Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-05


news in my old mothers death that
occurred on the 18th of last July at
Hong Kong; while l have no regret
about her age, since she was already
in her eighty-fourth year, | cannot
help feeling on the other hand my
heart perfectly rent with the thought
that fiiai piety in my case was not
well discharged as wandering in for
eign countries has been my life since
the day of my youth when / lost my
father. The last time l saw dear mo-
Their was on the rourth of last July; it
was on my way TO the South Sea,
whittier / was roaming after Japan
drove me away; 1 stole time when the
ship anchored at Hong Kong, and
went to her sick bed at peril of my
life. She was already then in the
most serious condition; but now when
/ hear of her death l doubt if it was
not dream. How sad!'
This explains. beside the Oriental
sense of filial piety which should be
more intense when it is unfulfilled, the
fact, of his wandering life, now in Am
erica, then in Europe, now again in
Japan, then again in the South Sea.
which had hardly one day of rest I'M
der the Pekin Governments assiduous
persecution, putting a big price on his
head during the last fifteen years, that
is Immediately after his first attempt
for the cause of revolution failed at
kwangtung in his twenty-eighth year.
There is no other man in the world, 1t
is not too much to say, who can be
compared in point of self-sacrifice and
single minded zeal with this Sun whose
standard, however, has been in some
quarters misunderstood sometimes as
set up for his own glorification; and
some go even further in measuring
him by common Chinaman whose
mercenary motive is prominent and
say that he collects money abroad or
at home upder a beautiful pretence
only for self-indulgenee. First of all
he should be indicated from such a
charge; the fact that every cent of
quite a big fortune he amassed from
his medical practice at Annoy or
Shanghai or Kwangtung was spent
for his first venture, and the addition
al fact that many a Chinaman i'm
proverished from supporting him, Chi
T'oupai of Hong Kong for instance,
who is said to have lost forty tlIous-
and pounds. has not one word of COM
plant, might be a sufficient and COM
plete vindication.
1t may be said that it is his misfor-
tune to have only an undistinguished
appearance, dark in complexion, I'M
fluent in speech even with a touch of
shyness. the full measure of his sta
ture barely five feet and four inches,
if it were a reason to make people
doubt his great ability as the reyolu-
tionary leader of China; but we have
many an instance in the history of the
West as well as the East that the real
fire and power are often concealed I'M
der a rustic unattraetive surface. And
there is the fact that he is most rev.
ereatly looked upon as the very sa
vior of the Han people from the Man
churian oppression and general dis
grace all through Middle China, as is
testified by Baikyo Mizuno, a
japanese vagabond priest who
spent fifteen years by the Yang
tse kiang, in the Central Re-
view; it is true that there are number
less people who are ready to sacrifice
their own lives for Sun. 1t is said ii
is almost startling to know how he is
regarded in China; read with great
interest the following story of Dansu-
iro Ike's in the Jill Shimpo of Toxic.
which shows the fact of being friend
to sun Vat Sen to be something. be-
side the perfect reliability of a Chinese
promise:
Il was in Formosa in February,
1907, when l received message from
Sun that he would be pleased to see
me at Hong Kong on the thirteenth of
March when his ship would reach
there on his way to the South Sea;
went to Annoy presently, and from
there sailed to Shunt GU on the next
day. 1 decided to stop there some
days as Prinz Alice, that was the
steamer Sun took from Japan, would
not make an immediate arrival, and
to study the revolutionary condition:
| made my lodging at the Shunt'ou
Hotel where, to my great surprise, l
had to pay ten dollars a day, an un-
usual price for such a country hotel of
meagre aspect | was confronted at
once with a difficulty as my money
was not enough, and had still to stay
some more days; as last resort, de-
cided to use the name of Sun Vat Sen
and went to appeal for help to a GER
tain Chin. the leader of Sanho Hui. one
of the great secret societies of those
parts, with Che and Kao as revolu-
zionist members. When l showed him
the kilograms and letters of Sun to
prove myself not a beggar or swindler.
he expressed a great respect for me as
suns friend, and at once promised to
furnish me all / needed But few
days passed and not shadow of Chin
appeared in my hotel with the money
and | grew more uneasy, as l had to
pay $40 or so for some nine days, and
it was already the eleventh. only two
days before Suns arrival at Hong
Kong. when l had soon to leave
Shuat'ou. 1 appeared again before
Chin with my friends Kao and Che to
press on his promise; he said with
perfect eomposure: My friend. when
| promised it, that is settled. BE easy
i'll mind, / shall not disappoint you.
the precious friend of Mr.. Sun / have
been expecting money from Ch'aochop
every day; if | do not get il by eve
ming, l have a last resort. There is