With the Tenacity of Life

There was one voice, sadder in its tone and firmer in its faith than all the others, which spoke out on Formosa this week in the eloquence of personal tragedy. Madame Chiang Kaishek, wife of the beleaguered leader of anti-Communist China, sat before a microphone in her brother-in-law's New York home to say her farewell to the U.S. before leaving to rejoin her husband on Formosa. Said she:

"With or without help we shall fight. We are not defeated . . . Unremittingly and with the tenacity of life, we shall fight and bleed the enemy. Everywhere in China's mainland our guerrillas will keep kindled the torch of liberty . . .

"It is possible that we shall give every appearance of failure. It is possible that those who take a short view of life and no view at all of moral principles will write China off as a failure. Let no one be deceived. Ours is the cause of freedom. China's struggle now is the initial phase of a gigantic conflict between good and evil, between liberty and communism . . .

"Already the moral weaklings are forsaking us. It is with heavy heart that I note that a former ally, Britain, which sacrificed millions of lives on the altar of freedom, has now been taken by its leaders into the wilderness of political intrigue. Britain has bartered the soul of a nation for a few pieces of silver. I say 'for shame' to Britain. One day these pieces of silver will bear interest in British blood, sweat and tears on the battleground of freedom. For that which is morally wrong can never be politically right . . .

"I can ask the American people for nothing more . . . At such a time no pleading can be with dignity. It is either in your hearts to love us or your hearts have been turned from us. It is either in your mind and your will to aid China in her struggle for liberty, or you have abandoned liberty."

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