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idea to Chinese officials, who accepted
it happily, and my visit was arranged for
the summer of
1979.
1 would tour a
number of institutions to obtain a visual
picture of the libraries and other fields in
which we could work through the foun–
dation. Our hosts would be the newly
created China Society of Education, the
Ministry of Education and the Ministry of
Culture.
And so. at long last. the Bamboo
Curtain parted for the Church.
Clasping Hands Across the
Hemisphere
The Chinese people were unfailingly
generous and gracious hosts. There was
an instan! rapport between us, a cama–
raderie clearly evident at the many ban–
quets they hosted for us and which we , in
return , gave for them. Whatever suspi–
cions there were years befare of our
intentions were gone. They liked us. We
liked them.lt was as simple as that. When
people of such divergent backgrounds
and political ideologies can feel that way
about one another, there is no limit to the
good that can be accomplished.
We were guests in lhe full sense of
the word, not permitted to pay for our
food, lodgings, ground and interna! air
transportation. During our intensive
schedule. we visited libraries and univer–
sities in Peking, Nanking and Shanghai,
among them the lamed Peking Universi–
ty, China's Harvard, where the late
Chairman Mao Tse-tung's first job was
as an assistant librarían. Meetings with
their presidents and departmental
heads gave us an unparalleled inside
look at what they were doing. At the
same time, we told them about our–
selves, distributing copies of
The Plain
Truth
and, in "soft sell ," told them about
our Work and our commission . We
could not offend our hosts, a nation
without religion, by delivering our mes–
sage as we had in other nations. In his
own preparation for lhe visit, Mr. Arm–
strong was planning to tell their leaders
of the coming world government,
though not, as he said, "in Christian or
Bible-sounding words.•·
From Shanghai 1returned lo Tokyo,
from where 1reported the results of the
trip lo Mr. Armstrong. Alter a few days, 1
14
returned to China for another two
weeks, again engaging in intensive dis–
cussions in Peking, Hangchow and Can–
ton. We concluded arrangements for
Mr. Armstrong to meet with the premier
or party chairman, depending on their
availabili ty, for his prívate plane to land,
for a tight schedule of dinners, meetings
and receptions, and to bring in a televi–
sion crew to film a complete documen–
tary of his visit, another first. No foreign
organization had ever been permitted to
do this before. Not so incidentally, these
arrangements were hardly cut and dried
procedures, to be had for the asking.
Each had to be negotiated with the
utmost tact and delicacy through what
seemed an endless chain of officials,
down to the last detail of where Mr.
Armstrong would stay and who would
pay the costs. The Chinese, delicately
yet quite firmly, again insisted on being
the complete host.
During this second visit . 1was asked
lo deliver an address lo the faculty and
students of the University of Peking, and
later al the institution's department of
law, a signal honor.
Returning to Tokyo 1learned, to my
disappointment and certainly his, that
Mr. Armstrong could not shake off a
persisten! stomach ailment and would
be unable to make the trip to China after
all. Since all arrangements had been
formalized , we decided that 1 would
substitute for him again and, while so
doing, pave the way ever more firmly for
his eventual arrival by enlarging our
friendships and deepening our mutual
understanding.
1 spent two more hectic weeks in
China, highlighted by the first cultural
performance sponsored by the founda–
tion inside that country. On the earlier
trips, 1had been enormously impressed
by the range and quality of the Chinese
theater. The artistry and enthusiasm of
the individuals and ensambles was
superb, the music haunting, the cos–
tumes breathtakingly lovely.
One day, while discussing with the
minister of culture the possibil ity of
bringing to the United States sorne of
the fine troupes that have not yet
appeared in our country, an idea
popped suddenly to mind. Somewhat
rashly, without knowing if 1were asking
something impossible or even wildly
absurd, 1put the question to him then
and there: Could the founda tion spon–
sor a theatrical event in China , to which
we would invite officials of the govern–
ment, university leaders, members of
the faculties and students? 1 would be a
gala benefit performance by the fines!
artists available, an evening of enter–
tainment presented by us to them.
His tace broke into a wide smile. lt
was, he said, a delighlful idea. Yes,
indeed, he would approve. We set to
work at once, engaging directoria! per–
sonnel who, in turn, brought together a
troupe of 133 of the fines! Chinese
singers, dancers, musicians and actors,
many of whom had already traveled all
over their country, and also through
South America and the United States.
The show was pul together-with a
rapidity that would make our own pro–
ducers gape-and performed al Pek–
ing's Nationality Palace Theatre befare
about 1,500 persons who received it
with unrestrained enthusiasm. The en–
tire two-hour entertainment filmed by
our television crew and available to
American audiences, is a glittering illus–
tration of international bridge-building by
a Church adjunct.
On our las! evening in China , 1repre–
sentad Herbert Armstrong as deputy
honoree at a banquet in the Great Hall
of the People in Peking, remarkable
because it brought together 75 ambas–
sadors of nations around the globe in
one room, all gathered to pay tribute to
a man who was seeking nothing for
himself but the greatest gift man could
give himself-peace on this earth. 1
glanced around the hall as the dinner
progressed and was overwhelmed
when 1saw how many dignitaries of the
world had come together there because
they, too, wanted that gift. 1saw envoys
from lron Curtain countries, the Third
World, the Far and Middle East and
Latín America. At the head table, on my
immediate right, was the Cuban ambas–
sador, which was ironic yet also reveal–
ing. At precisely that time, the presence
of a Soviet brigade in Cuba was con–
fronting Presiden! Carter with a poten-
(Continued on page 31)
The
PLAIN TRUTH