Evening star., 1941-06-22
America Points the Way
Veteran Diplomat Says U. S. Guides Worlds Destiny

ing of a snowy, bitter cold day. The
high, wide doors of the great hall in
which the empress was enthroned,
propped up stif1ly in her heavy silks and
embroidery, were all thrown open, and
an icy wind swept through. Young Peck
wore several suits of long underwear un-
der his fulldress suit.
Both Mr.. Peck and Mr. johnson
marched in the gorgeous funeral pro-
cesSions of the Empress Dowager and her
son, Kuang Hsu. who died within few
hours of each other In white tie and silk
hats they moved at a snails pace with
yellow robed grandees, llamas, Manchu
bowmen in procession mile long.
Many carried candles with sable skins
hung from their necks. One hundred
husky men bore the massive catafalque-
very smoothly and unerringly-for any
one who stumbled would have been ex-
ecuted. So slowly they moved, it took
nearly an hour to cover the distance
which was two or three blocks
Those old days and all that happened
to China afterWard were the subject of
a conversation one day this spring be-
tween Mr.. johnson and Generalissimo
Chang Kai-shek. They were walking in
forest of pines and eucalyptus trees
on the banks of the Yangtse River out
side Chungking little while before Mr..
johnson said good-by.
Chang and Johnson.
Chang pointed out certain parallels in
their careers: He went to the Military
Academy in Japan the year Mr.. john
son arrived in China. Gen. Chang had
his baptism of fire that day in Shanghai
when Sun Vat Sen started his revolt
against Guam Shin Kai; Chang was
leading part in an attack on an arsenal
at the same time Mr.. johnson was get
ting his first taste of warfare scurrying
around the city trying to take care of
American citizens. And in 1890 when
Mr. johnson became Minister, he pre-
sented his credentials to Chang, who
shortly before had become a generals
Simo.
Mr.. Johnson, following Chang in his
flights from Marking to Hankow to
Chungking, became close friends of the
generaliSsimo and his Americana edu-
Gated wife. The Chiangs like informal
parties, and particularly picnics.
Mr.. Johnson, a roly-poly, merry diplo-
mat, remembers one picnic in the
woods near Hankow wen everybody
brought some contribution-nuts, candy
and such other delicacies as the refugees
could obtain. Nine. Chang cooked for
them in a chaflng dish she brought
along. Among the party was the %
year-old head of the great Kung family,
the direct descendant of Confucius; he
is venerated throughout China as Sheng
Kung, the sacred duke. The young man
was very quiet and somewhat mystified
at all that Occidental informality.
Nine. Chang follows her husband
wherever he goes, in city and camp, TAX
ing along her oil stove and chafing dish
to prepare the dishes he likes. She reads
innumerable American books and peri
odicals and takes notes on any she thinks
would be of interest to Chang.
The Generals Lady.
She was the only woman at the fare
we'll dinner which the Generalissimo
gave in Mr.. Johnson's honor this spring.
Chang spoke in Chinese, and Nine.
Chang, sitting between them, took notes
on her husbands speech to help Mr..
Johnson prepare his reply. Mr.. johnson
speaks Chinese f1uently, but the new
military and economic terms sometimes
battle him.
Doesn't it embarrass you to be the
only woman at so many of these af-
fairs?" the Ambassador asked her.
NO" indeed" she replied, laughing.
II am not woman any longer. I have
lived and worked with men so much, I
am one of them"
The Ambassador, w& is 54, had Mrs.
Johnson and their two children remain
at the stately Embassy in far away
Peking while he was Drawing the air
raids in Chungking. Until they took
this trip home together, he hadn't seen
them since the Christmas of 1899
When this reporter telephoned the
Johnsons' hotel apartment for an ap-
pointment with the diplomat, 5-year- -old
Betty Jane johnson answered the
phone.
MY daddy is at the Office" she said,
and from her tone 1t was obvious that
she was rather proud and happy to give
the information. For it was the first
time in her life that the little girl had
been able to tell anybody that.