ARRIVAL OF DR. KOO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20864, 5 May 1931, Page 11

ARRIVAL OF DR. KOO.

CONDITIONS IN CHINA.

THE CULTURE OF THE WEST

STUDENTS SEEKING KNOWLEDGE

One of the youngest leaders of modern China, Dr. T. Z. Koo, arrived in Auckland by the Niagara from Sydney yesterday to tour tho Dominion under the auspices of the World's Student Christian Federation, of which he is vice-chairman. In the course of an interview Dr. Koo referred to the internal state of his country. "No political party can hope to do much good unless it wins over the student group first," lie said, " for there is no such thing as the franchise in China yet. Tho importance of this is seen in the suppression of the literary activities of the Communists, whose operations have been driven underground since the expulsion of Communist Russians in 1926. Without written propaganda it will bo very difficult for the Communists to reach tho students now."

The culture of the West was being sought by many thousands of Chinese students, said Dr. Koo. There were, for instance, 5000 Chinese students in Japan, 1500 in tho United States, 2000 in France, 300 in Germany, 150 in Great Britain, and about 500 in Russia.

Dr. Koo said the League of Nations was still dealing with tho opium trade with a view to its control, although China had sought its total suppression. The campaign for the abolition of opium was started in 1906, but when the central government broke down a number of provincial governments commenced growing tho poppy again and even to-day a certain amount of secret growing was going on in the provinces. Public opinion in China now was very much against tho drug habit. The country, however, was receiving huge quantities of smuggled drugs, principally derivatives from opium.

Dr. Koo was met on his arrival by the Rev. W. Mawson, secretary of the Presbyterian Foreign Mission, and by representatives of the Chinese community in Auckland. Ho has a long list of engagements for his stay in Auckland. Ho was the guest of the district council of the Student Christian Movement last evening and later attended a meeting held under the auspices of t the Institute of Pacific Relations. WELCOME BY COUNTRYMEN. DIFFICULTY OVER, LANGUAGE. Iho fact that Dr. Koo required an interpreter when addressing a gathering of the Chinese community in Auckland yesterday was a striking illustration of the languago diversity in China. Dr. Koo spoke in mandarin or standard Chinese, and as the majority of the Chinese in Auckland are southerners, speaking Cantonese, his speech had to be translated info Cantonese by the Rev. Y. S. Chau. The gathering, held in Cooke's grillroom, was presided over by Mr. H. Baur, who warmly welcomed the guest. He was supported by the Rev. Chau and by the Rev. W. Walker, who spoke on behalf of the Europeans. Replying to the welcome, Dr. Koo said that during the 20 years since the Chinese revolution China had been visited by suffering and distress. It was necessary to remember, however, that out of that suffering had risen a new nation. Other civilisations, like Babylon and Thebes, had disappeared, but China lived on, as great as before and destined to become greater yet. And with her awakening had come a change of heart. Speaking of the divisions among the people, chiefly through language diversity, Dr. Koo said it was more than ever necessary that the Chinese people should be united so that they could move forward as one nation to accomplish the great tasks that lay before them.