IMPRESSIONS OF CHINA

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28489, 20 January 1958, Page 8

IMPRESSIONS OF CHINA

Mr P. J. AHey Returns

Every country, with the possible exception of Russia, had been left behind in the fields of engineering and academic geology by China, said Mr P. J. Alley yesterday. Mr Alley, who is a senior lecturer in civil engineering at the University of Canterbury, has returned to Christchurch after spending six months in Britain, Europe, Russia and China. At the end of the first five-year plan China had laid the foundations for industry which woild soon sqrpass the most advanced Western countries, said Mr Alley. At present China was making most of the machinery she needed, including 16,000 trucks in 1957. The target this year was 30,000 trucks. When there were enough trucks, motor-cars would be built At present there were only official cars. Transport in the cities was by bus, although in Peking there were not enough, and by bicycle. China had about the same number of university students per 1000 of population as New Zealand. However, China had far better civil engineering labora-r tories and equipment than New Zealand or Australia. One university at Sian had 10,000 engineering students. Engineers and Scientists “China has placed the emphasis on the engineer and the scientist,” he said. “They are the most favoured section of the community financially. All education is free and living costs at the universities —ajl students live in—are very low.

“Most of these events have happened in the last two years. A university for 4000 students, started in 1955, was finished in 1956 and lectures began immediately.’ ’ Primary education was also good. Attendance at schools varied from 80 to 100 per cent. In many areas, however, the attendance at secondary schools was low. “Soon China will have all the hydro-electricity she needs,” Mr Alley said. “Her potential is enormous. One scheme on the Yellow river, to be completed in 1961, is three times the size of Roxburgh. That is only one such scheme.”

At Lanchow Mr Alley had seen a steam power plant with a capacity of 100,000 kilowatts—about the size of Arapuni. In 1956 its site had been green fields. By 1957 it was producing 25.000 kilowatts and within a year it had been completed. This, said Mr Alley was only one example of the speed with which China was industrialising. Rewi Alley

Mr Alley’s brother, Mr Rewi Alley, now lives at Lanchow. His school has been moved from Sandan. Now he is only the nominal headmaster—he gives an address at the beginning of each year and presents the prizes. Rewi Alley’s main job now is as a member of the Asian Peace Liaison Committee. “A lot of Asians go to China and many speak English. One of Rewi’s jobs is to organise the tours of delegations.” said Mr Alley. However, Rewi Alley spends most of his time writing and translating ancient Chinese poems. His translation of a poem by Tu Fu, poet of 2000 years ago, was mounted on the wall of a temple to the memory of the poet. ~

“He says he is coming home some time,” Mr Alley said. The Chinese, said Mr Alley, were very determined about Formosa. “They want to avoid bloodshed, but at the first chance they will be in.”

China had become completely tree-conscious, he said. All along the 700-mile railway line from Hankow to Canton the hills were covered with six-year-old pines and the hollows were rice paddies. Asked if he had any criticism of China to make, Mr Alley said that he was so impressed with the gallant effort” the Chinese were making that he had none.