The Sauk Centre herald., 1939-04-27
Cliff Domke, In China,
Enjoyed Old Calendar
Event
BOMBING RAID
Contrast of Events
Varies Widely In
Oriental Land

China today is a land of strange
contrasts.
On the one hand are a people,
STEPPED in age-old tradition, pur-
suing customs more ancient than
any in simple, almost childlike
rites; on the other are torn by war,
disaster, death dealt by a civiliza-
ton infinitely younger, supposedly
more advanced.
That's the picture Cliff Domke
Sauk Centre boy, Carleton student
teacher in China, painted in a rec
ent letter to his parents here. Life
and Chinese really live-is not
stopped by wars; and life and death
walk hand and hand in this ever
mysterious land.
Two scenes, one a colorful snatch
at Oriental tradition taken from
the celebration of a Chinese New
Years Day, and the other an eye
witness view of a disastrous bomb
ing raid at Sian, show the con-
trasts Cliff has seen.
Cliffs story is like this: TO
night (Feb. 18th) find myself in
dulging in another watch which will
issue in the second New Year for
me this year. This is New Years
Eve of the old Chinese calendar
the lunar calendar, and really is
the commencement of the only holi.
day that many people in China en-
joy. From tomorrow on most Chin
csc who can afford to, yes, and
some who can't, will feast, drink
wine, visit their friends, play, gam
BILE gambling is legal during this
festivaD, forget their worries of the
past year. Tomorrow peasants
and servants as we'll as their lords
and masters will celebrate but
especially the former as this is the
day made for them; they will have
a rest from their duties and will
be allowed to enjoy themselves in
any way they wish. Usually the
servants are remembered with some
gift in money or other gifts of food
many people exchange gifts much
as we do at Christmas time. To
night, though it is wet and misty
the native people burned paper
money outside their gates for the
use of their ancestors in the spirit
world; incense and bright red-coat-
ed tallow candles will burn in FAM
lily altars as we'll as in the temples
when even the gods and various
Nyt.tf I@s, I,.A
ton. There will be no sleep for
millions of Chinese this night as
they usually stay up all night max
ing merry and feasting; in these
parts, the people stay up making
Chao Tse's, or little balls of meat
wrapped in a cover of dough, for
which they have an unlimited cap
acity. Il have learned to like them
very much, though my capacity is
far behind that of a really good
chao tse eater)
"All week houses have been CIV
en- a thorough cleaning, the farth-
est corners have been dug out, cob
webs swept down, courts cleaned,
clothes washed, mended, new paper
pasted over the windows, new
stoves prepared from mud and
bricks, and all utensils secured and
sharpened. In other words it is
the yearly housecleaning for the
inhabitants. Luckily they have this
custom for the majority of them
would never dig out their quarters.
All debts must be paid by today for
the past year, or woe betide the
Stacker who fails. You'll understand
how much of a duty this custom
is when you see that people go to
the extreme of thieving, banditry,
and even to taking life in order to
get money which they may need.
AS a result few people plan to do
much travelling just before the New
Year, especially when it takes them