Rev. Hudspeth’s Talk At Rotary Meeting(节选)
The North-China Daily News,Saturday,February 8,1947:2
“On the morning of October 29,1942,at half past six,as I was getting up I heard voices downstairs and opened our bedroom door to investigate.To my great surprise armed Japanese,followed by a French policeman,were coming up the stairs.I suggested to them that as this was my wife’s bedroom they should go into the adjoining room,which was my study.The response to this was a brusque order to return to the bedroom and to dress since some Commandant wished to question me. From that moment I was not allowed to be alone,a gendarme even following me into the bathroom whither I retired to wash.Naturally I was not allowed to shave.As soon as I was dressed I was taken into my study where for an hour Japanese gendarmes went through my papers, photographs,etc.,and anything upon which they could lay their hands.I have heard it said that the Japanese gendarmes,whatever their faults,were at least honest.Those that came to my home were by no means honest because they helped themselves to $8.000 which I had laid as’ue for difficult days—and in those days dollars were dollars.However,that is by the way.
“As soon as I was out of our bedroom and into my study my wife got up,and before I had left the house,in spite of the vigilance of the gendarmes she had succeeded in phoning to one or two of my intimate friends to tell them that the gendarmes were in the house.And she insisted upon the gendarmes allowing me to eat some bread and butter and drink as much milk as there was in the house.I thought that was rather good.A cabin trunk and a suitcase both full of papers,and I myself were put into a motorcar and taken to Bridge House.
“At Bridge House someone sitting at a desk asked for my wrist watch and whatever I had in my pockets.These were wrapped up and sealed,and then I was told to follow that man.I followed that man and presently I found myself standing before a somewhat evil–smelling prison cell.The front and one of the sides were barred,giving it the appearance of a large cage,some fifteen feet by twelve,and on the outside was an armed sentry.He pointed to my shoes from which I deduced that I had to take these off.This I did. The cell door was then opened and I was thrust inside. It was an astonishing experience!In my home at half past six quietly getting up in the usual way,by half past nine sitting on the floor of a cell, not knowing why I was imprisoned.
“There is no need for me to describe prison life.You all know moderately well what it was like.Food was very poor.A little gruel for breakfast.two o slices of dry bread for tiffin,and two slices of dry bread for dinner at night.Throughout the day we were allowed about a cupful of tea, sometimes hot,sometimes cold.The policy of the prison authorities was undoubtedly to reduce one’s resistance firstly by a low diet,and secondly by an insufficiency of liquid.There were twelve of us in the cell.For the greater part of the time we were compelled to sit on the cell floor,though from time to time on account of the cold we were allowed to walk round the cell.Conversation was not permitted.Naturally when the sentries were not looking everyone indulged in conversation,but on my second day in prison I was soundly beaten for whispering to my companion.In the evening we slept on the floor of the cell,each prisoner being allowed one cotton blanket.Later my wife was able to send me in two rugs.After dark,on many occasions,shrieks were to be heard coming from some part of the prison,and one argued that prisoners were bring questioned and that this was part of the scheme to terrorize one I sat on the floor of that prison for ten days before any question was asked of me,or any reason given for my being incarcerated.Then on the 10th night at midnight the prison doors were opened,my name was called,and I was led out to an office to be interrogated.
“The method of questioning was according to routine. At the outset it was suggested that if truthful answers were given one would be treated with consideration.However,as the questioning proceded one realized that the attitude of the questioner was that the prisoner questioned should say,“Yes, yes, yes” to every question that was asked.
“I learnt gradually that I was accused of three things (1) Of being anti-Nazi,which was perfectly true;(secondly)of being pro-Chinese which also was true:and(thirdly) of being a secret agent of the British Government,which of course was not true but no matter what I said my interrogators insisted that I was.When I said.“No,no.no,”they became decidely objectionable,and since they had the big stick and used it too,outwardly they had the better of the argument.By that I mean that by sheer physical methods they endeavoured to force one to say what they wished one to say.On that night I was interrogated and manhandled until five o’clock the next morning,and I was further questioned on succeeding nights.I was never interrogated in the daytime.
“Throughout my 94 days in the cell I was never allowed any exercise.Everything was done to impress upon the white man that he was the defeated one,and every kind of indignity was heaped upon me.But for myself I always had the feeling that morally I was their superior,and I felt too that they were conscious that I was their moral superior;however,that is something I don’t know.
“My release came quite suddenly four years ago last Tuesday.At about half past one in the afternoon I was suddenly called to the office where other foreigners were congregating.Here we were told that though there was sufficient evidence against us to have us court-martial–led,the Emperor of Japan was exercising great clemency and we were being taken to an internment camp.During three odd months I had not seen myself and it was rather amusing to look through a glass in that office and to see how one looked wearing a beard.I confess mine was rather awful.It was something like the kind of growth one sees on the jowls of an Airedale terrier.
简述:
这是王树德于1947年2月6日(周四)在Rotary Meeting上讲述自己在上海被日本宪兵抓走并下在狱中94天的经历。此前笔者曾写道王树德被日本抓走，一直关押到日本战败后才予以释放。今日从以上英文资料看，当初的描述显然是错误的。
William Harrison Hudspeth(1887-1976):王树德人生片段
以下依据英文资料，简短描述王树德被抓走、下狱到出狱的过程。
1942年10月29日早晨六点半，王树德起床后听到楼下有声音，于是走出卧室查看，见到一名法国警察领着武装好的日本兵已经开门进来，并沿着楼梯上来。王树德要求他们到他的书房去，因为卧室里还有他的妻子，但被无理拒绝，并要求他们回卧室穿好衣服，准备带王树德走。在起床后整理的整个过程，王树德身边都有人陪同着，不允许他一个人待在一处。就连刮胡子都不被允许，直到被带到书房去。在书房里，日本人随意翻找东西，拿走了许多东西。其中八千美元，原本是王树德在当时那个困难环境中准备好以防万一的，也被拿走了。
一个小时后，王树德被带出书房。虽然宪兵看得紧，但是王夫人却得到了一个机会，给他们的一两个好朋友打了电话。很快地，王树德被带走，而王夫人则留在家中。王树德被带进一辆汽车，很快他们就到达了Bridge House。王树德身上携带的任何东西都被要求留下，不准携带进去。就这样，他被关进了牢房里面。在这一天，从早上六点半到九点半这短短的三个小时里，他就被莫名其妙的送进了牢房中，没有被告知是以什么理由逮捕。
一起被关在同一个牢房的有十二个人，但不被允许说话。在这期间，他们只能躺在地板上，吃着简单的食物。王树德刚到的第二天就因为和另外一个人说了会话就被毒打。他的妻子在这期间曾给他送来点棉被。直到11月10号，才有人过来叫他前去问话。提问环节只需要回答”是”，你不可以为自己辩解。王树德这时才了解到自己所犯何事。他被指控三项罪名:(1)反纳粹，(2)亲华，(3)英国政府在中国的间谍。王树德对前面两项所指都认可，但说他是英国政府的特工则极力否认，这引来日本人的不满。他们试图通过物理手段逼迫他使他屈服，承认这些。直到第二天早上五点，针对王树德的审讯才结束。在这期间，他被暴力对待，身体经受了很大的苦难。随后的几个晚上，日本人也提审了他好几次……
经过94天的牢房生活后，在一个星期二的下午，王树德被释放。邋遢的他走出了”集中营”！
王树德在演讲中说，从自己经历的此次事件中，可以得到一些教训:
一，每个国家都应该有如《大宪章》一样的法律，以保证个人作为”自由人”的权利。
二，国际法令中应当有人身保护这一条，以免个人受到不公正对待。
三，警察government应当是被唾弃的。
四，残酷的对待他人的行为是不人道的……
(新婚不久的王树德夫妇乘船回国)
