The fourth International Inventors Expo presented a number of awards to inventors from the Republic of China.
Lin Lian-chuan was given a golden cup, one of the four highest honors, for his invention of a special color printing device for advertisements and decorations.
Four Chinese inventors among 20 from 13 countries were given gold medals. They are Liao Ching-li for his invention of a device which promotes the compression ratio of fuel mixtures in engines, thus saving fuel and extending the life of the engine; Yang Jun-choo for his invention of a device to open bottles; Chen Lin-fu for his invention of a machine which can measure the height and weight of a person at the same time; and Shen Chi-chen for his invention of an automobile safety indicator.
Eleven Chinese inventors received honorable mention.
Foreign language college set up
Fu Jen Catholic University is opening a college of foreign languages, the first such in the Republic of China, this fall.
Until now, foreign language and literature departments have been under colleges of liberal arts.
The college actually came into being in 1963 but was not officially recognized.
The Ministry of Education gave its assent because of the growing need for personnel versed in foreign languages. Support came from the Government Information Office, Tourism Bureau and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The new college will have departments of English, French, German, Spanish and Oriental languages, including Arabic, Korean and Japanese. There will be graduate schools of German, English and linguistics.
James Soong thanks students
James Soong, director general of the Government Information Office, expressed appreciation to the members of the Chinese Student Association of Florida State University for correcting a report on the Republic of China in the Tallahassee Democrat, a newspaper in the Florida capital.
"The clippings of a Tallahassee Democrat story on Taiwan and your righteous protest are on my desk. As I read your letter to the newspaper, respect for you wells up in my heart. Our country is sailing through a storm in which we can feel all the more the warmth from relatives and friends. We have never met, but as I write this letter I can feel the blood coursing through my veins and visualize the triumph of your generation. Nothing can bend the pride we true Chinese have inherited from our ancestors. To paraphrase Mrs. Thatcher's message to British commandos after they had liberated hostages held at the Iranian embassy in London: 'Today, I am proud of being Chinese! '
"I am at a loss to understand why the Tallahassee Democrat should have symbolized Taipei with a large color picture showing an exhausted pedicabman coiled up for a nap in the seat of his cab. We used pedicabs for transportation more than 10 years ago. We don't feel inferior because of that. Anyhow, they were an advance over rickshas and sedan chairs. Many people in Taipei have ridden in pedicabs and still recall with appreciation the good service provided by pedicabmen. Many pedicabmen are themselves proud of their hard work in those days. It is ridiculous that the newspaper of an American state capital should have demonstrated such big nation chauvinism and assumed this foolish tourist attitude that others are backward. The message seems to be that 'They are backward; they have no cars; their people are miserable; they are so exhausted that they can even fall asleep on a pedicab.'
"An adage has it that 'The spread of rumors ends when they reach the wise.' This must now be revised. In ancient times, rumors were spread from person to person. Now they are disseminated by the mass communication media, whether intentionally or inadvertently. The lie told by an irresponsible news paper is a lie told to tens of thousands of people.
"The wise men of our era correct lies in addition to trying to prevent them.
"As you have made such a correction, I am proud of you.
"We need to build a new national image. Even before doing so, we must prevent our image from being misrepresented and besmirched. We must not be meek and impassive. If Americans don't like Washington, D.C. being portrayed with a horse and wagon, we are entitled to not be portrayed with a picture of pedicab selected from the achieves. Whether the use was because of ignorance or malice, it cannot be tolerated,"
Tourists show gain over 1979
Tourist arrivals during the first four months of this year numbered 466,614 for an increase of 9,108 or 2 per cent over the same period last year.
The Tourism Bureau said 387,785 were foreigners and 78,829 overseas Chinese. The figure for foreigners showed a decline of 3,546 or 0.9 per cent while that of overseas Chinese rose by 12,654 or 19.1 per cent.
Japanese numbered 250,824 or 53.75 per cent, down 6.8 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year.
Americans showed an in crease of 2,753 or 8.2 per cent to reach 36,250. Tourists from Southeast Asia were up by 13.40 per cent to 53,413 and those from Europe by 11 per cent to 23,942.
General Stilwell attends symposium
General Richard G. Stilwell, former commander-in-chief of the United Nations Command in Korea, met with local scholars and experts at a symposium on the communication sea lanes.
Reports on security of sea lanes were made by three local scholars at the symposium presided over by Dr. Han Lih-wu of the Asia and World Forum.
Accompanies by Rear Admiral William McClendon, former chief of Plans and Policy of the U.S. Pacific Command, General Stilwell visited Taipei for four days at the invitation of Dr. Han.
He met with President Chiang Ching-kuo, Premier Y.S. Sun, Chief of Staff Admiral Soong Chang-chih, General Wego Chiang, Admiral Tsou Chien and other ranking officials and scholars.
Posters to publicize movie awards
The Government Information Office held a poster contest for the 1980 Golden Horse Awards, the Chinese equivalent of the Hollywood Academy Awards.
The winning poster receives a NT$30,000 prize and will be used at home and abroad.
This year's Golden Horse event will include an international film exhibition to introduce good movies from abroad and help upgrade the standards of Chinese motion pictures.
C.K. Yen urges spiritual stress
Former President C.K. Yen called on literary circles to help upgrade the nation's spiritual level and match progress made in the material field.
In a nation with profound cultural values, literary men and women must play an active role to eliminate ill effects of materialism, Yen said in a Literary Day address.
Literary circles must resort to moral and rational approaches to deal with problems resulting from materialistic pollution, Yen said.
A resolution was adopted to support Chinese mainland literary groups in opposing the Peiping regime.
Movie to tell heroic episode
An epic style movie with an anti-Communist theme is shooting at the Central Motion Picture Corporation's Shihlin studio in Taipei.
"The Death Mission at Cold Hawk Castle" has a strong cast including Ko Chun-hsiung, Chang Ai-chia and Sun Hueh. The story tells how the Russian Communists delayed their withdrawal from Manchuria to help the Chinese Communists to build up their strength. Cold Hawk Castle is an agent training center of the Russians in Manchuria. A Chinese secret agent is trapped there but the Russians cannot force him to tell the whereabouts of a sunken Japanese treasure ship.
The Chinese send a woman agent to the castle to make a rescue attempt. She is assisted by several martial art experts.
The Golden Horse Awards program will be held from October 27 through November 2. Movie stars at home and from abroad will participate.
'Red Hair Castle' to be repossessed
The government has notified London it wishes to take possession of "Red Hair Castle" at scenic Tamsui, near Taipei, locale of the former British consulate.
The British government constructed the red brick buildings more than 100 years ago.
The compound of 1.14 hectares with buildings occupying about 2,000 square meters was closed in 1972.
The site overlooks the estuary of the Tamsui River and the Taiwan Straits.
One plan is to demolish the buildings for a highway. Some scholars prefer keeping the site as a scenic attraction.
China Airlines still expanding
China Airlines, the nation's flag carrier, has entered its 21st year of operations.
CAL entered the big time with the start of Boeing 747 service to Honolulu and Los Angeles in June of 1975. A year later a second 747 began flights to San Francisco. Nonstop service to the United States dates to April, 1977, via 747SPs.
A new Taipei-Washington agreement will enable CAL to fly to New York, Seattle, Dallas and Guam. From New York routes may be opened to Canada, Latin America and Europe.
China Airlines has ordered two more Boeing 747s and two Boeing 767s.
The airline has 18 aircraft: including 4 Boeing 747s, 4 Boeing 707s, 4 Boeing 727s, 3 Boeing 737s, 1 YS-11 and 2 Caravelles.
Jaycee program aids consumers
Lee Shen-i, president of the Taipei Jaycees, said the Republic of China Consumers Protection Foundation will be set up October 10.
Funds of the foundation, which will be raised from donations, will be used to:
- Make investigative studies for the protection of consumers.
- Promote consumer education.
- Promote laws and regulations for consumer protection.
- Handle complaints.
- Redress damages.
- Inspect consumer goods.
- Publish periodicals.
The Jaycees are planning a series of art shows and benefit performances to raise funds.
Students want to go abroad
Up to 64 per cent of the students of the National Taiwan University hope to pursue graduate studies abroad, according to a survey.
More than 80 per cent of those who want to go overseas are willing to return home after completing their studies.
The survey covered 520 students, about 5 per cent of the university's enrollment.
The finding lends support to the campus saying: "Come, come, come. Come to National Taiwan University. Go, go, go. Go to the United States."
Desire for foreign study is strongest — 79 per cent — among undergraduates of the College of Agriculture. The figure is 75 per cent in sciences and 68 per cent in engineering.
Only 1 of every 10 Chinese students who went abroad for advanced studies returned to Taiwan between 1959 and 1978.
Dr. Mao Kao-wen, president of the National Taiwan Institute of Technology, told the Sino-American Seminar of Higher Education that between 1959 and 1978, 50,000 Chinese students went abroad, mainly to the United States, for advanced studies but only 6,000 returned.
The brain drain, he told the seminar, is one of the most serious problems vexing higher education in the Republic of China.
He suggested the government should keep science and engineering majors at home for two years after graduation. They then would come to understand conditions at home and the needs of industries before going abroad.
Many students hesitate to return because they are not aware of the opportunities.
House ownership percentage high
Most of the people in Taipei live in their own houses, according to a survey of 380 households by the Municipal Accounting and Statistics Department.
Of those surveyed, 226 households or 59.47 per cent lived in their own houses. Ninety households lived in rented houses and 32 others in houses assigned by their employers or the government.
Floor space ranged from 180 square feet to 2,520 square feet. The average was 800 square feet.
Of the 380 households, 373 (98.16 per cent) owned TV sets, 363 (95.53 percent) had refrigerators, 114 households (30 per cent) had air-conditioners, 312 (82.11 per cent) had washing machines, 298 households (78.42 per cent) had telephones, 134 households owned motorcycles, 29 had cars, 193 had cameras and 300 subscribed to newspapers.
Saudi students get internships
The National Taiwan University Hospital has decided that each hospital division will accept up to two medical college graduates from Saudi Arabia for a one-year internship.
For students who wish to undertake an internship program after graduation, executives of NTU Hospital have suggested they receive pre-job training and take a Chinese language course at the newly opened Jeddah Hospital, which is staffed by medical personnel from the NTU Hospital.
Dr. Chang marks 92nd birthday
Dr. Chang Chun, senior adviser to the President of the Republic, marked his 92nd birthday with the publication of a book titled "Seventy Years of Japan and I." He was born on May 9, 1889, in Szechwan. He is 92 in the Chinese way of counting.
Among well-wishers calling on Dr. Chang on the eve of his birthday were President Chiang Ching-kuo, former President C.K. Yen, Vice President Shieh Tung min, Premier Y.S. Sun and hundreds of high-ranking government officials.
Dr. Chang is in good health for his age. He told friends the book was a birthday gift he gave himself. He had wanted to write it 20 years ago, when it would have been called "Fifty Years of Japan and I." But with so many people closely involved in China's dealings with Japan still living, he hesitated and finally gave up.
Dr. Chang attended the Tokyo Military Academy as a young revolutionary. He attended the same class as the late President Chiang Kai-shek, the beginning of an association that was to last 70 years.
As minister of foreign affairs from 1935 to 1937, it was his job to negotiate with the Japanese militarists in the tempestuous years before the war of 1937-45.
He served as secretary general to President Chiang Kai-shek from 1954 to 1972. The late President often sought his counsel in matters that involved Japan.
Science survey carried out
The government has undertaken a survey of the nation's scientific and technological development.
The first survey of its kind is intended to acquaint government agencies with three important aspects of scientific and technological development — manpower, financing and research.
Under the manpower heading, the government hopes to find out (a) the number and categories of research personnel, (b) the number and categories of research personnel needed, (c) how the training of scientific and technological personnel is being carried out at schools and colleges and (d) the employment situations of scientific and technical personnel trained locally.
With regard to financing, the survey seeks to ascertain (a) the sources and amount of research financing and (b) how funds are being used.
The survey also seeks to determine what kind of research activities are being carried out and how.
Questionnaires were distributed to all research facilities.
TV stars do not have respect
According to a survey of professions, most people respect presidents of universities, ministers of the Central Government and generals. The least respectable occupation is that of ballroom hostesses. TV stars are far down the list.
This is the order of occupations:
1. University presidents. 2. Ministers of the Central Government. 3. Generals. 4. University professors. 5. Chief judges. 6. Commissioners of the Provincial Government. 7. High school principals. 8. Central Government parliamentarians. 9. Engineers. 10. Physicians.
11. Judges. 12. Principals of primary schools. 13. High school teachers. 14. Officers of major rank. 15. Architects. 16. Lawyers. 17. Primary school teachers. 18. Members of the Provincial Assembly. 19. Nurses.
20. Pilots. 21. News reporters. 22. Policemen. 23. Painters. 24. Middle-level public functionaries. 25. Dentists. 26. Postmen. 27. Accountants. 28. Farmers. 29. Catholic fathers. 30. Stewardesses.
31. Bank workers. 32. Managers of department stores. 33. Librarians. 34. Skilled workers. 35. Drivers. 36. Tourist guides. 37. Shopkeepers. 38. TV stars. 39. Barbers. 40. Ballroom hostesses.
Normal installs data terminal
The National Taiwan Normal University has installed a Universal Data Base terminal in its library.
The terminal is connected to computerized data bases in the U.S. through Telenet and Tymnet. Research materials and information processed and stored in computers are made accessible to the college students and faculties to facilitate study and research. Information which usually takes months to gather will be available in minutes.
The university introduced its own Chinese Educational Re sources computerized data base developed by the University Library and Taiwan Automation Corporation.
The data base covers Chinese educational literature for 1979. Author, title, subject and journal names are the access points with abstracts available.
Phoenix Valley site of aviary
The biggest aviary in the Far East will be built at Feng Husang (phoenix) Valley in Nantou County within the next two years, according to the Provincial Government.
The project calls for investment of NT$246 million. The Cabinet will provide NT$40 million and the Provincial Government NT$190 million. The rest will come from the Nantou County government.
Construction will be completed by 1982. The aviary will occupy 2 hectares and 25 small aviaries will be built nearby. There will be sidewalks, parking lots, a square and other places of recreation.
Hospital plans sperm bank
National Taiwan University Hospital will set up a sperm bank for the benefit of childless couples.
Dr. Li Tsu-yao said the bank will stock the sperm of medical students, young doctors and other volunteer donors. Donors will receive no material reward.
Storage of sperm needs only an inexpensive machine and dry ice. Life of the sperm is as long as two years.
Many overseas Chinese couples have come to Taiwan to undergo artificial insemination because they wanted to make sure their children would be Chinese.
Dr. Li said children born by women receiving artificial insemination are mostly boys and have higher IQs than children conceived normally.
The ratio of conception is only 15 to 20 per cent among women receiving the sperm of their husbands and rises to 80 per cent when the sperm come from donors.
Sweet juices are preferred
People of Taiwan tend to favor sweet rather than salty juices with little attention for nutritive values, according to a market survey. Advertised juices sell better than others.
Asparagus juice tops the list with 25 per cent of the market, followed by guava juice with 16 per cent. Orange juice is coming up.
Of salty juices, only tomato juice and vegetable juice enjoy modest sales.