Monday, Jan. 07, 1929

Shattering Morals

Filial piety has been the immemorial duty of Chinese sons, and celibacy that of widows. Since the high and far off time of Confucius (550-478 B.C.) and long before, this has been so. But last week the kinetic, iconoclastic new Nationalist Government issued a proclamation shattering to Chinese morals. Acts of filial piety were declared to be "no longer meritorious but unworthy," and celibate widows were bidden to eschew the "outworn mandate of mere superstition."