He donated 740,000 yuan to Japan, sent 40 fighter planes, and was executed at the age of 86

Mondo Social Updated on 2024-03-05

On June 10, 1951, in the People's Stadium of Luda City, a rally to accuse counter-revolutionaries of their crimes attracted the participation of 100,000 people. One of the oldest traitors was particularly noteworthy, who, despite being 86 years old, was sentenced to death and shot in public.

The crowd at the scene cheered thunderously, and they cheered for the Communist Party and the people, and for the people to remove a great evil. It turned out that the man who was shot was the "oldest traitor" in China during World War II, who had given 40 planes to the Japanese and was received by the emperor ......

Zhang Benzheng, a native of Lushun Huangnichuan, once met the Japanese spy Takahashi Guards during the First Sino-Japanese War. He took the initiative to act as the other party's ** person, collecting intelligence in the name of opening "** shop" and "inn".

After the Japanese invaders landed at Huayuankou, Zhang Benzheng also returned to the northeast and guided the Japanese invaders to launch a general attack on Lushunkou. After the destruction of Arthur City, the inhumane Japanese invaders carried out a cruel ** for 4 days and three nights, resulting in the death of more than 20,000 innocent Chinese compatriots.

Zhang Benzheng once fantasized that he could live a "good life" with the Japanese, but the Liaodong Peninsula, which was forced to be ceded to Japan after the First Sino-Japanese War, was returned to China under the intervention of **, France, and Germany.

He, a traitor who was "famous" in the First Sino-Japanese War, was therefore wanted by the Qing **. It's a pity that the efficiency of Qing ** was too low, and Zhang Benzheng fled to Shandong and was sheltered by the Japanese consulate.

The corrupt Qing ** had no choice but to turn a blind eye for fear of Japan, which had just defeated him. In 1905, a war broke out between Japan and Russia to divide Korea and Northeast China.

Zhang Benzheng was also sent back to Tohoku by the Japanese to serve as a guide.

When Japan occupied Dalian, Zhang Delu, a businessman who was originally the first person of Tsarist Russia in Dalian, suffered misfortune and was wanted in the name of "Russian traitor". His two steamships, "Great Dehe" and "Little Dehe", as well as other property, were seized by Zhang Benzheng, who had the support of Japan, at a very low rate.

Zhang Benzheng relied on the method of borrowing chickens to lay eggs, and his industry gradually expanded, and he successively opened oil houses, iron factories, and pottery companies, and the number of ships he owned gradually increased to 21.

His industries are located in Dalian, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Andong and other places. Zhang Benzheng's success today is entirely due to the "help" of the Japanese, and he is naturally loyal to the Japanese.

He openly praised the Japanese invaders, and also prepared for the construction of the "National Defense Hall" and the "Dalian Nishihonhara Temple" to curry favor with the Japanese in exchange for new support. However, after the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1937, China**, in order to avoid financing the enemy, issued a secret telegram asking all shippers to sail all ships into the Yangtze River, or to Hong Kong or other ports.

Regardless of the ** order, Zhang Benzheng resolutely transferred all his 35 ships to Dalian to assist Japan in transporting arms and materials. Not only that, but he also actively raised funds for the war, and even personally donated 740,000 yuan, and finally raised 105 million yuan for the Japanese.

With the outbreak of the Pacific War, all of Zhang's ships were handed over to the Japanese army. A crew member named Ma Jisheng was handed over to the Japanese Maritime Police Department by Zhang Benzheng on the charge of "anti-Manchu and anti-Japanese" because he was unwilling to go to sea to fight with the Japanese, and was beaten to death.

Although the rest of the crew was not killed, their ships were sunk during the battle with the American troops, which became food for fish and turtles. Seeing that Japan was in a difficult situation in the Pacific theater, Zhang Benzheng even gritted his teeth and donated 40 planes.

Zhang Benzheng's loyalty and contribution to Japan was rewarded, and he was deeply moved by the fact that he was not only appointed as a member of the Dalian City Council, a member of the Dalian Public Welfare Association (Chamber of Commerce), and a vice president of the Red Cross Society, but also received an audience from the Japanese Emperor Hirohito and was honored with the honor of "Order of the Fifth Class".

Even if Zhang Benzheng was willing to curry favor with the Japanese at the cost of his family, it would not change the reality of Japan's defeat in World War II. Japan officially announced its surrender on August 15, 1945, but Zhang Benzheng still did not realize his mistake, he gathered a group of enemy puppet military police and reactionary forces, under the command of Japanese spies, collected intelligence, hid **, and prepared to carry out assassination activities.

At that time, the Ludajin area was under the administration of the Soviet army, and the Chinese Communist Party also had special liberated areas. For such a stubborn traitor, the people did not hesitate to arrest him and put him on trial.

However, at that time, the civil war had not yet broken out, so he could only be sentenced in accordance with the "Regulations on the Punishment of Traitors" promulgated by the Kuomintang. Despite the heinous crimes he committed, Zhang was sentenced to 12 years in prison, deprived of civil rights for life, and confiscated all his property except for the necessary living expenses for his family.

While Zhang Benzheng was in prison for medical treatment due to illness, he took the opportunity to escape from Dalian and fled to Shenyang, Shanghai, and Tianjin, which were controlled by the Kuomintang. But in the end, he was arrested and tried at the Dalian 10,000-person meeting on June 10, 1951.

Although he was 86 years old, he was sentenced to death and deprived of political rights for life because of his heinous crimes, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Punishment of Counter-Revolutionaries.

Amid the reproaches of 10,000 people, he was escorted to the execution ground, where he was shot. His act of seeking glory and confessing to the thief as a father was duly punished.

Related Pages