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Show Ul 120 E. College St., Oberlin, Ohio. March 15, 1928 Dear Partners and Friends,- "*"*»«*' Though partners are friends indeed! This friendship letter to a few of you is of necessity printed, but it is nevertheless a heart-to-heart message ere we leave the United States again, for it seems likely that we will sail before long. Sinim of Yore. What a time for work in China! Nearly 26 years ago we first sailed for "the land of Sinim", then little known. Shanghai seemed an old and dirty city, with opium hulks obscuring the harbor, the ruling Manchu dynasty was on its last legs, and new reforms were struggling for recognition. Yet education, through the work of mission schools, and of students returned from training abroad, had been a leaven and the now susceptible mass of over 400 millions is indeed stirred. The revolution of 1911 awoke the ancient nation into a republican form of government, though the basic democracy, practised for thousands of years, has been struggling to answer the question, 'What is a republic?' Especially for the past few years have there been wars and rumors of wars, China having been shown the efficacy of modern warfare through observation of the Great War, and having long ago invented gun-powder that the Fourth of July in the United States might be destructive, and that a somewhat constant vise of the commodity might be equally inimical to her own welfare on a huge scale! The present struggle is deep seated and connotes an intellectual reform, a reform in education and industry, in social life, and in economic and political realms. Women are taking their place. Appalling infant mortality lessens, and other signs are on the horizon or nearer Patriotism Assured Victory. In the last thirty years patriotism has appeared. Since this has been slow, real leaders are yet few. Herein lies the great need. The military despot must go-even though he be an able General Chang, present head of the government in Peking, if it has a head! Communism, tried and found wanting three times in the last two thousand years, threatened for a time, but became too venturesome, and his head was amputated. The essence of the present struggle is that a loose combination of military leaders is fighting a still looser aggregation of patriots who have the real interests of the people at heart. Over half of China has been won to the Nationalists and the cables now indicate that ere many moons the Nationalist party will become the de facto government of nearly all China. Manchuria, though a part of China, is another and later real problem which involves international politics. We are no prophets, and yet it is safe to say that a generation and more will be needful |