Evening star., 1943-02-19

books. But she said she felt she was
among friends.
Nine. Chang said the Chinese
have been fighting for years without
overhead protection and sometimes
only with swords.
Asked whether China is using all
her manpoWer effectively in the
effort to smash the japanese. she
replied that all the manpower is
being employed to the extent that
munitions are available for it. The
Chinese, she said, can not fight
bare-handed
Greatly Helped by Russia.
Nine. Chang said her country had
received a great deal of material aid
from Russia before the Soviet be-
came SO pressed itself in the fight
with Germany.
She explained to questioners that
her visit here is a personal visit, not
an official mission.
When reporter remarked that
she had made quite an impression
in her visit to the House and Senate
yesterday, Nine, Chang said that
she would leave that for, him to
judge.
Asked if Mr.. Roosevelt might have
requested her to remain in Wash
ington as a liaison official between
the White House and Congress, she
replied with a laugh that she did not
believe the President needed her or
any one else for that.
In opening the joint press con-
ference, Mr.. Roosevelt referred to
Nine. Chang as a special envoy and
said her visit would be a real help to
us in the years to come as we'll as
In the immediate future.
He said he wished that both he
and the American press knew one
half as much about China as Nine
Chang does about this country.
Close to u. S. in Thought.
He asserted that the Chinese peo-
pie had been very close to us in
thought and objectives for the past
century, China becoming one of the
great democracies of the world.
Nine. Chang said that China al
ways had had social democracy
Throughout its thousands of years of
civilization and that she now is
depending on the Chinese press to
help her country realize a political
democracy in the future.
The White House made public
for direct quotation the preliminary
remarks of President Roosevelt and
Nine. Chang at the press confer
ence. Their responses to questions
were not permitted to be quoted
directly. Both spoke extempora-
neously throughout.
The text of the Presidents pre-
Hminary remarks follows:
May take this opportunity, not
to introduce Nine Chang to you,
but to present all of you to her?"
Representative Group.
Mime. Chang, this is nearly our
1000th press conference in 10 years,
and the fact that the press and I
are not only on speaking terms after
all those years is perhaps a very
good sign. We still talk to each
other. I think we rather like each
other.
"You have got a very representa-
tive group here. There is no country
in the world, think, that has more
newspapers on population basis
ana agazlnes-than we have. They
are very live wires. But l can tell
the press something besides that,
and that is that I wish We-both the
press and myself-kneW half as
much about China as Nine Chang
knows about us, as special envoy.
That is very different from most
special ENJOYS who come to this
country. Her visit to us is going to
be of real help in the days to come
not only because-I suppose the peo-
pie of China and the people of the
United States for very great num-
Der of years, well over century,
have been. in thought and in OBJ
iective, closer to us Americans than
almost any other peoples in the
world. That is because we have the
same great ideals.
China, in the last half a CEN
tury, has become one of the
great democracieS of the world, and
we must remember always that her
civilization is thousands Of years
older than ours. And that is why I
feel that we in this country have
great deal more to learn about
China than China has to learn
about us.
Mime Chang knows this country
and I am going to ask her, there
fore, as an old friend, just to say
few words. And afterward, re-
member always, please, that this
conference is not quotable for either
of us-in other words. treat it just
as if 1t were any regular conference
of mine-you will receive her, and
perhaps she will be willing to an
swer a few questions Of the non
catch type.
And so, present to you the
American press"
Mime. Chiang's Remarks.
Nine. Chiang's preliminary re-
marks follow:
Mfr. President, Mrs. Roosevelt,
ladies and gentlemen of the press:
II haven't made any preparations
for a speech. I don't know what
I'm supposed to say to you today,
but I confess that I have often
heard that the pen is mightier than
the sword. And when I saw all these
pencils flashing across the pages as
the President spoke, / must confess
that whereas I have been to all the
fronts in China and have never felt
any fear so far as japanese swords
are concerned, ! do not know
whether I felt fear or not when /
saw all your pencils flashing across
the pages
However, don't think I do, be-
cause see flashes of smiles coming
from your faces, so I feel that I am
amongst friends. and that I have
nothing to fear from the press, al
though I understand that there are
such questions as catch questions.
don't think you are going TO heckle
me with them. am sure YOU won't.