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485 'Resistance and Reconstruction' China's Message to the World "CHINA'S message to the world to-day is: resistance and reconstruction — the one is no good without the other," declared Miss Lee Ya-ching China's "First Lady of the Air," who is now enjoying a short vacation in Argentina's capital. Interviewed yesterday, Miss Lee told THE HERALD that she had flown through the central and South American countries, on the latter part of her journey, via central Brazil, being accompanied by the president of Services Aereos Cruzeiro do Sul Ltda., surveying a new route, when they flew for three days over dense jungle. Her interest in air travel dates back to 1933 when she began to study aeronautics in Geneva, Switzerland. Daughter of a Chinse family who were closely associated with Sun Yat Sen, the founder of the Republic of China, she received part of her education in Europe, being at school in London from 1928-1930, and afterwards travelling extensively through Europe, even traversing some parts of Russia. The first women pilot of any nationality to obtain a pilot's licence in Geneva, she later took advanced training at the Boeing School of Aeronautics in California. Returning to China, she was the first girl applicant for a pilot's licence there, and gained the confidence of the authorities to such an extent that she was granted a Chinese government pilot licence. At one time, she was the only woman, indeed, the only person, permited to fly freely over all parts of China. Appointed flying instructor at China's first civilian flying school, the Shanghai Municipal Air School and, later, co-pilot to Chinese Southwestern Airline, she was active in aiding the young people of China to become airminded. The school subsidised by the government and had about thirty students, but the war interrupted its schedule of operations. The resumption of hostilities between China and Japan found Miss Lee at Shanghai. Here at first she did relief and hospital work. organising an emergency hospital for the wounded, and later escaped to continue the same work at Canton. She returned to U.S.A. in 1938, first under the auspices of the American Bureau for Medical Aid to China and later for United China Relief. Thus, she has not seen her family in China for six years, and some of them have suffered severely as a result of the war. Flying from place to place, she has ably stated the case for her country throughout the States, meeting everywhere with the welcome which her courage, beauty and youth impel. THE INHUMAN JAPS Asked her opinion of the Japanese as a foe, she said they were absolutely ruthless and inhuman, pouring petrol on the men they captured before burning or burying them alive, and abusing the women and children without respect to age or condition. Japan's declared objective, she stated, was "Asia for the Asiatics." They were out to "free" China with the intention of conquering and using her manpower, material and vast territory as a prelude to the world conquest. "Eastern women," said Miss Lee, petite and svelte in a moulded, zipped, sheath gown of dappled blue and green, which swathed her throat to instep leaving the arms bare, "have much to learn from Western women." China is a land of ancient civilizations but with primitive industrial development and conceptions. Similarly, its women are at the same time both strongely wise and innocent, Western women, she had observed, were much more publicly emancipated, but perhaps East and West had much to learn from each other. This was a charming representative of China's womanhood from whom to learn. In her attire and the soft chignon of her abundant black hair, she combined the effect of East meeting West. The narrow skirt was slit at the side to above the knee, revealing a small foot in sheerest hose and dainty butterfly slipper. BASIC CHINESE China's awareness of the advance of science and of science in industry had received a tremendous impetus with the war, Miss Lee explained. Not only had the output of war materials (so cruelly needed in the early days of the war) gone up by leaps and bounds, but a real endeavour was being made to make China's millions literate. The difficulties of the language offered a severe impediment, but a sort of "Basic Chinese" had been evolved of 1,000 Chinese characters and with these it was possible to follow events in the daily newspapers and keep up with the current events. Students had helped in disseminating these characters and with classes of 100, 200 or even 300, some 90 million people had been taught to read and write. Miss Lee said she had had honour of meeting Mme. Chiang Kai-shek and that the Chinese people were united behind General Chiang Kai-shek. As far as she knew, there was no truth in the rumour of their separating. Asked how long, in her opinion, the war with Japan would continue, she said with such an implacable foe she considered it would last at least a year after the conclusion of hostilities in Europe. China's value to Japan had been lessened by everything that China could do to minimise her conquest but the vast resources of Malay and the Far East are still within Japan's control and every day that this goes on adds at least one more day's access to and use of this power by Japan. CHINA WILL TRIUMPH For some years now, she added, China's coasts have been dominated by the enemy and China has been isolated, ezcept by air over the difficult route of the Himalayas and India. But, with Allied cooperation, of which she saw proofs on every side wherever she went, this dreadful evil would be eradicated and "China will triumph." Very favourably impressed by her brief glimpses of Buenos Aires and the approaches to the city, she looks forward to having another aerial view or it unobscured, as at the time of her arrival by cloud and fog. She is also eagerly anticipating shopping excursions. After a two-week vacation, Miss Lee plans to continue her goodwill tour of South America via Chile, Perú, Havana, and Mexico before returning to the States where she has left her plane. faithful companion of many fights. She hopes to return to China soon, but cannot give any date. Questioned as to whether she was married, she smilingly admitted to being single, but added that she "might marry—after the war" when she hopes China will enter into her "glorious future." RMIENTO 12[[36?]] [[BUENOS]] Aires Herald (Buenos Aires) 27.AGO.1944
