CHINA’S RENASCENCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 17 April 1944, Page 6

CHINA’S RENASCENCE

SIGNIFICANCE TO REST OF WORLD

QUARTER OF HUMANITY CHANGING Wellington. April 15. "Because q[ the war and the changes taking place, Chungking strikes one as the chief growing point of humanity at the moment.” said Mr H. T. Silcock. leader of the Friends’ Service Council in China, who has spent many of the last 36 years in that country, and who arrived in Wellington yesterday. An Englishman, he is en route from Chungking, which he left a week before Christmas, to London. “So much is changing,” he said, “from the old classical written education to modem scientific education, from the old patriarchal family to the modern family, social relationships, ideas and status of women. In all these changes there are bound to be some unfortunate aspects but in the main, I would pay conditions in China are immensely encouraging.” The cause of the change was the impact of the west with its scientific ideas on the oldest existing civilisation, and it was of the greatest significance to the world. China had shown in literature and art that she did not fear comparison with any age or country. About a quarter of the human race lived in China, and they had one written language. Any Chinese who could read could understand what any other Chinese wrote. In addition they were consciously trying to unify the dialects and obtain a standard pronunciation. They had' given up the old classical language that used to be used for letters and books and were using colloquial language not only for talking, but also for literature. That itself was a change of enormous significance to the world. These changes had not yet penetrated to all the people, but they were doing so. China had on its statute books compulsory primary education, but China did not have it yet in practice because of lack of teachers and schools. Mr Silcock said he did not think there was any real danger that the change that China was undergoing would result in a warlike spirit such as had been mmifest in Japan since its contact, with western ideas. “I don’t think they really want to dominate others,” he said. “They are a great people and know it. and I don't think they want to interfere with others. The generalissimo has said that, and I believe it t s true. They are very anxious to achieve sovereignty in their own country. Abolition of the ‘unequal treaties’ caused widespread rejoicing throughout the country. I don’t think people realise that sufficiently. I heard the generalissimo speak at a Christian gathering. Addressing himself primarily to missionaries, he said. ‘Now these unequal treaties are gone, we want you to realise you are no longer even guests but colleagues and equals on a level with us. We have always valued your hfclp. and now wc will value it all the more.” MORE PEACEABLE THAN JAPAN Amplifying his reasons for believing that China in rena iscence would be more peaceable that Japan had been since it had learned western ways, Mr Silcock pointed out that if one looked into the history of both countries one saw much more glorification of militarism and brute force in Japan’s than in China’s. China had always had pacifist and international ideals, though the Chinese had not lived up to them. The greatness of China’s culture and tradition showed itself during the Quaker’s social work. Waifs from the streets of Shanghai, where the struggle would be exceedingly grim, when treated with Christian kindliness dropped their armour and displayed the graceful manners and unselfishness that was the Chinese ideal. Mr Silcock said he did not wish to slay the Japanese people, who were in the hands of a powerful military clique, and while there were dangerous elements in China he did not think they wore as dangerous as the elements in Japan. He hoped that when the war was over the good sense of the Japanese would come out on top and they would see that their military leaders had been false. Mr Rewi Alley, the New Zealander who has become prominent through his. work on behalf of the Chinese industrial co-operative movement, is described by Mr Silcock as a “magnificent person.” He had given up a good professional position for what must seem to some an entirely idealistic goal. He saw him last a couple of months before leaving Chungking, and though he was not certain of Mr Alley’s position and understood he had resigned from his official position in the Chinese co-opera-tive, he was still assisting the work as much as ever. When he first went to China, Mr Silcock worked as a representative of English Quakers, and then was dean of the faculty of education and vice-president of West China Union University. Cheng-tu. For some years from 1920 he was in London as a missionary secretary and an adviser to Chinese students in England under the Universities’ China Committee in London. In 1939 he started the Quaker Centre in Shanghai, which, like Quaker centres in other countries, endeavours to spread the fundamental religious message by life and work. He is proud of the fact that its social work is continuing in spite of the war, though on a reduced scale. He is on his way to report on the work in China to the American Friends Service Committee as well as to the Friends Service Council in London. Quakers in Australia and New Zealand, who assist the work, asked him to visit these countries on his way. and he is addressing meetings in each centre he visits. He will go to the South Island next week.