Bulletin of Catholic University of Peking

26. BULLETIN NUMBER FOUR

“The next speaker was the Rt. Hon. Fu Tseng-hsiang, a former Minister of Education. He spoke in substance as follows:

“Tt is indeed a great pleasure for me, as a Member of the Board of Trustees, to be present at this function and to have the privilege of addressing you.

; “At the time that I was in the Ministry of Education (about 7 years ago), there were very few Catholic or Protestant schools which had secured Recognition from the Chinese Government, because these schools, though providing excellent courses in the Sciences and Foreign Languages, too often neglected our national language and literature. Frequently did I hear my old friend, the late Mr. Ying, deplore this state of affairs and assure me that it was his lifelong desire to see it remedied. On this Inaugural Day, though I join cordially in the general rejoicing, my feelings are not untinged with a little sadness that my old friend is not here to behold the fulfilment of that life-long desire.

“T have no advice to give, save to bid you remember the words of Their Excellencies, Mr. Liu Chéh and Archbishop Costantini, to all of which I subscribe most

heartily.” [4pplause.]

“The last speech of the day was made by Mr. Mu Yiian-fu, a Member of the Board of Trustees, who spoke as follows:

“Though I am not a member of the Catholic Church, I can affirm, in all modesty, that there are few non-Catholics better acquainted with Catholic tenets and ideals than myself. Having been privileged to enjoy for several years the friendship of the Benedictine Fathers, I can confidently assure Their Excellencies and the other guests present on this occasion that, considered collectively, or individually, the Students of this Institution are among the best of which any school either here or elsewhere can boast. [Cheers.|

“But lest I be accused of letting my sentimentality get the better of my judgment, I wish to declare that I am prepared to guarantee with my life and property that

the Students of the Catholic University will never participate in political agitations or street-parades, nor give the least cause for dissatisfaction to the Chinese Government.” [Cheers.]

“It was already past noon-day when Mr. Mu finished speaking, and the Rector, after having thanked the various speakers and the assembled guests, closed the meeting, a photograph being subsequently taken to commemorate the occasion. .

“ Before leaving the University, the Minister of Education made a tour of the premises, and was unstinting in his praise of the Institution.”

(The Vi Shih Pao, September 27, 1927)

On October 20, 1927, the University was inspected for the second time by two officials from the Ministry of Education. Their names were Wang Chia-chii and Hsii T’ing-ta. The purpose of the Ministry in ordering this second inspection was to ascertain the

- quality of instruction given in the va-

rious Departments. Their report was favorable to the University, and on November 3, the Ministry of Education issued the following Decree of Registration and Recognition:

“THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION” “Ministerial Mandate No. 526”

“IN RE: the Petition submitted by Vice-Rector Ch’en Ytian of the Catholic University of Peking (Pei-ching Fu Fen TaAsiieh) for the Recognition and Registration of this institution.

“We acknowledge hereby the receipt of this document together with the various enclosures accompanying the same. We have, on two occasions, commissioned inspectors to examine this institution, and, in the reports returned by them, we note these observations: