After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the Kuomintang returned to Nanjing, and in June 1946, Chiang Kai-shek listened to the opinions of the Americans and established the Ministry of National Defense of the Nationalist Government. At the same time, the national army was reorganized. At the beginning of 1947, the Ministry of Defense conducted an accounting of its annual expenditures and found that all departments of the Ministry of Defense were significantly overspending. Chiang Kai-shek was furious at this, and summoned Defense Minister Bai Chongxi, Chief of Staff Chen Cheng, and Army Commander-in-Chief Gu Zhutong to the official residence where he lived, and threw a tantrum and demanded that the Ministry of National Defense convene a review meeting to investigate and hold accountable.
In March 1947, Bai Chongxi held the first review meeting after returning the capital to the auditorium of the Ministry of National Defense, at which the principal chiefs of the Sixth Department and the 12th Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense, the Counsellors' Office of the Ministry of National Defense, the General Affairs Office, the Budget and Finance Department, the Laws and Regulations Department, the Personnel Department, the Human Resources Department, the Industrial Mobilization Department, the Requisition Department, the National Defense Materials Committee, and the National Defense Science Commission, as well as the chiefs of various military units in Nanjing, gathered together. In accordance with Chiang Kai-shek's instructions, the principal officials of the Supreme Economic Council, the Central Police General Administration, and other relevant institutions also attended the meeting. The theme of the meeting was to review the issue of annual expenditure overruns in the Ministry of Defence. This is also a rare review meeting of the Ministry of Defence.
Ministry of Defense of the National Government
The meeting was presided over by Bai Chongxi, a first-class army general and the first minister of national defense. Bai Chongxi sat on the chairman's seat. Sitting next to him were Chen Cheng, Chief of the General Staff of the Ministry of National Defense and Commander of the General Headquarters of the Navy, Gu Zhutong, Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the Ministry of National Defense, Zhou Zhirou, Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force of the Ministry of National Defense, Lin Wei, Vice Minister of National Defense, Zheng Jiemin, Acting Deputy Minister of the Ministry of National Defense, Chairman of the National Defense Materials Committee, Director of the Second Department of the Ministry of National Defense, and Director of the Bureau of Secrecy Bureau; Yu Hongjun, political councilor of the Executive Yuan and executive member of the Supreme Economic Commission, Tang Zong, deputy director of the Ministry of National Defense's Secret Service Bureau, vice minister of the Ministry of the Interior, and director of the Central Police General Administration, Jiang Ching-kuo, deputy director of the Reserve Cadres Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense, Mao Renfeng, deputy director of the National Defense Secrecy Bureau, and directors and deputy directors of the six departments of the Ministry of National Defense. There are also some high-ranking generals of the national army in Nanjing.
Before the meeting, all the officials present knew the content of today's meeting, and most of them came to the meeting with the mentality of watching the excitement. Because a few days before the meeting, the entire Ministry of National Defense and inside and outside the Ministry of Defense were spreading all the rage about one thing. It is rumored that the Munitions Supplies Committee, the Second Department, and the Secret Bureau have aroused the dissatisfaction of the president because of the huge annual overspending, and the president has asked Bai Chongxi to convene a meeting for the relevant people to make a review, and the relevant personnel must be held accountable. At that time, it was widely believed that Zheng Jiemin, acting vice minister of the Ministry of National Defense and chairman of the Materials Committee and director of the State Security Bureau, Mao Renfeng, deputy director of the State Security Bureau, and Mao Huanzhang, secretary general of the Materials Committee, would be dealt with.
The rumor is very mysterious, saying that Zheng Jiemin, as chairman of the National Defense Materials Committee of the Ministry of National Defense, vice minister of national defense, director of the Second Department and director of the State Security Bureau, is responsible for the annual overspending of the Second Department and the State Security Bureau, and Mao Renfeng, who is actually the deputy director in charge of the State Security Bureau, also bears unshirkable management responsibility. Rumors also say that Mao Huanzhang, secretary general of the material committee. In the procurement and management of material and defense materials, there are serious problems, and the annual expenditure is more than doubled, and President Jiang is furious about this. In order to make up for the shortfall of the Materials Committee, Secretary General Mao Huanzhang shouted to catch the thief, and even instructed a colonel of the Nanjing Independent Division to lead troops to rob the salt transported by the General Administration of Salt Industry for the Fourth Department of the Ministry of National Defense. (See this incident in this issue "Revealing the Secret: A Military and Police Encounter in Hanximen in 1946 was Thrilling, and the Murderer Was Posthumously Awarded Major General")
A few days before the meeting, Chiang Kai-shek suddenly announced that Chiang Ching-kuo, deputy director of the National Defense Participation and Reserve Cadres Bureau, and Tang Zong, veteran of the Ministry of National Defense's Participation in the Army, veteran of the Military Command, deputy director of the Secret Bureau, vice minister of the Ministry of the Interior, and director of the General Administration of the Central Police, concurrently serve as members of the National Defense Munitions Committee and participate in the supervision and management of the Ministry of National Defense's munitions and supplies. All this, true or false, all makes these generals of the Ministry of Defense have infinite associations.
At this moment, Defense Minister Bai Chongxi sat on the chairman's seat with a solemn and respectful face, he slowly swept his eyes to everyone, and said solemnly: "Ladies and gentlemen, a few days ago, there was an incident in which the salt truck of the General Administration of Salt Industry was robbed, and we were all shocked, and President Jiang also had a headache about this matter. In the past few days, there have been many rumors within the Ministry of National Defense, and the rumors are becoming more and more outrageous, and the Ministry of Defense is currently investigating this issue, and we will announce the results of the investigation to you at an appropriate time. So please don't talk about this matter from today onwards. I repeat, this is discipline! Whoever wants to ignore the rules and spread rumors, I, Bai Chongxi, will hold anyone accountable! ”
Bai Chongxi glanced at everyone majestically and continued: "The issue we are discussing today is the issue of the annual expenditure of the Ministry of National Defense. I will not hide from you that last year almost all units of the Ministry of National Defense overspending, and some departments even overspended by nearly three times, resulting in a slack of armaments and an empty treasury. Today, at the behest of the president, I have convened a meeting here to review last year's expenditure and plan the overall expenditure of the Ministry of Defense this year. Discuss how to use the country's limited financial resources to really fight against the Communist Party at the front. ”
Bai Chongxi said in a deep voice: "Before the meeting, everyone should have read the general account books of the expenditure of various departments, bureaus, departments, commissions, and departments of the Ministry of National Defense this year, and they should also be clear about our current financial situation. With a big war imminent, how to effectively control the amount of our expenditures and use our funds to the best of our needs is a practical problem before us. ”
The room was surprisingly quiet, and the officials seemed to be listening attentively. Bai Chongxi continued: "Colleagues, we carry the safety of the party-state, we shoulder the heavy responsibility of the party-state, and we shoulder the task of fighting chaos and anti-communism. Dear generals of the party-state, as soldiers, do you not have the responsibility to share the worries of the party-state? The ancients still knew how to defend the country, know how to kill themselves, and know how to serve the country, and our generals of the Ministry of National Defense are all believers in Premier Sun's Three People's Doctrine, and are the vanguard of fighting chaos and saving the country. ”
"If the bandits are not eliminated, the country will not be at peace, the bandits will not be destroyed, and the family and the country will not be safe." In the face of the Communist Party's pressing step by step, what kind of face do we soldiers have to live in the world? The people say that we are 'tight at the front, tight at the rear', and there is some truth to this. Look at what we, the generals, have done this year? In the face of the encroachment of the communist army, our army was defeated and retreated; The soldiers at the front are short of food, salt, and medicine, and what about some of us? Excessive spending, unlimited luxury, arrogance and lasciviousness, and self-satisfaction. ”
Bai Chongxi was emotional, and his words were a little choked: "Generals, in the face of such a phenomenon, can we be indifferent?" In the face of such a situation, should we, the soldiers, reflect on it? Generals, the President has asked us to review our spending for this year. You heard it right, it's a review. The president's good intentions, everyone should understand! Generals, now is the time for everyone to unite, tighten their belts, and share their worries for the party-state. Today, we have to work out a plan to control next year's spending, and we must be careful in every penny of our spending in order to save money. I still say the same thing, we all have to work together and bear it together! Are we going to be in a time when the party-state is in danger? Highlight the true colors of our soldiers. As the saying goes, you don't need a hammer to beat the drum, and I won't say anything superfluous, so let's do it ourselves. ”
After Bai Chongxi finished speaking, the first speaker was Zheng Jiemin, member of the Sixth Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang Central Committee, acting vice minister of the Ministry of National Defense, chairman of the Materials Committee, director of the Second Department, and director of the State Security Bureau.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Minister Bai's words just now made me feel hot on my face, we are all soldiers, we should open our hearts to talk, since today is an internal meeting of our Ministry of National Defense, we should not have any scruples, you can talk about any ideas, do not say those big words, empty words, clichés, official words, and directly discuss the topic. I am the director of the Second Department, the chairman of the Materials Committee, and the director of the Secret Bureau. ”
Mao Changzhang, secretary general of the National Defense Materials Committee, looked at Zheng Jiemin with his eyes, and felt a little uneasy in his heart. Pick up the teacup on the table and drink it vigorously. Mao Huanzhang is Zheng Jiemin, the son and righteous son of his mentor.
Mao Qingxiang when he was young
At this moment, the door to the conference room suddenly opened. There was a sound of footsteps at the door. Everyone looked up at the door, only to see several soldiers rushing in. Led by Mao Qingxiang, director of the confidential office of the president's chamberlain and director of the technical research office, and lieutenant general of the army. He smiled and arched his hand to everyone, and said loudly: "Chief Bai, Chief Chen, Commander-in-Chief Gu, generals, contemptible people have come to attend the meeting of the Ministry of National Defense on the order of the president, and I have disturbed you!" ”
Seeing that it was Mao Qingxiang, Bai Chongxi hurriedly stood up, pulled a chair behind him, placed it next to him, and next to Chen Cheng and Gu Zhutong's chairs, and said with a smile: "Welcome!" Welcome! Director Mao, please be seated, please be seated! ”
"I'm late, sorry!"
"Where, where? General Mao came at the right time, and our meeting just started, just started. Bai Chongxi held Mao Qingxiang's hand and continued: "You are Qincha, do you have any instructions from the president?" ”
"The president just asked me to come over and listen, and there was no instruction. Sir Bai, go on with your meeting. ”
Bai Chongxi smiled and nodded, took out a box of cigarettes, handed them to Mao Qingxiang, Chen Cheng, and Gu Zhutong respectively, lit a cigarette himself, and put it to his mouth.
Bai Chongxi, who had already finished his opening remarks, saw that Mao Qingxiang was coming, and had to say a few more words.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, the financial situation of the Nationalist Government is that since last year, the Americans have reduced their military aid to us, and the economy of the Nationalist Government is now in great difficulty. According to the calculations of the Ministry of Finance, last year, the expenditure of our Ministry of Defense exceeded 2.3 times that of the year before and three times that of the year before last. From the perspective of sub-departments, the first department overspent by 23 percent, the second department by one time, the third department by 12 percent, the fourth department by 2.5 times, the fifth department by 8 percent, the sixth department by 37 percent, and other organs directly under the Ministry of National Defense exceeded the expenditure by an average of 12 percent. Judging from the books on the books, the departments with the greatest overruns are mainly the Fourth Department of the Ministry of National Defense, the Materials Committee, the Second Department, and the Secrecy Bureau; the Materials Committee is the procurement management unit responsible for military supplies, and the Second Department and the Secrecy Bureau are the intelligence organs. In recent years, the Materials Committee, the Second Department and the Secret Bureau have exceeded the plan every year, especially the Materials Committee, and this year's overspending is really too big. ”
Zheng Jiemin didn't expect that as soon as Mao Qingxiang came, Bai Chongxi directly called his name, which was inevitably somewhat embarrassing on his face, he knew that Bai Chongxi said this to Mao Qingxiang, the "Qincha", to listen to it, and wanted to clean himself up.
Zheng Jiemin is worthy of being a veteran of officialdom, he thought for a while, raised his head slightly, and said unhurriedly: "Ladies and gentlemen, just now Minister Bai named the names of our Fourth Department, the Material Committee, the Second Department, and the Secret Bureau. Then I'll talk about the situation of the Second Office and the Secret Bureau. ”
"As you know, the Second Office and the Secret Bureau are packaged for accounting. As far as the expenses of the Second Office and the Secret Service are concerned, this year is indeed a bit larger. The president asked us to save expenses, reduce unnecessary use, and use limited funds on the knife edge to save the country when the party and the state were in difficulty. ”
"To be honest, I didn't expect this year's expenses to be so big, and when I saw the financial report, I was really shocked. As acting vice minister of the Ministry of National Defense, chairman of the Materials Committee, director of the Second Department of Education, and director of the Bureau of Secrecy Bureau, I, Zheng Jiemin, still bear responsibility. ”
The generals and officials present all set their eyes on Zheng Jiemin, not knowing what kind of medicine he was selling in his gourd; Because Zheng Jiemin can completely shirk his responsibility for a short period of time. On October 1, 1946, Zheng Jiemin took up the post of director of the Secret Bureau and director of the Second Department, and only three months after taking office, and his acting vice minister of the Ministry of National Defense was only more than a month (nine months later, at the end of 1947, Zheng Jiemin was officially converted to vice minister). Mao Changzhang, secretary general of the Material Committee, also looked at Zheng Jiemin in puzzlement, and did not understand why he took the initiative to take responsibility. Only Mao Qingxiang still had a smile on his face, because he knew Zheng Jiemin best and knew that this was just an opening statement, and what Zheng Jiemin really wanted to say was still to come.
Zheng Jiemin's face was serious, he looked at Bai Chongxi, then turned his gaze to Mao Qingxiang, and between the eyes of the two, he continued: "Ladies and gentlemen, don't be surprised, although I have not been the acting of the Ministry of National Defense for a long time, the official appointment documents of the state government have not yet been issued. However, as the chairman of the Material Committee, I am in charge of the military supplies for the government. I have been in charge of intelligence work for a long time, and I am in charge of the Second Department of the Ministry of National Defense, which is also the Intelligence Agency. So, I'm still responsible. ”
Zheng Jiemin's tone changed and he said: "Yesterday, I carefully reviewed the financial report of the Second Department, and in a responsible attitude and pragmatic spirit, I carefully sorted out the major expenditures of the Second Department and the Secret Bureau last year. This year's spending is understandably excessive. Judging from the books, these expenses are really unnecessary. Why do I say that? Isn't it to exonerate someone Zheng? Exonerating the second hall? Exonerate the Secret Service from responsibility. I just wanted to state the facts. ”
Bai Chongxi glanced at Zheng Jiemin with some confusion, and stopped talking.
"Zheng Jiemin, what tricks do you want to play this old fox?" Mao Qingxiang scolded in his heart, still with a smile on his face.
Zheng Jiemin took out a cigarette from his coat pocket, took one and put it in his mouth, and said unhurriedly: "Before the meeting, everyone should have read the financial report of the second hall, and the overspending part of the second hall last year was mainly in ten major aspects, I want to discuss with you, can the expenses in these ten aspects be saved?" Should it be spent or not?
The generals swept their gaze to Zheng Jiemin almost at the same time. Bai Chongxi also glanced at Zheng Jiemin impatiently, signaling him not to sell Guanzi. Zheng Jiemin understood: Bai Chongxi wanted him not to make extraneous branches in front of Mao Qingxiang, the president's celebrity.
"Ladies and gentlemen, in accordance with the requirements of the president and Chief Bai for intelligence work, last year the Second Department and the Secret Bureau intensified their crackdown on the underground organizations of the Communist Party and the Japanese puppet special organs, smashed more than 1,400 of their underground organizations and peripheral organizations in various localities, and dug out more than 20,000 communist spies, Japanese puppet traitors, and dissidents of the military, police, gendarmes, and relevant organizations within the party-state. This year, the operations of the Secrecy Bureau have tripled compared to the year before, and of course the expenses have also tripled. The eradication of the underground organization of the Communist Party is one of the national policies of the party-state, and we cannot save this money, nor can we save it, let alone dare to save it! If there is a Communist Party, we have to arrest it. If you don't catch it, the country will have no peace, and if you don't catch it, we won't all be able to sleep well! Everyone said yes, right? ”
Many of the officers in the room nodded. Only Mao Qingxiang and Bai Chongxi were expressionless.
"The second big expense, we can't save, we have to spend. The Standing Committee of the Central Committee and the Ministry of National Defense have explicitly asked intelligence agencies to increase the training of special agents. Since the year before last, our intelligence personnel and secret service personnel have been greatly reduced, and some of our personnel have sacrificed their lives for the country in every major operation. Last year, it had reached the point where it was necessary to replenish personnel, and in some places, the old operatives on the front line were almost completely lost.
Therefore, at the request of the president and Chief Bai, we have held a number of special training courses in Xifeng, Shanghai, Chongqing, Nanjing, Chengdu and other places, and have recruited and selected more than 30,000 intelligence and operational personnel. Since the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Communist Party has stepped up its intelligence work, and a large number of intelligence personnel have returned from studying in the Soviet Union, and they have brought back a large amount of Soviet-style intelligence equipment. As you know, the demand for intelligence in the theaters is increasing, so we have to invest this money. ”
A few more officers in the room nodded yes. That's what Zheng Jiemin wants.
"Last year's third big expense also required me to be verbose. Last year, the Military Committee purchased a large number of radios, side vehicles, sniper rifles, and other military equipment from the CIA. Although the order for these equipment was placed last year, after the military council was reorganized into the Ministry of Defense. This year, the purchase price was paid by the Second Department and the Secrecy Bureau. The necessity of this amount, I don't think I Zheng Jiemin need to say more, everyone will not have objections. Right! ”
"The fourth major expenditure was made in July last year, with the approval of the president and the Standing Committee of the Central Committee, the Second Department and the Secret Bureau renovated a group of agents from the former headquarters of Wang's puppet agents, and at present these personnel are carrying out their work in a new capacity, some of them have entered the Communist Soviet District, and some of them have been sent to various stations of the Secret Bureau. Can we not spend this money? Since the beginning of the year, more than 7,000 people have died in the various types of the Secrecy Bureau system alone than in previous years, and the cost of burial and bereavement is also staggering. If we do not properly handle the pensions of these people who have sacrificed their lives for the country, who will go forward and succeed in the future for the great cause of the party and the state? So, this money can't be saved! ”
Zheng Jiemin sighed deeply, was silent for a moment, and then said: "The sixth major expenditure is that the Ministry of Defense sent personnel to the United States to study military and intelligence last year, and this year there are more than 1,500 more than in previous years. This is an item included in the "Memorandum of Cooperation between China and the United States", and it is also determined by the Standing Committee of the Central Committee, and the two departments will select personnel in the same department. However, the costs were charged to the Second Office. We are only executors of this money. It is not a decision-maker, but the expenses are covered by the Second Office, the Secrecy Bureau. "Say it. Zheng Jiemin spread his hands and made a helpless movement.
"The seventh big spending last year was the cooperation between the Secret Service and the CIA. This is a project negotiated between the president and the Americans, and although the project has been implemented for the first two years, many costs have not been settled. In addition, at the beginning of last year, according to the instructions of the president, the former Sino-US Chongqing Special Technology Cooperation Institute, China-US Guizhou Special Service Cooperation Institute, and China-US Nanjing, Chengdu and Kunming Special Technology Cooperation Institutes were renovated. The agreement for this project was signed between the president and General Stilwell, and the implementation of General Hurley and Deputy Director Mao Renfeng, but the cost of funds and equipment was lower than that of the second department last year. This expenditure is very large, and the specific expenditure is best known to Director Mao and Director Min of the Planning and Finance Department. ”
Mao Renfeng nodded with a smile and said, "This money is indeed what Vice Minister Zheng said, and the specific executors are me and General Hurley." The money was ultimately spent with the president's nod. ”
"The eighth big expense. Mao Renfeng should know better than me. The expansion of the stations in each district of the Secrecy Bureau has increased by 20 percent over last year, and some of the large stations have even increased by more than 30 percent. I don't know how many calls I have made to Mao Renfeng. The Americans telegraphed to the national government to calm down, and some forces within the party also stirred up trouble, and some so-called democratic parties also waved their flags and shouted. Colleagues, if we allow it to develop, what will be the face of our party-state? Where is the peace of the country? So, this money must also be spent. ”
Zheng Jiemin picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip of tea, and continued: "The ninth major expenditure is the new increase in the supervision of the army last year. Since February, we have increased the number of military and training offices, especially the local military political work and intelligence personnel, and this fee has also been paid for in the Second Department and the Secrecy Bureau. ”
"The last big expenditure is to update the equipment of the Second Department and the Secret Bureau, some of our equipment has been used for more than 10 years, the equipment is outdated, and the performance is no longer suitable for the current intelligence work, especially recently, the war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party is tense, and the requirements of the various theaters for intelligence work are urgent, so we have no choice but to update the equipment. The above 10 major expenditures are the fundamental reasons for the overspending of the Second Department and the Secrecy Bureau this year. All expenses, the Second Office and the Secret Bureau were reported to Chief Bai and the president in advance, and I checked them yesterday, and the formalities were complete. Ladies and gentlemen, I still have to say a few words, I'm not trying to shirk responsibility. Just state the facts. If you think there is something untrue, you can put it forward.
As I said, I, Zheng Jiemin, are responsible, and I can responsibly say that the above ten major expenses are all necessary expenses, that is, the president is here today, and I, Zheng Jiemin, are also saying this. But can we save a little, save a little? My answer is that of course it can, and the responsibility I have to bear is that there is no good supervision over these large expenditures, and those who should save a little may not be saved, and it cannot be ruled out that there are phenomena of fake public welfare for personal gain, favoritism, and self-enrichment in these expenditures. Of course, the amount of expenditure that we are discussing today, the management problems that exist, are not the subject of our discussion today. After the meeting, I, Zheng Jiemin, will review it with the president and Chief Bai. ”
After listening to Zheng Jiemin's statement on the expenditure situation of the second hall, the generals had solemn expressions on their faces. Bai Chongxi had an approving look on his face, although he didn't like this deputy very much, he also praised him for his quick thinking, clear logic, and sharp language. The Second Department is one of the most important departments of the Ministry of National Defense, and if there is a big problem, it will also give people and authority, which will affect his position as a minister. At this moment, Zheng Jiemin's statement made Mao Qingxiang, the eyeliner of Chiang Kai-shek, have nothing to say.
And Mao Qingxiang's heart is different, although he came this time with the authorization of Chiang Kai-shek, but he also has his own little Jiujiu, he and Zheng Jiemin have always been at odds with each other, he originally wanted to take advantage of such an opportunity to seize Zheng Jiemin's seven inches, a fatal blow to him. But Zheng Jiemin's statement is reasonable and well-founded, and it is not leaky. The key is that there is really nothing wrong with these large expenditures, and Mao Qingxiang also knows about these expenses, and the key is that Chiang Kai-shek not only knows but also supports them. So he couldn't catch Zheng Jiemin's pigtails for a while.
At this time, a shout suddenly came from outside the door: "President Jiang has arrived!" Immediately, Chiang Kai-shek hurried in with a group of people. Bai Chongxi, Chen Cheng, Gu Zhutong, Zhou Zhirou, Lin Wei, Mao Qingxiang, Zheng Jiemin, and Tang Zong immediately stood up to greet them, and all the officers at the venue also immediately got up. Immediately, Bai Chongxi, Chen Cheng, Gu Zhutong, Mao Qingxiang and others immediately greeted them.
Chiang Kai-shek attended the meeting
"Welcome to the Department of Defense." Bai Chongxi smiled and gave Chiang Kai-shek a military salute. Then, Chiang Kai-shek was welcomed to the main seat, and he and Mao Qingxiang sat first on either side of the long conference table.
Chiang Kai-shek took off his American trench coat and handed it to the attaché, then sat down slowly, and said, "Jiansheng, I will bring the heads of several departments of the Executive Yuan over to listen." Alright, let's get the meeting on! ”
"Okay, President!" Bai Chongxi bowed down to answer Chiang Kai-shek's question, and then said to the participants: "Ladies and gentlemen, the president has come to our meeting today to listen to the discussion of the issue of expenditure by our Ministry of National Defense, which is the trust and care of all of us, and it is also a spur and hope for us. ”
The officials at the meeting were a little puzzled: At a routine internal meeting of the Ministry of National Defense, President Jiang sent Mao Qingxiang to attend the meeting on the front foot, and then followed him on the back foot, what kind of rhythm is this? Not only the officials attending the meeting wondered, but even Defense Minister Bai Chongxi, Vice Ministers Lin Wei, and Zheng Jiemin were speculating about Chiang Kai-shek's intention to come to the Ministry of National Defense this time.
As soon as Bai Chongxi's words fell, Min Xiangfan, a lieutenant general of the army and director of the Budget and Finance Department of the Ministry of National Defense, stood up and said, "Okay, the Budget and Finance Department also made a statement. Bai Chongxi nodded and motioned for Min Xiangfan to speak.
"President, Minister Bai, Governors, Colleagues. Over the past month or so, with the cooperation of various departments, bureaus, divisions, and offices, our Budget and Finance Department has finally made a clear account of all expenditures for this year. In the past few days, we have sorted out the financial reports of various departments, bureaus, departments, commissions, and departments and sent them to all of you. Last year, the financial expenditures of our Ministry of National Defense were indeed somewhat large, especially the expenditures of the Second and Fourth Departments and the Materials Committee, which were really too large compared with the budget at the beginning of the year. As you know, at present, the expenditures of the entire Ministry of National Defense have been seriously short, and Vice Minister Zheng has just clarified to you the expenditure situation of the Second Department. ”
"Not necessarily, Director Min!" Mao Qingxiang suddenly interrupted Min Xiangfan's words and said aggressively, "The ten major items that the Second Department of the Ministry of National Defense overspent last year should indeed be spent on the whole. This cannot be denied. However, Vice Minister Zheng also said just now that some expenses can be saved. Also, I also took a careful look at the financial report you made just now, and I think that some expenses may have been reimbursed repeatedly by the Second Department and the Secrecy Bureau, but your department has not clarified it. For example, the first major item mentioned by Vice Minister Zheng is the actions of the Secret Bureau, which have smashed 1,400 underground and peripheral organizations of the Communist Party this year, and the bereavement and burial expenses in these actions should be settled separately after each operation. ”
Chiang Kai-shek sat in his seat and glanced at Bai Chongxi, and then looked back at Mao Qingxiang, who thought that Chiang Kai-shek was going to say something, so he paused to speak. Chiang Kai-shek, however, closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.
So, Mao Qingxiang continued: "However, in the fifth major expenditure item of the Second Department and the Secret Bureau, the funeral expenses and pension expenses are separately listed, is there any duplicate reimbursement in this? In addition, in the seventh major expenditure item, it is said that the construction costs of many cooperation projects such as the Sino-US Cooperation Institute, as far as I know, have already been included in the procurement of special equipment, but the expenses for special equipment such as radio stations and side vehicles have been included in the equipment renewal of the Secrecy Bureau. In addition, in the financial report, it was stated that part of the expenses for the large number of supplementary personnel in the various regional stations of the Secret Bureau should be the expenses for reforming Wang Pseudo-personnel to replenish the secret service personnel of the Secret Bureau, but the financial report of the Second Department was reimbursed as two items. Director Min, could you tell me clearly, do the problems I just pointed out exist? Have you vetted it beforehand? Investigated? ”
Faced with Mao Qingxiang's questioning, Min Xiangfan stammered and couldn't speak: "This, this, we calculate according to the actual usage of the second hall." As for whether there is double counting, Vice Chief Zheng and Director Mao made it clearer. ”
"Director Min, you are the department of financial budgeting and settlement of the Ministry of National Defense, and you are responsible for auditing, don't you know whether there is double counting?" Mao Qingxiang said without concessions.
"This ...... This ......" beads of sweat appeared on Min Xiangfan's forehead, and his eyes swept towards Zheng Jiemin and Mao Renfeng.
A document signed by Min Xiangfan
Bai Chongxi glanced at Chiang Kai-shek, who closed his eyes and recuperated, and then looked at Zheng Jiemin. Zheng Jiemin's face was expressionless, with a calm look, so he had to turn his eyes to Mao Renfeng. "Director Mao, what's going on? Let's talk about it!
"Sir Bai, the accounts of the Secrecy Bureau are very clear, every major expenditure has a original basis, and our financial situation is reported to the Budget and Finance Department as such. As for the data released by the Budget and Finance Division, it is much larger than the data we have reported, but these data belong to the entire Second Office, not just the data of the Secret Bureau, so I can only guarantee that the Secret Bureau is partially accurate, and I do not know why the Second Office is such data. But I believe that the data of Vice Minister Zheng and Director Min are well-founded. ”
The ball was kicked back by Mao Renfeng again, and Min Xiangfan was deeply disturbed, because if Zheng Jiemin did not admit it, then the responsibility for making false accounts would fall on his head. Min Xiangfan couldn't help but ask Zheng Jiemin: "Vice Chief Zheng, what's going on with the accounts of the Second Hall and the Secret Bureau, you have to stand up and talk about it, right?"
After all, Zheng Jiemin is a veteran of officialdom, he quickly calmed down after the previous panic, and now, it is the best time to attack and defend.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I don't think there is any major problem with the expenses of the Second Office and the Secret Bureau. As I mentioned earlier, some of the major expenses can be more economical. As Acting Vice-Minister and Head of the Second Agency, I am responsible for the management of expenditures. However, my responsibility is negligence and nothing more. ”
"As for whether some of the major expenses of the Secrecy Bureau can be saved, as I just said, it is definitely possible. Director Mao said that the expenses of the Secrecy Bureau were paid according to the actual expenditure? I would like to ask Director Mao to explain to you? What is Actual Usage? Is it that your Secrecy Bureau will reimburse you as much as you actually use? Do you have a plan in advance? Was it controlled beforehand? ”
Zheng Jiemin's words were sharp and scorching, pushing Mao Renfeng into the corner, and he couldn't help but answer. Before Mao Renfeng could speak, Zheng Jiemin said: "Although the Secret Bureau is a unit managed by the Second Department, I am also the director of the Secret Bureau. However, since the beginning of the military unification, the director of the bureau has always been in his name, and in that year, Dai Yunong was in charge of the work of the military unification in his capacity as deputy director. The same is true when it comes to the Secret Bureau, and you, Mao Renfeng, are also the deputy director of the Bureau, with full authority to handle the work of the Secret Bureau. In view of the peculiarities of the Secret Service, the state of expenditure of the Secret Service, no one in the entire Ministry of Defense knows about it, and only you yourself can say it clearly. ”
Zheng Jiemin didn't wait for Mao Renfeng to interject, and fired another shot: "Everyone also knows that the Secret Bureau has a lot of expenses, which cannot be seen in the account books, for example, some special expenditures, such as the Xuanxia's father incident and the Cao Diou incident, are related to the safety of the party and the state. Last year, the Secrecy Bureau spent a lot of money, which I think is completely understandable and completely acceptable. If we are timid in order to save a few dollars on such a major issue of right and wrong, then it will inevitably bring disaster to the party-state. If someone needs to be responsible for such expenses, then I, Zheng Jiemin, am willing to take this responsibility together with Director Mao. If you need to use this black yarn to be responsible, then I, Zheng Jiemin, will take out this black yarn hat, if I have to use the head to be responsible, then I, Zheng Jiemin, am willing to use this head to take responsibility without hesitation. I'm done talking. ”
Zheng Jiemin's cannon was to kill four birds with one stone, and the first thing to retreat was to advance, of course, for self-preservation, and he knew that the reason why Chiang Kai-shek sent Mao Qingxiang to the meeting first, and he immediately followed him, which showed that Chiang Kai-shek attached great importance to this meeting. Therefore, although it was a bit taboo to fire this shot, he had no choice but to take this risk; Second, he and Mao Qingxiang have always been on good terms, and he said this in order to let Mao Qingxiang throw a mouse bogeyman and let him retreat; Third, although there are deep contradictions between himself and Mao Renfeng, after all, the Secret Bureau is under its own jurisdiction, and he is not only the director of the Second Department, but also the nominal deputy director in charge of the Ministry of National Defense and the director of the Secret Bureau. Fourth, with Chiang Kai-shek present, Bai Chongxi can't be embarrassed in front of the president, so he must open this cannon to block the opponent's mouth and make them dare not go deeper.
Please see the next part "Next: After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the review meeting of the Ministry of Defense will turn into a farce of power dumping and swords"