The inaugural meeting of the Chinese Society for Science and Technology, held on Christmas Day in 1907, played a pivotal role in the history of Chinese science. Because as long as the participants at that time were still eating in the scientific community later, decades later, they all became the treasures of their respective scientific research institutes; After his death, the obituary also included the title of "the pioneer and founder of the research field of XX in my country, and one of the founders of the XX Society of China".

What is even more interesting is that whether it is the number of societies established overnight or the number of participants who were later elected as the first academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, it is a breathtaking number that can write a strong stroke in the history of science. So much so that the reputation of this "100 Fellow Construction" in the scientific community is close to the story of the three visits to the thatched house, the four-phase hairpin, the five sons of Dengke, the seven-step poem, and the eight immortals crossing the sea in the cultural field.

In 1987, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Society for Science and Technology, Science China magazine specially organized a group of reporters to interview more than a dozen relevant scientists to commemorate the event in the form of a special issue. Among them, the article entitled "Dare to Sue Yunshan from Here" is an interview with Academician Wu Kuangshi, the pioneer and organizer of China's chemical fiber industry engineering and one of the founders of the Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China. Academician Wu was praised as the "father of chemical fibers" by the international academic community because of dozens of chemical fibers, including nylon, acrylic and polyester, and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1940. Here are some excerpts for the benefit of readers:

Eighty years ago today, 45 scientific organizations, including the Chinese Society for Science and Technology, were established in London at the same time, which opened the magnificent prelude to the comprehensive development of science and technology in China and laid a solid foundation for the prosperity of science in China today. In the past 80 years, the land of China has changed with each passing day. It is precisely because of this that we will miss the epoch-making scientific event 80 years ago.

On a sunny winter afternoon in Beijing, the reporter of "Science China" came to the apartment of the Institute of Chemical Industry and met with the highly respected academician Wu Kuangshi. Although Wu Lao is one hundred and seven years old, he still speaks clearly and thinks quickly. Under the guidance of his memories, everyone went back to those eventful years together.

Reporter: Mr. Wu, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Society for Science and Technology. In order to commemorate the event in London 80 years ago, we at Science China are preparing a special issue to pay tribute to the attendees of that year. We think that Wu Lao, as one of the parties, you are the most vocal, so we take the liberty to come to disturb today, and hope that Wu Lao will give advice.

Mr. Wu: Hehe, I am also honored to be able to reminisce with you young people about that time 80 years ago.

Reporter: Eighty years ago, that is, in the 33rd year of Guangxu and 1907 AD, you were in France at that time, Mr. Wu?

Wu Lao: Well, no. I was a 24-year-old kid at the time, just like you. But you're already working, and I'm still studying at École Centrale in Paris, France. You, in the last years of the Qing Dynasty, China's education was very backward, and it could not be compared with the present, usually about ten years old. As a result, you will have to be in your twenties to go to college.

Reporter: École Centrale de Paris has been established for 29 years and is one of the well-known engineering schools in France. At that time, when China's education level was generally backward, Wu Lao was able to study in such a school, which shows that you are talented and hardworking.

Mr. Wu: The key to my ability to go to such a university is not how smart and hard I work, but because of fate. My father, Wu Zonglian, whose name is Ruqing and whose name is Jingzhou, was a prisoner of the Qing Dynasty. In his early years, he studied French and Russian at the Haiguang Dialect Museum and the Beijing Tongwen Museum. After graduating, he worked as an interpreter and attaché at the embassy. At the beginning of the 20th century, he successively served as secretary of the embassy in France, chargé d'affaires of the embassy in Spain, and supervisor of students from Britain, France, Belgium, Italy and Germany. It is for this reason that I came to France to study at the University after graduating from the Shanghai Cantonese Dialect Museum.

Reporter: Even so, it was great to be able to go to university in France at that time. It is said that before the establishment of the Chinese Society for Science and Technology, you and Yu Tongkui, Yu Lao, Li Yinli, Li Jingho, Li Lao and others wanted to organize a society?

Wu Lao: Yes. In the summer of that year, Brother Xi (Lee Kyung-ho), who was also studying chemistry in France, deeply realized the positive role of the academic community in promoting the development of science, so he approached a few of us and planned to set up an organization dedicated to the study of chemistry. At that time, the transportation and communication were not convenient, and there were few people studying in Europe, and we hairy boys had no appeal at all, so only through the introduction of classmates, fellow villagers and each other, after half a year's efforts, we barely got together a dozen people to prepare for Christmas to establish the "European Branch of the Chinese Chemical Society" in Paris.

Reporter: What happened later?

Wu Lao: In October, we learned that Baixi had won this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry and was coming to Europe, and everyone was very happy and we were ready to invite him to the conference. Since 1898, Baixi has published a series of papers with great influence, and has won important awards such as the Copley Prize, the David Prize, and the Nobel Prize, which has established his lofty status in the international scientific community. If he can participate in the conference, he will definitely greatly enhance the prestige of the society and promote the development of the society.

Reporter: Before that, had you ever heard of Baixi's name?

Wu Lao: Of course, when I was studying in Shanghai, I used almost all the textbooks written by Baixi. Later, when I came to France to study chemistry, the professor heard that I was Chinese, and he was very puzzled that the teaching materials we use now are the theories of your Chinese Professor Johnson. Why did you come to France to study? ”

Reporter: If I don't remember, Baixi arrived in Marseille, France at the end of November and the beginning of December of that year, right? When you invited him?

Wu Lao: Baixi arrived in Marseille at the end of November, but we couldn't meet him at that time.

Reporter: For?

Wu Lao: Because at that time, Bai Xi was not only an internationally renowned scientist, but also a scholar envoy from Hubei, similar to today's high-ranking officials at the level of vice governor, how dare we, ordinary international students, go to see him casually? Our plan was to have my father talk to him on his way to Sweden. At that time, my father was the chargé d'affaires in Austria, and I was more able to talk to him. So that when he is from Sweden, we can go and invite him.

Reporter: Judging from the subsequent situation, your plan did not succeed.

Wu Lao: Yes, we planned it perfectly, but things turned out too unexpectedly. Baixi first inspected the steel industry in the Ruhr region of Germany, and then went directly to Sweden, where my father did not see him at all. When he arrived in Sweden, it coincided with the death of the King of Sweden and the cancellation of the award ceremony, so he hurried back; When he arrived in Germany, England called again and said that he had won a Copley Prize, urging him to hurry to London, and he went straight to Hamburg so that my father did not see him again.

Reporter: This is really "plan is not as good as change".

Mr. Wu: At that time, the meeting was less than 10 days away, and we were also caught off guard. Fortunately, Yu Xingshu (Yu Tongkui) and Li Shoufeng (Li Yin), who participated in the preparation for the establishment of the Chemical Society, were both in London, so they met Baixi through Brother Li Zemin and explained their intentions.

Reporter: Then Baixi proposed the establishment of the Chinese Society for Science and Technology?

Wu Lao: Baixi listened to Brother Xingshu's invitation, thought about it for a while, and put forward the idea of becoming the Chinese Society for Science and Technology. You should, it will take a great deal of money to keep the Society running. For this reason, Baixi donated the Nobel Prize prize he had just won on the spot.

Reporter: This little story has been included in today's primary school textbooks. However, it has recently been pointed out that this may be a fabrication -

Wu Lao: It is shameless to slander and spread rumors, I was an eyewitness at the time, I can use my personality to vouch for it, Baixi definitely donated the full amount on the spot that he just won the Nobel Prize. Now some people, taking the wages of the state and eating the people's grain, just do not do things for the country and the people. Every day, I just listen to a few untrue news, write a few scolding articles, grandstand, and shameless. In order to attract readers, some media have disregarded their social responsibilities and moral conscience, distorted the facts at will, and published false news. I'd like to see, which of the clowns will jump out?

Reporter: Okay, definitely, definitely. Mr. Wu, when did you receive the notice of the meeting?

Wu Lao: I received the telegram from London before December 20th, and I was quite surprised. After packing up a little, I quickly rushed to London.

Reporter: Surprised?

Wu Lao: Because the conference was originally scheduled to be held in Paris. Those who wanted to study abroad at the end of the Qing Dynasty were all children of poor families, and their daily living expenses were allocated by the government, and there was rarely plenty of time. The distance between Paris and Britain, Germany, Belgium, Italy and other countries is roughly the same, so that everyone's travel expenses can be shared evenly and some people will not be burdened too much. Britain is isolated overseas, and the pound exchange rate is high, if we hold a meeting in the UK, the cost of travel and accommodation will skyrocket, and we are afraid that everyone will not be able to afford it.

Reporter: Didn't you donate 150,000 SEK at first?

Wu Lao: Yes, as the story says, Sun once instructed Brother Xingshu not to announce that he was a donor, so as not to be misunderstood. In addition, we are worried about whether the establishment of such a large organization will hinder it. The Qing government is very sensitive to this kind of organization, and besides, will such a general organization be loose and cohesive because the content is too complicated? We are a little uncertain.

Reporter: Until you understand the various societies under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Society for Science and Technology?

Wu Lao: Yes, after rushing to London to participate in the formation of societies at all levels, the big stone in my heart fell to the ground.

Reporter: You were originally responsible for the establishment of the Chinese Chemical Society, right?

Wu Lao: Yes. At the beginning, there were seven people who planned to establish the Chinese Chemical Society, and when they arrived in London, in addition to Xingshu and Shoufeng, who were responsible for the overall coordination of the Science and Technology Society, I and Jinyong (Chen Chuanhu), Yajing (Lu An), Yunhua (Rongguang), and Xitong (Li Jinghao) were all involved in the preparation for the establishment of the Chemical Society.

Reporter: What about the Chemical Society?

Wu Lao: At that time, the distinction between chemistry and chemical engineering was not very clear, whether it was basic theoretical research or industrial application, they were generally classified into the category of chemistry. China is very backward, and all the chemical industry is imported from abroad. When we first prepared for the Chemical Society, we actually went in the direction of chemical engineering, such as alkali production, sugar production, salt production, etc., but the name was still called the Chemical Society.

Reporter: Like the Ordnance Engineering Society and the Nuclear Society, the Chemical Engineering Society was also established by Baixili against public opinion, right?

Wu Lao: You didn't say that. Baixi talked to a few of us, saying that we can directly bring the advanced scientific theories of Europe and the United States; But in the industrial field, we have to rely on us. The same is true of chemistry, we must invest a lot of manpower and material resources to build a chemical industry, in order to get rid of the shackles of foreign powers on us.

Reporter: So you transferred to the Chemical Engineering Society?

Wu Lao: When Baixi talked about chemical industry, he was afraid that all of us would not understand, so he gave examples of our daily clothing, food, housing, and behavior. The first thing I said was clothing. He said that the clothes we wear now are made of natural fur and fibers, and can we use chemical technology to make synthetic fibers from simple raw materials to make clothes cheap and beautiful? My hometown is in Jiading, Jiangsu, when I was a child, I watched the people around me raise silkworms, and it was very hard, but the silkworm cocoons raised and the silk silk spun out of them could not be worn on the poor people, and I was quite indignant. After listening to Sun's words, I decided to participate in the establishment of the Chemical Engineering Society and devote myself to the field of chemical fiber. This is the year.

Reporter: After decades of hard work, Wu Lao finally realized Baixi's dream, which is really a success, you have a feeling when you first saw Baixi?

Wu Lao: Before that, I had also seen photos of Baixi in newspapers and magazines, but they were blurry, and I only thought he was a very young and handsome person. After meeting, he was not only young and handsome, but also gentle and approachable, making people feel like a spring breeze, and he was the closest I have ever seen in my life.

Reporter: Yes, Baixi is the first of the four beautiful men of the Republic of China

Wu Lao: Huh, how can a few other people compare with Baixi? In addition to being handsome and extraordinary, Baixi is the first person in the past hundred years in terms of morality, academics, and merit. In my opinion, several other people don't deserve to lift shoes for Baixi, why should they be called together? Besides, Baixi is not famous by his appearance

Reporter: Hehe, this ...... Immediately after Christmas 1907, the first meeting of the Chinese Society for Science and Technology was held?

Mr. Wu: This conference is of great significance, because in view of the situation of China's science being poor and white, Baixi put forward the slogan of leading disciplines with projects for the first time in his speech at the conference, requiring all societies to carry out all-round research around one or several projects related to the national economy and people's livelihood, and use this opportunity to train new talents. In the following two or three days, Baixi visited almost all the societies and discussed with everyone the projects that should be studied. It can be said that without the impetus of these projects, the development of science in China would never be as prosperous as it is today

Reporter: For example?

Wu Lao: For example, the engine project of the Machinery Industry Association, the Minsan heavy machine gun project of the Ordnance Engineering Society, and the chain reaction project of the Nuclear Society.

Reporter: At the subsequent group meeting, you served as the executive director of the Chemical Engineering Society?

Wu Lao: At that time, he was "an unscrupulous general in Shu, and Liao became a pioneer", and even a middle-level person like me could be an executive director.

Reporter: Mr. Wu, you are too humble It is said that in the final election of the Chinese Society for Science and Technology, Baixi was unanimously elected as the first president of the society?

Wu Lao: At that time, there were 204 participants, and 203 votes were cast for Baixi, and 1 abstained. Because of his high academic status and great prestige at home and abroad, Baixi can be said to be the only candidate for the president of the society. Baixi felt that he should avoid suspicion, so he abstained. Therefore, the most objective statement should be that everyone except Baixi himself voted in favor.