When did Soong Ching Ling study in the United States?

Soong Ching Ling 1893 was born in Shanghai, and she went to study in the United States in 1907 (1), when she was less than 15 years old. She first went to a high school in samit, New Jersey, and soon went south to study at Westrian College in Macon, Georgia. She also has a name "Luo Shiwen Song" at school, and all her close friends call her "Susie"-a nickname simplified from the English spelling of her surname. The romantic name "Losven" later disappeared with the passage of time, but another simple name "Susie" continued to be often used to sign English letters for new and old friends until the end of her life. The year when she went to study in America is often written as 1908. This is the year that she entered Wesleyan College. Before that, she studied in samit for some time. ② The English name of this name is Rosamonde, and now it is transliterated as "Rosamonde", but it was translated as "Luo Shiwen" in the past, and it was used in various historical materials, so it is still old. The photo mentioned by the translator is when she graduated from Wisconsin at the age of 20. This is different from many of her later photos, which give the impression of a delicate-sometimes weak-beautiful woman. But if you look closely, people can also feel that inner strength. This powerful force was first and most obvious in that graduation photo, so it was chosen as the first photo to introduce Soong Ching Ling to readers. Of course, the face when you are young, no matter how you show your nature, can not explain a person's life. Personality can change, sometimes very bad. However, the strength in Soong Ching Ling's character is the core of constancy. There are all kinds of forces, especially the consequences. Her elder sister Song Meiling and her younger sister Song Ailing are as determined as her-the former later married the Kuomintang dictator Chiang Kai-shek, and the latter became Chiang Kai-shek's finance minister and Kong Xiangxi's wife, pocketing their own money. But as a saying circulated among compatriots in the 1930s said: among the three sisters in the Song family, one loves power, the other loves money and the other is patriotic-this last one refers to Soong Ching Ling who loves the country and the people. Her fame comes from her fighting experience of always standing with the people of China in stormy weather and stormy waves. As for wealth, she has nothing. When filming graduation photo, Soong Ching Ling had already shown her future quality and personality. It is not difficult to see the clues of her interest and talent from the school magazine. Every graduate's extracurricular activities and rewards are generally stated in the school magazine. About Soong Ching Ling, it is written as follows: "1912-1913, literary editor of the school magazine Wesley; Member of dance drama club; Communication Officer of Harris Literature Society ". Even more striking is the inscription next to the photo: "Inner glory overflows from her eyes and forehead". It must be unusual for a person to evoke such poetic words from his classmates-not only impressive, but also full of enthusiasm and love. She is and always will be. (1) With regard to the materials collected from the publications and archives of Wesleyan College, the author of this book would first like to thank his friend, Zhang Yan, an old colleague of Zhongjian. When he was a reporter of People's Daily in the United States at 198 1, he went to Macon to collect historical materials about Soong Ching Ling. I would also like to thank Professor A. Tom Grunsfeld from Lisbon College in new york, Professor Jonathan Goldstein from West Georgia College, and Ms. Fu Wuyi and Ms. Zhang Airong from the research office of Soong Ching Ling Foundation in Beijing. They visited Wissian College and samit in New Jersey and brought back more information. Her articles published in the school magazine Wiserian reflected many of her views at that time. The most prominent of these is patriotism. In the article "The Influence of Overseas Students on China" published by191,she wrote that the purpose of studying in China should be to "learn all valuable and good things" in order to bring them back to China and "solve all kinds of major problems existing in China". In fact, she also fantasized that the existing monarchy-only then did it pretend to be in favor of modernization-would implement some positive changes. In addition, she believes that only by increasing the number of "better class" young people with western education and letting them make a difference can the country's rejuvenation and progress be realized. They will become carriers and educators of administrative and technological progress. They will take the lead in abolishing bad habits such as female foot binding and male braiding, and eliminating the worst slum living conditions as the beginning of progress. ① See Wesley (English),191year,1/month, pp. 42-44. This is her first article published in the school magazine, which was obviously written before the Revolution of 1911 broke out in19110. Her signature is Soong Ching Ling (the English spelling of the word "Qing" is slightly different), which shows that although her parents gave her the English name "Luo Shiwen" and her classmates called her as such, she did not use it in formal occasions (for example, the officially published articles were recorded in school discipline). This was her first political essay when she was only 18 years old. She was educated in the west and praised some western systems and methods. Even so, Soong Ching Ling is firmly based on her own country. She firmly believes that China's innovation can only be China people's own business-they can do it with their own talents and efforts. She is indignant at China's backwardness, but she has no sense of national inferiority; She is very much in favor of learning from others, but she doesn't think it is necessary to ask foreigners for guidance or supervision at all. At that time or later, she never expressed any desire to immigrate. During her nearly 70-year career after returning to China, she never left China, except for political coercion or to carry out her political beliefs. If she has to go abroad or if necessary, she will come back as soon as possible. There were several plans to go abroad before 1949, but they were not realized because of the obstruction of Chiang Kai-shek's regime. After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), she held senior public office and made many official visits abroad. But she never went abroad to play or visit. Until finally, in her twilight years, she said that she wanted to visit some places where she lived as a girl again and meet her only good friend at that time, but by this time she was too old and her body was failing. Although national pride is so deeply rooted in Soong Ching Ling's heart, she has never had any xenophobic thoughts. During her life, she read widely English and other foreign language publications, and contacted or corresponded with many foreign friends. Her father, Song Yaoru (English name Charlie Jones Song), has been devoted to Sun Yat-sen's thoughts for a long time. From this point of view, it seems a bit strange for her to expect the Qing government to make improvements without a foundation. But maybe her father didn't tell her what he thought and his relationship with Sun Yat-sen at that time, because it was dangerous. Another possibility is that her article has something to do with the standpoint and viewpoint of her uncle Bingzhong Wen. It was this uncle who worked in the international student supervision office of the Qing government in the United States that brought her to the United States. Whatever the reason, after the sudden victory of the Revolution of 1911 that year, the reformist color in Soong Ching Ling's articles disappeared. Her reaction to the 19 1 1 revolution was a burst of enthusiasm. "Her classmates told her how she took the * * * and the new national flag from her father, stood in a chair and tore off the dragon flag of the Qing Dynasty on the wall, threw it on the ground, stepped on it with her feet, and excitedly shouted,' Down with the dragon! Hold high the flag of the Republic of China! (2) (1) China Sisters who came to Wisconsin to study (memoir summary), published in Wisconsin Alumni Newsletter (English), Volume 17, Issue 1 (published in February,194/kloc-). (2) It refers to the red, yellow, blue, white and black five-color flag symbolizing the harmony between Han, Manchu, Mongolian, Hui and Tibetan, which was the national flag at the beginning of the founding of the Republic of China. A few months later, the translator wrote the greatest event of the 20th century, which was filled with her joyful voice: "This brilliant achievement means that 40 million people have been liberated from the slavery of absolute monarchy ... oppression has led to this wonderful revolution ..." (1) The article Wesley was published in April 19 12, the 20th. The Chinese version was published in the Chinese version of China Construction Magazine, No.65438+May 0983, translated by Zhang Jue. The braid on a man's head is a clear sign of his disgust and submission to the rule of the Qing Dynasty, and it is also a symbol that China lags behind the modern world. Now, these braids are falling like autumn leaves under the scissors of revolution. Many important problems to be solved urgently are much more complicated than weaving. But Soong Ching Ling is full of confidence: "We firmly believe that the people of China can handle these problems wisely and effectively." Here once again reveals her pride in the country and the people. It is no exaggeration for her to write that "the revolution has brought freedom and equality to China". But she saw further goals: "Love is the unrealized ideal of human beings …" and "Without brotherhood, freedom has no solid foundation; Before people treat each other like brothers, true equality is just a dream. " The girl mused happily that her country would first reach such a situation: "The task of pointing out the road of fraternity may fall on China, the oldest country ... Napoléon Bonaparte said that once China takes action, she will promote the whole world. ... for centuries, the people of China have been a peace-loving people. ..... China, with a large population and peace-loving, will certainly promote that humanitarian movement, that is, to achieve world peace, so that rights do not need to be backed by the army and the' fearless' warship. "... in international affairs, she didn't analyze problems with revolutionary eyes. She naively wrote, "All political differences will be finally decided by The Hague Court." In her long life, apart from national rejuvenation and social justice, world peace and China's role in achieving this goal have always been her main concerns. How to achieve these goals and what kind of struggle is needed for this, she was not clear at the time. For such a young and inexperienced person, it was inevitable under the local conditions at that time. The important thing is that she will gradually establish one belief after another, and once established, she will never back down. It was inspired by these beliefs that she stepped forward and put in countless arduous battles in the arduous process of China and world history. Caring for women and working people are two other characteristics of her life, which are also displayed in the university. In the article "Women in Modern China" (1), she said that women's education was only designed for a few women of noble birth in old China, and it is now being popularized. Women with school diplomas began to think about their responsibility to work for public welfare. Their pursuit of status in the intellectual world is either to enter the "upper circle" that is divorced from society or to become a spiritual aristocrat who is "enshrined". Young Soong Ching Ling went on to write that women demanded universal suffrage because "unless the other half is raised at the same time, it is impossible to raise half of mankind." She predicted that "within a century", women in China will be "equal to men in all aspects". (1) Wesley 19 103 in April, the first page 160. After textual research, this article was written before the Revolution of 1911, but it was shelved for a long time for some reason. There are some old stories in this article. For example, she said that women in China are "docile and timid by nature". She praised the Christian spirit and even the reform of the old feudal government. The young author hopes that China will also produce a group of staunch feminists like British and American "pankhurst (1) and Belmont (2)" and put forward additional conditions for reconciliation; The methods used by feminists in China should be different from those used by western struggle groups. They should carry out the slogan: "Women's rights are needed, but men should not be so aggressive." (1) Margaret pankhurst (1858- 1928) is a British feminist with fighting spirit. She fought for 40 years and went to prison many times. Until her death, she finally gave British women full and equal voting rights. His daughter, Harry Te Loeke Hearst (1880- 1958), was also the leader of the feminist movement, and advocated fierce means to win British women's participation in politics, and established a social and political alliance with her mother in 1903. She was arrested and imprisoned. 1905. A.E.S.v. ② Belmont (1853- 1933) is an American socialite who actively participated in the feminist movement and founded the "Political Fair Alliance", an organization for women's political participation in new york. However, in Soong Ching Ling's thoughts, it is obvious that women's liberation in China is an inseparable and indispensable part of national liberation. Conversely, China's national liberation is inseparable from women's liberation. Later, she no longer expected women or the whole country to make effective progress under the old government form, but supported the struggle for women's rights as part of the revolutionary struggle, which was carried out by the oppressed and exploited working people, both men and women, who were the majority of the motherland and people she bullied. In "Grandma" (1), she used love to describe a maid with low social status who "doesn't even have her own name". Although the maid can't read, she is familiar with the traditions of her own nation and is smart and capable-"She is good at talking and successful in everything". Young Soong Ching Ling was born in a wealthy family. Until then, the only working women she could contact were maids, but she could treat them equally and thought their character was admirable and their potential was infinite. (1) Wesley 19 103 in April, the first 164. Sixty years later, Song Qingling's personal waitress Li Jie (Li Yan 'e, whose life experience is similar to that written in Grandma) died four months before her. At that time, Soong Ching Ling was one of the highest-ranking and most respected women in the world, but she personally arranged to bury Sister Li in her future cemetery, with the same location and even the same tombstone size. And that's what happened. Today, they are buried in Soong Ching Ling Memorial Park in Shanghai. Soong Ching Ling's stay in the United States ended in August 19 13, and the young college graduate set off for home. On the "Koryo" of Pacific Mail Company, she wrote a letter to Mrs. Hazard, who taught her, and the original of the letter has been preserved to this day. This letter was written on the ship in August of 14, and it was not sent in Kobe, Japan until September of 12, with a postscript. The handwriting of this letter is clear and powerful, just as it has been all her life. Zhang Yan got a copy when he visited Weissian College, and enthusiastically provided it to the author. The two parts of this letter (text and postscript) are very different, just like the difference between the environment she has left and the environment she is about to enter-the former is the quiet Macon campus, and the latter is the surging China revolution. Judging from Sun Yat-sen's exile in Japan, which is the temporary headquarters of the China Revolution, the revolution is entering the second stage. The first six pages of this letter were written during the trip. It was a travel essay written by an energetic and well-made college student in one breath: "Now I am sailing in the Pacific Ocean and have a very happy time. ... I left Boston for California on June 22nd ... and I spent two happy weeks at the wife (my friend) of the Acting Minister in Berkeley (China). The Consul General in San Francisco happened to be my uncle Wen's good friend in college, and together they arranged a very interesting schedule for me. " I visited all the interesting sights, either at parties or at the theatre all day, until I got used to this advanced life-and a simple-minded (? )。 At the reception for foreign students in China, I was another "VIP" ... When I boarded the ship, I found the cabin decorated with flowers and filled with all kinds of newspapers and fruits. I really feel that I have become an important person. "This kind of self-mockery shows that she can objectively and happily look at herself at that time and later. Her mischievous humor can also be seen in her comments on fellow travelers and boat activities. For example, she wrote a dance accompanied by a Hawaiian band: "Even missionaries come! One is, of course, just as an audience. "This girl from Wisconsin is very serious, but she is not stuffy or hypocritical. She has strong feelings for her family. " In five days, I will meet my father in Yokohama-maybe my whole family! How time flies! "Then, the language becomes more serious." I have a letter to Dr. Sun Yixian ... In China, things are getting worse. I think we will have to stay in Japan for a while, because even in "non-interference" Shanghai, it is not peaceful. "(1) Shanghai's foreign concessions in China when the situation is chaotic, often can avoid spread, so here just say so. But she didn't expect to return to her hometown before long, so she wrote down the reply address: "No.628, Yuhang East Road, Shanghai". She also said that she wanted to visit America again. "If not earlier, I hope to see you at 19 15 Panama Expo." (1) refers to the Panama-Pacific Expo held by 19 15 in San Francisco, in which China participated. In the postscript written by12 in September, she mainly talked about the increasingly dark political situation in China that she heard after Japanese landing. "The war is still going on in China. Because we are close partners of the southern leader Mr. Sun, it is not safe in China at present. " In Soong Ching Ling's The Greatest Event of the Twentieth Century, all happiness vanished. Less than two years ago, she proudly cheered the raising of the national flag of the Republic of China. Now, there is a civil war under this banner. Under the oppression and deception of the old forces, Sun Yat-sen gave the post of interim president to warlord Yuan Shikai. The former governor, who was in the teetering moment of the dynasty, was ambitious and profiteering. Soong Ching Ling's war here refers to the second revolution initiated by Sun Yat-sen, because Yuan Shikai broke his promise and assassinated some revolutionaries. After the failure of the Second Revolution, Yuan ordered the arrest of Sun Yat-sen himself. Sun Yat-sen was forced into exile. It was at the time when the fate of Sun Yat-sen and China Revolution seemed to be at its lowest ebb that Soong Ching Ling landed in Japan on her way back to the motherland and towards her future goals.