(National Secretary of the YAL.CA: in China)
There are two appeals to youth in China to-day. Broadly, they may be termed Nationalism and Internationalism—the saving of their country and the service of mankind. In common with. the whole of the vast country, the thoughts and ideals of youth are in a state of chaos, but these two appeals remain.
The situation in China is exceed ingly confusing, not only to you who are at a distance, but to us who are fon the spot. I must confess to you that things are developing in such a way that at timos one feels it will be difficult to find a way out. China presents at the present time a picture so vast and complicated that the most experienced politician would hesitate to analyse or con-lecture. The disintegration ina is in process, the old civiliza-passing; and my own feeling is that, before a better state of affairs can be brought about that disintegration will have to complete itself with the utmost thoroughness That is to say, things may have to be a great deal worse in China before they can become better, Revolution We are going through the most gigantic revolution that the world has ever known. It affects the ional, moral, constitu-
Involving ourselves in increasingly complex international relations.
Experience is teaching' us that we must not allow ourselves to be confused or terrified by the multiplicity of detail which this revolution puts before our eyes. We must rather endeavour to view the situation as 'a whole, and to think of the happenings around us in terms of years rather than days. Only thas may we preserve sanity and a sense of balance, What cffect_ is the' revolution having on youth? Naturally, it is peyehologically disturbing. Many of the old accepted beliefs and institutions have been "overthrow!
Moral restrictions have been Slackened, Divorce was nev easier. Youth is thinking experimentally and living experimentally—tometimes with disastrous results, Bewildered and intoxicated with an unaccustomed degree of freedom, not a few of the young men and women of China are rushing to extremes. Impossible idealism and intense materialism go hand. in hand. But, gut of the welter of confusion and destruction, "Nation, ahem has emerged. It is the faitti of the. whole of thinking and educate, ed China to-day.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.