' s ▁arrival ▁in ▁P ek ing , ▁Snow ▁travel led ▁to ▁north - west ▁China ▁on ▁a ▁trip ▁which ▁was ▁to ▁produce ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁what ▁Ber tr am ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁" class ical ▁sc oop ▁of ▁modern ▁Asian ▁reporting , ▁Red ▁Star ▁over ▁China , ▁which ▁told ▁the ▁world ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Ma o ▁Z ed ong , ▁Z hu ▁De ▁and ▁their ▁associ ates ". ▁Snow ▁introduced ▁Ber tr am ▁to ▁key ▁figures ▁as ▁M me ▁Sun ▁Y at - sen ▁So ong ▁Ch ing - ling , ▁( the ▁wid ow ▁of ▁Sun ▁Y at - sen ), ▁New ▁Ze al ander ▁R ew i ▁Al ley , ▁the ▁Chinese ▁writer ▁Lu ▁X un ▁( Lu ▁H sun ) ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁revolution ary ▁activ ist ▁Ag nes ▁S med ley . ▁ ▁X i ' an ▁Inc ident ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁in ▁P ek ing ▁Ber tr am ▁observed ▁an ▁anti - J apan ese ▁student ▁demonstr ation ▁of ▁some ▁five ▁thousand ▁students ▁which ▁he ▁described ▁in ▁his ▁article ▁" The ▁Tw elf th ▁of ▁December ". ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁lear nt ▁that ▁General ▁Chi ang ▁K ai - she k ▁had ▁been ▁seized ▁earlier ▁that ▁day ▁by ▁the ▁North - e astern ▁D ong bei ▁troops ▁loyal ▁to ▁the ▁Young ▁Marsh al ▁in ▁X i ' an ▁until ▁Chi ang ▁agreed ▁to ▁enter ▁into ▁a ▁un ited ▁front ▁with ▁the ▁commun ist ▁forces ▁against ▁the