Evening star., 1922-12-28
EEEARLY RETURN
Of CHINESE GIRL
Believe Bride-to-Be Will Soon
! Come Back to
Parents.
MAY BREAK ENGAGEMENT
Prospective Bridegroom Declared
Ready to Absolve Miss Wen From
Nuptial Agreement.

Nuptlal Agreement.
Belief existed today in Washing
tons Chinatown that Mildred Wen
who vanished Tuesday afternoon to
avoid wedding George Nom Lee OF
New York, will return to the home OF
her parents, 3l6 9Th street within the
next few days.
Abundant confidence Is held by the
parents and relatives. as well OF the
friends of the girl, in her discretion
and this is the basis for their belief
that she will put in an appearance
shortly
Believed to Be Here.
Despite reports that she is in hiding
in Baltimore, the friends and relatives
of the girl believe her still to De IN
Washington, staying with friends.
number of incidents cropped up TO-
day in the case which gave the drama
surrounding the disappearance of this
American-bred Chinese girl an even
more interesting tinge.
From relatives it was learned that
her mother. Mrs. Wing Ling wen,
oyerioyed at her appearance on
Christmas day after her first de-
parture from home on the Friday pre-
ceding, had given her ten OF the rings.
all of them valuable. which had ar
rived as wedding presents. These
rings could easily be converted into
cash, which would enable the girl to
prolong her disappearing act inden-
nitely.
Question Of Chinese Honor.
Chinese honor also has entered into
the case in a definite manner. The
parents of Lee. whose father happens
TO be Lee Quon. leader of the power
full On Leong Tong of New York. had
entered into a sacred betrothal en-
Gagement.
The breaking of such an agreement
is held by Chinese custom to be al
most sacreligious. This was the rea-
son, it was explained today, that so
much anxiety was at first displayed
for the return of the girl and the
carrying out of the pledge. The
Chinese tradition. however. is to be
sacrificed to the independence of per-
sonality developed by Mildred's s
American training. The parents state
that Lee is willing to absolve them
needed is the return of the symbolic
engagement ring.
Possibilities of strife among tongs
is laughed at by Chinese here, who
point out that the affair is all among
members of the same tong. the On
Leong faction. 1t will be remem-
bered that New York's greatest tong
war. eight years ago. which en-
broiled that city; Chinatown, was
centered about the On Leong tong
and Hip Sing faction The former
emerged victorious after number
OF Killings and has taken its place
as the most powerful Chinese fra
ternal organization in the United
States.
Girls Own Choice.
George Y. Wen. a thoroughly
Americanized Chinese, talked long
and f1uently yesterday regarding the
disappearance of his niece. For the
nrst time he gave a clear outline of
the stand taken by the family
Much money was spent" he said
in preparing for the wedding 1t was
a thing of Mildred's own choice. She
had met Lee at least three times She
AND the reason we were going to take
her to New York was so that she
might face together his family and
her own father and answer this ques-
zion: Do you want to marry Lee .
If she said: do not want to marry
anybody, 1t would be at an end.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wen, my brother and
his wife, are abiding by American
custom. All this stuff newspapers are
printing about Chinese-American
night between customs is bunk. We
did not make arrangements. She
made them. We let her set even the
time for the wedding. Now she don't
want wedding, We let it go. All the
money spent on it-that's all right.
We want the girl back, for her par
ents are wailing for her.
Ring Back, No Wedding.
When she sends back the ring. that
breaks up plans. Wedding is then at
an end. That is what you call symbol
OF breakup. Ring comes back. no
wedding"
DO you think that her American
education has harmed her, when con-
sidered with what she would have be-
come under Chinese education?" he
was asked
Il know lots Of American girls who
would not treat their parents how she
has treated them. Her mother is sick.
When the mother Is, sick, it also
makes the baby, who very young.
sick. We want Mildred back. Every
thing will be all right"
An attempt was made to get Wen
~ oiSh al open appeal to Mildred
promising her that there would be no
wedding and asking her to come back,
II was to have been printed in one of
the local papers.
Il won't sign You must take nv
word. My word is good as my sign"
Thats the way it stands. The fam
lily. Christianized. it is said, refused
to even think of taking dot" from
the family of the bridegroom, which
is customary in China.
Girl Trend Eluded.
On the day that Mildred disappeared
Margaret 500. a girl friend, was
placed as sort of chaperon over
her. There Is no suspicion among the
family Of the girl who has run away
twice to avoid a wedding, that the
latter proved false to her trust. In
fact, she cried for almost the entire
afternoon after 1t was found that lit
tie Mildred had eluded her.
Chinatown yesterday was alive with
rumors and activity. Once there came
a telephone message that Mildred was
cut northeast. An address. was given
and a general conference was held
While the conference was in progress
newspaper representatives shot out tc
the address given. only to hnd it q
chain grocery store. and only one
story.
RITES FOR GEN. WRIGHT