CHINA’S TASK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20067, 13 October 1939, Page 4

CHINA’S TASK

THE 90-MILE MARK

ADDRESS BY CONSUL

A message to the Chinese nation by General Chiang Kai-Shek, in which he declared that, if the Chinese in the struggle against the Japanese displayed a united front it could be said that the 90-mile mark in a 100-mile journey had' been passed, was recalled by the Chinese Consul, Mr. Feng Wang, in Wellington on Tuesday. He was addressing Chinese residents who had assembled in the rooms of the New Zealand Chinese Association, to commemorate the twenty-eighth anniversary of the Republic of China. The consul appealed for support for the Chinese leaders and soldiers.

“In the last two years, although we solemnly commemorated our national day,” said Mr. Feng Wang, in the course of his address, “we were unable to honour it with our tradi-

lional celebration on account of our nation being at war. Again, on this twenty-eighth anniversary of the establishment of our republic when the enemy’s aggression is being intensified in our fatherland, there is naturally very little inclination for rejoicing amongst us. However, we are satisfied with the fact that today the will of our people for resistance and self-sacrifice has increasingly been strengthened while the weaknesses of the enemy have increasingly been revealed. This is evidenced by the many successes which our troops have recently achieved in the various fronts, and in particular by the strilfing victory which they have won in the battle of Changsha just a few days ago. "In a recent message to the nation, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek said: 'The road lying ahead of us is now devoid of any danger points. It' only wc stand firm together marching resolutely forward towards our goal, it can be said that we have already passed.the 90-mile mark in a 100-mile journey.’ Now let us steel our will in the last stages of the war and fully support our leaders arid our soldiers in their task of driving the invaders out of our territory. Then and only then can we be assured of a joyous national day in the coming year.”