now!

**Student with drum:** (rolling the drum to get attention) Countrymen, we've walked fifty li today. We've not eaten. We'll give the show tonight. But we'll sing you the news of the war. Sit down!

(Crowd murmurs, applauds, shouts "hao! hao!" Some sit, some stand. Old Donkey Driver and Capt. Lo stand to right. Frances and Lin Xian Song turn around to watch.)

**Student in black:** (rolling his castanettes to keep time) This is the story of the war. (Girl student with flute plays melody and student sings)

Look at the battle of Liukuochao,
The ancient bridge was ten spans high.
On July 7th the enemy struck
Our northern soldiers fought and died.

Students: Ega-yoh, ega ai-yoh,
in ) Out northern soldiers fought and died!
chorus

General Wang on a bicycle,
Escaped the enemy's shot and shell
He fought them here, he fought them there,
The enemy's gizzards burst with gall.

Students: Ega-yoh, ega ai-yoh,
The enemy's gizzards burst with gall. (People laugh)

Look at the battle of Pinghsinkwan,
Our Eighth Route Army, fierce and free,
Slow three thousand enemy dwarfs,
Its fame now reaches the seven seas.

Students: Ega-yoh, ega ai-yoh!
Its name now reaches the seven seas.

Look at the battle of far Shanghai,
Our doomed Batallion, pledged to death,
Willing to fight to the very last man,
In the big warehouse of Shanghai.

Students: Ega yoh, ega ai-yoh!
In the big warehouse of Shanghai.

Now look at the battle of brave Nanking,
With many big camps and many brave men,
Chiang Kai-shek like a burning flame,
Daily reviewed the many big troops.

Students: Ega-yoh, ega ai-yoh!
Daily reviewed the many big troops.

(People think with students.)

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Just look at the battle of Taichchwang,
The Kwangsi General, Li Chung-rhen,
Slew ten thousand enemy ghosts,
Men without souls, men without souls

Students and) Ega-yoh, ega ai-yoh!
people sing. )Men without souls, men without souls.

Now came the battle of triple Wuhan,
We built a wall of flesh and blood,
The soulless traitor, Wang Ching-we i,
Sold his soul to the enemy dwarfs.

Students and) Ega-yoh, ega ai-yoh!
people )Sold his soul to the enemy dwarfs.

The war spreads far, the nights grow dark,
Sorrow has come to every home.
But every man stands in his place,
Rather to die than live a slave.

Students and) Ega-yoh! Ega ai-yoh!
people )Rather to die than live a slave.

(Shouts of "hao!hao!" and "sing it again!" (tsai lai, egoh!)
from audience. Student with banner rolls it up again. Student
with drum rolls the drum; students turn and march off stage)

Student in black: Drum tower tonight, seven o'clock. Tell everybody!

Lin Seng: (walking over to Capt. Lo) I heard you say you were
going to Headquarters. How far is it?

Capt. Lo: Two miles.

Kuo-hwa: (going up to them) Not so far! (To Lin Seng) I'll
show you. Are you the foreign journalists? Everybody said you
were coming.

Lin Seng: One of us is foreigner—the lady there. We telephoned
from rear headquarters two nights ago?

Capt. Lo: Is that two days away?

Lin Seng: Only one. But there was a battle and we stopped to help
with the wounded. (To Kuo-hwa) Is General Wang expecting us?

Kuo-hwa: General Wang's at the front—but he'll come back
tonight. Come on—I'll show you.

Frances: (with carriers, going over to ku group). Little soldier,

What's your name? I'm not a soldier—just an orderly.

Frances: But an orderly is also a soldier!

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**Kuo-hwa:** Not quite. But when I grow up I'm going to be in the
cavalry and carry a captured Japanese pistol. . . . Are you a real
foreigner? You haven't got red hair and green eyes!

**Frances:** (they start off stage) There're all kinds of foreigners.

**Kuo-hwa:** What's your name?

**Frances:** Frances Stone--it's hard to say, isn't it.

(Everybody slides past the donkey and passes off right.)

**Old Donkey Driver:** (stares after them, then ambles across stage right).

BLACK OUT

PRODUCTION NOTE TO ACT I

GENERAL WANG SHIH-PU is turned 50, over 6 ft. tall, strongly built. Always wears a gray-blue cloth cotton uniform, seldom with a belt. No insignia mix of rank. His cap is the regulation soldier cap of blue-gray with the white sun insignia. Since he often goes up to the battlefield, Chinese mix their officers who are serious-minded seldom wear officer's belts, except occasionally around headquarters. They try to look like soldiers to escape capture or from being singled out by the enemy and killed.

General Wang Shih-pu is a morose, tortured man, limited in mind, sincere and desperately in earnest. He has a shady past and the nation sometimes remembers still that he was once known as a puppet, or traitor who worked with the Japanese as a friend. Few people except intriguing politicians distrust him, but he is tormented by his past and is sensitive to every reference to it. Even indirect and unintended references. But he speaks frankly of his past mistakes to his close friends.

COLONEL WU YEE-TZE, chief-of-staff to General Wang at the front is in his middle thirties. He is a tall, thin, frail man with thin shoulders and appears to have tuberculosis. Once a professor. An intellectual. A cultured, learned man, deeply sensitive; passionate about the war and about the corruption within it. He exercises the greatest influence on General Wang. He is like General Wang's own son. His blue-gray uniform hangs sloppily on him, but it is clean, though unpressed. (No Chinese uniforms at the front are pressed or chie.) Col. is tormented by the backwardness, self-interest, and lack of social vision of his country's leaders. He is frank and open in his talk.

Major-General Chou Tien-ying, commander of a division under General Wang Shih-pu. In his late thirties, shorter than Col. Wu, more strongly-built. Pleasant face. Not handsome especially. Uniform more neat and exacting. Once a professor, then studied military science. A passionate patriot, democratic like Col. Wu, friend of General Wang Shih-pu. He is the Col. Chou mentioned repeatedly in the Kung-fu Prologue. Sometimes wears an officers belt, but no insignia of rank. About him is a calm, reserved, thoughtful manner which sometimes suddenly breaks, when he speaks嚴厲 with brutal passion. Like Col. Wu a man of learning and culture, facing death and searching for a way for his country out of the morass of corruption and inefficiency.

Frances Stone, American woman writer and artist, who does first-aid work at the front, when not writing and sketching. Sun-tanned skin, blonde hair, turned thirty. An intellectual tormented by the policy of her own country toward China and by fear of war which she constantly tries to conquer.

Lin Seng, a young Chinese journalist and poet, in his early twenties. Soldier's uniform. Intellectual in appearance, given to flights of romantic poetry and thoughtless remarks. Driven by a passion for his country's liberation and the passionate desire to write a great epic poem of the war. Assistant to Frances, with whom he travels.

There is nothing "heroic" about the Chinese front. The atmosphere
is gray and depressed, the people very poorly dressed. The
houses look poor and hungry but, like the people and soldiers,
they keep going as best they can. There are no Chinese airplanes,
trucks, or other mechanized equipment at the Chinese front. No
motor roads save a few which the Chinese try to keep destroyed.
People and soldiers walk on their own legs and only a few officers
have horses. Everything, even shells for the few field guns (small
ones) are carried on the backs of men or pack horses.

The xxxxxxxx young officers in particular are unusually alert and
intelligent, excellently informed about the world, with modern,
aware minds. Xuo-hwa and the guards around headquarters carry
pocket manuals and study them. Officers (except for General Li)
generally have at least one paper-bound book in their pockets.

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(General Wang Shih-pu, General Li, Major-General Chou Tien-ying, and Col. Wu Yeh-tze are around the table under the tree, before General Wang's Field Headquarters. The double-door of the main building in back is open. Down the side of the door are the Chinese words for "Field Headquarters. The table under the tree, about which the men sit or stand, is covered with a variety of things-- presumably a flat military map among others; piles of papers; a few paper-bound books, some half folded, some turned down on their faces as if someone had been reading. A Chinese stone slab for ink is on the table, with a Chinese brush. General Wang is bending over the military map, bracing himself with his arms, and talking with General Li who still remains seated. Major-General Chou is just xi standing up as the scene opens, holding some papers in his hand. Col. Wu, General Wang's Chief-of-staff, stands a little in the background, without a cap. The tops of a folded book protrude from one of his pockets and he holds some papers in one hand. In the background are two armed guards, parading back and forth off right. One of the guards is studying a small pocket manual, memorizing Chinese words, sometimes halting to ask the other guard something.)

General Wang: It's settled, then, General Li.

General Li: (rising) I've said all I have to say. So long as you are commander-in-chief of this front, I have no choice but to carry out your orders!

General Wang: (watching him thoughtfully) Never before has any officer under my command inferred that I might save my own army at the expense of another.

General Li: (coldly polite). I don't infer that. The Japs have thrown re-enforcements against that division. It can't hold.

General Wang: I can only repeat: As soon as Major-General Chou's division comes up, it will relieve yours entirely and you can withdraw it to the rear for rest and reorganization.

General Li: General Chou's division might be too late. I don't understand the delay.

Chou: There has been a delay. Even now we are not sufficiently equipped. And my troops are nearly all new recruits--they had to be)xuexiandaxi trained.

General Wang: You can't forget,xx General Li, that General Chou's division has been wiped out four times since the war began. Most of his men are new. The delay is xx not his because he

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hesitates. Surely none of us can forget that he was one of the
first men to fire at the Japanese at Marco Polo bridge.

Chou (protesting): That's not the point...

General Li: (ignoring Chou, staring at General Wang coldly) I don't forget any man who did not waver when the war began!
(General Wang stiffens as if struck across the face.)

Chou: (stepping forward) If my division comes up tomorrow night, we can relief General Li's division. But they ought to have one night's sleep.

General Wang: (turning to General Li again) It's impossible to withdraw any of General Fang's troops from their present positions. They have their own tasks--and they've had heavy losses. The most we can hope for is that our cavalry regiment which we sent to the rear two days ago, will re-enforce the guerrillas and prevent the Japs from sending up any more fresh troops.

General Li: It's useless to depend on the guerrillas. Some of my troops hold positions bordering guerrilla territory. The guerrillas don't fight. They're Communists. They merely stir up the people; and recently they've begun inciting them to democracy.

Col. Wu: Inciting to democracy!

General Li: Yes--they're inciting the people to elect their own officials. They don't fight.

General Wang: Captain Lo brought in another batch of Japanese prisoners yesterday--they got them in battle.

General Li: Captain Lo, I believe, is a Communist.

General Wang: (turning to Col. Wu) Is Lo a Communist?

Col. Wu: I haven't the least idea what his political beliefs are. Nor his religious beliefs. (ironically) I don't even know if he's married. All I know is reports from our cavalry regiment that the guerrillas are tearing out bridges, d destroying roads, and fighting.

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**Chou:** If they bring in prisoners, its decisive. The Japs don't easily surrender.

**General Wang:** These Kuomintang-communist quarrels are matters in which we at the front can take no part. We must judge men by their actions. I myself don't want to see Chinese quarrelling or fighting each other.

**General Li:** In these days, every Chinese is compelled to be a politician. We're not strong enough to depend on military might alone.

**General Wang:** It's my job to defeat the Japs, and to help any army or guerrilla detachment that helps.

**General Li:** The Communists will exploit that attitude. For me, there's only one country, one party, one leader. I had that slogan painted across walls through the province where I was Governor.

**Chou:** Hitler had the same thing done in Germany.

**General Li:** And he's made Germany a powerful nation that can't be exploited by other nations. He crushed the Communists and Socialists and unified the country.

**Chou:** So has Japan. And both Germany and Japan have invaded other countries.

**General Li:** The Japanese are only a temporary annoyance. They are only a skin disease. But the Communists are a disease of the heart.

**General Wang:** (walking to right of stage impatiently) It doesn't matter what the problems are before us, we always end in ~~mutual~~ politics. I suppose it's hopeless to expect anything else.

**General Li:** Not until the country is unified.

**Col. Wu:** Well, many people don't want to be unified under the slogan of one country, one party, one leader. They want ~~united~~ democratic rights.

**General Li:** The Communists hide behind democratic rights. Democrats are only the outer defence line of the Communists.

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**Chou:** Well, I'm making a democrat. I'm not an outer defence line for anyone. But if, by study and thought, I become convinced that the Communists offer the only solution for all our country's problems, then I'll be a Communist. The same holds true for the Kuomintang. The Kuomintang holds power, but it hasn't solved our social problems at all.

**Wu:** Quite to the contrary. If we had a democratic government, there would be enough public criticism to root out corruption, hoarding, inefficiency, and the countless other social evils of the country. Until we do,

**Xinxing:** I even doubt if we can win the final victory over the Japs.

**M:** We've got enough military courage; but we seem to be political cowards.

**General Li:** My dear Colonel Wu, you can't expect our Government to change horses in the middle of the stream.

**Chou:** Why not? We've changed a dozen military horses in a dozen streams since the war began.

**General Li:** We could do that because our social system remained unchanged, firm as a rock.

**Col. Wu:** (quietly, deadly serious): That's where you're wrong. The people are so burdened by poverty that they can't lift their heads to fight the Japs. Some of them see little difference between us and the Japs. Our conscription system is unjust--the rich can still buy their way out of military service. The Japs study all our weaknesses and use them against us.

**General Li:** And the guerrillas over there are fishing in troubled waters!

**Chou:** Why should the waters be troubled? It's our fault if they are.

**General Li:** Well, I'm old-fashioned. I read none of the "new thought". (picking up a book and turning it over) I must still stick to the Classics.

16

**General Wang:** (Turning to stare at the distant mountains from which the sound of guns come) Sometimes I wonder whom we regard as the real enemy--the Japs or ourselves.

**Guard:** (On stage, back, right) Halt!

**Lin Seng:** (from off stage) We're just passing by.

**Guard:** There's a conference here. Pass elsewhere!

**General Wang:** (Turning to the guard) Who's that?

**Guard:** The journalists, Sir.

**Col. Wu:** They can pass through here--we're finished.

**General Li:** (gathering up a few papers, folding them neatly and placing them in his pocket. Dusts his hands elegantly, adjusts his belt and steps from behind the table in all his glory) Oh, the journalists!

(Frances Stone and Lin Sheng come on stage right).

**Lin Seng:** I'm sorry--but we were just passing by.

**Col. Wu:** Come in! I think you know everyone here except General Li.

Miss Stone, Mr. Lin--allow me. . . .

**General Li:** (posing for the press) We have already had the pleasure.

at They interviewed me this morning. And insisted on taking my picture in many poses. Very amusing. Frances and Lin bow to all.

**General Wang:** So you have met already met--foreign journalists are quick on the trigger.

**General Li:** Let us say--most enterprising and courageous.

**Frances:** Not courageous--merely curious. . . historically speaking.

General Wang, we hope you are going to find time for us at last. . .

And you--Major-General Chou. . .

**General Li:** (still posing for the press) With your permission (turning to all with a bow) I shall take my departure. A tremendous amount of work remains to be done. There is no time for talk! (Salutes with a flourish and goes heroically off stage left. The sound of horses' hoofs heard, riding swiftly).

17

(Frances and Lin Song look at each other and laugh)

**Frances:** (To Lin) God! How Hollywood would love him! ... (glancing at Col. Wu, who has overheard her remark) Oh—I beg your pardon. ... I'm sorry I said that.

**Col. Wu:** (going up to them) So you interviewed him this morning?

**Frances:** (laughing and turning away) Yes, (restraining her laughter)

**Lin:** We were there a long time. ... He told us that there are so many traitors in the country--because they haven't studied the Classics. (General Wang stiffens and steps toward them). Frances is really too foreign. She replied that most of the leading traitors of the country are classical scholars. (General Chou laughs) But General Li informed her that foreigners cannot understand the Chinese soul.

**Col. Wu:** He must be influenced by foreigners or he wouldn't talk about our soul. Foreign missionaries are always concerned with our souls--but foreign business men only with picking our pockets.

**Chou:** Poor pickings, if you ask me! (To Frances) What else, besides the Chinese soul, did you and General Li talk about?

**Frances:** (taking a note-book from her pocket and running through it) Well, he asked me if I wanted to take his picture. He had his horse brought--and I took his picture. He looked very handsome--the wind caught his cap and he was looking toward the mountains over there.

**Chou:** (ironically) "The spirit of China!"

(General Wang makes a gesture of protest and moves to the table, turns to listen)

**Frances:** (going up to General Wang) He told us this front is shaky. ...

**General Wang:** Oh--perhaps you misunderstood!

**Lin Song:** No! But he told us that he intends to clear up this front and drive the Japs back to the sea.

18

Chou: Ding Hao! Excellent!

General Wang: (seriously) You must have misunderstood!

Frances: (diplomatically) Yes, perhaps we did! General Wang, we should really like to continue our interview when you have time.

General Wang: (formally) Perhaps tomorrow morning--Col. Wu can arrange it.

Lin Seng: (To General Wang) Would it be possible, also, for us to have a talk with the traitor here in headquarters?

General Wang: (starting, then turning to Col. Wu) We can talk about this later, I believe. (To Lin) Col. Wu will inform you later. (Frances and Lin turn to each other, as if not understanding)

Lin Seng: We were just returning to our rooms. . . (to all) don't let us disturb you now. (He and Frances seem confused, then bow to all and turn to go.)

Xixiang Frances: (as they pass off stage left) Now what's wrong? What have we done?

Chou: I tell you--General Li is a blow-bag!

General Wang: Why should he talk to a foreigner like that?

Chou: Publicity!

General Wang: Perhaps a few weeks on this front will change all that.

Chou: Not he. He never changes. It's easier to change the course of rivers and mountains than to change a man's character. Furthermore, he's too old.

General Wang: He's younger than I was when I changed--at the age of fifty.

Chou: You had it in you to change--not he.

General Wang: Give the man a chance!

Chou: I will--but I'm not going to depend on it. He's got so many empty spaces in his mind that a whole Japanese Army could march through one of them. As soon as my division comes up, I'm going to

19

move up to the front. So I have work to do. (Waves his hand informally and goes off right, back.)

(Col. Wu walks over to table)

**General Wang:** How did the journalists find out about the traitor?

**Col. Wu:** I told them. Why shouldn't they talk with him--or with anyone else; or see anything they wish? The lid's off civilization and there's no good denying or hiding anything, Old Wang.

**General Wang:** I trust no foreigner. This is not their country and we can't expect them to understand our weaknesses.

**Col. Wu:** They know our weaknesses—the Japs see to that! They and the foreigners who help them. But this foreign woman is a friend of my closest friends, and of my wife. She would not be helping us at the front if she didn't understand us and want to help us. Race or nationality doesn't amount to much anymore. Class interests seem to be forming lines around the globe. That's why American business men can arm our enemy, while Japanese other Americans oppose them and sympathize with us.

**General Wang:** (bitterly) Perhaps I'm too old. . . . I don't see that at all--though you and Chou seem to. And the younger generation.

But Japanese our younger generation speaks almost another language-- I don't understand them--and they have never understood or trusted me. . . . (pacing back and forth morosely) Did you notice what happened when the foreign woman asked Japanese asked to continue her interview with me. . . . Lin Seng immediately said: "And we'd also like to talk with the traitor here in headquarters?" Why did they think of the two things at the same time?

**Col. Wu:** Old Wang! That was purely accidental! Lin Seng asked me if you've proved yourself on a hundred the same question.

battlefields since the war began, and the Generalissimo appointed you to be commander-in-chief of this front. Your soldiers burst you enough to die for you. we honor you. and the nation never

20

questions you?

**General Wang:** But the Japs dare send an agent to me to propose surrender to save our Army--and myself! They still think that, having wavered in the past, I will do it again. . . . If I only had my life to live over again--and could choose my own circumstances, It was easy for men like Chou and you--born into poor intellectual families. . . inspired to study. . . forced to use your minds to earn a living. . . teachers of xxxxxx the new generation. (Bitterly) And I, born under the xxxxxx Ching Dynasty, in a military family, . . . trained in Confucian virtues--formalism, obedience to my superiors! **Col. Wu:** Old Wang? You and I have been friends for years--and I take the place of the son you have never had. But even if I were your own son, I would have nothing to do with you if I distrusted you. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Were you my own father and were capable of treason, I would kill you with my own hands. Knowing you incapable of treason or of the slightest wavering, I will stand by you to the end of our lives. Chou thinks the same as I. General Pang the same. Your soldiers likewise. Millions the same. When will you learn to trust us?

**General Wang:** You comfort me--but it is personal. My past is dark and confused, and there seems to be a theory throughout the world that if you have done something once, you may do it again. Even the Japanese, still living in the period of Genghis Khan, believe that--or they would never have dared send a traitor to me, expecting me to receive and protect him--and send him back with my answer.

**Col. Wu:** The Japanese? Does it matter what they think or do? They even say that we continue fighting because we are so ignorant that we don't know we've been defeated! They say we are so ignorant of scientific warfare that we place our guns where they can't find them to destroy, and that our guerrillas fight in an

21

ungentlemanly manner! Why, they've just invited the guerrillas to surrender to them also--though not one of them has ever wavered. This invitation failing, they challenged them to come out in the daytime and fight like men--stand up and be mowed down by Jap artillery! Old Wang--have they not also invited Generalissimo Chiang to surrender time without number? Has he done so? Only degenerates like Wang Ching-wei and his lice surrender!

**General Wang:** My heart grows lighter when we talk like this. But the shadow of the past still hovers over this front. Over there <u>PARLIAMENTO</u> (pointing to mountain range from which the roar of guns sound) are Chinese soldiers--fighting with the Japanese against us! Not many, but enough to cast a shadow over the country. And some of them are northern soldiers <u>XX</u>. . . <u>PARLIAMENTO</u> could it be that some of them are once men whom I commanded?

**Col. Wu:** No--they're Manchurians--helpless creatures whose families are held <u>PARLIAMENTO</u> as hostages in case they surrender!

**General Wang:** Who knows? Have you yet talked with the new captives brought in yesterday?

**Col. Wu:** No--that is the duty of the rear headquarters. We'll transfer the puppet captives to rear headquarters tomorrow night. But they are Manchurian soldiers. And as for this traitor here--you will give your answer to the Japanese before the day is finished--he will be shot. What more can you do? You do your duty. . .

**General Wang:** When is a man's duty to his country completed? I know that mine will not be done until I have washed out the very memory of my past. How else can I face my ancestors--or leave a memory of which future generations can be proud?

CURTAIN

22

SCENE II

(Same scene as Scene I. Frances Stone is standing at the table under the tree, talking with a guard who has leaned his rifle on the table. XXX A khaki-colored blanket is lying on the table and the soldier is strapping his pack up and shouldering it once more. A second guard, patrolling before building in back, watches them and takes part in their talk.)

**Frances:** (lifting a part of the blanket) I simply can't take XXX such a present from you. You had to risk your life in battle to get it--and you need it!

**Guard:** (shouldering his pack, now without a blanket) blanket, and speaking laconically: Aw, I'll get another one before winter comes. We're always capturing these Jap blankets. Even if I don't get one someplace, I'll get one from the quartermaster.

**Second guard:** Sure! A lot of fellers around here have blankets like that.

**Frances:** (contemplatively) I might raffle it off--and get money to buy medicine for your Army. . . I will! But tell me of the battle in which you captured it. I'll write a story about it.

**Guard:** (picking up some stones from earth) It wasn't hardly a battle. . . (placing stones on table) Here was the village, see. . . And here, three miles away, was a garrison of the devils. See? Just as Lao Tso (indicating other guards) and I went into the village to get some news, who should come--but three Jap soldiers. . . lookin' for chickens for their supper I suppose. They always take anything they want from the people.

**Lao Tso:** (grinning) When a guy told us the devils were comin', we go inside a door and waited. . . .

**Guard:** And when the devils began chasin' chickens, we watched. One Jap was leanin' down. . . like this. . . and caught a chicken by the legs; and they others kept runnin' about. XXXXX

**Lao-Tso:** So we let 'em have it. . . . got 'em right in the guts.

23

**Guard:** (Laughing) An' did they holler. . . E.e.e.e.e.e.!
But we only got two. . . before we could budge all the people ran out
and landed right on top of all three of the devils. (Guard picks up
his rifle and shoulder it. Smiles at Frances) That's the story
of the battle.

**Frances:** (nonplussed) So? But what did you do with the Japanese?

**Guard:** (laconically) We buried 'em--deep--sos the Japs couldn't
get the bodies and burn them and send the ashes back to Tokyo to
become heroes. We put sod over the place.

**Frances:** Did you kill them before you buried them?

**Lao Tso:** They were pretty dead. (The guards smile at her.)

**Frances:** But is that all there is to the story?

**Guard:** (To Lao Tso) Do you remember anything else, Lao Tso?

**Lao Tso:** (thinking hard). Can't say as I do. Unless you mean that
guy--you know--the traitor that came next day.

**Guard:** Aw, sure! Now I remember! Said he was an interpreter for
the Japs and wanted to protect the village. . . wanted the people to
tell him all about it 'em.

**Frances:** And did they?

**Guard:** Nah! Just looked dumb and said: "What $\frac{6}{5}x + 8$ Japs?"

**Frances:** (writing busily in her note-book on table) Then what?

**Guard:** Nothin', We just buried that buy too! The devils never
did find any of 'em.

**Frances:** (standing up in amazement) Is that all?

**Lao Tso:** Can't say as I do. . . Except that we got three good
& rifles and blankets and a lot of things like that from their packs.

**Frances:** (sits down at table and starts to write, but grasps her
forehead in confusion). Kao Hwa comes on stage at back
and starts past $\frac{1}{2}$ Lao Tso into the building behind).

**Lao Tso:** Beat it, little devil, beat it!

24

**Kuo Hwa:** Aw! I want to see the traitor!

**Lao Tso:** (picking up a twig from ground and picking his teeth) General Wang can do without your expert advice today.

**Kuo Hwa:** (soowling) Everybody says "beat it" to me! General Chou says "run along--no time today". It's because I'm little. When I grow up I'll have my Japanese pistol an'. . .

**Lao Tso:** I'll get you were tellin' General Chou how to place his division on the front. . . .

**Kuo Hwa:** (still soowling). No! I just wanted to read to him. He said if I learned to read good, sometime he'd give me a captured Japanese pistol!

**First Guard:** (grinning) A pistol! You ain't big enough to make big enough to lift a pistol!

**Lao Tso:** Now beat it, General! The traitor's being court martially and an' you can put daisies on his grave tomorrow.
(Kuo Hwa meanders slowly toward the table and Frances).

**Frances:** (To guard) Suppose I just ask you a few more questions--you know--like we were talking about before we got to the blanket.

**Guard:** Sure! Fire!

**Frances:** Let me see--where were we?

**Lao Tso:** You'd asked him how much he'd learned to read an' write since he joined the Army, and an' he said he could read the Army paper.

**Guard:** Naw! That was long before. . . She said she couldn't read it just sayin' that the world was round, and an' not plains or mountains, like around here.

**Frances:** Well, the world is round--anyway, a little oblong!

**Guard:** Well, what of it?

**Frances:** (nonplussed) Well, I suppose it doesn't matter! (taking a pocket knife from her pocket) But let's go on. . . here's my knife (dropping it) now, what makes it fall to the earth?

25

**Guard:** (laughing) Did you expect it to go straight up--or hang in the air?

**Frances:** Don't you see--it falls because of the law of gravity.
That's a scientific principle.

**Lao Tso:** (interested) Is that a fact? Is that what writers should write about?

**Frances:** (nonplussed again) Sometimes. . . Now, let's see--
(To Guard) Which countries are the friends of China and which are
its enemies?

**Guard:** (To Lao Tso) Do you know Lao Tso?

**Lao Tso:** Well. . . our enemies are the Japs. . . then there's. . .

**Guard:** Germany and Italy--they're all Fascists. We're against the Fascists.

**Frances:** And friendly countries?

**Guard:** Well-1-1-1, there's America and England and France--they're
sort of friends.

**Lao Tso:** Sort of? But they sell guns to the enemy to make money.

**Frances:** (writing in her note book) What is Fascism?

**Guard:** They want war--and they try to conquer countries smaller &
or weaker than themselves--like the Japs try to conquer us. But they
can't do it!

**Lao Tso:** The Fascist countries all have big landlords and capitalists
who own everything.

**Frances:** (writing in her note-book) What's the difference between
Fascist countries and democratic countries?

**Guard:** Not much! You'd better look out!

**Frances:** (Sits down suddenly and hard on bench and drops her pen). Well!

**Guard:** (Concerned) Got any more questions?

**Frances:** Maybe tomorrow--not today. . . Thank you again for the
blanket.

**Guard:** (going back to patrol before building in back). It's all

["PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPY: ORIGINAL MATERIAL RESTRICTED", "26", "right. Maybe we can go out an' get you another if you want it...\nhow'd you like a Japanese kimono--you know, one of them fine things\nthe women wear. Maybe we could get you one. . . I know a guy. . .", "Frances: No--what would I do with a kimono?", "Guard: I just thought if you wanted one. . .", "(Frances sits at table, shakes her head furiously as if to shake away something, and begins to write. Kuo Hwa comes up and watches around her shoulder.)", "Kuo Hwa: Miss Frances--when you write, you make little snakes all over the page!", "Frances: (turning about, taking her note-book and turning a page and showing him) Is that a little snake?", "Kuo Hwa: Oh-h-h-h! That a little boy! He looks like me! Hwa.", "Frances: I've named him Kuo/Hwa/xx/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x

27

The peasant and his wife had two sons, one old enough to be in the Army, one a little of eight whose name was Kuo Hwa. (Kuo Hwa watches her in fascination, guards come close and listen). Then the Japanese invasion began and the Japanese killed the peasant and his wife, and the elder son was killed in battle. (Kuo Hwa shrinks. Frances puts her arm to him and draws him close to her) So Kuo Hwa was a war orphan, and he followed the Army. A young officer, Colonel Chou, adopted him and made him an orderly in headquarters.

**Bao Tso:** (grinning) He wasn't much of an orderly, if you ask me!

**Kuo Hwa:** You keep out of my story!

**Frances** (reading) Then Colonel Chou gave Kuo Hwa a book and told a student without one arm to teach him to read and write.

**Guard:** That must be Li--he's got only one arm; he's an adjutant around here.

**Frances:** So Kuo Hwa learned to read and write as time went on; and he learned all about the rains and the snow, and the winds and the stars. He gave the stars names of his own. He learned everything about lice--about red lice and white lice that kill men in winter time.

**Lao Tso:** He knows a lot about lice, all right--he's got 'em all the time!

**Kuo Hwa:** I get lice only in winter time, but you've got 'em all the time! (Guards laugh)

**Frances:** (reading) By the time that Kuo Hwa was 11, he was with the Army fighting on the Central China front and there I met him. The Army was in a mountain range. (She turns a page and Kuo Hwa and the guards lean over the book and stare)

**Guard:** (turning around to look at mountains in back and xigeh) right. Lao Tso and Kuo Hwa also turn, then look at book again). It's a purty good picture. You draw good!

**Kuo Hwa:** Why don't you put in a moon, Miss Frances?

**Lao Tso:** Because the moon's a traitor, silly! If it shines, Jap bombers can come. So if you draw a moon, then you've got to draw a Jap bomber.

**Guard:** But she could make it ugly--with a Jap face and a long black cigar stuck between big teeth. Japs look like tigers smokers'

28

cigars.

**Kuo Hwa:** I don't want no bomber in my story! ... What else does it say, Miss Frances?

**Frances:** That's as far as I've got. Now you read to me from your book.

**Kuo Hwa:** I won't if these guards keep stickin' around!

**Guard:** We don't want to hear you read! You're nothin' but a kid. (Guards walk back and begin patrolling before building, going off stage right, watching the mountain range beyond from which the sound of perpetual bombing comes.)

**Kuo Hwa:** (taking a small manual from his pocket and opening it). It's my old book, Miss Frances! I know all this.

**Frances:** I don't--so read to me from the very beginning.

**Kuo Hwa:** (pointing with his finger as he reads) **Human being.** I am a human being. **You** are a human being. **He** is a human being. **We** are human beings. ... **They** are. ...

**Frances:** What's that line across the bottom of the page?

**Kuo Hwa:** That's just something to **talk** about. Mr. Li says it develops my mind. (reading) It says: "Why are there distinctions between human beings on this earth?

**Frances:** Well, why are there?

**Kuo Hwa:** Because some are rich and some are poor. Don't you understand? You see, the peasant is poor and he grows rice. The landlord xx is rich and he takes the rice and eats it. So they hate each other. Then, foreigners are rich and Chinese poor, and foreigners hate us and sell ** bomb**s to our enemy to kill us with—they're imperialists!

**Frances:** Who taught you all this?

**Kuo Hwa:** Mr. Li and everybody. **Everybody** knows that! (drawing away from Frances) Are you a foreign imperialist, Miss Frances?

29

(He gets up from bench and moves to end of table, sadly)

Frances: (pleadingly) No, Kuo Hwa--I'm not. Really I'm not.

Kuo Hwa: (Smiling) Then it's all right!

First Wounded: In

Guard: (pointing off stage right) Look, Lao Tso--they're kixing each
bringin' out the wounded!

Lao Tso: (watching) Heh-heh! There's a lot of 'em today--and some
are comin' this way. (oursing) Kix! Kix! Rape their mothers!

(Frances and Kuo Hwa turn, cross stage and look off stage right.)

Guard: They bring 'em out each day--when it begins to draw a little dark--so's the Japs can't bomb 'em.

Kuo Hwa: (To Frances) Sometimes the devils machine-gun 'em if they
come when its light.

Lao Tso: Now, silly, that's why I told you not to draw no moon
in that picture! Even if it's only a picture!

(A line of stretchers, made of bamboo with rope or wire, crouch beneath, come on stage from right and cross. The last two stretchers do not cross, but stop as if waiting for those ahead of them. On the stretchers lie men, some on their sides, some staring at the skies. None have covering, save two or three, draped with captured Japanese overcoats. Japanese flags or helmets hang from some of the stretchers. Some wounded mean. The two last stretchers are different from the others. One is a wooden door, with ropes swung from beneath and over the single long beam. The beam is carrying pole above. The last is a bamboo cot, turned upside side, with a man lying inside, his feet hanging over the end. The carriers are civilians, poorly dressed, without hate; wearing straw sandals.)
Last carrier (to his partner): They're restin' (lowering the stretchers) Give us boiled water!

(Kuo Hwa and one Guard go off stage quickly, back. Kuo Hwa comes running back with a big black kettel of water. Behind him comes the guard, without water, but followed by two peasant women with kettels and rice bowls. The two Kuo Hwa women pass off stage left, as if to give water to the others. Kuo Hwa stops near the stretchers. The carriers take drinking cups from the stretchers and Kuo Hwa gives them water. The carriers take a cup each and move to the tree, squat and drink. Kuo Hwa and Frances take the rice bowls which Kuo Hwa has brought. Frances goes to the first wounded furthest to left. He lifts himself painfully by one arm and takes the bowl himself, motioning behind him. He does not look up at Frances.)

First Wounded: (peremptorily motioning to the last wounded man) Help

ix 30

him--they shot him through the chest.

(Frances goes to wounded nearest left of stage. Kuo Hwa pours water in a bowl and hands it to her as she kneels to lift the man. He sits up painfully by himself and takes the water. Motions to Frances, without seeing her, to go to the other wounded man).

**First wounded man:** I don't need help. Help him--he's finished. They get him through the chest.

(Frances and Kuo Hwa go quickly to the last wounded man. Frances kneels, takes cup of water, but is unable to give it to the man. Lin Seng and General Chou come on stage from right, start into building, then turn and go slowly up to Frances).

**Lin Seng:** Frances--can't the others ask how do this? (Staring about) Col. Wu told us to come at this time to talk to the traitor. Frances pays no attention).

**Frances:** Somebody bring me a spoon. . .

**First wounded man:** (obsessed with his own bitterness) I heard a Jap shouting--in Chinese. . . there were traitors over there. . .

**Chinese traitors shot us...and he's finished!**

**Severely wounded man:** (groaning) No. . it's only the pain . . (

**Frances:** (Without looking up, she reaches up with one hand and shakes the arm of General Chou) Go get me a spoon--at once!

(Chou and a guard turn and go toward building in back. Guard runs inside and soon comes out with a spoon. Chou takes it and returns to Frances).

**Severely wounded man:** A little thing. . . .

**Lin Seng:** Frances, where are your morphine tablets--I'll bring them.

**Frances:** (hesitating, her hand going to her right breast pocket). I've used them all up--on others--back there. . . don't you remember. . .

**Severely wounded man:** (crying out) Mother! Mother!

**Frances:** (bending over him) Yes my son!

**Severely wounded man:** (wildly) It's such a little thing--it's for . . . my . . . country.

**Frances:** (Hastily taking a small piece of paper from her breast pocket and unfolding it; speaking harshly) I lied! I kept a morphine tablet for myself (her voice breaking) . . . in case. . . I

**Chou:** (as if ordering her) These men will get care at the next

31

dressing station.

**Frances:** There's no morphine on this entire front! Give me the spoon! (reaches up and takes it from his hand)

**Lin:** There are too many of them, <u>Foreigners</u>. Don't give it to them.

**Frances:** (to Chou) Lift his head a little! (Chou kneels and obeys and Frances gives the tablet and spoons of water) ... More ... more ... That's it ... the pain will soon go!

**Severely wounded man:** (In a weary voice) Thank you--foreigner. ... good. ... foreigner.

**First wounded man:** (straining to see Frances) Foreigner?

**Lin:** (going to first wounded) Yes--a friend. An American.

**First wounded:** American? <u>Foreigner</u>. They give the enemy guns to kill us with! Friend? (he spits) They have done this. Without them, ...

(Frances starts as if struck with a lash across face, starts to stand up. The severely wounded man makes a convulsive movement and she kneels by its side again.)

**Severely wounded man:** (grasping Frances' hand and crying out) <u>Foreigner</u>!

Maj. Ma!

**Frances:** (slipping one arm under the man's neck) I'm here, my son.

(The wounded man makes a convulsive movement then lies still. Frances feels the artery in his neck, then opens his jacket and reveals a broad bloody bandage around his chest. She lowers her head and listens, then slowly sits up, takes her arm away and closes the man's eyes).

**Frances:** (In a dead voice) He's dead. (She stands up, Chou standing up with her. Chou takes her hand in his quickly, then drops it and walks away fiercely to right of stage.)

(From the building in back appears an armed guard, and back of him General Wang. <u>Foreign</u> General Wang looks about in surprise, then walks over toward Frances.)

**General Wang:** What's all this?

**Lin Seng:** A man just died.

**General Wang:** Why are they here--why weren't they taken to the dressing station?

**Frances:** (dully) They stopped for water and I gave them water.

52

**General Wang:** It can't be helped--this... four thousand this past month... it can't be helped.

**Frances:** Millions in the past three years--it could be helped!

**General Wang:** Come inside, Miss Frances. ... And I thank you for your compassion for my people.

**Frances:** (bitterly) And I ask you for forgiveness for me.
(Chou turns quickly at her words and watches).

**First wounded man:** (As if complaining to himself) I heard them as plain as day... Chinese voices.

**General Wang:** (turning to the wounded man) You heard what?

**First wounded man:** Chinese. ... talking behind the enemy defences. ... then a Japanese voice shouted in Chinese--I heard it as plain as day: (imitating high, sharp staccato of a Japanese voice) "Go on--shoot! Shoot, or I'll give this to you in the back!". ... Then they shot. ... (his voice half-weeping with hate) Chinese shot us--and he's dead!

**General Wang:** (motioning to guards) Boys! Help the carriers get these men to the dressing station at once. (Guards help carriers lift stretchers to their shoulders, then go off stage left as if to help others.) They all leave stage.)

**Frances:** I'll go along--I can help a little--at least that!

**General Wang:** (calling after her) Miss Frances--wait! You asked to talk with the traitor we have here. This is your last chance--he'll be here in a moment.

**Frances:** A traitor, you said? Oh yes. ... I remember. No--I don't want to see him. (Turning and leaving stage left) I can help a little. (Xuo Hwa runs after her. General Chou crosses to left and watches them go.)

**General Wang:** (To Chou) She can't endure the death of one man. But I thought she had helped with hundreds. ...

33

**Chou:** (Without turning) It's infinitely more important than that.

(Col. Wu comes out of building in back and steps to the side. Past him, from inside, come five men, four of them armed guards, and the fifth a prisoner in a long blue silk gown, leather shoes, and a felt hat which falls off his head when two of the guards jerk him forward. The prisoner's arms are bound behind him with ropes and the two ends of the rope are held by two of the guards.)

**General Wang:** (To Col. Wu): He's not wanted now. Take him off.

**Traitor (Fanting and struggling):** No! No! Don't shoot me! ...

I'm only a messenger. . . I came openly like a gentleman. . . to save lives. . . your life.

**Extinguisher**

**General Wang:** My life. . . to be saved by a traitor!

**Traitor:** (struggling as guards force him off stage to right) Traitor?

You who licked Japanese boots for years. . . you. . . you!!

(One of the guards springs back, unslings his rifle to shoot. Col. Wu knocks the rifle up)

**Col. Wu:** Not here!

(The guards and traitor leave, Col. Wu walks to extreme right of stage and watches them go. General Wang stands in the center of stage, like an image in stone. From mountains beyond come the dull roar of cannon and through it the faint cry of the traitor, "you!" followed by a volley of rifle shots. General Wang still stands, staring before him.)

**General Wang:** (in a whisper to himself) You. . . who. . .

CURTAIN

34

(STREET SCENE BEFORE CURTAIN BEFORE ACT II. A young soldier in the blue-gray uniform of other soldiers, without belt, stands near one end of stage, his arms folded across his breast. Across from him, near center of stage, stands the little Old Donkey Driver with his donkey loaded with hay. Old Donkey Driver has his hands folded behind him as always, a little switch held in one hand. The two men are gossipping amiably).

<u>OLD DONKEY DRIVER:</u> As I was telling my neighbor, the war's not so bad. The soldiers bring a lot of news and give us good advice. So advise me.

<u>Soldier:</u> I don't know nothin' to advise you about. Ask me something.

<u>Old Donkey Driver:</u> Advise me about women. You know--the new women who've arisen.

<u>Soldier:</u> They seem all right to me.

<u>Old Donkey Driver:</u> I mean the women who've joined Associations and things. They talk. Men grow weary and horses exhausted. Now my daughter. Should she join the Student Resistance Theatre and get on a stage and sing in public?

<u>Soldier:</u> They sing pretty good. I advise you to let her join.

<u>Old Donkey Driver:</u> She's already joined. You'd never think she had a father. Then my old woman--should she join the Women's Anti-Japanese Association?

<u>Soldier:</u> I advise you to let her join.

<u>Old Donkey Driver:</u> She's already joined. Now she says she'll put me in jail if I oppress her.

<u>Soldier:</u> Don't worry. There ain't no jail here. But don't oppress her.

<u>Old Donkey Driver:</u> My neighbor oppressed his wife. He told her not to join the Association. She joined. So he got her down on the ground and was just giving her a good hammering when she turned her head and bit him right here (indicating inside of the thigh). Then the Association arrested him and locked him up in their house. Now advise me.

35

**Soldier:** Now you got me all mixed up! It's good for women to learn to fight, of course, but...

**Old Donkey Driver:** But they ought to fight the Japanese... that's just what I told my neighbor. But my first-born came home--he's a guerrilla--and he says all this is just "New China". Now what's that?

**Soldier:** That's everything,--associations, theatres, democracy, science... everything. When the war's over we'll have a New China.

**Old Donkey Driver:** What will it be like then?

**Soldier:** Well, every man will have work and there won't be no beggars. Men who grow rice will have rice to eat and men who weave cloth will have cloth to wear. Everybody can study and it won't cost a copper.

**Old Donkey Driver:** You mean our fate will change?

**Soldier:** There ain't no such thing as fate; that's just in your mind.

**Old Donkey Driver:** What about the gods?

**Soldier:** If they don't like it, they know what they can do.

**Old Donkey Driver:** But we'll still have to keep old earth god and his wife to guard the harvests!

**Soldier:** They don't exist--they're just in your mind!

**Old Donkey Driver:** Ah-hah! ... Now what's this thing democracy?

**Soldier:** It means we'll kick out corrupt officials and raise our hands in public and elect our own officials. We'll elect honest men who don't love money or have bad habits and who ain't afraid to fight the#$% devils. We'll elect women too.

**Soldier:** But now we must fight harder--every kind of fighting--front fighting, mobile fighting, guerrilla fighting. Old Donkey Driver nods approvingly) We must blow our bridges and tear up roads so the devils can't use them. (Old man nods vigorously) We must sneak into Japanese garrisons and learn their secrets and bring them back

36

to the Army.

**Old Donkey Driver:** I'll tell me how and I'll do it tomorrow.

**Soldier:** You have to be trained first. But now we must all learn to read and write if we don't know how; give up the gods; cut off long finger nails. . .

**Old Donkey Driver:** Now you're going too far--we might have bad luck.

**Soldier:** That's all in your mind. You can fight the devils better if you have short finger nails.

**Old Donkey Driver:** I'll cut mine off tonight. . . But advise me (The sound of a tapping drum and singing comes fitfully from the distance) again. Have the Generals arisen too, the same as the women?

**Soldier:** Why do you get me all mixed up again?

**Old Donkey Driver:** Because a General gave me a dollar yesterday. He said he didn't want no interest.

**Soldier:** Which General?

**Old Donkey Driver:** Name's Li--he's very stylish. Fine longива and rides a fine horse.

**Soldier:** He ain't no good. But you can take his dollar. Did you hear the story about his officers?

**Old Donkey Driver:** Tell me and I'll tell my neighbor.

**Soldier:** Well, two officers of his Army were talking. One asked the other: "Would you rather be in the infantry or in the cavalry?" "I'd rather be in the infantry" said the other guy. And so did the first guy. "Because", said the other guy, "when I start runnin' I don't want no horse interferin' with me."

**Old Donkey Driver:** (trembling with merriment.) Tell it again!

(The tapping drum and singing comes closer and the five students of the Resistance Theatre enter, with flute, Chinese violin, and little drum. Their banner is flying. They are followed by villagers and soldiers, marching.)

**Student:** Come down to the drum tower--we're going to teach everybody some new foreign songs to march to. The foreign woman taught us.

37

**Soldier:** I can't go. I'm movin' up to fight tonight. Have to get back to camp.

**Student:** Which is your Division?

**Soldier:** General Chou's iron division.

**Student:** Oh! Then we'll sing you a song right here--a farewell.

(Old Donkey Driver nods approvingly) Student "orchestra" of flute, violin, and drum, take up position. The people stand ready to sing. The student xuwax stands aside, raises his arms.)

**Student:** (counting) Be...er...san... (Students and people sing, in Chinese, the Victory Chorus from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.)

(Have Liu Liang-moh, of United China Relief, translate the words of the Victory Chorus from English into Chinese)

Arise! Arise! You common people,
Millions of people throughout the world.
Tomorrow dawns the day of xk freedom,
Dawn of the people's sovereignty.
When the enemy's defeated,
Motherland emancipated,
Victory shines everywhere.
Arise! Arise! you common people,
Millions of people throughout the world.

(With the last strains of the song, the students and people salute the soldier and march off, singing.)

**Soldier:** (looking after them) That's New China! Salute, countryman!
(he turns and goes off stage)

**Old Donkey Driver:** (saluting awkwardly, as if for first time, then ambling off stage, humming, then singing in a high voice) Millions of people throughout the world. (nods his head proudly, at himself, for his achievements.)

38

## ACT I. I.

### SCENE I

(Same scene as Act. I. Time--next day, early evening. Two young guards on stage, one patrolling in back, one off stage, back and forth. One is reading a small pocket manual, halting now and then to consult the other about something in it. The same table is under the tree, with benches, and two benches are near center of stage. A soldier-orderly, about the same age as the guards--16 or so--comes on stage with small plates, cho-sticks, small porcelain wine-cups, and places them about the table. Kuo Hwa follows him, carrying two candles and a small porcelain pot of wine. Places wine pot on table, lights candles and lets the tallow fall onto table as a cement into which he sticks the ends of the candles.)

**Soldier-orderly:** It's not dark enough yet--blow out the candles! . .

Stop wastin' the Army's money!

**Kuo Hwa:** (blows out candles) Everybody orders me around! Its only because I'm little. When I grow up. . . .

**Orderly:** What'll you do when you grow up?

**Kuo Hwa:** Everything--like the officers! I'll look at maps, read books, write with a brush, ride a horse and fight in the cavalry.

**Orderly:** I bet you'd just eat all the time.

(A guard comes on stage from left carrying a packing which, which he sets on a bench in center of stage. Looks at the two magarax boys, then bends down and tears thin boards off the case and looks in. Takes out some flat boxes of cigarettes and examines them. Lights one and smokes it with satisfaction.)

**Kuo Hwa:** (To orderly) Well, I'd eat sometimes of course. Then I'd eat a farewell dinner, like this one to General Chou, and talk a lot. Then when it's midnight I'd get on my horse and ride to the front and fight--like Magaraxzhuax General Chou. . . . But I'd eat first. Eat and talk.

**Orderly:** (saluting him mockingly) Salute, General Chou!

(Kuo Hwa laughs and sits at head of table and takes up an empty wine cup and toasts orderly)

**Kuo Hwa:** Sit down and eat, General Wang!

**Orderly:** (looking around cautiously at the building in back, then

39

slipping onto the bench at other end of table. Lifting an empty wine
cup

**Orderly:** (imitating General Wang's manner) Major-General Chou--I hope you kill ten thousand devils tonight! (The guard watches, grinning)

**Kuo Hwa:** I'll kill twenty thousand! But eat, General Wang! The food's inferior." (They pretend to eat with chop-sticks.)

**Orderly:** I've never had such good food! Did you have it sent from Chungking?

**Kuo Hwa:** No--from Hongkong! By airplane. I've got an airplane now.
(Guard from center of stage walks over, opens box of cigarettes, bows ceremoniously and, taking out first one cigarette and then kua xie xie another, offers them to them. Ceremoniously lights the cigarettes).

**Guard:** Have a cigarette, General Chou. . . . and you, General Wang. I captured them from a Japanese truck. They are from his Sacred Nibs, the Emperor of Japan. (Kuo Hwa and the Orderly smoke kua xie xie importantly, choking from the smoke).

**Kuo Hwa:** (choking) Set down, Colonel Wu. . . (choking) the food's
infer. . . .

**Orderly:** (listening toward building) Sh-h-h-h-h! (he springs up and begins to busy himself with the table. Kuo Hwa springs up, drops cigarette and crushes it with his heel. Guard goes back to center of stage, crushing cigarette with his fingers and slipping it in his pocket. Major-General Chou (without his cap) From building in back come Captain Lo, in conversation. and Kuo Hwa Orderly hurries off stage left!)

**Captain Lo:** No, I can't stay for Your farewell dinner. . . must reach our guerrilla headquarters by dawn. It's hard going through the mountains on these dark nights, even if you know the paths.

**Chou:** We're glad enough for the darkness. I wish we knew just how many Jap re-enforcements got through.

**Capt. Lo:** I talked with one of your cavalry officers before I left. We estimated that. . . at least one full division got through by

41

because we travel light and keep on the move. then the people are
with us--and with your cavalry regiment, too. But they're
afraid of General Li's Army. I have to tell you that, Sir!

**General Wang:** I think we can change that. If things ease up on this front for a week or so, I'll try to come over there to see things for myself.

**Captain Lo:** That would help a lot--we'll be hoping for that.

**Soldier:** (stepping up and saluting) Here are the cigarettes, Sir!

**Capt. Lo:** (Turning to the case, then to Chou and Wang) Oh yes-- I told you how we got a truck load of them. These (taking out a flat box) are labelled "Reward" and inside (opening a box) you'll see that they are presents from the Jap Emperor to his troops. Try them. (General Wang and Chou each take a cigarette and look at it).

**General Wang:** Have you heard that the Japs are putting poison in cigarettes--just so we can capture them?

**Captain Lo:** Yes, of course. But we can trust anything we have to fight for--and we had to fight for these. (he lights their cigarettes.)

**Chou:** (laughing a little) Cigarettes from his Sacred Majesty, the Emperor of Japan--(with hatred) to his murderers and rapers in China! (Turning to the case and lifting out two boxes and thrusting them in his pocket) I'll take these up with me tonight.

**Captain Lo:** Well, (thrusting General Wang's letter in his pocket) I must be on the road. Tell the two journalists that I'll be back in two weeks. Then I hope they can go back with me--it would be a great thing for our guerrillas to know that people outside care enough about us to pay us a visit.

**Chou:** They'll be here any minute if you want to wait. They're talking to my troops now. They have kept arguing with me--they want to go up to the front with us tonight.

42

**General Wang:** I've already told them that it's absolutely impossible until we know how things are shaping up on this front. I don't intend to have any journalists killed on this front--least of all a foreigner. . . and a woman at that.

**Capt. Lo:** She doesn't seem to like being treated like a woman--says she's got a job to do like any man, and like any Chinese.

**General Wang:** That's all very well--in theory.

**Capt. Lo:** Well, until two weeks from now, Commander-in-chief, Major-General Chou--salute! (he salutes, turns and goes rapidly off left.)

**General Wang:** We may as well telephone General Li right now--I'll have him come over tonight.

**Chou:** If you don't mind--not for the dinner. We would only argue. And he'd be quoting the classics and talking Fascism.

(General Wang goes into building in back just as the voices of Frances and Lin Seng are heard off right laughing and talking.)

**Frances' voice:** I feel as if I'd been in a bee-hive--they simply swarmed about me, asking a million questions! (They come on stage)

**Lin:** (going happily toward Chou). Well, we're back at last. They made Frances talk for two solid hours, and me for one. I recited one of my patriotic poems. They liked it.

**Chou:** Well, I want to tell you that it's a great thing to have you at the front. . . we get news after its three week's late--no radios at all--so you (to Frances) seem like the first swallow of spring to us.

**Frances:** Oh, if I only were!

**Lin:** Listen, General Chou: if I could just fight once in battle, I think I could begin an epic poem. . . don't laugh. . . I'd write a poem about your division from the time the war began down to the present time!

**Chou:** That would not be easy--this division of mine has been wiped

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our four different times since the war began. There are no more
a dozen men in its ranks who could tell you of the way it fought.

**Frances:** Then you--and they--must find time to tell us the whole
story! If only we could go with you tonight; We can stand it if you
can.

**Lin:** And we haven't come to the front to sit crocheting around the
edges! What?

**Chou:** General Wang says you'll have to wait for a week at least.

I've argued with him--I myself was once an intellectual and know what
it means for you--but he's too complex to be responsible for this front.

**Frances:** Oh, I know! We're journalists, we're writers--and I'm a
damned foreigner too precious to stop a bullet!

**Chou:** Really, Frances--I must call you that--you put many a Chinese
man to shame!

**Frances:** And you--whom do you put to shame?

**Chou:** It's my business--we have to fight. But writers must live and
tell how and why we fight.

**Frances:** If you only know how difficult it is just to look on--and
think and think. . . and to be afraid because you can't fight. . .

**Lin:** That's it--I know that if I could fight even once, a gun in
my hands, I'd never fear anything again--a rifle absorbs fear.

**Chou:** (To Frances) I admire your courage more than I can say. . .

**Frances:** Oh, nonsense! I'm not courageous--I'm merely trying to
become courageous.

**Lin:** Then you've got to remember that no one was born with a gun in
his hands. . . we all have got to learn how. . . you had to start
somewhere. . . just you used to be only a college professor.

**Chou:** My young friend, I studied in a military academy--I've years
of experience.

**Lin:** You still belong on a university platform!

44

**Chou:** I hope that's a compliment--not a condemnation. But we sometimes have no choice--I felt that, if I'd followed my inclinations, there would be no universities left at all for future generations.

I know your problems, Lin, but at present you could do no more than stop a bullet--and we have millions to do that. So you must use your sword as a pen, and you, Frances, turn your typewriter into a machine-gun. Wait here for a week, then come up--and Captain Lo wants to take you to his guerrillas after another two weeks.

(General Wang comes out of building in back, followed by Col. Wu)

**Chou:** Is General Li coming over?

**General Wang:** Later. (To guard) Take those cigarettes inside. No, wait (to others) have some Jap cigarettes).

**Chou** (as they take a box each) As a reward from the Japanese Emperor. (Guard carries cigarettes in building in back.)

**Col. Wu:** Well, we may as well eat. [All stand up and eat.] OK.

**General Wang:** Guard! (Guard from back comes over) Tell them we're ready for dinner. (Guard goes off stage, left. Col. Wu lights candles on table as it grows darker and all sit down, General Wang at one end of table, Chou at the other. Col. Wu pours wine in the wine-cups)

**Col. Wu:** We can get no wine except bei-gar up here--and it's hardly wine. More like vodka.

**Frances:** I like it--it's a dangerous drink. It's a sort of challenge to one.

(Orderly comes in with a big plate covered with appetizers. Place it on center of table and goes out)

**General Wang:** (morosely lifting wine-cup) Friends--to the final victory!

(Everyone stands, wine-cups held before him in silence for a moment)

**All:** To the final victory. (They drain their cups, then turn them to each other to show that not a drop remains. Then sit down. Col. Wu fills the cups again.)

45

**Lin** (As they all begin at once to eat, taking food from a small plate in center of table) General Wang, Frances and I accept—with deep regret—your order that we must remain here in headquarters for another week.

**General Wang:** You must wait. I'll perhaps return tomorrow night. After a week we'll know just how things stand. I can't allow a foreign friend to be in certain danger.

**Frances:** If only my own country were as considerate of China as you all are of me! I wish I were a Chinese, then I'd. . .

**Chou:** You are—almost. Anyway, you belong to us. (Lifting his wine-cup to her) Can-be-I—drain it to the last drop! (Laughing) they drink and show their empty cups to each other. Col. Wu fills the cups again).

**General Wang:** Miss Frances, I was reading an article today—the paper was a month old, but still valuable. The article thought that America might renew its trade agreement with Japan if Japan begins buying its oil from the Dutch East Indies. Do you think this might cause America to renew the trade agreement.

**Frances:** Your guess would be as good as mine.

**Col. Wu:** And there's a real possibility that Japan may really take the Dutch East Indies. They are moving steadily southward through Indo-China. . . they've bought up some of the leaders of K MIX Thailand. And Burma.

**General Wang:** I've been thinking that now that the European war has started, American business men can make money enough by selling war materials to Europe instead of to Japan—so perhaps they might not renew their Japanese trade agreement. That will help us.

**Frances:** I should be glad for your sake—but we seem to have the political morals of money-changers. I assure you that not all Americans are like that,

**General Wang:** And I wonder just how many Americans are different—and how

**Chou:** And I wonder just how many Americans are different—and how

46

effective.

**Frances:** And I wish that I could assure you all that my people are informed, aware—and a torch in the darkness that refuses to be extinguished—as our own Jefferson once was. I hate to see the foreign policy of my country dependent upon financial considerations.

**Chou:** I often think about such things—Ix than I eat bitterness.
We human beings are still so afraid of life that we pile up fortunes—some do—thinking they will ensure ourselves and our children against want and fear. . . men seek security but. . .

**Frances:** Xix. . . but create nothing but insecurity, want and fear. .
and this will continue until. . . .

**Chou:** (continuing her sentence) . . . until we have learned enough to create a human society in which there is no security for. . .

**Frances:** (continuing his sentence) . . . for any man!

**Chou:** Perhaps Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Three People's Principles might achieve that end if. . .

**Frances:** (continuing his sentence. . . if they were really carried out with dauntless courage.)

(Lin Song bends over to General Wang and Col. Wu, lifting his wine-cup and they lift their wine-cups and talk in a low voice. Chou and Frances sit looking at each other in silence.)

**Chou:** (In a low voice to Frances, lifting his wine-cup) You know my thoughts. . . (slowly she lifts her cup. But they do not drink. Set their cups down, staring at their plates.)

(Orderly brings in a bowl of food and takes away the other. Eno Ewa brings in another small pitcher of wine and takes out the other.)

**General Wang:** (To Lin) Yes, you are right. Our greatest gains since the war are the growth of national consciousness—and battlefield education. (Morosely) Before the war, everything was unclear—some people did not know which way to go. Now we know.

**Lin:** And our people have become organized and our administrative

Organized referred.

47

**Col. Wu:** (bitterly) Yes, quite often we sit around like this--boasting of our progress. But if we're honest, we'll know that we still have a long way to go. We haven't taken the first step toward democracy. . . *Inspection of enemy unit* and we try to console ourselves because the enemy still sits in that range over there--instead of where we sit! Tomorrow we may * Inspection of enemy unit * have to retreat again--and call it a victory because they have killed only ten thousand more of us!

**General Wang:** You're too pessimistic. We are progressing. . .

**Col. Wu:** Under what banners? We at the front * Inspection of enemy unit * are expected merely to fight. We will fight--but we want the security that we're fighting for a progressive, democratic * Inspection of enemy unit * future--not for Fascism.

**General Wang:** Fascism? What is Fascism, definitely.

**Col. Wu:** It wears many masks.

**Chou:** Frances, do you think that America, England and France, really wish us Chinese to be victorious and strong? Aren't the British afraid of the effects of our victory on the people of India, the French afraid of the people of Indo-China, the Dutch afraid. . . (Orderly brings in another bowl of food and takes away the old) Try to forget tonight that you are an American--we are human beings together here tonight.

**Frances:** I agree with you--but still I have hopes that if the common people only were informed, they would wish only for your total victory --with all its consequences on subjected peoples.

**General Wang:** It's doubtful if America wants * Japan * to be victorious. . . I read a book by an American military man about a year ago. . .

**Chou:** Perhaps America, like the other great powers, merely hope that both Japan and China will be so weakened by the war that we both can be easily exploited after wards.

48

**Frances:** (Springing up, walking about, then returning to table.)
Chou stands up. Oh, what shall we do to stop it? What more can we do?
EVERYONE! Everything I do seems no more than a tin whistle and a
shrieking in a typhoon.

**Chou:** You can tell the world what we think--what we fight for. We
here can only go on fighting.

**General Wang:** (Standing) Miss Frances, it gives us comfort that even
one foreigner shares our hopes.

**Col. Wu:** (standing slowly lifting his wine-cups) And our convictions.
National boundaries are vanishing indeed. (Lin stands, and
the others take their wine-cups) Tien-ying, when you go to the front
tonight, you will have a new assurance--that there are foreign friends
who feel and think as you do--as we all do.

**Chou:** To that friendship--to the last drop. (They drink and show
their cups.)
(They gather about Frances on center of stage)

**Chou:** Frances, what did you tell my troops today?

**Frances:** Much of what we have said here tonight. I kept thinking:
"If I were going out to fight and perhaps die, or lie wounded on
this dreary battlefield, what would I wish to hear most." So I
tried to fill them with courage--I told them that they are the advance
guard of xxx subjected peoples--pioneers in the world struggle against
Fascism; and that they must fight to the death for themselves and
hundreds of millions.

**Lin:** (filling their wine-cups) Come--more wine.

**Frances:** If I drink more I will talk still more.

**Col. Wu:** Drink--Old Wang and Tien-ying must soon leave us. (They drink.)

**Chou:** Tell me, Frances, what would you say if you spoke the truth
about us--the truth without glamor.

**Frances:** You might laugh. . . it would sound sentimental. . . but
since I came to the front, a great peace has fallen upon my heart. . .

49

peace and an infinite feeling of security--as if my spirit had come
home to rest at last... You military men at the front have taught me
a human love and a oneness of purpose--a love deeper and more lasting
by far than any other kind of love; far more than love between man and
woman. Dare I say it--it reconciles me to the idea of death. ... Chou,
Chou; ... yet it could be realized in life, perhaps in some
(General Wang and Lin turn to talk, and Col. Wu joins them)
distant future. Love between man and woman might also change. Did
you ever hear of a General who was gone to war for eighteen years,
and returned to find his wife living in the deepest poverty--but still
faithful to him.

**Frances:** And the General--was he faithful to his wife all those years?
(Frances and Chou laugh suddenly)

**Chou:** Tell me, Frances, what would a modern woman do?

**Frances:** Tell me, Tien-ying, what do modern General do?

**Lin:** (To General Wang) Oh I shall really write a poem--a great one, some day. You may not believe I can--but I shall.

**General Wang:** You have drunk a little too much, my young friend.
True poetry must be wrung from the blood of life.

**Lin:** And who prevents me from learning about the blood of life?

**General Wang:** Just a week longer--you can wait!

**Col. Wu:** But when you write your poem, remember--no moons, no flutes,
—but the sound of musketeer cannon.

**Lin:** I will find a way--(sadly) and if not, then hack newspaper
reports of so and so many battles, and give statistics of the men
killed in battle.

**General Wang:** Recite one of your max poems for us.

**Lin:** No--no! I can't even remember one--they are so trivial. But I
could recite an old maxx elegy of patriotism. It's too sad for
this evening.

50

**All:** Come on! Recite it! (They all sit down to listen, Lin remains standing).

**Lin:** (reciting)

The driving rain has subsided, and I lean against the parapet
with irrepressible resentment.

With uplifted eyes I sigh to heaven and vent my vehement
passion for vengeance.

Until I achieve my aim, my merit and reputation of thirty years
standing are as but dust and sand; but on my eight-thousand
mile journey I shall have the clouds and the moon as my
companions.

(General Wang slowly arises, as if stunned.)
(General Wang turns and goes into building in back)

I must not tarry; my head will soon be gray when regrets will be
too late.

The disgrace of the year Ching Hang is still not washed away.
When can a loyal subject's desire for vengeance be
satisfied.

Compelling is my passion to go on a war-chariot and trod the
pass of the Lo Han mountains. Pain would I. . . .

**Col. Wu:** Stop, Lin!

**Lin:** (looks about in confusion) Why? Where is General Wang?

Why. . . .

**Col. Wu:** Why did you choose such a poem to recite to him?

**Lin:** But I didn't intend. . . . No. . (where is here). . . I will

find him--and apologize. (Goes quickly into building in back.)

(Clatter of horses hoofs. They stop and General Li comes on stage,
hisope flying.)

**General Li:** (like the wrath of God) A feast--tonight?

**Col. Wu:** We have just finished dinner.

**General Li:** When are you leaving, General Chou?

**Chou:** Very soon, now--I'll be going within a few minutes.

**General Li:** Is General Wang inside?

**Col. Wu:** Yes--he's expecting you. Come--I'll go with you. (The
two of them go inside building in back).

51

(France and Chou are alone on the darkening stage. Silence. They watch the two men disappear in back. From a distance comes the faint tapping of wood on hollow bamboo—a wierd sound)

**Frances:** He came like the cold hand of death.

(The tapping on hollow bamboo sounds again—a night watchman telling the hours. Chou glances at his wrist watch).

**Chou:** There is little time left—I still have much to do. This, then is farewell. . . . I thought. . . there seemed so much to say.

something you and I must have talked about...long ago, somewhere

XXXXXXXX sometime. . . like a half-forgotten melody.

**Frances:** No. We XXXXXXXXXXXX have but recently met. And you . . . may never return.

**Chou:** Would it matter so very much, to you, if I did not?

**Frances:** I fear that . . . and I should be a lonely wanderer again.

**Chou:** Knowing this, would you respect me if I hesitated?

**Frances:** No. Nor myself—if I remained here tonight instead of going with you. Tell me—is it true that you will face heavy XXXXX enemy re-enforcements—fully armed; and that you have little?

**Chou:** We have our flesh and blood; and we have our faith. Not all who go to the front die. I have fought since the war began—I shall return here. And you will wait here until I return.

**Frances:** The ancient lot of woman—to wait. And if you do not return?

**Chou:** Then you must leave here and tell of our faith. I know I shall live/in your memory—in your words and actions. But I shall return. Until then. . . . (Chou steps up to her, takes a ring from his finger, takes her left hand and places the ring on her ring finger.)

**Frances:** Jade—the precious jade!

**Chou:** Of little XXXXXXX value, as values go in this world. But to us a symbol of hope and faith.

**Frances:** Yes, a symbol of hope and faith. You will return.

52

XX

Or I shall come to the battlefield. (He clasps both her hands). I refuse to be a love-lorn lady weeping in a lonely tower for a General who goes to war for eighteen years.

**Chou:** (Laughing, slapping her face gently) So that is what modern women do! (Seriously) And if the General does not return at all-- will the woman not grieve, but will gather up all the weapons at her command and continue the struggle . . . and your weapon is the typewriter. . . and your voice--your voice which I shall carry in my heart until I return.

**Frances:** (Saluting him mockingly) At your command, my General!

**Chou:** (laughing and grabbing her hand) I also command you. . . (Guard's voice off stage right, mingled with tramping of a horses' hoofs.)

**Guard:** Whoah! You beast!

**Guard with horse:** What are you up to?

**Guard's voice:** (further back) You're off stage right! Password!

**Guard with horse:** Victory! (Chou stands back and turns)

**Guard's voice:** Pass!

**Guard with horse:** Pass yourself, you ass. (Guard with horse on stage)

**Guard's voice:** What are you up to?

**Guard with horse:** Coming for General Chou. (He comes on stage from right and goes quickly toward building in back.)

**Chou:** (To Frances) Wait for me--I will return.

**Frances:** I'll wait--one week.

**Chou:** (crossing stage to guard) Guard--I'm here.

**Guard:** (turning in doorway) Your horse is waiting, Sir!

**Chou:** I'll be ready in a moment. (Chou goes inside building. Guard walks to right edge of stage and talks to guard off stage.)

**Guard on stage:** There's no moon tonight.

**Guard off stage:** You're lucky. . . . Send me back a Jap general.

**Guard on stage:** Sure--anything to please a friend.

55

(General Chou returns from inside building, carrying his cap. Guard goes before him off stage. Chou stops at edge of stage and turns. He and Frances stand silently, then salute slowly. Chou goes off stage and horses hoofs are heard leaving, growing fainter and fainter. France stands without moving, listening. As they die away she moves swiftly across stage to right and again stands listening. From left, far away, sounds the tapping of wood on hollow bamboo.)

DARK STAGE

(Stage grows faintly light again, almost at once. Loud voices come from building in back. The sound of soft tramping feet and the murmur of voices comes from off stage right.)

Guard's voice: Password!

Voice off right: Victory!

Guard's voice: OK. Who have you got there?

Voice: Prisoners—takin' them to the rear.

Guard: This ain't the right road.

Voice: The Commander-in-chief ordered them brought here.

(A guard comes on stage, right, just as General Li, followed by General Wang and Col. Wu, come from building in back, still talking. General Wang appears angry. Guard moves forward and salutes:)

Guard: Report! (To Col. Wu) We've brought the prisoners as you ordered, Sir.

General Wang: (Turning to listen) What prisoners?

Wang: Col. Wu: It's the puppet soldiers who were brought in yesterday. You ordered them brought here before they were sent to the rear.

Wang: Wait a little. I'll have only a few minutes. Chou will be waiting.

General Wang: (glancing at his watch) Wait a little. I'll have only a few minutes. Chou will be waiting.

(Col. Wu goes with guard to edge of stage and talk in low voice).

Guard: They make a lot of trouble, Sir. . .

General Wang (Turning to General Li) There's nothing more to be

54

said--except that, so long as I command this front, Chinese are
not going to fight Chinese.

**General Wang:** (with a grand gesture) Salute, General Wang! (Strides off stage right and is heard riding away.)

**General Wang:** God deliverus from politicians! ... (Turning to Col. Wu) Now, what is it about these prisoners?

**Col. Wu:** They asked to talk with you--and you ordered them brought here.

**General Wang:** (To guard) Where are they?

**Guard:** Just here, Sir.

**General Wang:** I have only a few minutes. Bring them here.

(Guard salutes and goes off stage) Some more Manchurians, I suppose. . . poor devils.

(Guard returns with two others and with a group of 5 Chinese soldiers in Japanese uniforms. The arms of the prisoners are roped behind them and the two guards hold the ends of each rope. General Wang stands with his hands on his hips, head forward, staring at the prisoners.)

**General Wang:** Well--what have you mean to say? You're Chinese in Japanese uniform!

**First captive:** We couldn't help being with the Japs, Sir. . . We were forced. . .

**General Wang:** No one can force you against your will--the most they can do is shoot you.

**Second Captive:** But they hold our families as hostages, Sir. If we don't obey orders they will shoot our families.

**First Captive:** We tried not to hit anyone when we fought, Sir--we always shot high, Sir.

**General Wang:** You're not Manchurians. . . How many of you fellows are there over there?

**First captive:** We used to be a batallion. . . But after Major

55

Liang was killed. . .

Col. Wu: Major Liang?

**Second Captive:** Yes Sir. He tried to escape and the Japs shot him and twenty others.

**General Wang:** Major Liang? Which Major Liang. . . .

**First captive:** Your Major Liang, Sir. . . . We were your soldiers before the war, Sir. . . Major Liang was our commander. . . . Then we heard you surrendered, so we surrendered. . . and the Japs sent us here and there. . .

**Second captive:** They always told us you were their friend, Sir.

**Third captive:** How could we know, Sir. . . nobody told us anything.

**Fifth captive:** We don't want these clothes we got on--give us Chinese uniforms--take us back in your Army. . . .

**All the captives:** Take us back. . . we didn't know. . . how could we know.

(Col. Wu steps over to General Wang, who has suddenly stiffened like a statue. Says something to him; General Wang nods but does not speak. Col. Wu goes back to guards.)

Col. Wu: Unrope them--take them back to barracks. I'll see them tomorrow.

(Murmur of voices as guards unrope mix the prisoners. First captive, unroped, takes off his Japanese cap and throws it on the earth.)

Col. Wu: /Return to barracks--I've no time tonight./ (Prisoners salute and go off right with guards. Murmur of voices, mix sound of someone laughing harshly. . . a curse. Voices die away./Col. Wu stands watching then, then turns his head toward General Wang but does not move. General Wang stands in same place, as if stunned. The stage grows darker, and voices begin to come from every side. General Wang turns his head to first one and then the other, listening, as if haunted.)

Voices (faintly murmuring, of puppet soldiers: we didn't know, Sir. . . Nobody told us anything. . . . Your Major Liang, Sir. . . we were your soldiers before the war. . .

Traitor's screaming voice, (faintly) You who licked Japanese boots. . .

55

Puppet voices. . . So we surrendered. . . when you surrendered we surrendered . . . we didn't know, Sir.

Lin Song's voice: (reciting poetry) The oxen's disgrace of the year Ching Hwang is still not washed away, When can we . . . .

General Li's voice: (sharp and cold) In these days, every man must be a politician (ironical laughter).

Puppet voices: They always told us you were their friend, Sir. . . . we didn't know (voices die away like a sigh)

Col. Wu: (Going up to General Wang) Chou will be waiting--soon it will be midnight!

General Wang: Did you hear?

Col. Wu: (matter of fact voice) Hear what?

General Wang: Voices. (staring before him) I heard voices!

Col. Wu: (matter-of-fact, turning to off stage right) They've gone--it was the prisoners and the guards. (glancing at his watch) Chou will be waiting. . .

CURTAIN

57

ACT III

SCENE I

(Time: The next night at midnight. Place: front-line trenches. The black outline of a low hill covered with brush and a few trees rise from the stage. Front stage is very dark, but figures clearly distinguishable. A ditch-like trench, zig-zag, runs along front of stage, with silhouettes of Chinese soldiers (without steel helmets) in them. The outline of a huge pile of stones on right. Behind this are three soldiers. From off stage left and right are heard occasional burst of machine-gun fire and the crack of rifles; something like the tubercular rattle of a trench mortar.)

First soldier (In trench) Sh-h-h-h-h! Don't talk so loud. . .

Second soldier (in low voice, from back pile of boulders) Aw,
they can't hear--even if they do, they won't shoot. . . not unless
that Jap officer is there tonight.

First soldier: Well, he may be there.

Third soldier: If he ain't--maybes we can surround the hill and capture the whole damned position--and all the puppets with it.

Fifth soldier: Well, I wish the Captain would give the word. . .

(There is a rustling and the sound of low voices from off stage
left. One voice seems to be the low, heavy, morose voice of General
Wang.)

First soldier: That's him--the commander-in-chief. . . I know his
voice. He goes everywhere.

Second soldier: Have we got to stand at attention.

Fourth soldier: No, fool! Keep down!

Second soldier: What's he comin' for?

Fourth soldier: (laughing low) To find a little peace and rest.

(laughter) They say it's a fact!

First soldier: He's just seein' that everything's all right--now that
Jap re-enforcements have come up.

Fourth soldier: It's my bet that he's tryin' to buck us up. . . an'
show he ain't askin' us to do something he afraid to do.

First soldier: He don't set on his ass in the rear while we fight--
not he.

58
thrown

**Fifth soldier:** The Japs have thrown in some new men over there--on the right.

**First soldier:** Well, so have we--Chou's division's come up--over there
-- - - beyond.

**Fourth soldier:** If you're askin' me. . . it ain't the job of a commander-in-chief to come up like this--right in the front trenches. If he's killed, where'll we be?

**Fifth soldier:** Sure--then old blow-bags might be commander.

**Fourth soldier:** Rot! General Fang would be the new commander.

Old blow-bags will die of diarrhea if anyone so much as shoots toward
him.

**Fifth First soldier:** (voices off left) Shut up--they're here.

(Two Chinese soldiers, tommy-guns silhouetted, come along
trench, followed by General Wang, another officer, and two more
soldier s with tommy-guns.)

**Officer:** One enemy position is above--up there.

**General Wang:** What's their strength?

**Officer:** Perhaps a batallion--they're puppets. Unless some new Japs
have been thrown in.

**General Wang:** (moving along ditch) How's everything, boys?

**Low voices:** OK. We're waitin'.

**General Wang:** Teach the enemy that one Chinese is worth a dozen Japs!

**First soldier:** Sure! But maybe there's no Japs up there. Just
traitors.

**Second soldier:** New Jap positions off right, Sir.

**General Wang:** Are you certain this is a puppet position?

**First soldier:** Yes, Sir. If you crawl up the hill another hundred
feet, you can hear their voices--and sometimes they smoke. One of
them talked with us once. . . But that was once when the Jap officers
was away.

59

**General Wang:** What did he say?

**Second soldier:** We didn't give him no chance to say anything. We just called him a dirty ~~xxkixax~~ traitor and fired.

**General Wang:** (To officer) I'm going to try to get closer.

**First soldier:** Better not, Sir.

**General Wang:** (to soldiers with tommy-guns) Come along, boys-- go easy. (General Wang and the guards crawl out of the trench and begin creeping up hill, General Wang crouching, the others on their knees. The officer crawls behind ~~xxkix~~ them. There is a rustle in the trenches and from the pile of boulders, and soldiers take up position to fire. A few seconds pass.)

**Voice out of the darkness above:** Countrymen. . . come no further. . . (General Wang falls to his hands and knees. Others fall flat, guns ready) . . . go back. . . we have orders to use poison gas.

**General Wang:** Countrymen--Chinese must not fight Chinese.

**Voice:** Mayo banfai! (the voice is filled with melancholy) There is no other way.

**General Wang:** (In an urgent voice) Countrymen--come over to us. Come now! We will protect you.

**Another voice,** (a little to the ~~xxkix~~ left, out of the darkness above) Too late.

**General Wang:** No, now! Or we will fight--take your position-- we can wipe you out.

**Voice:** Sh-h-h-h-hi There're some Japs above. . . with poison gas. (urgently) Go back. . . go left, not right. . . new Jap position on right. . . they've got heavy guns.

**General Wang:** (Standing up, staring into darkness) Countrymen-- I hear your voices--you are northerners--like us. Come down to us!

**Voice from left:** Too late--our families will be killed--the Japs held our families--as hostages.

60

Voice from left: (voice now coming more faintly, from further back)

Too late!

Soldier with tommy-gun: (in a fierce whisper) Traitors! Traitors!

Voice from above: (further away) Not traitors. . . we were betrayed.

Go back (voice grows fainter) go left- - - not right (dies away)

General Wang: Betrayed! . . . Who betrayed you! . . .

(No reply comes. Wind through trees above.)

General Wang: (desperately) Who. . . who betrayed!

(No sound but the wind through the trees. Two soldiers with tommy-guns raise their hands and pull General Wang to earth. They lie, waiting, in total silence.)

Faint voice: (far away, left, half whisper) Too late. . .

CURTAIN

61

## ACT III. Scene II.

**(Scene: Same as Act I and II. Time: two days later. Building in back half-destroyed. Other buildings in ruins. Tree in foreground still stands. One big branch is broken, but still hangs. Its leaves stripped off. Table covered with a variety of papers, books, and a Red Cross kit. Beneath it is a wooden case with a Red Cross sign on the side. Benches scattered about. The roar of artillery comes from off stage right, with occasional cautious hammering of machine-guns. Now and then sound of bombers, with engines roaring. Then rapid dropping of bombs, falling with a thud. Two bandyclers of cartridges hang across a bench. In)**

As the scene opens, soldiers and civilians pass across stage from left to right, carrying small, heavy ammunition cases from ropes at the end of carrying poles. A line of stretchers, followed by a wounded man walking, his arm in a sling, move across stage back, going from right to left. The stretcher-bearers run in a dog-trot, panting and sweating. One carrier (civilian) wears a Japanese steel helmet with a hole torn out of one side. The wounded man on his stretcher has a rifle balanced on the stretcher. The hand goes limp as they cross stage and the rifle clatters to earth.)

**Wounded man:** My gun. . . my gun. . . get my gun. . . (carriers pay no attention, go swiftly off stage left).

(General Wang, Col. Wu, and General Li, come on stage from right. General Wang is wounded in the left arm, which hangs limply. He grips it. Kuo-Hwa follows the group on stage, looking back fearfully. Two guards with tommy-guns follow and stand on stage, looking right. General Li has field glasses hanging from his neck.)

**Col. Wu:** (To Kuo Hwa) Kuo Hwa--run--bring the doctor. (Kuo Hwa listens, then speeds off stage left without a word)

**General Wang:** It's not serious--I can feel. . . a little bandage will do.

**General Li:** This is totally impossible! We must move back. It's suicide to stay here. . . . We can't hold this front.

**General Wang:** We can--General Fang's troops will come up soon. (to Col. Wu) Did the messengers return?

**Col. Wu:** We've heard nothing. Perhaps they didn't get through.

**General Wang:** Then send another--a civilian this time.

**Col. Wu** (going quickly to table and writing a note)

**General Wang:** Place my seal on it! Make him memorize it.

**Soldier:** **Col. Wu:** Guard! (Soldier with tommy-gun turns) No--not you. . . where's Shih-fu? (A guard runs on stage from right and goes to Col. Wu) Go to the village. . . find the leader of the

62

Anto-Japanese Association--his name's Han--or find his brother. Send one or the other with this message to General Fang--the same as with the other messengers. Have Han memorize this also.

(Kuo Hwa comes on stage from left, followed by Frances and Lin Song. They go up to General Wang and begin talking in a low tone, examining his arm. Then Frances goes to Red Cross case beneath table and takes out a bottle of medicine, some bandages, and a pair of scissors. Lin helps her.)

XXXXXXXXXX

**Guard:** (To Col. Wu) I understand everything, Sir--just like before.

Shall I take a horse for Han?

**Col. Wu:** Yes--and if he can find any telephone line anywhere, he shall use it and try to find General Fang.

**Frances:** (bending over the Red Cross case) There's almost nothing left. (To Lin) Have General Wang sit over here. (Lin crosses and comes back with General Wang. General Li watches off right, Col. Wu watches the guard go with the message, then returns to General Wang.) Frances cuts General Wang's left sleeve to shoulder and she and Lin examine it. Lin hands her a swab and holds the bottle of medicine while she dresses the wound. He takes a small roll of paper, breaks the roll, and hands it to the enclosed bandage to her. She binds the wound. Lin makes a crude arm sling of a broad strip of bandage cloth, and hangs General Wang's arm in it.)

**General Li:** (Watching off stage right through his field glasses.)

They're falling back.

(Col. Wu goes to Li, who gives him the field glasses. Col. Wu watches, turning the glasses over the battle field. Returns them to General Li and goes off stage right, rapidly, followed slowly by General Li.)

**Frances:** (To General Wang) Is it more comfortable now?

**General Wang:** Yes--it will be all right. (Standing up)

**Frances:** Is there any word from General Chou's division?

**General Wang:** (going with Frances and Lin to right of stage, watching)

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They're falling back slowly. . . . (Turning to Lin) Why didn't the doctor come to take care of my arm)

**Lin:** He was hit in the last raid--not seriously. Only in the leg. He can't walk, but he's still working.

(The sound of a shell cracking through the air overhead. They listen. The shell lands off to the left--far away.)

**General Wang:** That's somewhere around the village.

**General Li:** (Coming swiftly on stage from right) At least our headquarters must move back. This is suicide. The whole mountain range is in confusion. . . My own Army's scattered-- I've lost contact.

**General Wang:** Who's fault is that?

**General Li:** (haughtily) And you've lost contact with General Fang.

**General Wang:** He'll be coming.

**General Li:** He may be a thousand li from here.

**General Wang:** No he's not.

(Another line of stretchers and walking wounded pass across stage back, going left. Machineguns sound nearer, hammering steadily. Rifle shots)

**General Li:** I consider it suicide to stay here!

**General Wang:** Then get out as best you can. I'll tell Col. Wu the same. And you (to Lin and Frances) . . both of you. . . had better go now with General Wang; he has horses.

**Frances:** (watching the wounded pass) No. . . there are still wounded men to be taken care of. . . (turning, staring off stage right) I will not go--Chou's division is still fighting. . . (Frances turns and goes off stage left, following the wounded).

**Lin:** I don't intend to get out. (He crosses to center of stage and picks up the rifle the wounded man dropped. Goes to bench and takes a bandelier of cartridges and straps it around his shoulder.)

**The following six paragraphs are repeated right next to each other.** No. . . this is my country. . . (he runs off stage right)

64

(Col. Wu and a messenger come on stage. Wu is reading a note, then gives it to General Wang).

Col. Wu: Well, that's that! Maybe Chou can manage it. I doubt it.
He can't counter-encircle more than a regiment at most.

General Li: It's suicide!

General Wang: (listening to a shell burst far in left) General Li, you're no use at all around here! You still have a chance to get out.
If you wait--it may be too late.

General Li: It's sheer suicide! (He walks swiftly off left and the sound of a horse is heard, running fast furiously, off left.)

Col. Wu: (Turning to watch) At that rate, I'll reach Tibet before
night fall.

General Wang: You're wrong --someone will shoot him first.

(Wounded cross stage again. Three walking wounded, with rifles, follow, walking slowly and painfully.)

First wounded: (To General Wang and Col. Wu) They say our commander
is wounded...

General Wang: Which commander?

First wounded: I can't carry this rifle any further. (Col. Wu goes over and takes it. Unstraps belt of cartridge from man and straps it about his own waist) Maybe it wasn't Chou--maybe they meant you. (Looking at General Wang; wounded man drags on off stage.)

Second wounded: (Indicating General Wang) If he can stay, we can.
I've still got my two arms. I won't go any further. (The two wounded men turn about and stare at battlefield from which they have come, then hobble painfully back, off stage right). Just as they leave, General Wang starts and walks off stage right. Returns in few seconds, following three panting soldiers carrying Major-General Chou's prostrate body. They stumble across stage and place it on the table, on top of paper and books. Chou has no cap and his face is clearly revealed. Col. Wu and General Wang bend over him, examining him.)

65

**General Wang:** Is he dead?

**Col. Wu:** Yes! (There is a furious burst of fighting off stage right, then the sound of machine-guns and rifles from off left, far away.)

**General Wang:** (Listening to fighting from left) Can it be they've reached they village—they've surrounded us! Where's Frances? Find her—and you get out as best you can.

(Frances and Kuo Hwa come running from <u>killing</u> left).

**Frances:** Some have reached the village. . . (burst of firing from Two right) They're everywhere! <u>Two</u> soldiers back on stage from right, one kneeling to fire, the other throws up his hands, and falls. His rifle falls. General Wang draws his pistol <u>examining</u> with his right hand and struggles to release safety catch. Kuo Hwa runs up and helps him, then takes hold of his coat. Frances rushes to the dead soldier, examines him.) <u>Examining</u>

**Frances:** Dead! (She bends over and picks up his rifle and drags it to him. Rips his cartridge belt from him and straps it about her waist. The other soldier, kneeling, stands up and moves back across stage and gets behind tree. He drags Frances with him. Col. Wu gets behind General Chou's body on table, pulling General Wang with him. Kuo-hwa follows and crouches. )

(Voices shouting from off stage. The high staccato accent of a Japanese voice is heard:)

**Jap. voice:** Advance! Fire! (A babble of voices. Chinese soldiers in Jap. uniform appear from left and right. A burst of firing sends General Wang reeling. He falls to earth and lies still. Chinese puppet soldiers swarm over stage. Frances and soldier back off left. A puppet soldiers springs on Wu and grabs his rifle. )

**Jap. officer** (striding on stage from right, a pistol in his hand. Stares quickly about, goes to General Wang. Bends down quickly, searches his pockets, bringing out cards and papers. ) (Sucking in his breath) So-h-h-h-h! A General! General Wang Shih-pu! Al last—General Wang Shih-pu! (Kicks body of General Wang).

66

**A puppet soldier:** So-h-h-h-h! (He lifts his rifle and fires. The
across body of General Wang,
Japanese staggers and falls, his pistol clattering on the earth. There
is a dead silence.) Rape your mother!

**Second puppet soldier:** Well, we've done it! Now what!

**First puppet soldier:** (goes over to Jap officer and lugs him off
the body of General Wang as if he were the carcass of a dog).

Now what? (Stares about him) Where's the Chinese Army! Come--
find the Chinese Army! (Puppet soldiers begin milling about stage)

**Puppet soldier:** Which direction?

**Second puppet soldier:** There's a Chinese soldier (running to Col. Wu)
Guide us to the Chinese Army.

**Third puppet:** Quick--to the Chinese Army.

**Civilian:** (crouching as he runs on stage from left.) General Wang!

General Wang! (Sees puppet soldiers and turns to run. A puppet soldier
grabs him.)

**Puppet soldier:** Show us the Chinese Army. We want to join the Chinese
Army!

**Col. Wu:** (Coming quickly from behind table) We'll find the Chinese
Army! We are the Chinese Army!

**Civilian:** Col. Wu! Col. Wu! (puppet releases him and he runs to
Col. Wu) General Fang's division has reached the village! It's fighting.

It's coming! The Japs are retreating this way!

**Colon. Seng:** (Lin Seng with Chinese soldiers, some of them wounded but
with rifles come quickly on stage from right. Lin has
a streak of blood running down his cheek.)

**Col. Wu:** (As sound of firing comes from off left) Come to the river
bed—we'll get the Japs in the rear. This way, (Col. Wu, carrying
his wife, runs off stage left. The puppets, Chinese soldiers, Lin
Seng, and the wounded, stream after him.)

**Voice:** To the advanced! To the rear! Bed!

The Chinese soldiers (and the Japanese, dragging a dead
man, run from the stage left)

67

(Frances voice is heard off stage left)

**Frances:** Kuo Hwa! Kuo Hwa! (Frances runs on stage from left, dragging her rifles. Looks about. Kuo Hwa runs from behind table, where he has been crouching. Stops dead still before the dead Japanese, his eyes on the Japanese pistol.)

**Kuo Hwa:** My Japanese pistol! (Dashes for it, grabs it and tears off stage, running left)

**Frances:** (Staring at General Wang's body) General Wang! (She drops her rifle and kneels. Tears open his jacket, listens to his heart). Dead! (She sits up, takes the rifle again and stands. Firing begins off stage right. Frances starts toward it, going past the table. Sees the body of General Chou lying dead on it. Her rifle falls from her hand with a clatter and she stands as she was, her left hand with the jade ring held out.)

**Frances:** Tien-ying. . . you did return. . . you kept your promise. . . you did return!

CURTAIN

64

(Col. Wu, with a messenger, come on stage, from right. Wu is reading a message, which he gives to General Wang.)

**Col. Wu:** Maybe Chou can manage it. . . a counter-encirclement. But I don't see how.

**General Li:** Impossible! The Japs have broken through in a dozen places. . . they. . .

**General Wang:** (listening to shell burst far on left) General Li, I doubt if you are any use around here--You still have a chance to get out if you leave now. Later? Who knows?

**Col. Wu:** (To General Li) And if you stick around here, you're certain to get your clothes dirty.

(General Li turns without a word or sign and goes off directionally to right. The sound of a horses' furious hoofs, sound from left.)

**Col. Wu:** At the rate he's going, he'll reach Tibet before night falls.

**General Wang:** (Going to table and writing a note, which he gives to messenger to take back. Glances up at Col. Wu) No, he won't reach Tibet. He'll be lucky if he reaches the Han River before someone shoots him. (Gives note to Wu, who reads it, and gives it to messenger who goes swiftly off right)

**Col. Wu:** Even our telephone communications are broken!

(Three wounded men, with rifles, come on stage from right. The foot of one is bandaged, one has a crude bandage about his thigh so that his leg split trouser legs flutters open. One has an arm bandaged and walks as if in great pain, dragging his rifle behind him.)

**Wounded man with bandaged arm:** (glancing about him in desperation)

I can't carry this gun any longer. (Takes it up to Col. Wu who stands it against table, then unstraps the man's cartridge bandelier and places it near the gun)

**Col. Wu:** Now you can make it.

**Second wounded man (To his comrade):** They say our commander is wounded. . . (Looking at General Wang) But maybe they meant him.

**Third wounded man:** I don't see what we've retreating for. We can still fight. . . The commander-in-chief ain't runnin' away.

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**Second wounded man:** (Turning around and starting off stage right) Then what are we runnin' away for? I can still fight.

**Third wounded man:** I can fight. . . there are still fellers fightin' out there. (Follows the other off stage right. The first wounded man watches them go)

**First wounded man:** (ruefully) I can't. . . I can't. . . (he gows slowly off stage left.

**General Wang:** (watching off stage right) Oh, by God! (goes off stage and comes back almost at once, following three armed soldiers carrying the body of Major-General Chou which they place on the table in the midst of papers, etc. General Wang and his men follow and bend over the body.)

**Col. Wu:** (touching the face and body) Tien-ying! Tien-ying!

**First soldier:** (desperately) They got our divisional headquarters. . . but they ain't got us yet.

**Second soldier:** No. . . rape their maggoty mothers. . .

**Third soldier:** Come on boys—let's take a few with us before they get us. (The three soldiers run off stage right)

(A burst of fighting is heard at a distance off stage left, as well right.)

**General Wang:** (going quickly to left and watching) How. . . can it be. . . they've surrounded us, Yeh-tze. . . the fighting's coming from the village.

**Col. Wu:** We might get out. . . we can try.

(Frances and Kuo Hwa run to stage from left)

**Frances:** They're fighting over there. . . in the village. . . they've reached the village. . . what will we do with the wounded. . . three hundred still not evacuated. . . the dx doctor's injured—can't walk a step!

(A furious burst of firing from off stage right, then machineguns from left at a distance)

**General Wang:** (listening) Try to get out of here—all of you—some

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way. . . Yeh-tze--take them and get out!

**Frances:** No. . . no! I won't leave the wounded to them. . . I won't.

(Three soldiers stumble on stage from right, one sinks to the earth and lies still, arm outstretched still grasping his rifle. Others, wounded, stagger across stage, walking backward, crouching, as if still fighting. Col. Wu straps the bandelier of cartridges around him shoulder and takes up a rifle and goes off to left of stage, crouching. . backing off. Frances rushes to outstretched figure of dead man, quickly examines him, then unstraps his cartridge belt, straps it around her and takes up his rifle.)

**Kuo Hwa:** (fearfully watching her and off stage right) Frances! Frances! They're coming. I'm afraid!

**Frances:** Yes, dear. . . so am I. . . scared to death. . . come with me
. . . (starting off stage left at a run) but they won't get the wounded--not yet. (Kuo Hwa runs after her)

(General Wang stands near body of Major-General Chou, pistol in hand. The confused sound of voices come from off stage right, mingled with burst of fighting. The voice of a Japanese, high, staccato-like is heard about the voices. General Wang listens and moves slowly forward)

**Japanese voice:** Fire! Fire! You dogs! ($ound of confused voices)

**General Wang:** I hear voices! Chinese voices! . . Voices! (Walks toward right of stage slowly, right arm uplifted) Countrymen! Countrymen! Chinese don't fight. . . (goes off stage right)

Chinese! Countrymen! (Sound of firing. General Wang staggers back on stage and falls, lying outstretched in middle of stage.)

(Jap officer, followed by a dozen Chinese puppet soldiers into Japanese military uniform, come on stage from right and swarm over stage. All four of them pour on across stage backhand and off left.)

**Col. Wu and other voices from left:** Countrymen! (no sound of firing)

**Japanese officer:** (striding about stage, bending over General Wang's body) So-h-h-h-h-h-h! (swiftly searches pockets of General Wang, bringing out a handfull of cards and papers) A General! . . (Puppet soldiers watch) General Wang Shih-pu! So-h-h-h-h-h! General Wang. . . at last! (Jap officer thrusts his pistol, which he has been holding into his hand, into his holster and starts to unsheath his sword, still bending over General Wang's body).

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**First puppet soldier:** (Turning to others) No-h-h-h-h! (lifts his
rifle and fires. Japanese officer throws up his hands and falls across
body of General Wang). So-h-h-h-h-h (imitating Jap officer.) Well-- I've done it! (runs to body of Jap officer
and drags it from the body of General Wang)

**Puppet soldier** (in confusion, going about stage) We've done it at last! Now what Now what Where's the Chinese Army? The Chinese Army. (Second puppet soldier runs off stage left).

**First puppet soldier:** Where's the Chinese Army. . . Join the Chinese
Army! . . .

(Puppet soldiers coming on stage from left, bringing Col. Wu and
the two Chinese soldiers)

**Puppet soldier:** Here--they're from the Chinese Army. . . . where's
the Chinese Army).

(A puppet soldier comes on stage left, pushing Frances before him,
carrying her rifle. She holds the hand of Kue Hwa, who clings to her).

**First puppet soldier:** (To Col. Wu) Guide us to the Chinese Army!

Where is the Chinese Army?

(A civilian, crouching as if running, comes on stage from left, sees
puppet soldiers and turns to run off. A puppet soldier grabs him.)

**Civilian:** General Wang. . . . .

**Col. Wu:** (To civilian) He's dead. . . I'm Col. Wu. . . (puppets release civilian)

**Civilian:** Col. Wu! General Wang's division has reached the village. . . he's coming this way. . . the devils are retreating this way. . . .

**Col. Wu:** (To puppets and Chinese soldiers) You want the Chinese
Army. . . it's here. . . you are the Chinese Army. . . . come to the
river bed. . . . we'll cut off the Jap retreat.

**Chinese soldier:** (running off stage right) Hai-h-h-h-h! This way--
to the river bed. . . . (soldier comes back and runs off stage left with
Col. Wu and the puppet soldiers) To the river bed. . . . river bed!
(Lin Sheng and two wounded soldiers and three other soldiers run from
right of stage, across, and off stage).

**Lin Sheng:** They said to the river bed. . . .

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**Frances:** (staring after them) They took my gun! Now what ...
(staring about stage, sees General Wang's body) General Wang! (runs
to him, kneels, examines him) Dead! (Bends over and releases pistol
from his hand and stands)

**Kuo Hwa:** (running to body of Japanese officer) A devil. . . a Jap
pistol. . . my Jap pistol! (He takes Japanese pistol triumphantly from
Japanese officers <u>xxx</u> holster, tuns and runs off <u>xxx</u> left)

**Kuo Hwa:** Frances- - - the river bed- - - the river bed!

**Frances:** (Turning to left to leave stage. Sees the body of Major-
General Chou on table. Halts dead still, her pistol clatters to earth)

**Civilian:** (in confusion) Rape their mothers. . . where can I get
a gun! (races off stage right and comes back at once with a rifle
and a bandelier of xxxx cartridge dragging after him. Runs off stage
left.)

**Frances:** (slowly moving to the table on which Major-General Chou's
body lies) Tien-ying! Oh, you _did_ return! . . . you kept your
promise! . . . You _did_ return!

CURTAIN

["PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPY: ORIGINAL MATERIAL RESTRICTED", "69_", "ACT III (SCENE III)", "(Same scene) Destroyed ruins in back. Table under tree in foreground. Roar of artillery as in Act I from mountains far to the right of xuzix stage. Puppet soldiers, Chinese soldiers, Lin Seng, Kuo Hwa, drawn up in columns leading off stage right. Lin Seng stands in front, xiki rifle at rest on earth like the others. Kuo Hwa stands by his side with a leather cartridge belt about his shoulder. The Japanese pistol hangs from the holster. The civilian, with two others, with rifles, stand with the soldiers in civilian clothing. Frances stands km apart from the oldiers, dresses as for travelling. Her attache case and Red Cross first-aid kit over her shoulder. Col. Wu stands in center of stage facing the armed men. In center of stage stand xikax two stretchers across benches. They are draped with Chinese national flags. On extreme right stands the Little Old Donkey Driver with his donkey loaded with hay as usual. He stands as always with his hands xikaped clasped behind him, a little switch held in his mazhi hand. As the scene opens everyone on stage except the Little Old Donkey Driver is standing with caps in hands and heads bowed in silence. Old Donkey Driver wears no hat, so stands with bowed head like the others)", "Col. Wu: (raising his head, at same time as others. They replace their caps) Tungchimen--Comrades! There is much to be done little more to be said. You have all spoken (to puppet soldiers) you new comrades who kuxi now fight by our side, (to Chinese soldiers) and you who have fought under General Wang and General Chou's command for three past years. (To civilians) And you who now step forward to take the place of our sacrificed dead.", "", "Chinese soldier's voice: (Shouting) Welcome our new comrades-in-arms!\n\nVoices of all Chinese soldiers: Welcome new comrades-in-arms!", "Col. Wu: Before we go, let us think once more about the goal for which we fight. True, we refuse, as many of you said, to become slaves of a powerful and barbarous enemy. Our great cities are still occupied by the enemy, much of our country is in their hands, they have desolated our towns and villages, xianxianxianxianxianxianxianxianxianx

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To them we will bequeath a new, truly democratic country. And many
of you here, still young, will live to enjoy it with them. Do not lay
down your guns until this goal is reached, this task completed. In this
manner we will honor our sacrificed dead and carry on the work which our
two leaders here, left unaccomplished. We will not fear or falter--we
will talk in the footsteps of our ⭐☆☆baroque ⭐☆☆ glorious dead.

**Soldier's voice:** (passionately) Walk in the bloody footsteps of our martyrs!

**All voices:** Walk in the bloody footsteps of our martyrs!

**Puppet soldier's voice:** (shouting) Death to the enemy!

**All voices:** Death to the enemy! Sha-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h!

**Col. Wu:** Now, before we go, we have a foreign friend whom we must
bid farewell. (Turning to Frances) Will you speak?

**Frances:** (going slowly forward to the biers, turning to look at the dead bodies) General Wang Shih-pu, Major-General Chou Tien-ying--hear me!

I am but one but I wish that my voice were the voice of a hundred millions
and thirty million. Standing on the earth where you fell, I am going
out to millions tell my countrymen of your faith. I can do little--
but this I will do and only death will stop me. . . . Rest in peace,
if you have at last found peace. I will obey your commands to me before
you fell. (Turning to the soldiers) More than this I cannot say to you
either. Try to believe me--though I could understand your refusal to do
so. You have just had a victory, and even if you had great losses, still
it was a victory. For you preferred death to enslavement. Your two
leaders here could have saved themselves and left this spot of earth to
the enemy. Instead, you stand here today and for those who fell others
have taken their place. You have given me a sword of faith. I will try
to use it. Salute!

(She salutes and the soldiers return the salute)

**Soldier's voice:** Hold high the sword of faith!

**All voices:** Hold high the sword of faith!

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(Frances turns to Col. Wu and the soldiers stand at ease, shouldering their rifles, talking in low voices to each other).

**Frances:** (To Col. Wu) Col. Wu, I talked with you about Kuo Hwa--
but I have not yet had time to talk with him. (Turning to Kuo Hwa, who
comes to her) Kuo Hwa, you and I have learned to like each other very
much. You used to be the adopted son of Major-General Chou--but
he lies here now, and I will go with him and General Wang's body to the
far west. Col. Wu and I thought it would be a great thing if you would
come with me--as my son. As Major-General Chou adopted you, so now I
wish to take his place.

**Kuo Hwa:** You want to adopt me?

**Frances:** Yes--as my own son, my dear son. You could study in a school
in the west--and sometime you could come with me to my own country and
study further.

**Kuo Hwa:** And leave the Army?

**Frances:** Yes. But to return some day to it again--to teach the soldiers
what you have learned.

**Kuo Hwa:** (bowing his head in thought) But the Army?

**Frances:** You would still belong to the Army, Kuo Hwa--but you would
not be in it for a long time.

**Kuo Hwa:** But I can't go now!

**Frances:** Now, Kuo Hwa, with me--we just got out there and go with the
armed escort to the west. (She bends down over him, pleadingly)

**Kuo Hwa:** (shaking his head sadly) No--not yet! Boy every man is
needed at the front to fight. But you can adopt me after the final
victory.

**Frances:** You are little, my... son... Others can fight for you
until you return.

**Kuo Hwa:** No, Frances--I must stay at the front and fight.

(Frances stands up slowly and looks off stage to the mountains, right,
from whence comes the roll of guns)