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THE HONG KONG WEEKLY PRESS &
October 29, 1937
AMAZING PROGRESS IN SIX YEARS
What Sino-Japanese War Has
Meant To China
Something of China's amazing progress during the past few years was discussed by Mr. Walter Han- ming Chen, the well-known Chinese journalist and publicist when he spoke to Hong Kong students at the Hong Kong University on Oct. 19 on "Present-day China."
As you know, China, since the overthrow of the Manchus 26 years ago, was for more than two de- cades divided and nobody was able to bring about unification in our country. Military leaders and poli- tical chleftains were jealous of each other: they fought for power and self-aggrandisement. Com- munists battled against the cen- tral government.
Banditry was rife. Then came the Japanese, who forcibly oc- Pro- cupied our Three Eastern vinces, where they set up a puppet state which they called Manchukuo. Then they pushed further south- ward into north China and there. aided by traitors, they established
a
so-called autonomous regime, which permitted widespread smug- gling and the poisoning of our unfortunate people, through the sale of opium. morphine and other dangerous drugs.
After that. they occupied Pei- ping, Tientsin and other places in north China, and started warfare in Shanghai and other places along the Peiping-Hankow and the Tien- tsin-Pukow Railways, where at present our brave soldiers and air- men are putting up a glorious bat- tle for the honour and existence of our country. Such a state of af- fairs, everybody will agrée, could not be tolerated.
China had to have a leader why was capable of uniting the coun- try and resisting invasion. We had to find a leader, who was a real and sincere patriot, who would command the people's confidence. Heaven gave us General Chiang Kal-shek, the only man who is able to save China and lead our national army in defence of our country With his New Life Movement, the Generalissimo has succeeded, where others had failed in uniting our ancestral land and is, as you know, personally directing the resistance against those who are trying to de- minate and conquer our country.
REAL UNITY
Many people have questioned me as to whether our unity is real.
I can assure you that. beyond a shadow of doubt, it is. China is now more united than she has been for years past. Never before in- deed, have we Chinese been so united and never before have the their leaders shown people and
such spirit of co-operation.
It has constantly been claimed that China is weak and not united and that it is unsafe and danger- ous to live in our country, but we have shown. during the past few are far from months, that we being weak and that we are a really unified country. As to the allegation that China is a danger- ous place to live in, you may be interested to know that nowadays, with the exception of the terri- tories occupied by the Japanese, people may come and go about and live in China in perfect safety.
In former days, one would never have dared to make such a state- ment, but to-day things are dif- ferent and we seldom read in the press of civil warfare, communist activities, banditry or kidnappings -depredations which have been nearly wiped out-such as we used to read about almost every day in the past.
AMAZING PROGRESS
The really startling thing about China to-day is the amazing pro- gress which has been taking place throughout the country. The era of civil war and banditry, as I have already said.Js ended. Both the will of the people and the policy of the National Government are united in harmonising and com- posing all differences through peaceful means.
Everywhere, there is a widespread recognition of the fact that, with the solution of the economic pro- blem, the political problem would automatically be solved. For this reason, our government has been bending all its energies towards elving the people an efficient. honest, and progressive administra- tlon.
we
drastic changes, otherwise we may fail in our efforts.
NEW LIFE MOVEMENT The New Life Movement is deep- ly concerned with the character that goes to make a nation and with developing that character. Without men and women of char- acter, there can be no unified state, When men allow personal ambi- tion, greed, selfishness, and vain- glory to dominate their political theories and acts, we are imme- diately plunged into cival war. The New Life Movement has done a considerable amount of work and it would take hours to tell of the progress which it has already made. and the reforms which it has brought about in China.
In addition to character building, the New Life Movement stresses the responsibilities of citizenship. Ambitious men may intrigue to in- vade neighbouring provinces but, as citizens more and more are voicing their opinions and insisting upon unification, this breaking of national unity has become exceed- ingly difficult. He is a foolhardy man Indeed who to-day disregards this growing and formidable public opinion. There is national unity in China because the people de- mand it. National reforms are be-
ing brought about because the peo-
ple demand them.
AFTER THE WAR
Now that unity has been restored. the Nanking authorities will, when the present Sino-Japanese hos- tilities are ended, and eventual vic- tory is won by China, turn their eyes to education and communica- tions, after which I understand. steps will be taken towards raising the standard of living of the peo- ple.
The growth of the modern school system throughout China has been phenomenal. Everywhere in the interior, we see children and adults with their books coming and com- ing. The fact is that the vast majority of the people are not informed on
many matters that concern their every day life, and Ignorance and superstition still in- fluence them to an alarming extent.
Now, I am happy to say, educa- tion has come to China and it has come to stay. It is growing rapidly and thousands of cheap and effi- clent schools are being opened, or have been opened in the different provinces. Madame Chiang Ka!- shek has opened a
number of schools, and is mothering several hundred students in schools for the children of the revolution and recommends this form of social ser-
Where carelessness and corrup- tion have long held away. this is not as easy as may appear. We do claim to have eliminated rotten-
and ness
graft entirely.
do claim to have made considerable progress in this direction. We must give the Chinese Government time to wipe the slate clean. We must be patient and not expect too vice to her friends.
October 29, 1937
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
AMAZING PROGRESS IN SIX YEARS
EDUCATION FORGING AHEAD
I have mentioned a cheap and efficient system of education. Be- tween 600 and 1,0000 of the most used characters in the Chinese written language have been chosen and those who know these have a useful everyday grasp of their use. Cheap books have been printed and supplied to the different schools, free of cost. Paper and ink are d'stributed gratis to the students,
Teachers who have finished their middle and normal school educa- tion are selected and given a small salary, just enough to live on. ITI many places, temples and other buildings are borrowed and used as school buildings.
In many cases, there are black- boards but no desks Or stools. Sometimes students are to be seen sitting on the ground, using their knees as their desks, and writing as best they can on them. Neverthe- less, in spite of their difficulties, they learn and, at the end of their day's work, they are told to go home and teach their parents and elders, which they generally do, and this has amazing results.
Apart from he classes for the children. there are classes for adults, which are generally held in the early mornings or at dusk or after, so as to permit these people to attend their fields and other duties during the day.
COMPULSORY CLASSES
In the cities, we have a system of compulsory education for ser- vants, shop assistants and others who have not attended school. These are conducted along the mass education system and already thousands have been educated in this way. Agents of the govern- ment are sent regularly to the dif- ferents shops and homes and they are un- reg'ster all those who educated. Notices come and tell the uneducated to attend classes at selected places, generally early in the morning or in the evening Should they fail to attend classes, both they and their employers are fined.
MILITARY TRAINING Now we come to the compulsory citizens' milltary training. Every c'tizen over the
and age of 18 under the age of 45 is expected to serve a term with the colours. There are many who do not like to serve and who try to evade mill- tary service. but the government has. nevertheless ordered that they should undergo a period of training ranging from three to six morths falling which they are punished.
I have seen classes in which bustness magnates have stood
shoulder
their
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BANKS
shop assistants or other employees. HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI
to shoulder with
All these undergo strict and rigor- ous training and are subjected to military law. Even girls are called upon to serve and those unable to carry rifles are put through courses of first aid and nursing.
At the time I left Shanghal, be- fore the outbreak of hostilitles on August 13, one of the girls under- going military training was my daughter and another was the daughter of Mr. O. K. Yui, Mayor of Shanghai, who is prominently in the news nowadays and who has refused to use his influence to en- able his daughter to escape her national responsibilities. As a re- sult, thousands have been turned into efficient citizens with military training.
EXAMINATION FOR OFFICIALS
In the political sphere, the finan- cial administration has been cen- tralised, our national budget has been, balanced, and the tax system has been reformed, so that, since the advent of the National Gov- ernment, some
local 5,000 heavy
Some taxes have been abolished. of these
former taxes, levied by warlords, had been collected 89 years in advance!
Officials high and low are being subjected to serve civil ex- amination and those found un- qualified are being removed from office, irrespective of the influence of friends.
Thousands of miles of fine new highways have been built since 1927 when the National Government came into power. These are to be found in every province, and it is now possible for one to travel from the leading coastal cities to former- ly inaccessible praces, by motor
car.
Many miles of new railways also have been constructed and the Canton-Hankow Railway has been completed while the Lunghai Line
has been extended.
A network of telephone wires per- mits persons in Shanghal, Nanking and Canton, for instance, to con- verse with others in places thou- sands of miles away.
AERIAL SERVICES Then, of course, there are the efficient airway services, the planes of which carry passengers to such inland places as Kuming (Yunnan), Sian, and Chengtu in a few hours, whereas it used to take weeks and months to make the trips in form- er times. Unfortunately, these ser- vices have temporarily been sus- pended as a result of the Sino- Japanese war.
BANKING CORPORATION
AUTHORISED CAPITAL................$50,000,000 ISSUED AND FULLY PAIN-UP... $20,000,000 RESERVE FUNDS :- STERLING... HONG KONG CURRENCY
RESERVE... RESERVE LIABILITY OF
PROPRIETORS
£6,500,000
$10,000,0000
$20,000,000
HEAD OFFICE: HONG KONG.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:—
G. Miskin, Esq., Chairman. Hon. Mr. M.T. Johns n, Deputy Chairman J.K. Bousfield, Esq. K.S. Morrison, Esq.
Hon. Mr. J. J. Ali Compton, Esq.
l'atersor S. H. Dodwell, Esq. T. E. Pearce, Esq. J. E. Vasson, Esq. A... Shields, Esq. Sir Vandeleur M. Grayburn,
Chief Managri BRANCHES :-
A moy
San
Francisco
Hankow Lyons Bangkok Harbin Malacca Batavia Hongker anıla Bombay Iloilo Muar Singapore Calenttu Ipoh (Jobore urabayo
Canton
Jobore
Chotoo
Kobe
Colombo
Dairen
> bangbei
Mukden Sungei
Patani New York
Kowloon Peiping Tient-in
To yo
Kuala Penang
Lumpur Rangoon Tsingtao
Saigon
Y'hatua
Foochow Haiphong tondan Hamburg
CURRENT ACCOUNTS opened in Local CURRENCY and Fixed DepOSITA received for one year or shorter periods in Locat CURRENCY and STERLING on terms which will be quoted on application.
ALSO up to date SAFE DEPONIT BOXES in various sizes To LET Hong Kong, 12th May, 1937.
ANNOUNCEMENT
An engagement is announced bet ween Robert, younger son of Mr. and Mra. F. E. Hooper of Madras, and Sybil, older daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Crawford of "Craigieburn," Brook mans Park, Herts., late of Hoog Kong.
The marriage will take place in Madras in January.
patriot as our leader. We are at one in giving him our full support and co-operation and will follow him unswervingly to the end in spite of the threat of our enemy to oust him and to exterminate the Nanking regime.
Let us all place our confidc..ce In the Generalissimo and give him a free hand. Do not try to rush him along for he knows what he is doing. He is a military man and We are civilians who are not fami-
In General Chiang Kai-shek we Chinese have a sincere and capable | liar with the art of warfare.
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