Background
Chou Lu was born in Guangdong, China, in 1884.
Chou Lu was born in Guangdong, China, in 1884.
Mr. Chou studied at Chinshan Academy in Chaozhou and in 1909 graduated from the Guangdong Provincial Law College in Canton.
While studying at the College, Chou Lu assisted Dr. Sun Yat-sen in revolutionary activities against the Manchu Regime and participated in the Canton Uprising on March 29, 1910, directing publicity of the Revolution as editor of the Ko Poo in Canton.
Upon the outbreak of the Revolution in Wuchang in the fall of the same year, he and his fellow revolutionary workers responded to the movement and seized Canton from the Manchu Garrison and after the fall of Guangdong, he was appointed superintendent of Military Stations of the Northern Expeditionary Force and fought against the Manchu troops in Northern Jiangsu.
Upon establishment of the Republic, Mr. Chou returned to Canton and was appointed Director of the Government Bank of Guangdong and was elected a member of the Peking Parliament in 1911.
In 1913 Chou Lu went to Japan and served as an editor of the Republican Magazine established by Dr. Sun at Tokyo for four years until 1916.
When Yuan was attempting to crown himself Emperor, he again returned to China and raised subscriptions in South Seas and Hong Kong to finance another Campaign against Yuan. After Yuan's death, Mr. Chou was re-instated as a member of the Parliament. When the Parliament was dissolved for the second time by President Li Yuan-hung and when Chang Hsun was attempting to restore the Monarchy, he again followed Dr. Sun to Canton with the Chinese Navy and started a campaign for the defence of the Provisional Constitution. He resumed his seat in the Peking Parliament in 1922. Mr. Chou was commissioned by Dr. Sun to suppress the revolt of Chen Chiungming and succeeded in expelling Chen from Guangdong.
Chou Lu was commissioned by Dr. Sun to organise the Guangdong University. He was elected a member of the Central Executive Committee and concurrently Director of the Youth Department at the 1st National Congress of Kuomintang in Canton in 1924. After the death of Dr. Sun in 1925, he advocated the purgation of the Communist elements of Kuomintang and convened the 4th Plenary Session of Kuomintang at the Western Hill in Peking (which is popularly known as "Western Hill Conference") at which it was decided to expel all Communist members from the Kuomintang.
Mr. Chou was opposed by Gen. Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Ching-wei for the decision and after establishment of the Nationalist Government in Nanjing, he was forced to resign from his posts as member of the C.E.C., of the Government Council and of the Central Special Committee. Chou Lu toured abroad and visited 29 countries, studying political economic and educational conditions. He participated in the Peking Enlarged Conference of Kuomintang and the Northern Military Coalition in oppositioin to Gen. Chiang Kai-shek. After collapse of the Coalition, he returned to Canton where he with other members of the Party organised the Extraordinary Session of Kuomintang and established an Opposition Government against Nanjing. Upon the reconciliation of Canton and Nanjing in December, 1931, he was appointed a delegate of Canton at the Shanghai Peace Conference.
After the abolition of the Canton Government, Chou Lu was appointed a state councilor of Nanjing Government and concurrently Chancellor of National Chungshan University in Canton. In addition to these, he was also a member of the Southwestern Political Council.