TWO GREAT LEADERS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 14, 12 October 1942, Page 8

TWO GREAT LEADERS

Dr. Sun And General Chiang

In an address on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the Chinese liepublic, the Chinese Consul-General in New Zealand, Mr. Wang Feng, paid tribute to the founder of the republic, Dr. Sun Yat Sen, and to Generalissimo Chiang Kaishek, who stepped into the shoes of Dr. Sun when, that great leader of Chinese millions died in 1926. “Dr, Sun's revolutionary ideals on which the Republic was founded,” said Mr. Wang, “are the ‘Three Principles of the I’eople’—the principle of nationalism, the principle of democracy, and the principle of livelihood. They may be considered as the most -progressive principles of democracy in the world. They demand the independence and emancipation of the weak and small nations. They advocate the direct popular sovereignty. They create the theories of equalization of land ownership and regulation of capital for the betterment of the people’s livelihood. The people’s welfare is their ideal and goal. When these principles are realized, we Chinese may on the one hand attain for ourselves freedom, selfreliance, and prosperity, and, on -the other, promote everlasting peace and welfare for the world and mankind through ' the exercise of traditional Chinese virtues.

“Today let us also do . honour to Generalissimo Chiang Kainshek,” continued Mr. Wang. “In 1926, he stepped into the shoes of our late leader, Dr. Sun, and .led the People's Revolutionary forces on their victorious march from Canton toward the north for the emancipation of (Ulina , from the demination of war lords. For many years he concentrated his efforts in the reconstruction of China as a strong and progressive nation based on the principles and teachings bequeathed by Dr. Sun. He unified and rebuilt the nation, taught and trained the people, organized and equipped the army to meet the challenge of the Japanese aggressor. It was through the greatness of his leadership that China’s war- of- resistance against aggression in the face of tremendous odds has been prosecuted with the greatest determination nnd success.

“Without these two grunt personages, the one who founded the Republic, and the other who has built up that Republic into a progressive nation, this 10th day of October would mean very little to us. Without their leadership China would probably have been obliterated from the map. The vast territory of China would have become a springboard for Axis, conquest and aggression, and the Chinese people would have.been reduced to slavery.”