The wind and beyond; Theodore von Kármán, pioneer in aviation and pathfinder in space by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Von Kármán, Theodore, 1881-1963, Aeronautical engineers
Publisher: Boston, Little, Brown
Published: 1967-11-14T21:00:00+00:00

CHINA TAKES TO THE AIR

191

churia, where the professor smilingly invited us both to an excellent Chinese dinner. Judging by the amiablity of the relationship I came away with the impression that my bringing the two together contributed in a small way to good Sino-British relations.

The trip itself was not especially interesting. Hie train moved slowly and stopped often. I spent most of the time playing chess with a group of Russian mining engineers who were on their way to a project in Siberia.

Near the Russian-Manchurian border, the train was delayed and I got off to stretch my legs. In my pocket was the big wad of rubles. Suddenly I remembered I was not permitted to take Soviet money out of Russia. What to do with it? I wandered around the drab Russian border town, looking into stores for something to purchase. I finally settled on a couple of bottles of vodka, which seemed the most useful item I could carry, and packed them into my suitcase hoping they might sustain me during the cool nights in China.

Our first stop in China was the border station of Shan Hai Kuan, and here things began to liven up. Conditions in China were unsettled at this time due to the threat of Japanese invasion. In fact, we had been warned that the Japanese would scrutinize all foreign travelers going from Russia into Manchuria. I had not seen any Japanese when I got off the train, but suddenly a military truck filled with armed soldiers appeared from nowhere and came upon us so fast that the customs men had to scurry to open the gates or the truck would have crashed through. The Japanese soldiers jumped off and took up positions at the station. They did nothing to interfere with the customs check, but I think it was their way of reminding everyone that they were in charge.

Frank Wattendorf was on hand when I finally walked through customs. It was invigorating to see him after the long trip. He told me that he had been living in the beach town of Peitaho near the Manchurian border for a week and that each day he came to meet the train because he wasn’t sure when the Russian railway system would deliver me. Frank now reserved space on the Peking train, and that night we embarked for the onetime Chinese capital.

When we were underway Frank briefed me on conditions in China and then told me the real reason for my trip. The scholarly visit to Tsing Hua and its department of aeronautical engineering was only a cover-up. Something far more dramatic was involved. It was to assist the Chinese government in building a modern air force, which Chiang hoped would be an effective weapon in stopping Japanese aggression.

As Frank continued, I listened in fascination. The Chiang Kai-shek government had started to build up the Chinese Air Force in the mid-

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