Research On Wang Puppet Government’s National Federation Of Business Control

Material is one of the indispensable conditions in war,and its importance is selfevident.The adequacy of material largely determines the victory or defeat of war.Therefore,in the Counter-Japanese War,the Japanese side took control as a means to plunder materials,especially the people’s livelihood goods,such as rice,wheat,cotton,oil,etc.,to ensure the normal life of the military and civilian.At the beginning of the war,due to the obvious superiority of the Japanese army,the material control right was directly controlled by the Japanese army.After Japan’s defeat in the Pacific battlefield,the guideline of "new policy towards China" was put forward to cultivate popularity.Accordingly,Japan promised to surrender the right of material control.Through consultation,Japan and the puppet decided to establish a "self-governing" business group of businessmen,namely,the Puppet National Business Control Association,to take charge of material control.On March 15,1943,the Puppet National Federation of Commercial Control was formally established in Shanghai.This article takes the "Chamber of Commerce" as the main line to analyze its causes,background and the development of material control activities.By studying its organizational structure and the performance of its practical work,this paper summarizes the contradictions between autonomy and government,return and restriction in the actual operation.As a new organization set up by Japan in the occupied area during the war,the Chamber of Commerce not only cooperated with the Japanese puppet to obtain a large amount of material from China,but also had a far-reaching impact on the Wang puppet government,some big capitalists of China and the ordinary people who were under control at that time.This paper focuses on the control of rice and grain and discusses the influence of material control.During the development of rice and grain control,the Japanese-puppet relationship experienced a process from relative ease to rigid opposition.On the one hand,the puppet side needs to cooperate with the Japanese army to ensure the security of material acquisition and transportation by using the deterrent force of the Japanese army;on the other hand,the Japanese army has to intervene in control matters everywhere and break the regulations by force.For some Chinese capitalists,they held positions under the auspices of both Japanese and puppet regimes and hoped that through the association they could preserve themselves and even the entire Chinese industry and commerce.However,when Japan intensified its plunder of goods,they also became victims of control.Japan’s actions totally dampened the enthusiasm of capitalists before taking office.They took a passive way of resistance and gradually abandoned control.After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan,some capitalists of the "Chamber of Commerce" were sentenced for the crime of traitor.The people are the most widely affected group in the rice control activities.Not only the ordinary people not have access to food they need for survival,but also the personnel of Wang puppet government often face difficulties in using rice.