THE "DOUBLE TEN"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 7, Issue 172, 9 October 1942, Page 6

THE "DOUBLE TEN"

Thoughts On China’s National Day

NE of the consequences of the raid on Pearl Harbour was the diversion to: New Zealand of ships bound for the Far East. A further consequence was the stranding in New Zealand of some distinguished men and women whom New Zealand would not otherwise have seen -Thomas and Eileen Matthews, for example, musicians who were on their way to Singapore, and Dr. Lai-Yung Li, a Chinese professor returning to his own Lingnan University, Canton, after an exchange period in the United States. As this Saturday, October 10, is China's National Day, we asked Dr. Li for a) message to New Zealand readers, but he © said that as he was here unofficially and © also involuntarily, it would be presumptuous to speak for the Chinese nation. However, he gave us a copy of a letter he had recently written to members of his Fraternity (Delta Theta Sigma) at Pennsylvania State College. Dear Bill and all D.T.S. Brothers: AM so pleased to have heard from you after I reached New Zealand, and glad to learn that all of you are keeping well. In your joint letter you ask me to tell you something about the Double Ten or October 10, the National Day of China. I shall try to give you some fragmentary notes now, especially those which have some bearing on our present struggle against our enemies. On October 10, 1942, Chinese at ‘home or abroad will be celebrating the | 31st anniversary of the Republic. For it was or that day that Dr. Sun Yat Sen succeeded in overthrowing the Manchu Government and established in its place the Republic of China. Since then, the day has been observed as the National Holiday. To the adults, it means a day of rest and celebration. To the children it is a great day equal to that of the New Year’s Day. As a kid, I used to enjoy lantern parades, cheers, songs, firecrackers, musical and dramatic shows, special meals, and athletic games, on Double Ten. The "Middle Kingdom" To most of you, China is of course, just a large country with an enormous population and with a history of several thousand years. To others it means silk, porcelain, rice and tea. It is true that through much of her history, China has been cut off from the rest of the world by natural barriers (ocean, mountains, and desert). We in fact call our country the "Middle Kingdom". There was but little contact between China and the other parts of Asia, and th was, probably, no direct contact een China and Europe until the Yuan Dynasty (1280-1368) when Marco Polo visited the Mongol Empire and went back and told Europe of the beautiful palaces, silken garments and of the wonderful civilisation and culture he found in Cathay. His account sounded so marvellous that the Europeans would not believe him. Nevertheless Marco Polo’s account served as a stimulus to exploration and at the same time aroused a desire on the part of merchants to trade with the rich East (India and China).

In fact, it stimulated Columbus to search for the "Indies", and resulted in the discovery of your Continent. During the next dynasties, Ming (1368-1644) and Ching (Manchu-1662 on), China received repeated "calls" from the Portuguese, Italians, French, Dutch, British, and the United States merchants and priests. Thus, East met West! It must have been a great experience when the strangers first met. What a sight it must have been to see both parties using all means they had to express themselves. At these early contacts, the Chinese were not accustomed to dealing with other governments on the basis of equality and regarded all foreign envoys as bearers of tribute. It was something like a daring young man trying to woo the Princess. The Princess was shy but full of pride, while the young man was persistent and aggressive. Misunderstanding of the foreigners, disintegration of its own government, and the opportune aggression of the western powers, have brought a long series of unequal treaties to China (from 1842 to 1900). Only the Chinese can fully understand the nation’s dry sorrow over these humiliations, their "blood-boiling" anger and bitterness. China Reborn. Then on October 10, 1911, Dr. Sun Yat Sen, convinced of the complete incompetence and hopelessness of the Manchu government, successfully launched his historic revolution resulting in the birth of the Republic of China. Thus was China reborn-called Chung Hua Min Kuo or Central-flowery-people’s country! : Maybe the change was too sudden for the slow moving masses, but then revolution is always sudden, and the first fifteen years of the Republic were full of regrettable events-internal fighting between the war lords, Communist troubles, and Japanese aggression. Then the (Continued on next page)

(Continued from previous page) Nationalist movement under the Kuomintang (People’s party) leadership, started to unite the country, and the Japanese were frightened. Japan jumped on us on July 7, 1937, and started this present gigantic struggle in which we are all comrades, ' Reconstruction Amid War These five years of war have brought to China more unity, and have found China engaged in reconstruction with an ever-increasing rapidity and magnitude. Chief among the achievements should be mentioned: highway and railway construction, steel and ammunition works, co-operatives, mass education (of adults), and cultural revival. In other words, there is reconstruction amid war-a paradox! The year 1941 saw China conferring over 5,000 Bachelor’s degrees on her university young men and young women, 1,300 of whom received engineering degrees, 500 degrees in medicine, 500 agricultural degrees, and the rest were pure science or arts students. Adult education has been brought to China’s peasants in a big way through night classes, moving pictures, dramatic performances, mass singings, libraries on wheels, libraries on sail-boats, phonographic records, lectures and by the radio. This year, the 1942 Double Ten will be especially worth’ commemorating, as now both you "guys", and the British boys and ours, are fighting shoulder to shoulder against oppression. For some time we have been telling you that by fighting the aggressor, we are fighting for you, By defending our homes, hospitals and schools, we are defending your homes, hospitals and schools. You didn’t seem to think that that makes sense.

"There has been a lot of noise in the staircase" but for a long while we were left to fight single-handed! Only the Chinese Can Know You may never understand’ how deep and dark is the valley through which our people have fought their way. None but the Chinese alone can ever know the sufferings and sacrifices the nation has endured all these years. However, our détermination to resist the enemy is stronger than ever, and our conscience still clear. We shall continue to fight for freedom, justice, and equality for ourselves, for our Allies and for all peoples who have not been given a square deal. My friends, on the occasion of China’s 31st anniversary, it is opportune to pledge comradeship among our Allies. "We are fighting to recover every inch of our territory; we do not want an inch of anyone else’s territory. We are fighting to vindicate the freedom of every soul of our own people; we do not want to abate a jot of the freedom of any other people. We are fighting for the peace and security of our children. and our children’s children; we do not want to menace in the slightest, the peace and security of any other people. We want to have our own government, free from any shadow of alien interference; we do not want to trespass on the affairs of any other country." These are simple things, easy to understand. Our attitude toward them is also simple. We feel that we can claim them for ourselves, because we also are willing to grant them to others. We believe not only in equality, but also in reciprocity. Brothers, I hope I have not taken too much of your time. Best of luck to each of you across the ocean. Please be kind to my azalea at the backyard and send me some writing paper. Fraternally yours,

LAI-YUNG LI