Foundation Stone Laid by Gen. Wu Te-chen The New Stadium Graced by the presence of Mr. Lin Sen, Chairman of the National Government, the Sixth National Athletic Meeting opened at the new Kiangwan Civie Centre Stadium, that day, when over 60,000 people were tetimated to have attended, (All roads to Kiangwan were a stream of vehicles throughout the day, and the National Festival proved unique in Shangha's history. Prior to the ceremony which inaugurated the stadium, flights of aeroplanes roared overhead, diving swiftly sometimes within 60 ft. of the centre of the stadium, and stirring the crowd to great enthusiasm.
Mr, Lin Sen emphasized that athleties played an increasingly important role inthe life of modern nations. The rise an@ fall of a nation depended a large extent upon the spirit and consolidated strength of the people which in turn depended upon liber health and physique of the masses that make up nation, In ancient China, Mr, Lin explain. ed the system of building the people's health was not wanting, and it was only during the last 100 years or so that country had deteriorated physically on account ofan unbalanced emphasis upon scholarship, to the gross neglect of their physical wellbeing. Tt was due to this pitiful state of affairs that China was given by the foreign Powers the nickname of "Sick Man of the Far East." This was most regrettable, but China stood a hospital sharily afterwards.
The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new offices of the China Aviation League was held at theCivie Centre of 2o.m.on Saturday, being attended by more than 100 representatives of various public bodies. Mr. Wang Shao-lai, a member of the standing committee of the league, presided over the ceremony, which /was performed by Gen. Wu Te-chen, the Mayor. The new building, which ]will be three-storeyed, will cost $84,- }000 and is expected to be completed Jat the end of the year, Inaugurated in September, 1932, the League started canvassing in March last year, and, withing three months, a sum' of '$1,304,870 was collected. In all, eighteen aeroplanes ]were purchased and presented to the Government.
Contributions towards a second membership campaign was fiaunehed, which, according to an Jomficial of the league, is making good In addition to two traming planes Jcontributed by two leading merchants, [the organization intends to purchase [two for the newly-established flying Jelub, for the training of civil aviators.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.