Madame Chiang Kai-shek sent her customary graduation message to the Fu Jen Catholic University class of 1980. Madame Chiang, chairman of the Fu Jen board of trustees, said:
In June of last year I had a happy duty of sending to the graduates of 1979 a farewell message upon their leaving the portals of their alma mater to enter into the world of competition and utter reality.
It is again my happy privilege to address a message to you the graduating class of 1980. This occasion is all the more felicitous since 38 of you are attaining the academic degree of master with another 2,543 receiving the degree of bachelor.
Over the past year many world events and happenings of continuating import have reeled forth, the malevolent aftermath effects of which cannot yet be assessed accurately, as they are still evolving.
Time does not permit me to go into detail the whys and wherefores for the decline of the Free World due to the progression of the loss of faith in the doctrinal and religious foundations on which nations and society are founded so that literally — I mean literally — atheism in the form of Marxism came into being to take the place of religion in the West.
Let me delineate for you the facts as they are. Beginning in 1880 an intellectual movement creditably enough took the form principally in England, of a massive transfer of intellectual and moral energy from the service of God to the service of humanity while previously, the intellectual and moral endeavor was service to humanity through service to God.
The great awakening of humanitarianism was to all intent and purpose beneficent and enlightening in that it was the assuaging of a cumulative sense of social guilt as well as a social consciousness equating with personal sin. In other words, the greater awareness of social questions and problems began to supplant the religious questions which had hitherto been the concern of the structure, if not the infrastructure, of individual and personal relationships vis-a-vis society as a whole.
The destructive and amoral consequences of World War I gave the golden opportunity to a number of "Marxist millenarians" fertile ground to plant and propagate a new "Religion of Humanity." Under the name of a gospel of "Progress," a plausible number of Marxists in the 1930s came from the Church or from religious backgrounds. Also, we must not forget that the Fabian Society as a whole and Beatrice Webb as an individual indirectly helped most effectively to have "evolutionary theology" gradually supplant Christian theology. In fact, social reforms overtly and unashamedly became a religion and before long this "religion" became politicized and, in almost no time at all, became an ever growing political force.
These intellectuals, their followers and followings in their propagation of this new religion preached their "gospel" far and wide with a magnomania zeal a, if it were the distilled essence of the greatest intellects across the English Channel and almost contemporaneously this trend traveled across the Atlantic so that it, too, took roots in the United States. Many of the bright and the brightest in the academic circles in America became the disciples of the new gospel as though they had found their true Jehovah. Yet there began to spring up quite a few groups of men who had grown up also during the 20s and 30s and who at first had dabbled in radical politics during their undergraduate years and identified themselves with debunking what they called "unreasoned respects" and "unfounded taboos" of traditional values and beliefs — in short, Faith, morals and ethics. They became members of the liberal wing of the Democratic party of the United States of the mid-60s.
As events would have it, by 1970, the iconoclasts of the liberal wing became disillusioned with the self-benefiting, self serving biased egocentric reformers of the so-called liberals. These iconoclasts, well meaning young men of high purpose and intellect, were further appalled by the excesses in violence and destruction wrought by student radicalism. This had the contrary effect of turning them into defenders of existing institutions And In Its wake such men as Norman Podhoretz, Nathan Glazer, Irving Kristol, Daniel Patrick Moynihan began to rebuild a resurrected conservative intellectual tradition, now known as neo-conservatism to combat intellectual heresy.
Today, neoconservatism is no longer looked upon with so much prejudice as if it were CroMagnon man resurrected. Neoconservatism's provocative analyses of specifics of weakness in the realm of political parameters on purpose raised once more those fundamental questions and values conveniently overlooked by the liberals and radicals in feigned snooty contempt. The neoconservatives, labeled as the attenuators of democracy, counterattacked effectively whereas the temporizers, in fear of the sting of the left, attempted to curry favor by seeming fairmindedness and assumed the posture of seeing both the positive and negative sides of each postulate Their neither-nor ambiguous attitudinization, relevant only in scientific study and research, proved to be utterly demoralizing in its namby-pamby timid approach to preserving time-tested fundamental rubrics of faith and morals. In this sense, it is interesting to note that in its development neoconservatism has come into its own as a result of rampant libertinism of extreme sociological permissiveness and that politically it has become a rational contraforce to the anarchic violence which Communist imperialism wishes upon its countervailing enemies. As Stalin is attributed to have said, the key to world revolution is chaos.
Surely but gradually, since the assumption of his Holiness John Paul II to the papacy, we are seeing a renaissance of religion as religion with renewed faith and with renewed emphasis on moral values. The unequivocal directive issued recently by the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship prohibiting "experimentations and changes" is not couched in the usual periphrastic papal style. In clear terms, priests are asked to stay within the realm of their dedication and calling. As a relevant fact in point I refer to a report from correspondent Louis Fleming in Rome carried in the Los Angeles Times whereby the Pope while condemning the assassination of Archibishop Romero of El Salvador warned against Church activism that could give rise to infiltration of Marxist ideology which would weaken the faith of Christian peoples. How wise and farsighted such a rescript is.
Considering how Fabian socialism in England spearheaded the way for Communist Russian imperialism under the mantle of social progress, no wonder it produced such traitor as Burgess, Philby, Maclean and the recent coming to light of the traitor Anthony Blunt at the expense of the English people and the country. Surely England does not need nor deserve such sons and servitors. And yet there is still today no lack of left inclining tender-minded intelligentsia whose apologists stoutly defend these traitors under the protection of freedom of speech with almost stereotyped arguments by denigrating loyalty as merely emotional roots imbedded in tribal value. These traitors also have an endemic eclectic distrust of aesthetic culture and an abiding contempt for the work ethic coupled with a populist hatred of domestic virtues and, above all a revulsive antipathy to narrow patriotism to a country. What damage misguided thinking can do to free society in the long-range view is incalculable.
As to the reassertions of Vatican directives against "experimentation" with the Mass, Catholic traditionalists responded favorably while liberal Catholics, as is to be expected, voiced disappointment. We see that these directives are not empty pious mouthings, for this Pope has translated his worlds of separation of Church and State into action. The Jesuit, Father Robert Frederick Drinan, formerly Dean of Boston Law School, and Father Robert J. Cornell, a Norbertine priest, obeyed to end their elective careers as Congressmen when told they should withdraw from this year's United States Congressional election. In holding to the view that "The Church should stay free with regard to the competing politicaldeology or systems in order to opt only for man," the Pope is reinforcing the rock of Peter upon which the Church is founded one, absolute obedience from those who have voluntarily surrendered their lives to a life of ecclesiastic dedication; two, unquestioned subjection to discipline, since political involvement cannot but "dilute" a priest's spiritual authority, involving him in maneuvering and compromise. These strictures the Pope has reiterated, be it in the Vatican, in Poland, Ireland, Africa or most recently in France.
Today I have given you several gleanings of why the Free World has fallen into our present malaise of decline and apathy. Civilized decadence spawned from social permissiveness of the Free World has not fostered the respect and affection of the Communist countries nor of the Third World. Decadence has only earned contempt and derision either overt or overt as self-mesmerizing dummkopfkeit. What Schadenfreude it is to find the Free World so accommodating and servile to imperialist Communist aspirations.
I have also spoken about the once young radicals who have come to realize the subtle perversion of time-tested values and are therefore doing their share to sound reclame and eradicate the intellectual poison and corruption sowed by the Russian controlled Marxists masking as good Samaritans and humanists.
And, lastly, I have related to you a review of what you as graduates of Fu Jen today must feel, a deep sense of pride that the Spiritual Father of the Catholic Church has unflaggingly, consistently and courageously evoked the doctrinal and the traditional principles without equivocation in our age of crisis of authority. And it is with the same fervent hope that I, too, wish you to abide by certain immutable principles in your travel through life.
KMT to reveal historical data
The Kuomintang Party History Committee plans to make public historical materials of the eight-year war against Japan (1937-1945) next year, Chin Hsiao-yi, chairman of the Commit tee, said. The Committee, better known as the Kuomintang Archives among China scholars, also plans to sponsor a symposium on the history of the Republic of China next year.
Chin made the remarks during his report on Party History Committee work to a group of ranking Kuomintang and government officials.
The aim is to let the facts speak for themselves, Chin said, and rebut the false claims of the Chinese Communists. The Reds have fraudulently claimed that they fought the war against Japanese militarists.
Red China is compiling a history of the Republic of China in collaboration with the Japanese mass circulation Asahi, Chin said.
The History Committee plans to sponsor a symposium on the history of the Republic of China next year. Some 80 Chinese and foreign historians will be invited.
Dragon boat races decided
The Peitou District team won the men's championship in the Chung Cheng Cup Dragon Boat Races on the Tamsui River in Taipei. Chung Cheng is the late President Chiang Kai-shek's Chinese name.
The Shihhsin Commercial Vocational School won the women's championship.
Eighty-one teams from Taipei and Hongkong participated.
Other titles went to the Chingshan Tennis Association. Taipei Physical Education College. Ret-Ser Engineering Agency. Ministry of Economic affairs. Lai Lai Department Store and Chiao Jen School of Commerce and Industry.
Peitou won in minutes 30.56 seconds, while Shihhsin girls took 3 minutes 23.25 seconds.
Awards were presented by General Ho Ying-chin, strategy adviser to the President. Nieh Wen-ya, president of the Legislative Yuan, presided.
Dragon boat races also were held at Taichung and Tainan.
Mayors, magistrate visit America
The visit of four Chinese mayors and a county magistrate to the United States will help promote good relations between the countries in the future, said Mayor Lee Teng-hui of Taipei on the group's return from a l6-day tour of seven U.S. cities. Other members of the group were Mayor Wang Yu-yun of Kaohsiung, Mayor Su Nan-cheng of Tainan, Mayor Chen Cheng-hsiung of Keelung and Magistrate Ko Wen-fu of Pingtung County
"The visit will contribute much to substantive relations between our country and the United States," Mayor Lee said.
The group attended a meeting of U.S. mayors in Seattle, then visited San Francisco Chicago.
New York, Denver, Los Angeles and Washington. They met with their American counterparts and talked to overseas Chinese leaders and Chinese students. A number of misunderstandings were cleared up.
Mayor Lee said he and his colleagues learned much about city planning, traffic control and building construction.
South Koreans win cage crown
Korean girls celebrate after receiving Jones Cup basketball award. (File photo)
A determined South Korean five held onto its lead and upset the taller U.S. team 90-79 at the Chinese Sports and Cultural Center in Taipei to win the William Jones Cup women's basketball tournament.
Korea, the U.S and the ROC White team were tied at four wins and one loss apiece after the U.S. — Korea game. The point system gave Korea the championship with the ROC second, U.S. third and ROC Blues fourth
The defending U.S. champions were dethroned despite their overwhelming advantage in height. Korea's speed, accurate outside shooting, experience, a full-court man-to-man defense and beautifully executed assist plays spelled the difference.
In the final game, the ROC Whites crushed the Blues, 103-87.
Big variations in college tuitions
How much does it cost to train a college student? The most expensive education in Taiwan is at the National Yang Ming Medical College. Cost totals NT $129,070 per academic year. The least expensive is the Taipei Medical College at NT$17,583 per academic year.
Medical students at Yang Ming get full government scholarships but must serve the country for several years after graduation. Students in other Yang Ming departments pay their own way. The student body numbers only 722.
The private Tatung Institute of Technology, with 1,055 students, charges NT$120,576 for an academic year.
National Taiwan University, with the largest student body of 12,214, charges NT$48,854.
Many students receive scholarships. Most pay very little at public schools.
Lanyu, where all own their houses
Lanyu (Orchid Island), the most backward area in Free China, soon will become the first place in Taiwan Province where every family owns its own house.
Liu Chien-cheng, an official of the Lanyu township office, said the last batch of 65 cement houses will be distributed to aborigine residents.
The government has already built and distributed 501 cement houses. Tribal residents used to live in holes in the ground with thatch to ward off rain.
The aborigines are of the Yami tribe and fishermen. They are known for their beautiful hand-carved canoes.
The Taiwan Provincial Government has a five-year program to turn Lanyu into a vacation spot.
Osmond family visits memorial
Donny Osmond and wife at left and Father and Mother Osmond at right. (File photo)
The Osmond entertainment family visited the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei to pay respects to the bronze statue of the late President Chiang Kai-shek.
Led by the dad and mom, the family arrived at the hall at noon. Thousands of Osmond fans crowded around.
Marie was absent, exhausted by an energetic performance the night before.
The family viewed cultural and artistic works on display at the hall during a 40-minute stay.
The Osmonds visited the Far Eastern Department Store and heard the story behind the Dragon Boat Festival. They ate the rice dumplings which go with this holiday. They wanted to see the Dragon boat races on the Tamsui River but decided not to because of the huge crowd.
The family gave six performances in Taipei.
Prisoner to star in his own story
Daniel Kelley, an American who spent 22 of his 39 years in prison on the Chinese mainland, arrived to play the leading role in a film telling his story.
The film to be produced by the China Motion Picture Studio will be based on interviews Kelley gave to the Youth Warrior Daily when he visited Taiwan in April, 1979.
The son of an American missionary and his Chinese wife, Kelley was arrested at the age of 17 because he tried to flee the mainland when his request for an exit permit was rejected. That was the beginning of his long life in different prisons.
Kelley speaks fluent Chinese. He retained his English by talking to himself while in prison.
The film tentatively titled "Ordeal" will be directed by Lo Wei-ping. Actress Chou Tan-wei will be the leading lady.
Kenting Park to be developed
Tourism growth has slowed and changes are in the making.
Yu Wei, new director of the Tourism Bureau, said he hopes to impress tourists with the rich heritage of China and develop scenic attractions.
Yu spent more than three weeks inspecting tourist locales. The Tourist Bureau is cooperating with Tokyu Inn, a leading Japanese promoter, in developing a big resort project at Kenting Park near Taiwan's southern tip.
Yu said construction of Kenting motels, restaurants, beach and ocean park will start next spring. Investment will come from the government and private sector.
Other developments will be at Orchid Island and Oluanpi.
Yu said a few major scenic spots will be stressed because of the limited budget.
Yu is meeting with magistrates of county governments to seek their support.
The bureau will set up an office in Melbourne. Offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Singapore and Tokyo will step up promotional efforts.