Li Kuo-ching’s Letter to Hu Shih李国钦致胡适函

【导读】李国钦（1892—1961）早年留学英国，是中国第一个发现钨矿并用汉字“钨”描述这一元素的人，后常驻美国纽约，从事矿产进出口贸易，成长为国际军火原料巨贾，后兼任财政部与农商部驻纽约代表。驻美期间，与胡适、王宠惠、俞大维等人过从甚密。这封信选自《北京大学图书馆藏胡适未刊书信日记》，是李国钦于1938年7月21日写给正在欧洲访问的新任驻美大使胡适的。时值日本侵华危急关头，中国军民遭受巨大牺牲，民国政府不得不迁都重庆。在这样的背景下，民国政府一改既定方案，决定参加来年在纽约和旧金山举办的世博会。

偶然从外交部长俞大维那里得知这一消息的李国钦遂以好友身份致函胡适，从朋友共识、民族大义、利害关系、华侨现况等角度展开游说，试图劝谏中国政府放弃参会。李国钦的这番论述入情入理，字里行间流露出爱国心、民族情。民国政府最终决定不以官方身份参与1939年世博会。

如今，中国已成功举办2010年上海世博会和2019年北京世界园艺博览会，各类专业博览会精彩纷呈，规模和影响都远非当年所能想见。

Dear Friend，

适之兄钧鉴：

From your itinerary I note that you will be in London today. I do hope that you had a nice visit in Paris and that you will have a good sojourn in London. October is such a long time for us to wait for your return.

依兄日程，今日当抵伦敦。诚望巴黎之行愉快，并祝伦敦之旅顺遂。约以十月为归，期亦久矣，弟等翘盼殊切。

You may recall that while you were here we discussed about the World’s Fair. If I am not mistaken， I understood from you that there was a standing resolution by the Government restricting China’s participation in any exposition. I thought that was a wise move on the part of our Government because to participate in any exposition in a half-baked manner would only do more harm than good to China. The spirit in joining any exposition or world’s fair is to bring out the best in us.

兄当记在纽约时曾与我叙及世博。倘所记无误，兄曾言我政府有一常设决议，限制中国参与任何博览会。窃以为，此乃我政府明智之举：盖因诸事不备而贸然与会，弊多利少。任一博览会之参与，皆宜彰显中华之最佳，是为要旨。

For almost a year now I have been invited by the authorities of the World’s Fair to participate directly or indirectly. I have frankly told them that while China is fighting a life and death struggle， she has neither the time nor the resources to participate in the Fair and I know that she will be excused by America. As a matter of fact， China， by her absence from the Fair， will receive much more publicity than by her participation in a poor fashion.

近一年来，世博当局几番邀我直接或间接与会。我亦坦言，值此生死存亡之际，中国必无暇他顾，亦无资财以助，我知美国必谅中国之处境。实则中国因缺席所获之宣传，将远胜以窘迫之姿态列席其中。

The Japanese publicity agent HSH wants China to participate first of all because he does not want China to say that she did not participate because of the war and secondly， because he wants China to appear very inferior to Japan.

日方公关代表休斯敦之欲中国与会，一为其不欲中国以战事为由而不参会，二为其欲使中国相形见绌于日本矣。

I enclose herewith correspondence exchanged with Herbert Houston， James A. Thomas， William Chadbourne and Edward Hume， all of which is self-explanatory.

随函呈奉我与赫伯特·休斯敦、詹姆斯·A. 托马斯、威廉·查德伯恩及爱德华·休姆往来之书信，信中之意，可以昭然自见也。

To my great surprise today I was told by James Yu that the Chinese Government had changed its mind and would participate. I asked who gave him this authority. His reply was that it was given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I asked him further how the authority was given. His reply to this was that the Ministry， at the request of the Embassy， had consented to participate in the Fair provided the Government was not requested to spend any money. I asked how the request was made and I was told that “the Chinese in America and some Americans would take care of the expenses if the Government would only grant permission.” I told him that “the Chinese in this country knew nothing about the arrangements and I for one was certainly opposed to it because I felt that it would be a disgrace to China as she could afford neither the money nor the time to participate.” I also told him that I had participated in the Panama Exposition in 1915 and also the Philadelphia Centennial. As a matter of fact I was one of the Chief Judges of the Philadelphia Exposition. In each case China spent a tremendous amount of money and the result was only a poor second in comparison with Japan. I cannot see how any success can be made.

今日俞大维谓中国政府已改弦易辙，将欲与会，我闻此讯，惊异久之。问授权者何人，对曰：外交部也。更询其详。乃称外交部应大使馆之请求，已同意以政府不出资为前提参会。问以请求之故，则曰：“美国华侨及部分美国人愿担此费用，只待我政府准许。”我遂告之曰：“美国华侨于此安排一无所知，我亦决计反对，以为此举必成中国之耻，因吾国既乏财力，亦无时暇也。”又言及我曾参与1915年之巴拿马万国博览会及1926年之费城世博会，更系费城世博会首席评委之一。吾国历此二会，皆斥巨资，而斩获竟不敌日本。未来何以望见成功，则非我所能知也。

I do not know whether or not you are aware of this sudden change. The change was evidently made during my absence from New York. It was done with some secrecy. It was told to me by accident. You may have been consulted.

此等遽变，未审吾兄知否。料应生于我离纽约期间。其事能成，或涉隐秘。今日不期闻弟之听。或亦有人询及兄耳。

There is a great danger and that is that certain elements want to participate in this World’s Fair for a purpose entirely different from what you and I have in mind. It has been said off and on that a big restaurant should be set up at the Fair. You may remember that while you and I were at the Yale Club Hume asked us that question point-blank and our answer to him was NO.

此中潜藏重大危险：有人欲以截然不同于你我之目的参会。坊间间有传言，世博会上将设一大餐馆。兄或能记忆，昔日相与聚于耶鲁俱乐部，休姆直言以此相询，你我皆曰“无之”。

Why must these people have the Government acceptance？ Because by Government acceptance the Fair will grant a concession of 10，000 feet of land free of charge. These people want to use that concession and the other official privileges that go with it. I am very fearful of this—fearful that

何以此间人士必求得政府之许可？皆因凭此许可，世博会将无偿划拨一万平方英尺之土地。此辈欲得土地之利益，并其他相应之官方特权。弟于此深感忧虑。所虑者三：

1. The Japanese spokesmen may take this occasion to ridicule us —

一则日本发言人或借机嘲我讽我；

2. The Americans will wonder why China in her national crisis would participate in such an affair， and

二则美国人或将疑心，中国何以国难当前而参此盛会；

3. China will be made the laughing stock of the Fair because we haven’t the time nor the wealth to do justice to China or to the Fair.

三则无筹备之时与力，将使中国与世博蒙羞，亦使中国沦为世博之笑柄。

The Chinese people here are about taxed to their capacity. Their business is not altogether good. Even assuming their business was better， their first duty is to support those who are actually fighting the life and death struggle at home and not to support the selfish schemes of certain individuals.

此地华侨税赋已甚，所营之业亦多不如意。纵有生意兴隆者，其首要之责，乃扶助国内殊死搏斗之兵民，而非助长个别人士之私心。

I do not know how much you know about this matter or whether or not you will agree with my views. If you should have changed your mind and now agree that China should participate in the Fair， I would like to hear from you because if anybody in the world can convince me， you are the one to do it. While on the other hand， if you have not changed your mind and you still believe that China’s participation at this time in such a crude manner will do more harm than good to China， I would then suggest that you immediately cable the highest authority to stop this nonsense. You can do it—it is not too late.

不知兄于此事，知之几何，亦不知兄于弟之浅见意下如何。若兄意已变，以为中国今当参此盛会，则弟愿闻其详。盖当世能令我折服者，惟兄耳。然则若兄初衷未改，以为中国于此时草率参会，弊大乎利，则请速电告最高当局，止此妄行。兄固能为之，且为时犹未晚矣。

Yours sincerely，

顺颂时祺

K. C. Li

李国钦

（译者单位：北京语言大学）