"(yr of the ashes of death and devastation, there will arise a new China, modern, sanitary, scientific and beautiful, testifying to the indomitable spirit and indefatigable industry of our people. said Dr. W. W. Yen, a former Chinese ambassador to Moscow and Minister te Washington, when giving the annual address at the combined commencement exercises of the East China ristian Colleges and Universities, which wt re held at the Grand Theatre yesterday.
The combined ceremony, unique in the annals of education in China, was witnessed by an audience comprising about two thousand people, and, to the some 280 young men and women who were about to receive their degrees, certificates and diplomas, the day was a red letter one. Beautifully decorated with flowers, and filled to capacity by students in their academic caps and gowns, and by relatives and friends of the graduates, the cinema presented a festive and, yet stately appearance, The colleges taking part in the exercises were:—Ginling College Shanghai Unit; Women's Christian Medical College, Shanghai; University of Nanking, Shanghai Unit; Hangchow Christian College; Soochow University;. University ai Shanghai; and St. John's University.
Prominent leaders of education in China, both foreign and Chinese attended the ceremony, which opened with musie played by the band of the Fourth Regiment United States Marine Corps. This was followed by the procession of guests of honour, faculties, and candidates, and the invocation by the Right Rev. W. P
Roberts bp.
In his opening address Dr. F, L. Hawks Pot, referred to the fact that the exercises showed the close cooperation existing between (he various colleges, all having realized that they had a common aim—to help as an auxiliary the work of education in China, and by doing so to advance the work of the Christian Church.
"Unprecedented Disaster Basing his address on the subject "An appeal for optimism and leadership", Dr. Yen said that, following the precedent of mass marriages under happier auspices, they were holding mass graduation ceremonies. They constituted a sign of the times—unity of spirit and action.
Referring to the "unprecedented disaster" which had befallen the country, Dr, Yen said that a large group of compatriots "had become deeply despondent over past events, and pessimistic as to future developments. They had been bewildered and disheartened by the loss ai province after province, and they believed that, whatever the final outcome of the present struggle, the country and people would be crippled for decades to come. They saw even the end of national independence.
Another effect produced on the minds of the people, specially the younger ones, was that of desperalion, resulting in the trying of new methods and systems and new leaders. There was no warrant, however, 10 be pessimistic. Throughout the ages. in the long run, they had been able to weather the storm, The Chinese people had been notorious among the nations for lack of unity, for placing the familyfand the individual before the country, and for accepting with comparatively little compunction alien rulers and alien rule.. The greatest gain in the present struggle would be national unity.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.