The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1939-09-14
Cliff Donke
Will Arrive
Today
Docked in Seattle Satur-
day Aboard Empress of
Russia From China
GONE FOR TWO YEARS
Brought Back Baby
Giant Panda For
st. Louis Zoo

Cliff Domke, after two years
teaching in Carleton-in-China that
has moved six times under pres
sure of the japanese offensive, was
done with ducking japanese bombs.
He was done, too, with another
job less distasteful. That of play
ing nursemaid to a bamboo-eating
Pao Pei pronounced Bow Bay)
which youngster is a six months
old black and white ball of fur
from distant Szechwan, West China.
She is a panda, the ninth of such
creatures now in captivity, and sue
cessfully delivered to the st. Louis
Zoo.
DOcked in Seattle, Washing
ton, Saturday aboard the EN-
press of Russia, Cliff announced
by telegram to his parents, Mr..
and Mrs. Paul Domke, in this
city, he would arrive here to
day, Thursday. Happy over the
prospect of reunion with their
son after two years, MIR. and
Mrs. Domke were anxiously
awaiting today. "Now that the
time is so close, it does seem
exciting" Mrs. Domke said
Tuesday.
Though he expected to travel di-
rectly to this city from Seattle,
he changed his plans to accompany
the panda by plane to the st. Louis
Zoo. He will arrive here from st.
Louis.
A week ago Cliff had a 24-hour
reunion with his brother, Fay, as
ISOLATED with the Young hotel in
Honolulu. Fay on a pass met him
aboard the Cost Guard cutter that
escorts docking ships.
Cliffs charge, Pao Pei, easily be-
came the most popular passenger
aboard ship, women called him
CUTE" and reporters and photo
graphers at the dock in Honolulu
called him "the most interesting
passenger aboard" Forwarded by
airmail clipping from the Hon.
olulu Advertiser was received by
Mr.. and Mrs. Domke this week.
According to the Advertiser, that
published a picture showing Cliff,
in white suit and the customary
lei around his neck, and his black
and white charge, Pao Pei, varied
her usual menu by eating a carna-
ton lei at the ship.
Aboard ship the panda had a dog
house and a tub of water Caught
by Chinese hunters in the bamboo
jungles 200 miles southwest of
Chengtu, she is the property of Will
liam Schulz, of the Curtis Ameri-
can aviation company in China.
He has given her to the st. Louis
zoo, and Cliff brought her out of
China from Chungking to Hong
Kong by plane.
According to statement in
the Advertiser attributed to
Cliff the ''panda is probably the
last that will be exported from
China, for the Chinese govern
ment has placed an embargo on
such shipments"
Pao Pei about the size Of an
airedale dog but when full grown
will probably weigh, around five
hundred pounds. Tame and play
full, she suffered most on the cross
ing with the heat and spent most
Of the time in the bath. Pandas
are of the raccoon family, he told
reporters, and not of the bear
family.
Aboard ship, away from her ma
tive bamboo diet, Pao Pei subsisted
on milk, orange juice, honey, sugar
and corn meal. She is probably a
female, Cliff is quoted as saying,
but admitted that sex determine
ton in pandas is very difficult and
the ZOO will have to wait until she
is full grown to know whether she
may have a husband or a wife.