Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1943-04-01
Soldering In China
BY P. L. HAMLIN.


Perhaps the brightest spot in the
memories of my service in China
in 1918, is the recollection of the
buddies that l associated with. Mr..
Justesen, former superintendent of
schools at Askov, and brother of
Mrs. j. P. Miller of Pine City, was
with us on the Logan but l believe
he stayed in the Philippines for his
service. Then there was Clarence
Lindquist of Minneapolis, and Leigh
ton with whom 1 saw the sights of
Honolulu. But the buddy with whom
I saw the sights of Tientsin was
Garrett B. Dolliver of Iowa, neph-
ew of former Senator Dolliver.
Private Dolliver and 1, in the course
of our wanderings about Tientsin,
came upon the campus of Nan Kai
college where several hundred Chi
nese boys were engaged in their
studious endeavors. The head of the
school, Mr.. Chang, was a graduate
of Columbia university. He well
coined us to the college and asked
many questions about America. We
found that the Chinese boys were as
much interested in basketball When
told the president that l had
coached basketball team in high
school, he asked me if l would come
out a couple of afternoons and help
coach their team. agreed to do so
and went there regularly to teach the
boys such tricks of the game as play
ing the guards wide, out of bound
plays, using their tallest man as GEN.
ter, etc.
The team progressed wonderfully,
thought, and after several weeks
coaching the day of a big game
arrived when they were to meet an
other rival college. I made arrange
ments to be at the game, but soldier
duties made me late, SO when l
arrived the team was on the court
and the game under way. Much to
my chagrin, they were not playing
not playing center, guard was in
a forwards position and the plays I
had taught didn't seem to be click
ing. At the end of the half, got
to the team and asked why they did
not play as l had directed. In bro
ken English the captain said, "Amer-
lean soldier berry good coach, but
Chinese boys think it better this
way"
So, perhaps after Roosevelt and
Churchill have helped the Chinese
as much as possible in their war
with Japan, some Chinese general
will do things his own way, and we
will hear, American President very
good military, but Chinese general
think it better this way"
A Chinese print shop resembles a
small amphitheater as there are over
5000 characters in the language and
typesetter must 60 all around a
room to get his characters to make
copy. Occasionally rare character
is not found and the job must stop
until one is made.
A Chinese restaurant is interesting
because the kitchen is located on the
street entrance and you must go
through the kitchen to get to the
dining room.
Once we visited rug factory
where Chinese Oriental rugs were
being made. This was interesting,
because boys and men ranging in
ages from 10 to IS were weaving
beautiful patterns. The boys wove
simple forms and as we came to the
older men and the aged we saw ex-
emplified all the stages of art and
skill, the old masters doing some
really beautiful work.
Friday afternoon was the day for
cleaning up. Hats had to be cleaned
and blocked, clothes pressed and the
rifle cleaned and polished until it
shone. Then there was company in
spection, battalion inspection and fin
ally on Saturday morning the regi-
mental parade on a nearby athletic