Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-04-28
Collaboration Tells
How Madame Koo
Worked on Book
Refined on Soto, Talked
Of Years in Chino, Jovo;
Stenoeropher at Hand
BY INCA ARVAD,

i>oi III hueIiCdH newspaper Alliance
NEW YORK, April 28.-"Hui-lan
Koo" an autobiography by Nine
Wellington Koo, has become the
book thousands of people through
out the country would be willing to
give their No. II ration coupon to
obtain. More than 400 book re-
viewers sit gloating on their copies
while they ask themselves the ques-
ton, "Why?"
When sales were prevented
through the dispatch of 5000 tele-
grams to the bookstores in America
paid for by Dr. Wellington Koo's
secretary, people began to ask
"Why?" and rumors began tc
spread The rumors varied from
Is there too much romance In the
biography of the wife of the Chinese
Ambassador to the Court of st
James'?" to rs it really true tina,
Nine. Koo is criticizing the lease
lend program and says China may
collapse any minute now?"
Collaboration All Smiles.
Mrs. Mary Van Rensselaer, Thayer
who wrote the book in collaboration
with Nine. Koo, was all smiles. yes
terday
isn't it wonderfully" she said
THE critics loved the book. Yes.
know nothing has been printed yet
but saw few reviews before they
went to press and one New York
paper said: Every woman ought to
read it,
There is nothing in it about lease
lend. AS far as China is concerned
nothing is written about the state
of the country since 1887, when Nine
Koo was last home.
There are people who said Mime
Koo writes about the upper crust OF
China. That seems natural. After
all, there are people in that country
who get three square meals a day
and surely Mrs. HOO can't help it
If she was born into a very rich
family.
Il can't imagine that Nine. Chang
Kai-shek has objected because she is
only mentioned once, as the leader
of the neville movement, so that
cannot be Objectionable. To tell you
the truth, can't see why the book
has been withdrawn. There CAM
possibly be much revising. and a.
that job will be done in few days
the book probably will be in the
stores within month.
Tells Few Things"
Eyes, I certainly can tell you few
things about the book 1t is not only
the life of Mrs. Koo, but it tells 9
great deal about her grandfather anc
father. There is chapter on Mrs
Koo's aunt, who never met her hus-
band until the day they were mar
ried. And it may sound rather de-
pressing, but 1 like the chapter or
the funerals and etiquette of China
There Is a great deal of color ir
the book. A lot was written about
Java. where Mrs. Koo grew up: a LOT
about strange gods, superstitions anc
animals. Naturally. a great dea
was written about Mrs. Koos years
as Ambassadors in England anc
France.
But the reason I find the book
has great significance is because il
expresses the views of a Chinese
lady about her own people-not 9
European or an American who Is
writing about what they think the
Chinese think.
Il never enjoyed any work sc
much. We have written off and or
for about four years, but during thai
time Mrs. Koo was in France fol
two years. And, speaking of France
there is story that Mrs. Koo's dogs
were fed chicken while residents oil
vichy were starving. That story is
only partially true. The dogs die
get broiler every other day, but in
order that her dogs could eat Mrs
Koo never had piece of meat her.
self.
When we worked on the book
Mrs. Koo would recline on a sofa
and just 60 on talking. A stenog-
rapher took down every word, ar
ranged it all and got all the back
ground material. A lot of research
had to be done. / read II books on
Java alone. Our work went on fol
eight or ten hours q day. But
enjoyed every minute. Mrs. Koo /.
brilliant, beautiful and charming, !
she concluded