1921年上海虹口美日衝突事件研究

Japan-American Conflicts in the Hongkew district of Shanghai in 1921

第一次世界大戰（以下簡稱一戰）後的美、日關係，呈現出震盪起伏的態勢。這樣的變化，很明顯與美、日兩國戰後在中國事務上的齟齬與對抗，有很大的關係。德屬山東利權歸屬爭議、中國市場的競逐、遠東國際政治的重新洗牌等，均導致一戰後美、日在華對立情況日漸嚴重。早在1919年3月，美、日雙方即曾在天津租界爆發第一波大規模的武裝流血衝突，美國陸軍與日本軍警均涉入其間，不少旅居天津的外僑因目睹雙方的嚴重衝突，甚至擔心美、日終將在中國一戰。歷經一年多的外交折衝，美、日兩國政府終於在1920年底解決天津衝突事件，在彼此各退一步的前提下，藉由模糊處理事件真相的方式，勉強相互道歉，妥協了結此案。然而，短短不到半年的時間，1921年5月，美、日兩國水兵又在上海公共租界虹口地區發生新一波的暴力流血衝突，日本旅滬居留民團也參與其事。與天津事件如出一轍，美、日雙方又再次出現無差別式的報復攻擊行動，紛紛在街頭上到處搜捕與追打對方士兵。此類盲目性、無差別式的肆意報復行動，反映出美、日兩國在華基層士兵與民眾間，可能仍持續累積著仇恨，是以稍有矛盾細故，即可能引爆出大規模的武裝鬥毆。本文擬深入探究1921年上海虹口美、日衝突事件，釐清事件背後隱藏的美、日對抗態勢與仇恨緣由，及其與1919年天津事件之間的脈絡承繼關係。其次，上海為近代以來列強在中國拓展市場的根據要地，冠蓋雲集，英文報社密布，藉由分析英文報紙對於上海美、日衝突案的報導，或許可以略窺報紙輿論背後所隱含的立場，及其體現的現實關懷。 This article investigates the background to a series of conflicts between American and Japanese forces in the Hongkew district of the Shanghai International Settlement. It seeks to clarify the causes of these conflicts, which took place in 1921 and were often of a violent nature, by looking at Japanese-American relations at the end of World War I. The paper shows that these conflicts were related to Japanese and American interests in China; in particular, they had to do with the Tientsin incident of 1919. The paper also examines how the English-language papers in Shanghai covered these conflicts, and uses their coverage to shed light on the many political and social concerns that fueled the tension between the two nations.

This article investigates the background to a series of conflicts between American and Japanese forces in the Hongkew district of the Shanghai International Settlement. It seeks to clarify the causes of these conflicts, which took place in 1921 and were often of a violent nature, by looking at Japanese-American relations at the end of World War I. The paper shows that these conflicts were related to Japanese and American interests in China; in particular, they had to do with the Tientsin incident of 1919. The paper also examines how the English-language papers in Shanghai covered these conflicts, and uses their coverage to shed light on the many political and social concerns that fueled the tension between the two nations.