CHINA’S WASHINGTON

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 468, 25 September 1928, Page 14

CHINA’S WASHINGTON

SUN YAT SEN EULOGISED AN AMERICAN’S VIEW “Some day the worW will vrrrte down Sun Yat-Sen as the George Washington of China. But he was an idealist and not a practical man, and he could not make his plans succeed. In an address entitled “What of China?” Mi*. John Cook, of Brooklyn, U.S.A., gave his impressions of that troublous country to the Auckland Rotary Club yesterday. The speaker outlined the culture and the artizanship of China, saying that its sons were making and wearing silks when Britens were in skins. Many of the reports of the bad times in China should be discounted. Mr. Cook was in Shanghai when that city was taken by Chang Tso-Lin, and although there was bloodshed, the fighting was not nearly so bad as it was pictured. A year later another general took the city, it was reported with great loss of life. A letter from a friend in China had explained to the speaker that the city was taken without the firing of a gun, Chang having been caught napping. When American ships shelled parts of the country it was reported that 20,000 men and women were killed. But actually there were only five casualties. There was no disagreement between Feng Yu-Hsiang and the Nationalist army. Feng was a Christian and he was no more a Cummunist than the speaker himself .would have been under the circumstances. Sun, who was born in Honolulu and educated in America, had high ideals. The speaker had paid his tribute to the leader when the body was lying in state. Thousands upon thousands paid tribute in one of the most impressive ceremonies which could be witnessed. “Britain, by refusing to withdraw soldiers and gunboats in the last year, never did a better thing for China or the world,” said Mr. Cook. “The best people in China say that it was sound statesmanship in the interests of the country.” China wanted to control its own Customs to get Rational freedom and release from treaties, and to take its place among the nations of the world. She was fighting for the object “China for the Chinese,” and the speaker contended that she was just in her demands. .