BRIDGE TO YINHSI

this is china peaceful to the eye in reality a troubled land to it war brought devastation and in war's wake came economic upheaval and political turmoil yet in this ancient town of hinshi not far from shanghai farmers tradesmen and craftsmen have hopes for a new china like ourselves the chinese are industrious intelligent and sincere people striving for independence their success depends upon our friendship and understanding then why the mystery about china are the news reports confusing us this conflict is not a total war it's a series of local engagements affecting but a few of the 450 million chinese long ago the american government pledged assistance and support to the democratic objectives of dr sunyat sen founder of the chinese republic and if we admit this statement we admit the impossibility of world peace i suppose the chinese need help but how do i know the people who need it will get it what good can we do while they're fighting among themselves we did pledge our aid through the atlantic charter and as neighbors we should do our part i guess but with so many chinese how can we help them all i'd help if i knew for sure the chinese are trying to help themselves we chinese want to help ourselves that's why i'm studying here in your country we look into your way of life into your communities to learn how for example here's what he'd find in junction city kansas geographical center of the united states population about ten thousand it's a representative community of tradesmen craftsmen and farmers industrious intelligent sincere people not much different from our friends in in sheep like the latter town it's also on a waterway and has a picturesque bridge life's comfortable in junction city but it wasn't always that way true now it has good highways in fact here over the crossroads of america move our heaviest of motor trucks our fastest and most luxurious of motor cars not far from the highway is the main line of the union pacific tracks for several passenger trains daily and as many freights as the traffic will bear there's plenty of electric power everyone has electric lights and in outlying districts there's power left over for motor driven pumps and the light telegraph telephone radio a daily newspaper take care of modern communication and an expansive local library provides a storehouse of knowledge of the past and present industrially the u.p roundhouse keeps about one-tenth of the town's manpower busy skilled craftsman all like railroading handling tools doing a job well is a tradition with the people here important too are the local quarries the kansas state capitol building is made of cut stone from geary county of which junction city is the county seat most of the town buildings are constructed from the same material generally speaking about one-third of the people of junction city are merchants and crafts two-thirds are farmers big farmers in wheat and other grains this is alfalfa from the soil to dehydrated powder ready for shipping is a matter of little more than an hour junction city's economy is one of surplus allowing trade in the surplus of other areas and providing the basis for extensive banking credit the prosperity of junction city is reflected in attractive though reasonably priced homes 17 equally attractive churches and an efficient city administration provided with a budget that allows a modern fire and police department in addition there's a 66 bed hospital which cared for nearly 1500 people in the past year 12 doctors five of whom were born and raised in the area an abundance of drugs and medical supplies and a preventive medical group staffed by the county pure well water is provided for drinking and a water softening plant is now under construction the enrollment of eight modern schools totals about 2300 pupils yes junction city is a healthy prosperous and comfortable place to grow up in now but in 1855 about a quarter of the town died of cholera and in the early 1900s a series of plagues floods and droughts again endangered the community there are many contributing causes for this change but perhaps the most significant has been the american educational process of training leaders leaders in agriculture business the professions and crafts in government without which no american community can progress here are america's leaders of tomorrow trained by the leaders of today it's the same story throughout the nation through education we've improved our standard of living developed new industry and fashioned representative government but in she representative community in china isolated from its sister towns and from metropolitan shanghai lives in a world of its own the processes of modern education have barely touched its life it is quiet and picturesque there are no trains no automobiles or humming factories one telephone connects its six thousand people with the outside world junction city has one telephone for every two persons one car for every three hin she has no radios or newspapers little is heard of the political struggle which our press headlines david problems of local living are far more important in she like the rest of china must recover from eight long years of war live unto itself and must feed and clothe its own people and in this struggle it feels sorely its greatest deficiency lack of education though change is the order of our day the last three centuries have brought few innovations to life in in sheep human muscles usually underfed still propel in she's best in transportation even so canal travel is better than walking this canal yinchi's main street on the surface of scene of beauty hides endless dangers to the townsview its polluted waters overflow with death dealing bacteria citizens unaware of modern sanitation wash their food in it wash their clothes and drink it most boil it many not knowing why and all throw waste and sewage into it as in transportation hand power and tradition limit production grandfather moved raw material and shaped the finished product by hand grandfather's way sets the pattern craftsmen tools and raw materials are precious there can be no waste no reckless experimentation there is but one way to build a boat and but one way to fish the hard way that brings meager returns with all these handicaps the struggle for livelihood is paramount for the farmer every waking hour must be devoted to the production of food man and beast of burden know no relief it's an endless cycle of planting tilling reaping planting tilling not always reaping forever chained to the soil still there's not enough yet here lies china's latent strength millions of holes breaking the soil in millions of fields strength is valueless unless directed wisely modern agricultural methods can develop this strength to bring freedom from want and fear freedom from fear fear of the wrath of the gods gods of the big winds and the big monsters for the farmer it's a continuous process of seeking favors of mythical powers this ritual may seem strange to us but in the dark days of our own country our pilgrim grandfathers prayed for a good harvest and gave eloquent thanks when their prayers were answered when in she has learned to face the big winds and the big waters when good crops dispel fears of famine when the villagers can read and write when more children live than die when there are enough doctors to cure the sick when modern sanitation conquers the deadly plague when china has agricultural security this ceremony might then become her thanksgiving and now inji's deep-seated forces of tradition are meeting the hard uncompromising ways of the modern world a conflict which dwarfs civil strife to insignificance yet the leaders of inshee have a vision of the future and have a strong hope for a new china built upon a foundation of education they want to embrace the good in the new eliminate the bad in the old for the old is by no means all bad they have practiced freedom of worship for centuries and the leaders are seeing the revolution in material things the wedding of the old with the new a chevrolet engine in an old sandbank and in the completely new a machine for time saving in food production even grandfather makes concessions to the hair clippers fears and superstition have left disease undefeated life has been cheap death the daily experience into this darkness a medical leader has brought light dispelling these fears for the first time the people are seeing and responding with increasing demands for medical supplies treatment and training for more healthful living with only one visiting doctor for six thousand people this becomes a problem beyond inches resources built on the tradition of the elders masters of human relationships in she is organizing civil government and developing a sense of civic and social responsibility organized recreation new to china is one of the first steps for the development of community responsibility hinchi's leaders recognize the need and appreciate the emergency aid given by americans but this type of assistance is only temporary it does not eliminate the cause of their poverty they realize the solution to these problems is their own responsibility one which they are struggling to meet their answer is education they see in these children inches and china's future scientists doctors nurses teachers leaders but modern training facilities are needed more books better trained teachers more often and the assurance that eventually these students can go forth from nc to colleges and universities for scientific training and return someday as leaders of a new engine in our junction cities we trained leaders to build a strong america in the inches the elders are striving to build similar leaders for a strong china for many years private american groups through educational projects church missions and medical and welfare services have been assisting the chinese in their struggle toward this goal of self-sufficiency the example of these american groups has inspired the chinese to work even harder in setting up their own organizations to help themselves under the leadership of united service to china an american organization formerly known as united china relief these organizations have coordinated their activities so that substantial progress is now within reach we as individual americans because of our hopes for world peace and through our instinctive neighborliness are determined to strengthen this bond of lasting chinese-american friendship through our contributions to usc we can strengthen this bridge to engine a bridge of understanding and friendship of peace and goodwill from one great nation to another you