Peiyang Women's Hospital
Tientsin, China.October 27th, 1935.
My dear Miss Turner:
This is almost the last of a month and I have not written to you since summer. The past summer has been a busy one entertaining my nieces and nephews. One of the two boys has entered college. That was the onew [sic] whom I want to send to America. Mr. Field of Milton Academy did write me and told me that there was a vacancy for my nephew. I thanked him and wrote that our boy has decided to stay in China for his college work. The boy is very timid. But he is just as a good student as his sister Vung Yuin. Three thousand seven hundred boys tried their examinations for Tsing Hua University and only three hundred forty students taken from all over China. My nephew was number 44 of the three hundred forty candidates. His English was poor but his other subjects were good. He has entered as a freshman in school of science. His dean told em that he is an excellent student in his scientific subjects. This is tutition [sic] free goverment [sic] university and that is why so many students try for the entrance examination[.]
The other advantage is that good students may have a chance to study abroad with government support.. So this boy is settled to study at Tsing Hua. I do think that he is not interested in medicine yet for he seems to like mathematics and physics. Anyway we are going to let him finish his college first then decide upon his professional training. By this time Vung Yuin has started her freshman medical course also. There is another younger brother of Vung Yuin who is staying with me this year. He is in second senior high school. Mary Jean is her fifth grade. Abby is studying at home this year. She has wonderful memory so she is memorizing Confucious Classics. She has a tutor for her classics. It means that she will have to stay one year behind in her school work. But Abby likes literature and this would be a good time to lay a solid foundation at least on ourown [sic] literature.
Do you know Miss Helen B. Calder? Her sister is Mrs. Thurston of Ginling College. Miss Calder is here in China. She will stay one year then return home with her sister. She will come to see me this winter. There are a number of Mount Holyoke people at Tientsin. We shall have a special meeting for her.
Dr. Wong who was in charge of our Pediatric service left us for a college job thus I am doing part of her work also. We are trying to get a doctor from P. U. M. C. We also want to install X ray and we have in view a specialist from P. U. M. C. for this department. My secretary is going to get married this winter so this means she would not be with us long. This is indeed a changing world. As soon as one thing is settled here there is change somewhere else. We are sending two graduate nurse[s] for public health training and one student for laboratory technique. We want to start rurul [sic] public health nursing service in villages around and about Tientsin.. It seems to me that end results will be faster if we can reach the farming community. After all China's population 85% consisting of farmers, so we must do something for them immediately. Inspite [sic] of business depression at Tientsin our hospital is able to make ends meet and have a little balance annually for improvement. This year we built a dormitory for our men. They do all the heavy work of the hospital. We have twenty of them. They need a good building for comfortable living. Hospital is going to put up a small building for doctors next spring. As it is now we are scatterd [sic] in diffenert [sic] buildings.
In regard to political condition Japan is making trouble with us everyday. She always is complaining of China's insincerity. But China has gone far along the road toward peaceful solution of problems. In North China Japanese military officer is our dictator. Japan has guns and ammunition and she is preparing to blow us up at any time. When an innocent person is caught between the bandit and his gun. The wise move is to submit at the moment until later to get a chance for redress. That is what we must do. We do not want war but without it China will never be able to get the respect of the world. Soon or late Japan will press China into war. She is trying our patience every day. How long we would be able to stand we do not know. Just the other day a Chinese officer of Social Welfare Bureau was arrested by Japnese [sic] soldiers. So far he is not out yet. This is occuring everyday. Many christians in Manchuria have been arrested by Japenese [sic] soldiers for questioning. Sometimes Japnese [sic] soldiers keep these people as prisoners for many months.
China is making rapid progress in education and communication. Our government is anxious to raise the people to a modern standard. But after all education is a slow process. There are many other problems. The chief trouble of today is due to the fact that China did not have her chance for education for two hundre[d] some years. I mean popular education.
No matter waht [sic] should be our political condition in North China I shall do my best to do my share for our country. One Japenese [sic] spy called upon me for questioning one evening when I was dining with a friend at restaurant. He asked me to go to Japanese police station. I told him that he must show me the warrent [sic] for arrest or else I shall remain at my seat. But to make the story short he took my car and my chauffeur for questioning. After few minutes car and chauffeur returned. I told Dr. Chang of this incident. Dr. Chang said that Japenese [sic] military party here just want to annoy you with a fly. If you can stand it then it is all well and good. If you cannot stand this then you would have further annoyance. After this reasoining [sic] I feel better. There is nothing like patience. With it you can conquor [sic] anything.
We are all well. That is something to be thankful also. I have heard from Vung Yuin also. She is enjoying her work in Anatomy and Histology. For the first time in the medical department a woman professor is asked to head a department. Dr. Crosby is taking Dr. Huber's place. Dr. Mccarter who taught me Anantomy [sic] is teaching Vung Yuin also. Vung Yuin is having a happy time at Michigan as most of my friends are there yet.
I really wish that you can see my new experiment with that home for babies. Mortality and morbidity both have been decreased to a very visible record. Children now are healthy looking happy children. This experince [sic] is good for me also as so many young babies and children give me chance to further my experinece [sic] in Pediatrics. I close this letter with much love as I must leave desk for office.
Yours lovingly.
Me_iung.