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Rape Of Nanking Interview - written by Jisoo

Introduction(JJ): 26,000 people killed. Perhaps more. Twenty four hours a day, innocent blood was spilt, and there was not one moment when a woman was not being dragged off and raped mercilessly and humiliated in front of many men. These brutal and inhumane things are the truth of what happened at the Rape of Nanking, the most forgotten and brutal story in history. The things that are known to us about this tragic event are merely several fragments of the entire event; the killing was so extensive that it is impossible to tell them all.

During these dark days, a ray of hope existed. A group of selfless Europeans and Americans made up the Nanking Safety Zone, and several individuals used their positions to help the Chinese to hide safely from their dreaded fates. Today, in the interview that we will be presenting, we have a guest, Mister John Gillespie Magee, who played a key role in filming footage of the inhumane cruelty that went on throughout the Rape of Nanking.

K: Welcome, Mr. Magee. Could you introduce yourself to our audience?

JJ: Hello everyone, my name is John Gillespie Magee. I was born in 1884, and I am a priest. I worked in Nanking for the victims of the massacre, and I managed to film some footage of the crimes going on at Nanking, though it was forbidden.

K: I understand that you knew that all these terrible things were happening there. What led you to Nanking, despite your knowledge about the things happening there?

JJ: Well, I am a priest, and I could not just stand there, doing nothing and just watching the Chinese women and men cry out in pain. I believe that God’s children are all equal, and that causing suffering to this extent to innocent civilians is not correct at all. All I wished was to soothe the pain of the Chinese victims.

K: I admire you for your selflessness; truly, I do. Before we begin officially, could you describe to us what role you played in helping the people at Nanking? What methods did you take to help ease the sufferings of the people who were being tormented?

JJ: Well, I helped organize the safety one, and I established the International Red Cross Committee of Nanking and was the first chairman of the organization. As the chairman, I also put up the Red Cross Hospital, which helped to care for and protect the Chinese soldiers. I worked to find funds for many clinics in Nanking, because many were lacking money and facilities. I visited many refugee centers and hospitals, to find out more of the crimes that were happening in Nanking, and to soothe the pain of the soldiers. Also, I wanted to show the rest of the world the pain and suffering being caused by the Japanese soldiers to the people of Nanking, so I took footages of the crimes being done. I thought that if the footage I filmed got out into the world, then the rest of the world would realize how much of a serious catastrophe is happening inside the city, and would try to help.

K: Thank you for your kind and clear explanations. Now we will move on to the questions we have prepared for you. Please answer them in detail!

JJ: Of course. Please do start!

K: Firstly, can you explain to us the background story of what happened in Nanking in 1937? What were some of the crimes that occurred in the city?

JJ: Well, as you all know, Japan began its expansionist movement, and their first target was Nanking. The Japanese soldiers came and invaded Nanking, and it may sound like any ordinary massacre, but this one was special in a brutal, unpleasant way. The Japanese soldiers did inhumane things to the Chinese people in Nanking, and humiliated all the women they could find. All the women that the Japanese could get their hands on were raped, including girls who were only eleven years old. Fathers were forced to rape daughters, and sons were forced to rape mothers. Men were beheaded, thrown in the Yangtze River, and used as victims of killing contests. It was a living hell, no doubt about it. An astonishing total of 26,000 people were killed, and even more women were raped. Although it is one of the most tragic and atrocious events that took place in history, it is not famous at all; this can be seen evidently from how everyone knows about the German holocaust, whereas not many people know about the Rape of Nanking. It is a really heartbreaking episode.

K: You must have been very saddened as a priest, to have seen all these crimes taking place, and many people including women and children being tormented by it all.

JJ: Indeed, I was. It was disturbing to see all these things happening right in front of my eyes. I never imagined such things doable.

K: Even though it would be painful for you to do so, could you possibly tell us about some cases of atrocities committed by some Japanese soldiers?

JJ: With pleasure, if it will help to reveal the truth about the Rape of Nanking. One day, during the Rape of Nanking, I saved a girl who was fifteen, and she told me about what the Japanese had done to her family. She told me that her older brother, his wife, older sister, father, and mother were killed by the bayonet, and she was carried off to a place where there were 200 to 300 Japanese soldiers, and was continuously raped, several times a day until she fell ill, and the soldiers refused to rape her any more. Also, a widow was raped around 18 to 19 times, and an old lady who was 76 years old was raped twice.

K: That is such atrocious behaviour! Normally, people go crazy themselves after killing people, or doing things of the sort. What do you think allowed the Japanese soldiers to do such brutal things? What factor of their way of thinking allowed them to do so?

JJ: I think that many factors contributed to their actions. One factor is their upbringing. The Japanese were educated to think that their opponents were merely animals, and not humans. I do not understand how they were able to do such things, and how they were able to see the Chinese as mere animals; we are all the same humans. How can we, as humans, kill and humiliate other humans for the sake of it? I simply was astounded at those actions.

K: I understand that you must have been deeply surprised, and that these memories hurt your feelings, since it must have been very shocking and disturbing indeed, so we will move on to the next topic of interest. How were you able to film the footage that was brought out by George Fitch? It was forbidden to film anything. Also, why did you want to film the atrocities, even though it meant putting your life at risk?

JJ: I thought that if I taped some of the atrocities and managed to get the footage out and into other countries, then the world would be able to help the poor Chinese, who were suffering in Nanking because of the horrendous actions of the Japanese. I managed to film the footage with the help of a 16-mm movie camera, and I filmed most of the cases at the hospital. If I had had more film are time, then I would have been able to film more. I knew perfectly well that it was forbidden to film anything in Nanking, but the truth had to be told, and the Chinese people needed help, and the quicker the better. I thought that if I sacrificed myself for all these people, maybe these people would be able to be released from their sufferings quicker.

K: Once again, I am astonished at your selflessness and your courage. If I had been in your position, I would not have even dared to do such a thing!

JJ: Thank you for your kind words.

K: I would really love to learn more about what happened at the Rape of Nanking, and to hear more of your stories. However, we are out of time! Thank you for being here with us today, Mr. Magee!

JJ: My pleasure. I am glad that I was able to make some more people aware of this tragic event, which sadly no one seems to know about.

K: Thank you for sharing with us!

JJ: No, I should be the one saying thank you.