The Academia Sinica elected eight new members at the 10th Conference of Academicians (Yuan Shih). The nation's highest research institute chose these new academicians from among 16 candidates:
—Shen Shen-fu, 51, of Shanghai, a graduate of the National Central University. He obtained his doctor's degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is professor of space engineering at Cornell University.
—Tou Chu-lieh, 47, of Kiangsu, a graduate of the National Chiao Tung University. He obtained his doctorate at Yale University. He is visiting professor at the College of Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, in Taiwan. He specializes in electronics.
—Liu Tung-yen, 62, of Fukien, a graduate of Chiao Tung University. He has a master of science degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a professor of civil engineering there.
—Ai Shih-hsun, 52, of Hupeh, a graduate of the School of Medicine, National Central University. He is a professor in the College of Medicine at Columbia University.
—Tsao An-pang, 43, of Kwangtung. He obtained his doctorate from the California Institute of Technology and is a professor at Johns Hopkins University.
—Chang Kun, 55, of Honan, a graduate of the National Tsing-hua University at Peiping. His doctorate is from Yale University and he is a professor of linguistics at the University of California.
—Chu Wan-li, 66, of Shantung, a graduate of the Yu Wen College in Peiping and member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University. He is a professor at National Taiwan University.
—Fei Ching-han, 49, of Peiping, a graduate of Yenching University. He obtained his doctor's degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is professor of economics of Yale University.
The Academia Sinica now has 77 members.
Vice President C.K. Yen urged members of the Academia Sinica to offer their counsel in the nation's national reconstruction efforts. He spoke on behalf of President Chiang kai-shek.
Dr. Chien Shih-liang, president of the Academia Sinica, presided. Some 300 scholars and government officials, including Premier Chiang Ching-kuo and Presidential Secretary-General Chen Yin-fun, attended the opening ceremony.
Cultural Renaissance will be encouraged
Vice President C. K. Yen called for redoubled efforts to promote the Chinese Cultural Renaissance Movement in accordance with President Chiang Kai-shek's instructions to emphasize "ethical, democratic and scientific" fields.
Addressing the fifth plenary session of the Committee for the Promotion of the Chinese Culture Renaissance Movement, the Vice President praised achievements of the last five years.
Vice President Yen read a message from President Chiang, the chairman of the movement, to the 140 delegates.
President Chiang said cultivation of democracy and scientific thinking are urgent tasks along with the teaching of skills to the young.
Dr. Sun Fo, president of the Examination Yuan and son of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, presided.
Reports were heard from Ku Feng-hsiang, secretary-general of the committee, and others. Dr. Wu Ta-you, chairman of the National Science Council, said the nation should not attempt to launch a satellite.
He said scientific manpower, industrial facilities and money are lacking to perform "scientific and technological spectaculars."
Any attempt to launch an earth satellite could ruin Taiwan's economy, Dr. Wu asserted, adding:
"If we exhaust our resources, both financially and in manpower, to perform a technological feat such as launching a satellite, we would jeopardize the orderly progress of national reconstruction."
Dr. Wu reported that the science development policy is basically sound.
From now on, he added, science development projects will be closely tied to the economic buildup.
Reviewing achievements of the first four-year science development program which ended last June, Dr. Wu cited these gains:
—Some 500 overseas scientists and scholars were recruited for teaching and research assignments in Taiwan.
—Three hundred and eighty scientists and college teachers received advanced training abroad on government fellowships.
—Over 700 graduate students earned master's degrees at the six science research centers at home and some 600 others are doing postgraduate work at these centers.
—Three thousand eight hundred college teachers and research scientists received government research grants.
—Research activities in both natural and applied sciences were stepped up.
Tourists will surpass million mark by 1976
Tourists visiting Taiwan will reach the million mark by 1976 for earnings of some US$220 million, according to a news release of the Government Information Office. The 1980 estimates are 1,800,000 tourists and US$350 million in earnings.
The tourism industry has made rapid progress during the last 15 years. Visitors numbered 539,975 in 1971, compared with 15,000 in 1956. Foreign exchange earnings last year totaled US$110 million.
Tourists totaled 310,000 in the first half of 1972, an increase of 15 per cent. Foreign exchange increased by US$8.6 million over US$54.5 million in the first six months of 1971.
The Taiwan Visitors Association said that 273,959 foreigners and 37,003 overseas Chinese came in the January-June period this year.
January-June visitors usually mare up 40 per cent of the year's total. Peak months for tourism are October and November.
TVA sources said the total for 1972 may reach 650,000.
Japanese led the 1972 list with 170,162, or an increase of 21.4 per cent over the first six months of last year. The Americans were second at 53,661, up 6 per cent.
European tourists are coming in larger numbers. Europeans numbered 10,788 for the first half of the year, an increase of 5.1 per cent.
Visa applications have been simplified for Europeans. Chinese trade delegations in European cities are empowered to issue "letters of introduction" to Europeans interested in visiting Taiwan. With the letters, they can get their visas on arrival at the Taipei International Airport.
A special committee has been established to plan development of a vacationland at the southern tip of Taiwan.
The vacationland will cover the entire area south of Hengchun, including the famous Kenting Aboretum of Tropical Plants and the lighthouse at Oulanpi.
Among major attractions are good beaches with coral reefs just offshore. Colorful tropical fishes inhabit the reefs, and provide an excellent locale for scuba diving.
Sizable areas of little economic value are available for the construction of tourist facilities.
A hostel at the Kenting Aboretum has accommodations for a limited number of overnight visitors.
About 470,000 people visited Kenting last year. The Tourism Bureau predicted the area will attract 1,000,000 visitors annually by 1976.
One of Taipei's principal scenic attractions is Yangmingshan, an area of 119 square kilometers. It became part of Taipei on July 1, 1967, when the capital city of free China acquired the rank of special municipality.
Formerly known as Grass Mountain, the area was renamed in 1950 for Wang Yangming, a philosopher of the Ming dynasty. Because of superb scenery, plans are afoot to make part of the area into a national park.
With a population of more than 240,000, Yangmingshan is operated as a special administration although it depends on the Taipei City Government for construction. The director of the Yangmingshan Administration is appointed by the Cabinet instead of by the mayor of Taipei, a fact which gives him a large degree of independence.
Tienmou, a li in the Shihlin district, is a residential area for foreigners and wealthy Taipeilanders. According to the most recent count, 907 foreign families with 3,576 members are living at Tienmou. Americans constitute the largest group. Others come from Great Britain, West Germany, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, South Africa, Holland, Switzerland, Canada, New Zealand, Malagasy Republic, Brazil, Zaire, South Vietnam, Italy, Khmer, Sweden, Costa Rica, Israel and Malaysia. Some are members of the diplomatic corps. Most American servicemen and their dependents live in 152 houses rented from the Bank of Taiwan.
Others rent houses from private Chinese citizens with monthly rentals ranging from US$80 to US$600.
Yangmingshan has six parks with combined area of 613,970 hectares. The largest is the Yangming Park, which attracts tens of thousands daily during the spring when the area is ablaze with azaleas, and cherry blossoms. Yangming is near the ornate Chungshan Building, the largest structure of traditional Chinese architecture in Taiwan.
Peitou is a picturesque spa nestled at the foot of Yangmingshan. Because of hot springs and scenery, it has become a center of hotels.
Only 22,000 of 82,000 win seats in colleges
More than 60,000 high school graduates failed to make it into colleges and universities this fall. The Joint Collegiate Entrance Examination Committee announced that about 22,000 were admitted.
Dr. Shu Shien-siu, chairman of the entrance examination committee, called for scrapping of the existing system.
Dr. Shu appealed to the public to change the traditional concept of over emphasizing degrees.
Shu's views were echoed in the press. Newspapers published interviews with scholars and government officials supporting a change.
The Independence Evening Post called on the government to study Dr. Shu's proposals to improve the examination system.
The newspaper said society should stress vocational training instead of academic study.
Because of the joint entrance examination system, private preparatory schools have become commercialized. Supplementary schools "guarantee" that students will be admitted to colleges and universities.
One supplementary school returned tuition fees of students who failed to get into a senior high school.
Students may remain abroad seven years
The government may extend government fellowships for advanced study abroad to a maximum of seven years and permit some students to be joined by dependents.
Students on government fellowships may now stay away only four years and may not be joined by dependents.
Ministry of Education officials said four years is not always long enough for a doctorate. Government fellowships would be for four years. Students would have to support themselves after that.
If students did not return after seven years, they would be required to refund money paid them under the fellowships.
Dependents would have to pay their own expenses.
The Ministry of Education plans to set up an examination group to check the validity of scholarships, assistantships and fellowships granted students going abroad. Some students have made contributions to foreign schools in return for so-called scholarships so they wouldn't have to pass the qualifying examination.
A ministry spokesman said 2,558 students went abroad last year. Not more than half passed the qualifying exam. Some students claiming to have scholarships had inferior scholastic records at Taiwan institutions.
Chinese library science has revised references
New editions of the Chinese Decimal Classification and of the Three-Digit Index on Chinese Authors have been published.
The two books were compiled by H. Jih-chang, former library director of National Chengchi University.
The Chinese Decimal Classification was compiled in 1922 when Ho was director of Honan Provincial Library and was published in May of 1934. The second edition, revised and appended, was published in January, 1956. The third edition came out in January, 1965.
The Three-Digit Index on Chinese Authors includes data on Chinese culture in ancient days.
Taipei's book stalls have hidden treasures
If you want to make a fortune by reading, try your luck at Taipei's old book stalls. They are found along Kuling Street in the southern part of the city.
One old Chinese painting bought at one of the stalls for NT$300 recently was resold for more than NT$30,000. The painting was by Chou Chiu of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Rare books may be sold at junk prices.
Foreigners are frequent customers. Some buy whatever appears to be old. Volumes known to be rare may cost hundreds of U.S. dollars.
Buyers are also interested in old newspapers, especially those printed before 1949. Libraries seek such old papers.
A stall keeper sold for NT$500 a 1915 bulletin announcing that Yuan Shih-kai had declared himself emperor. The buyer sold it for NT$5,000.
There are 56 used book retailers on Kuling Street. Only two have permanent quarters. The others set up shop on the roadside under the banyan trees.
Each stall has a stock of some 7,000 books and magazines. There are many textbooks. Some books are placed on the ground, others in cases.
Twenty years ago, book stalls were scattered around Taipei. Several did a good business on the sidewalk in front of the old Taiwan Fertilizer Company building on Hengyang Road.
When the building was torn down, the stores moved to Kuling Street, which is called "old book street".
Taipei police want to move the stalls to a location under the Chungcheng Bridge at the end of Chungking South Road.
Some stall keepers don't want to leave their streetside marketplace. Others are ready to go.
One said, "I'd sure like to move to a place which is sheltered from wind and rain. But I'd miss the banyan trees which have given us cooling shade against the blazing sun."
ROC is double champion in boys' baseball play
The Mei Ho team of the Republic of China, representing the Far East, won the 1972 Senior League World Series championship by overwhelming the U.S. West team 9 to 0 at Gary, Indiana.
All three television networks in Taiwan televised the final game live from 2 to 4:20 in the morning.
Millions sacrificed their sleep to watch. Among them was Vice President C.K. Yen, who cabled his congratulations.
The noise of firecrackers reverberated throughout the island as the boys from Pingtung in southern Taiwan took the title. It was Taiwan's first try in Senior League (boys aged 13 to 15) competition.
Lin Hsing-jui lined three hits and Chen Chih-shun pitched a four-hit shutout a few days later as Taiwan scored a 6 to 0 victory over Hammond (Indiana) to win its second straight Little League championship at Williamsport, Pa.
Lin had a home run with one on in the second, an RBI double in the third and a single in the fourth.
Chen was in control from the outset. He allowed a double and three singles and struck out 12. He didn't walk a batter.
Taiwan scored twice in the third inning, three times in the fourth and once in the fifth. There were threats in the other innings.
Every member of the starting lineup except Chang Chien-chang hit safely.
Taiwan opened the scoring when Lin powered his home run over the left center wall. Chang Chi-hsiung doubled to right center, stole third and came in on Lu Hung-i's single.
In the bottom of the third, Taiwan' used Lin's double, singles by Chien Chih-cheng and Lee Tsung-chih and four Hammond errors to push across three runs. All were off Hammond pitcher George Leonakis, who had relieved starter John Davis.
Taiwan's final run came on Lin Chen-nan's single.
Hammond's only threats were in the first and final innings. Mike Rozgony doubled to lead off the game but was cut down at third on a fielder's choice. In the sixth, Rozgony singled to lead off the inning, reached second on a passed ball and went to third on a ground out. He was stranded as Chen wound up the game with a strikeout.