Evening star., 1960-09-16

brother. Catholic Bishop jones Ed.
word Welsh. in q Chinese Com
munist prison.
there, so I had no difficulties on
that score.
No Chinese Red Cross or
travel service representatives
accompanied me on this trip,
but at Canton I was met at
the station by two ladies. One
represented the Chinese Red
Cross but could speak no Eng
lish. The other was from the
Chinese Travel Service, and
she did speak English.
There was a wait of more
than two hours in Canton, and
I sat in a reception room with
the two ladies. I was served
tea but no breakfast, and the
Travel Service lady also under
took to advise me of the glories
OF communism. She had a low
opinion of the United States,
claiming that we are imperial
istic. I might add that Red
Cross and Travel Service rep
resentatives in Shanghai had
the same opinion of the United
States.
I had a good many friendly
arguments with these people
trying to persuade them that
the United States was not inn
perialiStic. I finally wound up
by telling them that I did not
expect to convince them. I
told them also that there was
an old American saying that
it is hard to teach an old dog
new tricks" and that in view
Of this I did not think they
would be able to persuade me.
All Historical MateriaIists
/ might note that all these
representatives also assured me
that none of them believed in
God or religion or in any future
existence, and when was leav-
ing. they told me that China
was entirely materialistic and
believed that we live only dur
ing this life and that death is
the end of everything.
The train from Canton
reached Shumchun at 1920
am. Sunday, and after going
through customs and other for
malities at the border, I was
escorted to the frontier. Here
I met Mrs. Walsh, who had
been in Hong Kong but was
allowed to come to the border
to greet me, together with rep
resentatives of the British and
American Red Cross, and one
OF the Maryknoll fathers.
This wound up my trip to
the mainland of China.
Naturally it did not end nv
thoughts about my brother, re-
manning behind in the Shang-
hal Jail.
He first went to China i'm
1918 as a Catholic missionary
He is now the only American
Catholic priest left in China,
and I was told there are few
foreign missionaries of anv
faith now left on the main
land.
My brothers mission to China
was solely religious, and he has
dedicated almost his whole
adult life to teaching the Chi
nese about Almighty God and
religion. He had often told
me in the past how much he
admired the Chinese people
their industry, thrift, devotion
to their families and other vir-
tues, and how much he en-
1oyed working among them.
Billion Chinese by 1890
There are $50 million Chi
nese on the mainland. I was
told this population is increas.
ing at the rate of IL million
or more a year. so within 30
years there will be q billion
Chinese.
1t is perhaps difficult to un-
derStand, but my brother OBJ
viously hopes that through
some inscrutable plan Of Divine
Providence. his presence in
China may, in some small way
aid in keeping alive belief in
God and religion in that coun-
try. Because Of this he is ap-
parently willing to stay there
II that is Gods wish.
WneIner tnlS nope will be in
any way realized, I do not
know. But I am confident that
the vast population of China
cannot be ignored by the rest
OF o. the world. and I do not be-
lieve that the problem which
II presents can be solved solely
through material means.
In view Of this, I join in nv
brothers hope that he may be
able to make some spiritual
contribution to the welfare of
the Chinese people.
He has particularly asked me
TO thank his friends for remem.
bering him in their prayers,
And, as his position is not
an easy one, I trust that those
who have been praying for him
will continue to do so, to the
end that he may have the
strength to carry out Gods
will.