航運、砲艦與外交──1924年中、英「萬縣案」研究

Abstract

當外國輪船越過了重重險灘，進入了長江上游，與四川當地的中國舢舨船之間，會發生何種關係？輪船挾著高航速、大容量與高穩定的特色，會給當地舢舨船業者帶來何種衝擊與挑戰？瀕臨絕境的舢舨船業者，他們的抵制與反抗，又會對輪船航運造成何種危害？隨之而來的外國軍艦介入干涉與報復，又會對當時的中外關係帶來何種變數？本文試圖透過發生在1924年的萬縣案，經由比較衝突雙方的立場與言論，重建整個事件經過，分析事件衝突的遠因與近因、肇事的責任與英國報復行為所代表的意涵，進而釐清1920年代中期以後中國普遍性反英風潮產生的可能原因。

When the foreign steamers surpassed the multiple rapids and entered the upper Yangtze River, what would happen between the steamers and the local junks? What kinds of impulses and challenges would the steamers, featured by the high speed, great bearing capacity and high stability, bring to the junkmen? How would the boycott and resistance of the junkmen in misery jeopardize the steamers’ navigation? What would the following foreign gunboats’ interference and revenge influence the Sino-foreign relationship? This article tries to deal with the Wanhsien Incident, 1924, and elucidate the possible causes of the anti-British trend in China in 1920s by comparing the different standpoints of Britain and China, reconstructing the processes of the incident, and analyzing the reasons, responsibilities and significance of the incident.