A DISTINGUISHED CHINESE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21087, 12 February 1934, Page 10

A DISTINGUISHED CHINESE

.—__♦ I)|{. FONG l-'OO SKC i ! REPRESENTATIVE OF ROTARY I INTERNATIONAL : i Dr. Fong Foo Sec, M.A.. Ph.D., LL.D., of-Shanghai. Rotary International's representative at the Conference of Rotary Clubs of New Zealand, to be held at New Plymouth on February 27 and 28 and March 1. has had a remarkable career, and is regarded as one of the greatest men in his country. The son of a poor landowner of the Kwangtung (Canton) district who went to America as a boy, he served in menial capacities there in order to gain the wherewithal to educate himself, won scholarship alter scholarship, secured his B.A. and M.A. degrees, then his LL.D. and his Ph.D. Subsequently he served as a teacher and professor of languages in China, and became the dominating force in the Commercial Press, the largest book publishing company in the East. Unfortunately the works were the first to be destroyed by the Japanese in their attack on Chapei two years ago, and with that destruction he lost his wonderful library, the collection of a lifetime. He was one of the two Chinese Rotarians who met two Japanese Rotarians on a British warship to endeavour to find a formula for ceasing hostilities, which they did after deliberations extending over two days and nights. They then made representations to their respective governments, with the result that the Shanghai campaign ceased as abruptly as it began. Service to His Country Striking evidence of the fine character of Dr. Fong was provided by the fact that notwithstanding that he saw the whole of his life's work and his priceless library go up in flames and lost overnight practically all his material possessions, he was able to give detached and disinterested service to his country and the cause of peace at a time'of grave national crisis, when the passions of his countrymen were inflamed at what they felt was an utterly unprovoked attack on their property and lives, and that he entertains no feelings of bitterness towards or animosity against the Japanese. As a matter of fact, the Rotarians of Japan recently went out of their way to show their regard for and appreciation of Dr. Fong. whom they realise is one of the East's finest characters and one of its greatest forces for good. In his monthly letter for February, Mr T. C. List, of New Plymouth, District Governor of Rotary in New Zealand, makes the following comments upon the visit of Dr. Fong:— "Dr. Fong will have only a few days in the Dominion, for he will land at Auckland by the Monterey on February 23, and must leave Wellington bv the Marama for Sydney on March 2. I. am endeavouring to arrange with representatives of the Chinese race to meet him whilst he is at Auckland, and others from the North Island to come to New Plymouth and sec and hear him. I "should be obliged if presidents of the various North Island Clubs would get into touch with representative Chinese in their own localities and inform them of Dr. Fong's desire to see as many as possible of his compatriots here during his very brief stay in the Dominion, and of the fact that he will he in Auckland on Friday and Saturday, February 23 and 24, in New Plymouth on February 26, 27, and 28, and will be leaving for Wellington on March 1. and connecting with tlit Marama there on