二四、致留学界公函

二四、致留学界公函（三月十九夜）
ANOPENLEITERTOALLCHINESESTUDENTSMydearBrethren:
IfImayjudgefromthesentimentsexpressedinthelastissueoftheMonthly,Iamafraidwehavecompletelylostourheads,andhavegonemad."Fightandbevanquished,ifwemust",saysoneClub.EvenMr.W.K.Chung,aChristianofmaturethought,declaresinfieryeloquence:"Evenifwefightandbedefeatedandconsequentlysufferthedisgraceoflosingourcountry,—eventhiscourseshouldbeinevitableandpreordained.Istillsay,wecouldnotbutchoosetofight…LetusfightandbeconqueredlikeBelgium."EvenourEditor-in-chiefwhoinhiseditorialsadvisedusthathotheadshavenoplaceinthedeliberationofsuchgreatnationaldangerandthatweshouldconsultourheadsaswellasourhearts,—evenhewritesonanotherpage:"TheChinesewillhavenochoice(whichtheywillnothesitatetomake)buttofight!"
Now,letmesaythatallthisispureinsanity.Wehavelostourheads.Weareexcited,nervous,nay,"patrioticallyinsane."MyBrethren,itisabsolutelyuselesstogetexcitedatsuchacriticalmoment.Noexcitement,norhigh-soundingsentiments,norsensationalsuggestions,haveeverhelpedanynation.Talkingoffighting"onpaper"isthemostshallowcourseforustotake,whocallourselves"students"and"capablemen".
ItseemstomethattherightcourseforusstudentstotakeatthismomentandatthisdistancefromChina,isthis.Letusbecalm.LetusDOOURDUTYwhichisTOSTUDY.Letusnotbecarriedawaybytheturmoilofthenewspaperfromourseriousmission.Letusapplyourselvesseriously,calmly,undisturbedlyandunshakenlytoourstudies,andPREPAREOURSELVEStoupliftourfatherland,ifshesurvivesthiscrisis—asIamsureshewill,—ortoresurrectherfromthedead,ifitneedsbe!
MyBrethren.THATisourdutyandourrightcourse!
Isay,talkingoffightingJapanatthispresentmomentisinsanity.Forhowcanwefight?OurEditor-in-chiefsaysthatwehavethefightingstrengthofonemilliondeterminedsoldiers.Letuslookatthefacts,wehaveatmost120,000soldiersthatcanbecalled"trained",butpoorlyequipped.Andwehaveabsolutelynonavy:thelargestvesselinournavyisathird-classcruiserwithadisplacementof4,300tons.Andhowaboutmunitions?Whatshallwefightwith?
SoIsaywithallsincerityandwithalldevotiontoChina,thatitispurenonsenseandfoolishnesstotalkoffightingwhenthereisnottheslightestchanceofgaininganythingbutdevastation,anddevastation,anddevastation!
AndyoutalkofBelgium—ofheroicBelgium!MydearBrethren,letmetellyouwithallmyheartandsoulthattoresistthetideofanoceanwithasinglehandisnoheroism,andthattostrikeaneggagainstarockisnoheroism!Moreover.Belgiumdidnotcontemplatesuchanutterdefeat.ReadsuchbooksasHowBelgiumSavedEuropebyDr.CharlesSaroleaofBelgium,andyouwillseethatshewassureofFrenchassistanceandofBritishsupport.AndshewasconfidentofherLiegeandherAntwerpwhichhadthereputationofbeingthestrongestfortificationsintheworld.SoBelgiumstakedallherfortuneforthe"glory"ofbeingaheroicnation!Wasthattruecourage?Wasthattrueheroism?
AndmyBrethren.thinkofBelgiumandoftheBelgiansoftoday!Isthe"glory"ofheroismworthallthesacrifice?
IamnotblamingtheBelgians.WhatIwanttopointouthereisthatBelgiumisnotworthChina'simitating,andthatwhosoeverwishesChinatofollowBelgium'spathandfateissinningagainstChina.
Inconclusion.letmerepeat:DONOTGETEXCITED:LETUSDOOURDUTYWHICHISTOSTUDY.
ThefinalsolutionoftheFarEasternQuestionisnottobesoughtinfightingJapanatpresent;norinanyexternalinterferencebyanyotherPowerorPowers;norinanytemporaryreliefsuchastheequilibriumofpowersorthatoftheOpenDoor;norinanysuchproposalastheJapaneseMonroeDoctrine.Therealandfinalsolutionmustbesoughtsomewhereelse—far,fardeeperthanmostofusnowsuspect.Idonotknowwhereinitlies:Ionlyknowwhereinitdoesnotlie.Letusstudyitoutcalmlyanddispassionately.
Readthislettercarefullybeforeyoucondemnme.
Veryearnestly.Yourbrother.SuhHuIthaca.N.Y.
〔中译〕致留学界公函诸位：
以上月期刊中各位所表示之义愤观之，余担忧吾辈皆头脑发热，理智失常。某一学生会以为“吾辈非战即死”。甚至连这位通情达理之基督徒——W·K·钟君也义愤填膺，宣称“倘使吾辈命中注定：凡战必败，终要遭受亡国之辱，余仍要说，吾辈别无选择，只有决一死战……宁可像比国人一样，非战即死。”甚至连该刊主笔先生，日前还在社论中劝诫众人，在此民族危亡之际，切不可鲁莽行事，乱了方寸，义愤之馀还须诉诸理智，如今他也在另一文中写道：“中国人别无选择，只有决一死战！（国人将毫不犹豫作此选择）”
此刻，余要说上述言论完全是疯话。吾辈情绪激动，神经紧张，理智失常，可以说是得了“爱国癫”。诸位，在此危急关头，情绪激动是决无益处的。激动之情绪，慷慨激昂之爱国呼号，危言耸听之条陈，未尝有助于国。吾辈自称“学子”、“干材”，若只是“纸上”谈兵，则此举未免过于肤浅。
以余观之，吾辈学子，远去祖国，爱莫能助；当务之急，当以镇静处之。让吾等各就本分，各尽责职；吾辈之责任乃是读书学习。不可让报章上所传之纠纷，耽误吾辈之学业。吾等正要严肃、冷静、不惊、不慌，安于学业，力争上流，为将来振兴祖国作好一番准备，只要她能幸免于难——余深信如此——若是不能，吾辈将为在废墟上重建家园而努力！
诸位，这才是吾辈之责任！才是吾辈之当务之急！
余以为，此刻言及对日作战，简直是发疯。我何以作战？主笔先生说，我有一百万敢决一死战之雄狮。且让大家来看一下事实：我仅有十二万士兵谈得上是“训练有素”的，然其装备甚为简陋。而且，我海军毫无战斗力：军中最大之战舰乃一三等巡洋舰，其排水吨位仅为四千三百吨。另外，军火又如何呢？我何以作战？
余赤诚以报祖国，此时言及作战，纯系一派胡言，愚不可及。其后果，不仅于国无所改观，而且所得只是任人蹂躏！任人蹂躏！再任人蹂躏！
至于说到比国——那个英勇的比利时！诸位，余要披沥肝胆向你们陈述：螳臂挡车、以卵击石决不是英雄主义！更何况比国当时也不曾料想有今日之惨败。奉劝诸位读一读，由比国人查理·沙罗利博士撰写的《比利时如何拯救欧洲》一书吧。盖比利时深知，一旦战争爆发，英法两国必然赴援。加以列日和安特卫普享有全世界最坚固堡垒之美誉，比国人自信此二城市固若金汤有恃无恐。于是，比国人才为国家之荣誉而孤注一掷！试问，这是真正的勇敢吗？这是真正的英雄气概吗？
诸位，看一看比国，想一想今日之比国人罢！试问，为这种英雄主义之“光彩”而作出全部之牺牲，值得吗？
余并无指责比国人之意。在此，余想指明的是，比国并不值得中国仿效。任何人，若想硬要中国重蹈比国之覆辙，则无异于是对祖国之亵渎。
综上所述，余再重申前言：切勿感情用事：让吾等各就本分，各尽责职，吾辈之责任乃是学习。
远东问题最终解决之症结，不系于对日作战，不系于某些列强施加之外来干涉；不系于任何治标之方法，也不是由列强在华势力均衡或门户开放政策所造成的；更不系于采用日本之门罗主义；凡此种种皆不是最终解决之方法。真正、最终解决之道一定是另有法门——它较吾人今日所想象者当更为深奥。余也不知其在何处，只知它不在哪些地方罢了。还是让吾辈作些冷静、客观之研究吧！从长计议罢！
深盼诸位在詈骂余之前，细读拙文，实不胜企祷之至！
诸位之弟胡适谨上纽约，绮色佳
读三月份《学生月报》已，已就寝矣，辗转不能成寐，披衣起坐，作此书至夜分二时半始睡。