Pleas of Chinese Child Bring Funds

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 111, 13 May 1939, Page 11

Pleas of Chinese Child Bring Funds

NEW YORK —You would hardly expect to find him making speeches for Chinese war sufferers, but there he is, [in a pale green mandarin robe, with a I black satin jacket, a little cap on his head, with a bright button for a topknot and—five years old.

| His name is Richard Gum Loon Lee. [He passed his fifth birthday Nov. 1.1 His father owns a Chinese restaurant 'and says, without emotion, as one who (simply states a fact, that the Gum Loon of his son’s name means, being interpreted, “Brave Neighbour.” Almost anyone would be willing to allow that Richard deserves the appellation for, knowing that the eh.ilidren in his country were in sore lstraits, he has simply thought out a few things to say, and got up to say them whenever anyone would listen — and the net result of such a simple conviction is that, to date, Richard has earned for distressed Chinese people, the not inconsiderable sum of 80,000 dollars.

“One evening ho spoke at the Chinese Theatre,” his father said dispassionately, ’ ‘ and 10,000 dollars was rais-

What Richard says when he speaks to the end that people will give money to aid and comfort his distressed countrymen, runs something like this:

“I am a little American citizen. I sleejj safe every night with my mother and father. I have a good home. But little boys and girls in China cannot sleep safe in good homes because they do not have homes and they are not safe. Bombs are dropping around, and it is very unsafe.”

Richard has spoken for tho distressed Chinese in Boston, Philadelphia, and bis own New York. He was born i'i the United States, and lie speaks English clearly. Every once in a while, when he is speaking, he gets so mad, thinking about the misery of his fellows in China, that he shouts the words furiously and a dreadful look comes over his face. He does not think ho is doing anything unusual. He does not speak to audiences of children. “I cannot talk to little persons, ’’ he says, conclusively. “Large persons I talk very good.”

The first speech he ever made was when he was three. There was a meeting of a large Chinese society in Philadelphia, and his father took him, and ho spoke pleasantly and well, so his father thought, when things got so bad for their countrymen in China, that Richard had better put whatever talents he had to work, getting people to give money to relieve that distress.

At present he is going to a private school in Pennsylvania. But he says that every chance he gets he is going on, speaking in behalf of the poor Chinese. “I have to. I am comfortable,” he says, with a touch of severity, as if challenging anyone to show cause why a Chinese boy of five may not try to help his countrymen.

A benevolent woman was doing a round of a mental home, and having chatted with several of the patieuts, she came across one seated at a table engrossed in writing. She approached carefully and said: “What are you doing?” The patient replied: “I’m writing a letter.” Then she ventured to ask: “To whom?*’ and came the ready reply: “I’m writing to myself.” “What are you saying?” hse asked, whereupon the patient replied: “Oh, I shan’t know until I open it in tho morning.”