AN OLD CIVILISATION.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 16155, 21 July 1924, Page 2

AN OLD CIVILISATION.

ASPIRATIONS LIMITED,

CHINESE NATION’S IDEALS

Some interesting observations on Chinese aspirations and national life were made at the “Y” Lunch Club by Mr Wong Tin Sik, coach to the Chinese University Soccer team which has opened its tour of the Dominion. Their aspirations were limited, ho said. They were a race of old civilisation, but there was one point about their civilisation: they had kept intact through the long centuries, which was more than the Babylonians, the Egyptians and the Hebrews had been able to do, although it might also have done them a great deal of harm. They regarded intellect and knowledge as the only things worth while, and they might be divided as a people as scholars and workmen. By concentrating in this way they 'found men of intelligence gave most of their time to study, and such a man would spend 30 years in study before calling himself a scholar. They might be found backward in industry, but they were trying to see the good points in western civilisation so as to incorporate them in their Eastern civilisation. In comng to New Zealand their primary object was football, although he understood there were many things in this country nbdut which they wanted to learn while here.