PATELS CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3514, 19 July 1921, Page 55

PATELS CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

DR SUN YAT-SEN. “Who is he?” I hear someone say. Well, he is the President of China. Perhaps I should sav a disputed President. I had better give a part of a letter I have just received from Canton: “This week we have had a most interesting time, for on Thursday Dr Sun Yat-Sen was inaugurated as 'President of all China.’ There is the official President in Peking, but for years there has been cleavage between the North and the South, and now the South has decided to take the ruling hand, declaring that the North is under the thumb of militarists, and ro longer has a constitutional leader. The Parliament that met in Canton is declared to be the constitutional one, and as Dr Sun YatSen was elected by that body as President, he is President of the .Republic of China. All ambassadors here had instructions not to recognise him officially. The celebrations were prepared for for several days. About 120,000 people took part in the procession in the day, while at night there was a lantern procession, and the dragon boats were out on the river. These very interesting boats come out only once a year as a rule, on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar. Some say that there is to be the permanent change from the Chinese to our calendar ; but whether that will come this year is doubtful. We are looking forward to seeing the boats again at Dragon Boat Festival time.” ith the letter there came a paper dated May 5. The first page is wholly taken up with the republican flag (in colours) —red, yellow, blue, white, and black stripes; and under it is process blocks of the President and his wife. Curiously, I had by me a Melbourne Herald containing a letter bv H. L. Pang, President Chinese National Party, from whicn I take the following extracts: “Dr Sun Yat-Sen was tlie first Provincial President at the time when China j turned Republic, but because of hischarac- j k teristic humility and desire to prevent j bloodshed he resigned his office in favour ! of Yuan Shi Kai.” This gentleman says China does not | want a monarchical party, because it is i not in keeping with a Democratic Govern- ! pent. Then he says Sun Yat-Sen organ- ! ised a second revolution, and for the last j few years he has had a big following : j “At the present time seven provinces are j under the control of South China, and ] everywhere in China and abroad there are parties in support of the Democratic Government of which Dr Sun Yat-Sen is head. Cab'e news from China recently stated that he was elected President by 218 of 222 votes cast.” Mr Pang's antagonist says Dr Sun YatSen will never be President- because he is a Cantonese, and “China wants a man of ideals like Dr Sun, and is not concerned whether he is a Cantonese or Pekinese, so long as he will endeavour to carry out the will of the people and exercise the functions of a Democratic President. which Dr Snn Yat-Sen is. The President in Peking is Hau Shiehang. A COMPACT KINGDOM. Here we have a country, the most compact nationality in the world, so Kazlett's Annual Says, "with an area of 1.532,420 square miles, and a population of 320,000,000 (New Zealand has 103,600 square miles, and a population of 1,097,672. How much larger is China in J “*' ea , in population?) According to I Haziest s Annual it is the most compact country in the world. But that is a very comparative view to take. How far is « inton from Peking? Are the inhabi- j tains of each quite foreign as far as I language is concerned, to the other ? They j have no language in common. Even the Chinese in New Zealand come comparatively from one locality. ilieir money is not common. Their “tael" or “bang” is a silver coinage, but tne weight and the fineness differ in different towns. The Kaikwan tael is the one in which the maritime Customs is par: ; ) at toe rate of (_•>:■ hange is given on the exchange. The “cash,’ 1 made of copper and zinc, is in common use, but 1 K kikes 40 of these to make a penny, and it would require a wheelbarrow to carry a pound’s worth, for that would oe 9600! Hie Maritime Customs is the only Government department that publishes intel ligible statistics of revenue. But though xoa may laugh at the coinage we must re me ml er that th. Chin se are an industrious, into fluent race, though China, by its want of communication, has until latlev remained stationary. But is i- moving"! 1 lie paper scut to me mentions strikes’ among the water and electric departments! But they postponed them for four days because of the inconvenience it would make! AN APPRECIATION. Here is a portion of an appreciation by one wiio has known him since 1887: ‘What were - these gilts? According to [ Inistian d they may be summed in the words. F.iith, Hope, and Charity, a firm fa th m the belief that was within him, hope tor the speedy regeneration of China, and charity towards neighbours. Charity in the true sense of the word is Sun's outstanding characteristic. An unkind thought, far less an unkind word, is foreign to his nature, a keen regard for the feelings of those around him is apparent in every word and deed : unselfishness to a degree Undreamt of amongst modern men; a living expression of the Sermon on the Mount. Such are some of the g.fts of this extraordinary man; gifts which command siuccss, which bind his friends to him with ' hoops of steel,” and have, not only amongst his countrymen, but also amongst the few Europeans and Americans who know Sun Yat-Sen as he is, found men willing to devote their energies, their time, their very lives to

forward his aims, not alone for the cause he has at heart, but also for the man himself. . . . Why was he listened to by his astute countrymen, when all others had failed to regenerate China? Why? The transparent honesty of the man ; his manifest patriotism ; the simplicity of his character ; the readiness to endure all for his country’s sake, even torture and death. Persecuted, imprisoned, slighted, a price upon his head, stamped as an outcast and turned out of hyie and country, refused shelter now by one nation, now by another, until the wide world seemed to afford no place of safety where he could find rest. Neither in fact nor in fiction, neither in history, nor in the ideals of romance has anv author dared to endow the heroes of his creation with persecutions such as his; for under no flag was he safe; nor in the uttermost parts of the earth, for a period of wellnigh 20 years, could he feel that a cruel death was not imminent.” Take your atlas out and have a dream on the Pacific. Open the atlas and meditate upon the Pacific and its possibilities. It may be that in the future you may lift your hats to the Chinese and the Japanese! a >RRESPONDEN'CE. F. Fa-ddes, Papatowai.—l have found among my books a. volume sent me in June, 1913, by Mr Faddes I have returned it to his address. It deals with vermin, and J. F. savs in his note : “Every keeper's opinion is the same on vermin, as it is their duty to destroy them. But New Zealand prefers the full force of them.” How the book was overlooked I cam,ok say. And that reminds me I have lost two or three books, one containing a letter, gummed in, by one who has passed beyond ken, Mr Holyoake, the veteran cooperator. It went to someone near Gore. These have been out a long time; when some years ago I had chats upon Co- j operation, this gentleman got a ioan of them. “Fungus” (Quarantine Island) sends me i a letter and two what he calls curious ! specimens. They “grew out M a jelly-like mao.,. I hey are occ-asio ■ fimnd, as he says: “Although fro 1 hers I j have seen, 1 don t tliinh nbe so very rare.” 3t has a dor.fclr .Mine, but I c-ui remember just one ay orb, “uibarius. ” A. i agister/’ at the beginning of his columns used to receive them, but Ido not remember much about them. The “cibarius” was about the size of a cricket bail, and what has been sent me is the “skeleton. 1 left after the ielly-like structure has evaporated. It is a curious structure.

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