Minister Le Van Hien preserves 'Golden Week' public funds

FROM 'SPECIAL BUSINESS TRIP'

On December 1, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh signed a decree to assign the official position to Minister of Labor Le Van Hien to go as "Special Envoy of the Government to the provinces and battlefields of the South and South Central regions". On February 6, 1946, on the way from the South to Khanh Hoa, Special Envoy Le Van Hien met Mr. Phan Duc Huy, Chairman of the People's Committee of Lam Vien province (now Lam Dong). Da Lat had just been attacked by the French, our troops had to withdraw. The Committee also withdrew with the troops. Mr. Huy said he had brought some gold donated by the people to support the Government during the "Golden Week". He wanted Minister Le Van Hien to receive the gold and bring it back to the Government.

Offering incense in memory of the late Minister Le Van Hien

Government Special Envoy Le Van Hien and Mr. Phan Duc Huy made a paper handing over the gold. The recipient, Minister Le Van Hien, brought all the gold of Lam Vien people to Hanoi. This gold was handed over to the Director of the Quartermaster Department ( Ministry of National Defense ) for receiving.

Previously, in a telegram dated January 19, 1946 from Phan Thiet ( Binh Thuan ), Minister of Labor Le Van Hien sent to Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap, stating: "I visited Phan Ly Cham district, a district of the Cham people who previously offered the Government a golden hat. That hat is a very sacred treasure to the Cham people, left by a Cham king. They have kept it very well for about three or four hundred years, even though the French wanted to take it many times. Although it is a very precious object left by their ancestors and they deeply respect and worship it, today, seeing that the Vietnamese Government needs gold to fight against foreign invaders, the entire population has enthusiastically brought that treasure to help the Government. It is truly a very touching gesture of the people".

From a random event to the days of receiving gold donations from Lam Vien province people, Mr. Le Van Hien had a "fate" with the gold donations from people across the country during the "Golden Week" when he became the Minister of Finance.

ON USING GOLD IN THE RESISTANCE WAR

Nearly 80 years have passed, the "Golden Week" event in Vietnam has made not only historians but also the people not forget the hearts of the entire people at that time, especially the families with enough food and property, with a heart of constant production and constant dedication. In the memory of many people still remember: From the gold reserve of the Nguyen Dynasty, after declaring his abdication, Bao Dai - the last king of the Nguyen Dynasty - donated gold to the national treasury; all kinds of jewelry boxes of ladies, girls, and wealthy families; from the gold rings of newlywed couples; to even a tael of gold from servants such as cooks, drivers, and maids in wealthy families, they also donated to the Government during the "Golden Week".

After the Coalition Government was approved by the National Assembly (March 2, 1946), Mr. Le Van Hien became Minister of Finance. Through his position, Mr. Hien also managed the use of the gold donated by the people during the "Golden Week": 370 kg of gold. His diary helped to clarify for posterity how the Government used that gold.

During the resistance war, when the economic situation in the base area was extremely difficult: "The rice situation was very worrying. The army and agencies implemented a policy of saving rice, we ate two meals of porridge and one meal of rice every day to save some rice and also save money to buy food". The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of National Defense followed the example of President Ho Chi Minh in the "Letter to Save the Hunger" in 1945: Voluntarily reduce food intake, endure hunger to have extra rice.

But have those methods resolved the current dilemma? Should we use the gold reserves? In the diary dated August 1, 1949, Minister Le Van Hien wrote: "Check the current gold reserves to reserve for the Ministry of National Defense to organize purchases when the border opens. The total remaining gold is not much and must be divided into five or seven parts. The Ministry of National Defense needs it, other agencies also need it."

Not only national defense but also foreign affairs need funds. The Vietnamese women's delegation attending the Asian Women's Conference in Beijing also needed gold for travel expenses and expenses while abroad. But at that time, President Ho Chi Minh had not yet allowed the Ministry of Finance to touch the gold reserves.

At the end of the year, President Ho Chi Minh agreed to let the Ministry of Finance open the gold vault. Minister Le Van Hien wrote in his diary on December 28, 1949:

"Let me open the gold chest. It has been buried for nearly three years so the chest has been damaged, the gold mixed with dirt. Let me wash and select. All kinds of things: rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, etc. All the personal belongings of the people have contributed to the independence fund. During today's golden week, anyone who sees it will be moved. All the good deeds of the people are gathered in this pile of gold. It needs to be melted down and cast into blocks to be used mainly for national defense in time. The opportunity has come - the goods are used at the right time."

The old story is told again for us to reflect on today, when state officials use public funds wastefully and corrupt public funds with frightening numbers! After retirement, Mr. Le Van Hien also confided: "Looking at the lives and work of cadres and soldiers, the people really love and respect them, so they contribute very enthusiastically... If at that time, people saw cadres living a lavish life, living on top of others, or using public funds indiscriminately and wastefully, how could people enthusiastically and voluntarily contribute? Therefore, integrity, no embezzlement, no waste are very important conditions not only for expenditure, but also extremely important for revenue. I think this is a lesson learned not only in wartime, but also in peacetime, now and in the future." (Preface - Diary of a Minister).

Revolutionary intellectual Le Van Hien lives forever with posterity

That is the comment of Mr. Bui Van Tieng, Chairman of the Association of Historical Sciences (KHLS) of Da Nang City, at the discussion "Revolutionary intellectual Le Van Hien and the cause of national liberation" commemorating the 120th anniversary of the birth of the late Minister Le Van Hien, organized by the Propaganda Department of the Da Nang City Party Committee, Ngu Hanh Son District Party Committee, and the Association of Historical Sciences of Da Nang City on September 12, 2024.

At the seminar, the proposal to collect works, diaries, letters, and documents to publish a collection of works by Le Van Hien was approved by historian Duong Trung Quoc, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Historical Sciences Association. Mr. Quoc hopes that the Da Nang City Party Committee, People's Committee, and his family will pay attention to this proposal.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bo-truong-le-van-hien-bao-quan-cong-quy-tuan-le-vang-chuyen-xua-nhac-lai-185240914212455326.htm