Tens of millions of people all over the world paid tribute to President and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek during the month's mourning period that stretched from his death on April 5 into May. Hundreds of millions on the Chinese mainland mourned in their hearts. Many of the 16 million people of Taiwan province were determined to observe - in their own way - the ancient family mourning period of three years. More than 2½ million people filed past the body of the fallen leader as it lay in state at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei. Another 3 million lined streets to present offerings or bow as two corteges passed by - the first on its way from the Veterans General Hospital in the suburb of Shihpai to the Memorial Hall, and the second en route from Taipei to the temporary place of enshrinement at Tze Hu in the green and lovely rolling foothills of Taiwan. Here the Generalissimo will rest in a black granite sarcophagus until the bugle of mainland recovery summons him to continental China for a great state funeral and entombment at Nanking.
Lightning had flashed and thunder had rolled over Taiwan as the soul of one of China's greatest sons went to its maker. After that weather was unseasonably kind to those who stood in the open for many hours to get a last look at their leader. There was a little rain but on one occasion a threatened deluge deposited a few drops on the Memorial Hall and then moved off, sparing hundreds of thousands who would have been drenched. At first, the Funeral Committee had wanted to keep the Memorial Hall open only during daylight hours. The blocks-long lines stretching across the Memorial Hall grounds compelled a change in plans. Hours were lengthened and then stretched around the clock so as many people as possible could pass by the bier during the five-day period of public lying in state.
Tears were a commonplace. Prostrations were numerous. Many mourners stood in line more than once. Spiritually, they were in the company of Premier Chiang Ching-kuo, the President's elder son, who visited his father's shrine twice a day, often in the company of Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the widow. Foreign dignitaries arriving for the National Memorial Services went from Sungshan International Airport directly to the Memorial Hall to pay their respects. Thousands of foreign residents came, too, discarding Western funeral etiquette for the traditional three Chinese bows.
Taiwan and overseas Chinese came to the Memorial Hall alone, in families and in occupational groups. They came from the end of the island and from the high mountains - by bus and train, by plane and taxi, and on foot. All the resources of public transportation were required to move the vast crowds in and out of Taipei and in and out of the eastern Taipei residential area where the Sun Yat-sen Hall is located.
President Chiang's body was taken from the Veterans General Hospital to the Memorial Hall on April 9. President Yen and the 21 members of the Funeral Committee - all national leaders officiated. Madame Chiang, Premier Chiang and other members of the family rode behind the hearse, followed by hundreds of other mourners. At the Memorial Hall, the coffin was placed on a catafalque beneath the President's portrait. Banks of flowers and plants set off the shrine and giant candles stood at either side of the bier. The chief of active pallbearers - all faithful retainers of the Generalissimo for many years - raised the lid of the casket. Clad in high-collared Chinese gown and jacket and wearing decorations of the Orders of Brilliant Jade, Blue Sky and White Sun, and National Glory, the President slept peacefully under the casket's glass lid. Members of the family paid their respects. President Yen then led members of the government in ritual bows to the Generalissimo's spirit. The Hall was opened to the public April 10 and not closed until midnight April 14.
National Memorial Services opened at 8 a.m. April 16 before a select throng of 2,800 mourners. Millions more were massed outside and along the 40-mile route the cortege would follow to Tze Hu. Those inside the hall had been carefully chosen by the Funeral Committee. The great, the near-great and the little people were there - from President Yen to aborigines of the most remote mountains. The 300 special envoys of 27 countries included Vice President Nelson Rockefeller of the United States, Premier Kim Chong Pil of the Republic of Korea and two former prime ministers of Japan, Eisaku Sato and Nobusuke Kishi. The body of the late President had been wrapped in white, the traditional color of Chinese mourning. At the foot of the coffin was a cross of white chrysanthemums from Madame Chiang.
A state service came first with President Yen Chia-kan presiding. He placed a wreath as the solemn words of a funeral ode were intoned. Dressed starkly in black, Madame Chiang, Premier Chiang, Chiang Wei-kuo, the younger son of President Chiang, and two of the late leader's grandsons approached the coffin for their last farewells. Madame Chiang was supported at either side by Premier Chiang and his brother. She wore dark glasses. Noticeably moved, she managed to retain her composure. Premier Chiang wept openly, his features anguished. The glass of the coffin was removed and the lid closed and symbolically sealed. The mourners rose to join members of the family in three bows of respect. Family members watched as eight senior members of the Kuomintang, of which President Chiang was the director general, draped the coffin with the Party's pennant. President Yen and seven members of the Funeral Committee then placed the National Flag over the Party pennant. The family members took their seats in the hall as the state services were concluded.
Presiding at Christian services which followed immediately was the Rev. Chow Lien-hwa, pastor of the Grace Baptist Church and the late President's chapel at Shihlin. The congregation sang "O God, Our Help in Ages Past," and the Rev. Chow read the Twenty-third Psalm. A responsive reading was followed by a brief meditation The Hua Hsing Taipei Children's Choir in which President Chiang took a deep interest and which has the sponsorship of Madame Chiang sang "Nearer My God to Thee." The Rev. Chow's sermon, "Another Witness," noted that the "heroes of faith" in all times have triumphed over all adversities and suffering. "God has something definite in mind for all who believe," he said. The Bible calls these heroes of faith "witnesses" because they are living testimony to the Biblical teaching that faith is the greatest motivating force.
"Today, as we contemplate the words and deeds of our beloved President," the Rev. Chow said, "there is no doubt that he must be considered as one of these witnesses. His name is blazen today on the honor roll of the heroes of faith." ..."President Chiang did not hold to a superficial popular view of Christianity, such as believing God would bring instantaneous blessings. What he believed was that this world is an arena where Truth and Evil, Light and Darkness, have constantly struggled since the beginning of time. Each generation is but a manifestation of a bout with Satan. However, President Chiang was not discouraged or depressed. He once said, 'My fellow believer, my compatriot, there is no evil on earth that can suppress truth forever. Neither is the devil able to resist God's Truth without being ultimately destroyed.'
"Today our President has been received into glory," the Rev. Chow concluded. "Without our even requesting it, he has left us his last will and testament. He asked that we carry on the great task of rebuilding our country. Whenever I read his will and see the signatures upon it, I am most impressed with the sentiment of concern, conviction, charity and charisma expressed in every line. His faith in God deserves special attention, for I am sure he wanted to be remembered, above all else, as a true follower of Christ. In the darkest hour he held to his Faith and his Faith sustained him. May the spirit who moved our President likewise move every member in our government and every citizen. May we rise and don his mantle."
A prayer followed, and the congregation sang "Lead Kindly Light." The benediction was pronounced. Pallbearers lifted the coffin for the start of its journey to Tze Hu. A 21-gun salute reverberated across Taipei as the pallbearers, walking in funereal step, slowly made their way through the corridors of the hall and out into the overcast day. The Rev. Chow, Bible pressed to his heart, led the procession. Behind the coffin were Madame Chiang with Chiang Ching-kuo and Chiang Wei-kuo at either side. The Ministry of National Defense band played Chopin's "Funeral March" as the casket was carried onto the flower-covered hearse. Members of the Funeral Committee held white sashes attached to the hearse to symbolize their role as the honorary pallbearers. An Honor Guard carried President Chiang's medals. On either side of the hearse were Women's Army Corps members from the Military Political Staff College. Family members, escorts and mourners walked a distance of 480 meters before boarding cars and buses for the rest of the journey.
Taipei's downtown district had been thronged for hours as people waited to wish Godspeed to the late President's soul. Even along the North South Freeway, where there is no pedestrian access, people lined the right-of-way. The Tze Hu destination of the cortege is in Taoyuan County. The guest house there was built in 1961 after the style of structures in President Chiang's home town of Hsikou in Chekiang province. The site is mountain-girt. In front of the house is a lake with a bridge and pavilion. Over the main door are the two characters Tze Hu (Remembrance of Mother Lake) written by President Chiang in honor of his mother. The President had kept two rooms for himself in this retreat - a bedroom and study. Both will remain as they were when he used them - including books with his favorite passages underlined in red. Four books were placed in the coffin with President Chiang - "San Min Chu I" (the Three Principles of the People by Dr. Sun Yat-sen with two additional chapters by President Chiang), the Bible (which he read daily), an anthology of T'ang dynasty poems and "Streams in the Desert," a religious book by an American missionary, Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. Plum trees and camellias grow in the Tze Hu garden. President Chiang liked to visit the retreat to take renewed inspiration from the renascence of spring.
Rites at Tze Hu were brief. Wreaths from Madame Chiang and President Yen were placed before the temporary tomb. Mourners made their bows to President Chiang and then received bows of appreciation from members of the family led by Premier Chiang Ching-kuo. The room where the sarcophagus has been placed is not large but this lent even greater dignity to the proceedings. There was no pomp and no circumstance - only simple tributes in keeping with the simple life that Chiang Kai-shek loved so well. Madame Chiang, Premier Chiang and General Chiang Wei-kuo had bowed their thanks to all who joined in the National Memorial Services - and to the Chinese people - before entering their car for the journey to Tze Hu.
Premier Chiang sought to resign in order to mourn his father in the traditional way. The Kuomintang respectfully declined to allow him to put down the burden of leadership. In a statement, the Premier said: "After my resignation was rejected, I humbly submit myself to the Central Standing Committee's ruling to continue my work despite my unbearable grief, so that I may live up to the impelling expectation of all comrades of the Party and all people of the nation alike." The Premier also revealed President Chiang's last written instruction to him. The 16 Chinese characters told Chiang Ching-kuo to "Take as your own responsibility the rise or fall of the country. Banish from your mind considerations of your personal life or death." Premier Chiang officially accepted this directive upon returning to his duties at the Executive Yuan May 7.
Premier and nation also heeded letter and spirit of President Chiang's Last Testament, which was dictated, signed and witnessed only a few days before his death. The Testament reads:
"I' have since my formative years followed Dr. Sun Yat-sen, our Founding Father, in carrying out the National Revolution. I have at all times considered myself a disciple of Jesus Christ and a follower of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. There has not been a day in which I did not struggle with perseverance to remove obstacles to the fulfillment of the Three Principles of the People and to establish a democratic and constitutional nation. For the last twenty years and more, our bastion of freedom has become ever sounder and stronger and we have incessantly conducted political warfare against the evils of Communism on the Chinese mainland. Knowing that our great undertakings against Communism and for national recovery are steadily gaining in momentum, civilians and soldiers of the nation and comrades of the Party should never be so overcome by my passing as to lose their combat determination. I earnestly hope that you will wholeheartedly unite as one, follow the command of the Party and Government, consider the Three Principles as your spiritual leader and make national recovery your common goal. Comrades and compatriots! If you do so, my spirit will always be with you. My lifelong goals have been to realize the Three Principles, recover the mainland, rejuvenate our national culture and remain in the democratic camp. These goals also express the revolutionary aims and combat determination of all our compatriots at home and abroad, civilian and military alike. I hope you will persevere in the face of all adversities and brace yourself for the great tasks ahead. Never stop until you have carried out your responsibilities for National Revolution! Be diligent and courageous! Do not be indolent and neglect your duty!"
Copies of President Chiang's will were circulated in Canton only four days after it was made public. The Central Committee of the Kuomintang had made a special statement to inform mainland people of the passing of President Chiang. The statement said that "free Chinese people at home and abroad have united as one and are transforming their deep sorrow into a big force to carry out the late President's will. We will never compromise. We will not stop our fight until the mainland is recovered and our enslaved compatriots are freed." Government and Party pledged themselves to keep all promises made by President Chiang, including those to the people and the military forces living under Communism. The 800 million people of the Chinese mainland were urged "to join us in the struggle to overthrow the Peiping regime and construct a free, democratic, united and prosperous China."
People of Taiwan eschewed entertainment and went instead - nearly a million strong - to a Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall exhibition showing the life of President Chiang. Movie houses and other places of entertainment were closed from April 6 until April 17. Business was slow after reopening. Movie houses did only about half of their normal business. Retail trade was down, although department store sales of black, white and gray clothing increased. Night clubs did poorly and some closed their doors for a month. Television stations broadcast only in black and white until the day of the National Memorial Services, which were shown island wide in color. Programming was restricted to news and documentary coverage of events involving the Generalissimo's passing until after April 16. Normal programming was not resumed until May 6, and programs of tribute to President Chiang continued even after that. Newspapers and magazines banned color for a month. The Ministries of Justice and National Defense prepared to commute the sentences of many persons convicted of crimes.
Foreign dignitaries attending the Memorial Services were received by President Yen the afternoon of April 16. Ninety-one members of special delegations called on Madame Chiang at the Shihlin Presidential Residence the morning of April 17. She thanked them for their expressions of sympathy and for their long journeys - in some cases halfway around the world - to pay their respects.
President Gerald Ford of the United States led statesmen in paying tribute to President Chiang in the cables and letters that streamed in to Madame Chiang, Premier Chiang and President Yen from all over the world. President Ford told Madame Chiang: "Our admiration and respect for him are shared by the people of the United States and by people everywhere. President Chiang's role in the modernization of China and his patriotic role as the leader of his nation during World War II have assured him an enduring place in Chinese history." His cable to Premier Chiang said: "With the passing of President Chiang, your burdens must inevitably become greater. I am confident that you will ably shoulder these responsibilities, and that the great confidence placed in you by your father will continue to be justified in the years ahead." To President Yen he said: "As you assume the presidency, in accordance with your constitutional procedures, I want to express my sympathy to you and to the people of the Republic of China and to wish you well in your new responsibility." Vice President Rockefeller delivered a letter from President Ford to Premier Chiang. Mr. Rockefeller had personal discussions with both President Yen and Premier Chiang.
President Park Chung Hee of the Republic of Korea also sent messages to Madame Chiang, Premier Chiang and President Yen. He spoke of President Chiang's contributions leading to victory in World War II and to Korean independence from Japan. The Generalissimo laid "foundations for peace and order," said the Korean chief of state. "These indestructible services of his will be long remembered by the Korean people and will shine forever throughout mankind's history." He predicted that the people of the world will show eternal respect for President Chiang, just as he showed faith and patience in the face of adversity.
President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines issued a statement in which he said: "The death of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek marks the passing of an old protagonist in the Asian drama and the beginning of a new act in that drama. He was a great man who stood by his beliefs with steadfast resolution and conviction. The world cannot help but mourn the passing of such a leader."
Pope Paul VI cabled Madame Chiang: "We wish to offer to Your Excellency our condolences in the sorrow you are experiencing at your husband's death. As we extend our sympathy also to your family we pray that Almighty God will grant him eternal peace." In his cable to President Yen he said: "We convey to Your Excellency and your people our sympathy on the death of President Chiang Kai-shek. In expressing our solidarity at this sad time, we commend him to the mercy of the most High."
Many other chiefs of state were among the mourners. President Kjell Laugerud Garcia decreed a three-day period of mourning in Guatemala. The flag was lowered to half-staff.
Former U.S. President Richard Nixon, who had known President Chiang personally for many years, said in a statement: "Over the years that began with our first meeting in 1953, I learned to know and respect President Chiang Kai-shek as both statesman and friend. I found him a man of keen intellect and of great gallantry, and of unwavering dedication to those principles in which he so fervently believed. His leadership on the world scene, which spanned a full half century, has earned him a place as one of the giants of the history of our times. Mrs. Nixon joins me in expressing our deepest sympathies to Madame Chiang, to Premier Chiang Ching-kuo and to all who mourn, as we do, the passing of a great wartime ally of the United States and a courageous leader."
Vice President Nelson Rockefeller flew to Taipei from the United States at the request of President Ford. Accompanying him on U.S. Air Force 2 were Senator Hiram Fong of Hawaii, Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona, Representative Roy A. Taylor, former Ambassador to the Republic of China Walter McConaughy, Dr. Walter Judd, Mrs. Anna Chennault, Dr. Arnold Beckman and Jack Eckerd. The American Vice President's arrival statement said:
"It is an honor for me to arrive here today as the personal representative of President Ford. On behalf of our entire delegation, I would like to express to the members of President Chiang's family and to the leaders and people of the Republic of China the deepest sympathies of the President and the people of the United States on the passing of a great leader and friend. President Chiang Kai-shek will long be remembered by the American people for his determination, courage and patriotism and for his contributions to the Allied cause as a comrade-in-arms during the Second World War. His achievements and leader ship have assured him an enduring place in the history of our times. We are here to pay our respects to the memory of this old and respected friend. In spite of this grievous loss, I know the people of the Republic of China have full confidence in those who have now been called upon to take up the burden of leadership. Friendship will continue to characterize relations between us."
Concluding his three days in the Republic of China, Vice President Rockefeller declared: "Our sad mission is now ending. But our sorrow is tempered by the knowledge that the memory of the Republic of China's great leader, President Chiang Kai-shek, will live on. To President Chiang's family, and to the leaders and people of the Republic of China, we offer our sincerest condolences and the hand of continued friendship. We are deeply grateful for the warm hospitality extended to us on this solemn mission."
Upon his return to Washington, Vice President Rockefeller reported to President Ford and conferred with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. He told the press that in his 45-minute talk with Premier Chiang Ching-kuo he had found the administrative chief of the free Chinese government to be "quiet, strong and determined to follow the policy of his father." He was met at Andrews Air Force base in Maryland by Chinese Ambassador James Shen. Vice President Rockefeller said he was moved by the respect and love of the Chinese people for their late President as shown in their deep grief over his passing.
Senator Goldwater said he was deeply moved by "the sincerity of the people" in their expressions of grief for the Generalissimo. This, he said, was "a great demonstration of the people's respect for the man. Where else in the world could this happen?" He described President Chiang "as an example of the type of leader we need in the world. He was a man of complete honesty and dedicated to the people and his principles. The world has lost a truly great man." Some have said that President Chiang's death marked the end of an historical epoch but that in his opinion, the "epoch of President Chiang will never end." The ranking Republican said he had urged President Ford to visit Taipei and hoped the American chief executive would cancel his Peiping visit as a result of the loss of Indochina.
Representative Taylor said he was impressed by the love and affection of the people of Taiwan for a leader who is considered as their national hero. "I was also impressed," he said, "by the respect and friendship which the people of the Republic of China have for the United States. They responded to the members of the U.S. delegation to the funeral with kindness, hospitality and appreciation."
Dr. Judd, formerly a medical missionary to China and who served in the House of Representatives for many years, had known President Chiang since 1929. He admired President Chiang for his foresight and anti-Communist struggle. He recalled that in 1949, President Chiang told him the United States would make a grave mistake in policy in the years ahead. A year and a half ago, when Dr. Judd came to Taipei for a speaking engagement, President Chiang told Premier Chiang to take him to dinner. The President was ill but could not forget an old friend.
Anna Chennault, of Chinese birth and the widow of Maj. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault of World War II Flying Tigers fame, said that many members of the American delegation had never before witnessed "such an impressive tribute to a great man."
Senator Fong, the only Chinese member of the U.S. Upper House, spoke of President Chiang on the floor of the Senate after his return from the Memorial Services. "President Chiang's place in world history is secure," he said, adding that the Generalissimo "will be remembered as the leader who fought Communism longer and harder than any other free world statesman, past or present." The outpouring of grief impressed him deeply. "Throughout the time we were in Taiwan," he said, "we observed the tremendous respect and affection of the people for their late President. It was not perfunctory esteem or feigned. The tributes and the sorrow were genuine indeed. People of all ages - from all over Taiwan and from Chinese communities overseas - lined the funeral procession route six and eight deep, numbering several millions in all, and as the flowered hearse approached them, most fell weeping on their hands and knees in reverential tribute. Only a leader who had the esteem and respect and admiration and love of his people could arouse so much sorrow among so many people." The Republic of China, he said, "is a shining testimonial to the extraordinary skill and ability that President Chiang possessed in developing a rural society into an advanced industrial political entity."
Special messages of condolences were dispatched to Madame Chiang, Premier Chiang and President Yen by 25 members of the U.S. Senate and 22 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Many others sent individual messages. The House message said "The death of Chiang Kai-shek leaves a void in the heart of all who love freedom. His memory will always be with us as a symbol of inspiration for all of the captive peoples in the world today. President Chiang's image as a leader in the everlasting fight for freedom is not dimmed by his passing. He serves as a model for succeeding generations who replace him in the battle. The President is an inspiration to us all, no matter what our nationality."
One of the first foreign statements came from U.S. Ambassador Leonard Unger in Taipei. Speaking the morning of Sunday, April 6, only a few hours after President Chiang's passing, he said: "I know I speak for all Americans here in the Republic of China in expressing our deep sadness on the passing of President Chiang Kai-shek. His life and his long career have been the visible expression of his many outstanding qualities: patriotism - courage - deep political conviction - determination - leadership - dedication. His place in history is secure and assured. I know that the President's example will continue to inspire and guide the Republic of China. There is full confidence in those well-known and trusted leaders who will take up the heavy responsibilities. My country - as an old friend of the Republic of China - looks forward to carrying forward our close relations, mindful also of our commitments to a long-standing friend and ally."
Vice Admiral Edwin K. Snyder, commander of the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command, ordered the suspension of American entertainment and recreational facilities in Taiwan from April 6 through the 16th out of respect for the late President. No alcoholic beverages were served at U.S. installations. Only restaurant and commissary services continued as usual. Many uniformed American servicemen queued up with their Chinese neighbors to salute China's self-styled "old soldier" at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
Many of the Generalissimo's old comrades-in arms were heard from. Among them was General Albert Wedemeyer, who commanded Chinese forces in China at the close of World War II. General Wedemeyer said President Chiang laid the cornerstone of freedom on Taiwan but was not given an opportunity to do so on the Chinese mainland. He spoke at memorial services in the Washington National Cathedral. Among others attending were former New York Governor Averell Harriman, who knew President Chiang while serving under President Franklin Roosevelt, and Carl Albert, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Tribute also came from Vice Admiral Philip A. Beshany, former commander of the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command. Maj. Gen. Richard G. Ciccolella, former chief of the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group/China, came to Taipei for the National Memorial Services. Admiral Jerauld Wright, a former U.S. ambassador to the Republic of China, recalled President Chiang's collaboration with President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Madame Chiang received a message of sympathy from the widow of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was also a five-star general and Chiang Kai-shek's peer among the military leaders of World War II. Mamie Doud Eisenhower described President Chiang as "our good friend."
Ailing Lin Yutang, the greatest Chinese writer in English, was close to collapse when he heard the news of President Chiang's passing. Dr. Lin, who now lives in Hong Kong with a daughter, wanted to come to Taipei for the Memorial Services but was too ill.
Evangelist Billy Graham spoke of President Chiang as "a man of the Bible and of prayer." He said the late President's faith was quiet, personal and unashamed. President Chiang took Holy Communion only a few days before his death, Dr. Graham said. In a eulogy at the Washington memorial services, the evangelist, who knew President Chiang personally, said the Chinese chief of state never used his faith as a political tool, and noted that when Christian missionaries were driven out of the Chinese mainland by the Communists, the late President welcomed them to Taiwan.
Names of others who sent cables or letters or made statements were legion. These are only a few of them:
- Prime Minister Takeo Miki of Japan.
- Foreign Secretary Carlos P. Romulo of the Philippines.
- King Hussein of Jordan, a former guest of President and Madame Chiang.
- President H. Kamuzu Banda of Malawi, also a former state guest in Taipei.
- Ronald Reagan, former governor of California.
- Crown Prince Fahad bin Abdul Aziz Alsaud of Saudi Arabia.
- King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Prime Minister Momrajwongze Kukrit Pramoj of Thailand.
- Sir Winston Scott, governor general, and Acting Prime Minister C.E. Talma of Barbados.
- President Demetrio B. Lakas of Panama.
- President Juan Maria Bordaberry of Uruguay.
- The Dalai Lama of Tibet.
- President Jean-Bedel Bokassa of the Central African Republic.
- President Joaquin Balaguer of the Dominican Republican.
- President A. Somoza of Nicaragua.
- President Molina of El Salvador.
- Spiro Agnew, former vice president of the United States.
- U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz.
- President Demetrio Lakes of Panama.
- Sir Alwyn Ogedan of Great Britain.
- U.S. Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger.
- Dr. Carl McIntire, president of the International Council of Christian Churches.
- Dr. William J. McGill, president of Columbia University.
- Businessman-Statesman William Pawley.
- Archduke Otto Van Habsburg of Austria.
Not the least of the tributes came from the Chinese mainland. These took the form of coded letters and cables received in Hong Kong and Macao. One from Kiangsu province said: "Our comrades here are shocked over the passing of President Chiang. We swear to carry out the terms of the late President's will and recover the mainland."
Memorial services for President Chiang were held the world over - many of them sponsored by overseas Chinese communities. The Washington service was attended by 1,600 mourners with Deputy Secretary of State Robert Ingersoll representing President Ford and Secretary Henry Kissinger. In New York, 1,300 paid tribute at the Marble Collegiate Church on Fifth Avenue. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a personal friend of the late President, presided. Eulogies were delivered by Dr. Wellington Koo, former justice of the International Court of Justice, and Robert Murphy, former U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs. Many U.N. dignitaries were present, as well as U.S. Senator James Buckley of New York.
Canadian services were held in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and other communities. Bangkok services were conducted at the Baptist Grace Church with more than 200 in attendance. More than 1,000 attended a High Mass at the Cathedral of San Pedro in Lima, Peru. Konsin C. Shah, Chinese consul general in New York, spoke at Chinatown services sponsored by Chinese Christians. More than 1,500 Chinese from all over the Philippines gathered in Manila for services at Liberty Hall. Some 300 met at the Chung Hua Hui Kuan in Seattle's Chinatown. Chinese from Dusseldorf, Bonn and other cities gathered in Cologne. Other services were conducted in Bonn, Hamburg and Gottingen.
Two hundred attended a mass at Vienna. Bishop Alois Wagner described President Chiang as one of the world's greatest statesmen. Overseas Chinese in South Korea set up a Memorial Hall in Seoul. Paris services were conducted at a Methodist Church. Mass was said in Madrid. Japanese businessmen joined in Kuwait rites. The Singapore memorial service was attended by more than 1,500. Services were held in many cities of Japan, a country where President Chiang studied military science and where he spent much time in his early years. The service at the Bunkyo Public Hall in Tokyo drew 5,000 persons, including Etsusaburo Shiina, vice president of the Liberal Democratic Party. Sponsors were the Interchange Association of Japan, Tokyo office of the East Asian Relations Association of the Republic of China, Federation of Overseas Chinese Associations in Japan and the Japanese Dietmen's Council on Relations between Japan and the Republic of China. Three thousand young men and women of anti-Communist persuasion saluted the Generalissimo at the Japan Theater in downtown Tokyo.
Outdoor services were held at the Seoul Overseas Chinese Primary School with a crowd of 10,000 in attendance. More than 100 gathered for Amman services. Another Bangkok service brought together parishioners of all Chinese Christian churches in the Thai capital. Kansas City admirers of President Chiang paid tribute at the Old Mission United Methodist Church. Mrs. Anna Chennault gave the eulogy. Londoners gathered at the American Church. Sir Berkeley Gage, former ambassador to Thailand, represented Anthony Eden. Schools and colleges were among the sponsors of memorial tributes. They included St. John's University of New York and Southern Illinois University of Carbondale. Catholics of Taipei had special memorial services with Paul Cardinal Yu Pin presiding. Foreign Minister Shen Chang-huan and the Taipei diplomatic colony attended a mass recited by the Rt. Rev. Thomas White, charge d'affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature (Embassy of the Holy See), on the first month's anniversary of President Chiang's passing.
Although President Chiang was a Christian, other religious orders joined in services and tributes. Buddhists, Taoists and Muslims mourned a statesman whose faith did not exclude them. Confucianism is not a religion, although many of its adherents consider it as close to a faith. The late President was as ardent a Confucian as he was a Christian. His life was an expression of the Confucian ethic as well as of his Christian beliefs. He once wrote: "Emphasizing self-cultivation, good social behavior and ethical and moral standards, and typifying a statesmanlike and pragmatic spirit, the profound and wide-ranging teachings of Confucius and Mencius, which are centered around an unselfish love for mankind, have remained a body of thought free from the wear and tear of time and have continued to illuminate the world with undiminished brightness. Not only have they formed the main current of thought in China, but also have tided the nation over many a national crisis and contributed in no small degree to the Chinese ideal that a 'public spirit rules all under the sky.' For thousands of years these teachings have penetrated and grown larger in the Chinese mind to the point where they become identical with the long-lived, all-encompassing Chinese culture."
A great man's measure is more or less accurately expressed in the obituary columns of the world's press. Not every word about President Chiang was favorable. He was a man of strong opinions. Communists hated him. Leftists had negative sentiments. The assessment of President Chiang, even by his enemies and denigrators, was surprisingly favorable. No one denied his essential greatness and dedication to what he considered to be his calling and duty.
Such papers as the New York Times and Washington Post - not always favorable in the past - testified to the meaningfulness of the Generalissimo's life and his ceaseless dedication to anti-Communism and the recovery of the mainland for the Kuomintang and the Republic of China. Time and Newsweek were similar in tone. The Wall Street Journal of New York gave President Chiang credit for the Taiwan success story. He undertook "some of the most notable and successful reforms of any government anywhere," the paper said. "In a comparatively few years he and his advisers transformed an island of 16 million people into a prosperous nation worthy of emulation by other developing nations and not a few developed countries. "
The Chicago Tribune said President Chiang's "devotion to a goal despite defeats and insuperable odds against victory represents success in the realm of character." He was, the paper said, "an extraordinary man." The Washington Star said the Generalissimo was always "faithful to his dream." The paper reviewed the early days in which "the young Chiang played a major role in unifying China, breaking the power of the warlords left over from the defunct Manchu dynasty and cracking down on his Communist rivals." The New York Daily News said President Chiang had given the free Chinese freedom and prosperity that could only be the envy of their mainland compatriots. Bangkok's Thai Rath said the people of the world would never forget the firm faith and great spirit of President Chiang. The Oakland Tribune spoke of President Chiang as "truly a man of 20th century history, the living symbol of China and one of the powerful men of a dramatic World War II era." La Republica of Bogata said that while other world leaders of this century will be forgotten in another 50 years - their names to be found only in the history books - President Chiang will be remembered as the greatest of them all. Paris and London papers commented on the late President's place in history. German news papers said his achievements will never be forgotten.
The Japan Times said that many Japanese would mourn President Chiang as "dear friend and benign benefactor." At the end of World War II, the paper recalled, it was President Chiang who turned his "natural feelings of vengeance and hatred into acts of compassion and forgiveness." He not only forgave Japanese aggressors personally, but "also refused to exact any reparations despite the many years of havoc the Japanese military forces had wrought in his country." The organ of the Japanese Foreign Ministry recalled that "President Chiang set himself firmly against a plan for the partition of the Japanese islands into three sectors to be governed by the Soviet Union, the United States and China. Viewing the agonies of divided nations in the postwar period, Japan has much to be thankful that this proposal was not carried out. It was President Chiang who insisted strongly that it was not for the victorious nations but for the Japanese people to decide whether or not the emperor system should be retained." Citing President Chiang for "magnanimity and statesmanship," the paper said that "Japanese who remember these acts of generosity can well appreciate the disappointment which he must have felt" when Japan broke with the Republic of China and entered into formal relations with the Chinese Communists. "President Chiang can take comfort that he leaves behind him a prosperous Taiwan under an able leadership which will continue to pursue his policies," the paper said.
Japan's Asahi Shimbun made similar comments. The victory over Japan was the height of glory in the Generalissimo's career, Asahi said. Generalissimo Chiang's philosophical attitude of letting bygones be bygones then enabled more than 2 million Japanese soldiers and civilians to return home safely.
Houston's Chronicle called President Chiang "a legendary name, a name associated with 60 years of turbulent history, a name linked to revolution and, most importantly, to an indomitable opposition to Communism." The Houston Post said President Chiang was a "giant who changed the fate of a nation" and transformed Taiwan "into a jewel of commerce and industry with extensive international trade."
The New Orleans Times Picayune described President Chiang as the leading actionist among the leaders of World War II. Louisiana was the birthplace of Maj. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault, one of Generalissimo's favorite American military aides. Human Events of Washington chided American liberals for attacks on President Chiang. The late President "will be long remembered and ultimately venerated," wrote William Rusher, the editor-in chief, "as the creator of modern Taiwan." The San Diego Union said the late President was "a man whose convictions never wavered and whose courage in the face of adversity creates a niche for him among the great of this era." The paper said: "Prosperity, tranquility, dignity and optimism - all in a matrix of personal freedom - have made free China a dramatic contrast' to Mao Tse-tung's police state on the mainland, and the envy of the developing world. Taiwan today is a wonderful legacy for a steadfast people, and enduring monument. "
For a month, Chinese papers of Taiwan and other free Chinese communities recorded the accomplishments of Chiang Kai-shek and reviewed his record. One recalled the words of Hollington Tong, the late President's biographer and a distinguished statesman and diplomat: "'Necessarily, a life of the Generalissimo is also a history of China. His personality has been inseparable from the stirring events of his era. Chiang Kai-shek is so completely a symbol of the Chinese people that, to an extent greater than any of his con temporaries, it can be said that he has virtually no private life apart from his nation's. His personal vicissitudes have been the vicissitudes of China.'"
The article continued: "Those words are particularly poignant in this time of national mourning. President Chiang's passing does not change nor dim the symbol. It will shine even more brilliantly in memory than in his lifetime - and that will be so in the hearts of the 800 million people of the Chinese mainland as well as the 21 million overseas Chinese and the 16 million people of Taiwan. All of us are aware that the great life's work of President Chiang is yet to be completed. Chiang Kai-shek's memorial will be a united and free China rather than a statue of granite or marble."
One paper reviewed the state of the nation after the passing of President Chiang and found it good "Thanks to the political genius of the late President and Generalissimo. He chose wisely and well in the selection of Yen Chia-kan as vice president. In the presidency, C.K. Yen has the trust and confidence of the people and his ministers. His hands are not only steady but vastly experienced. President Chiang also chose his elder son, Chiang Ching-kuo, to be Premier, but only because he was compelled to do so. Chiang Ching-kuo earned his own spurs in a succession of jobs that carried him through the military, the defense ministry and vice premiership. After the President's re-election in 1972, C.K. Chiang became an inescapable choice as Premier, leaving C.K. Yen with time and energy to carry out the duties of the vice presidency. Actually, Vice President became President in a ceremonial sense during the extended illness of the Generalissimo.
"Government operations are not affected by President Chiang's passing, except that his wise counsel will be deeply missed by those who received it. The team in charge was formed and has been working in harness for nearly three years. This is the team which has brought us through worldwide recession with minimal damage. Our economy and our people have suffered less than most, principally because of the government's stabilization program, refusal to devalue the new Taiwan dollar and other intelligent, forward looking decisions. Many signs of economic recovery are now visible. Orders are picking up. The budget is in balance. We have enough money to pay for the ten basic construction projects. Unemployment was never serious and has turned down.
"Internationally, the passing of President Chiang has brought us many testimonials of friend ship and goodwill. Most welcome of all is the pledge of the United States that the Sino-American treaty of mutual defense remains in full force and effect. President Yen and his Cabinet can be expected to continue President Chiang's foreign policy of 'all who are not enemies are friends.'
"The Republic of China has only one essential enemy: the Chinese Communist regime of Peiping. Let it be remembered that this country made peace even with the Soviet Union. The tearing up of that treaty was no fault of ours. President Chiang's foreign policy has already defeated the Communist attempt to isolate the Republic of China. Our list of diplomatic recognitions has fallen and may shrink further. Yet we are trading and have substantial social and cultural relations with all the free world countries. Only the Communists are missing, and as friends of Peiping, they always have been.
"This inheritance of a strong country - well governed, prospering and secure - is the gift of President Chiang. He built well, not only to preserve Taiwan from Communism but to make it the bastion of counterattack and national recovery. Some of the days ahead will be troubled. At such moments we need only look to the extensive record of the Generalissimo's thinking and ask what he would have done. Therein will be our guidance and our assurance of making the right decision."
Shakespeare said, in the words of Richard III: "Death makes no conquest of this conqueror: for now he lives in fame, though not in life." President Chiang found even more meaningful words in his Easter Testimony of 1962. He recalled that Jesus Christ had said: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." The leader of free China took note that "The Cross and the Resurrection have parallels in our anti-Communist struggle for self-deliverance and world salvation."
As George Santayana said, "For a man who has done his natural duty, death is as natural and welcome as sleep." President and Generalissimo Chiang is sleeping peacefully, awaiting the inevitable day of his return to the Chinese mainland in what will be history's greatest justification of a man's life and death.