The Pittsburgh Press (February 16, 1946)
Ferguson: A lesson from China
By Mrs. Walter Ferguson
Lecturer Walter H. Judd, once a medical missionary to the Far East and now a congressman from Minnesota, reminds us that family life is the strongest force in China. The fact that family life in America is becoming weaker makes his point more impressive.
Through 4000 years of history the family solidarity of the Chinese people has been their outstanding characteristic. Every man believes he betrays his country unless he is the father of a son. Family continuity is tied up closely with the people’s concept of immortality.
According to Dr. Judd, in spite of the long terrible war, China has no child delinquency problems such as plague us these days. In that nation no aged parent is ever made to feel in the way. The old are cared for by the young, which is as it should be everywhere. For no wealth of pensions can compensate an individual for the loss of his children’s attentions and affections.
According to our western philosophy, China is far behind the times. But can we forget that China has lived for 4000 years?
Some believe the explanation for this long survival lies in Chinese tradition which taught that the family must be held together no matter what perished.
We moderns of course have little patience with tradition. We even like to flout our own. But it is always well to remember that youth can profit from the experience of age, and this goes for countries as well as individuals. Wisdom grows slowly and we’ve made many mistakes because we fell for the notion that all change is progress.