A Friend of China: the Papers of Evans Carlson Assembled at Yan’an
A Friend of China: the Papers of Evans Carlson Assembled at Yan’an
Property of the Descendants of Evans Carlson
Evans Carlson, Calligraphic autograph letter to Zhu De, 20th December 1937 | 埃文斯•卡尔逊先生致朱德同志信函 1937年12月20日
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Lot Closed
September 22, 01:44 PM GMT
Estimate
1,000 - 1,500 USD
Lot Details
Description
Evans Carlson
Calligraphic autograph letter to Zhu De, 20th December 1937
埃文斯•卡尔逊先生致朱德同志信函 1937年12月20日
Hq., 8th Route Army,
Somewhere in Shansi,
20 December 1937.
Commander Chu Teh [Zhu De],
8th Route Army.
Dear Commander Chu,
Before departing for an inspection of the front line units of the 8th Route Army, which I am doing on my own request and somewhat against your advice, I wish to assure you that I assume full responsibility for my security should my life be endangered by encounter with the Japanese military firees [sic]. Should chance bring my death or injury by a Japanese bullet no blame is to devolve upon you or upon the Chinese government.
With assurance of my appreciation for your cooperation,
I am sincerely,
Evans F. Carlson
Height 11½ in., 29.3 cm; Width 7½ in., 19.3 cm
This fascinating letter demonstrates the close bond formed between Evans Carlson and Zhu De (1886-1976), commander-in-chief of the Eighth Route Army, who later became the head of state of the People's Republic of China from 1975 to 1976.
The current letter is discussed by Carlson in his autobiography Twin Stars of China, New York, 1940, p. 84, where he mentions that he wrote specifically to the Ambassador of the United States at Hangzhou, to ensure that it was in the public record that he took full responsibility himself for his decision to put himself at danger by visiting the battlefront:
“That night I addressed a letter to Ambassador Johnson in Hankow. ‘I am going to the front,’ I wrote, ‘at my own request, and considerably against the advice of Commander Chu Teh. If I should be wounded or killed I want it distinctly understood that no blame is to devolve on the Eighth Route Army or on the Chinese government. The following morning I took this letter, unsealed, to Chu Teh, and requested Li Po to read it to him. Then I asked Chu Teh to mail it, that he might have assurance that it had been sent. He had a good laugh over this transparent artifice, but I could see that he was relieved”.