MAX SAMUEL POLIN (1886 - 1958)
(American Director of CNAC)
(CNAC 193? - 19??)

From Wings for an Embattled China by W. Langhorne Bond, page 152, "I met the two American directors of CNAC who were in Shanghai at the American Club for Lunch. They were George Sellet, who was also attorney for Pan Am, and Max Polin, president and founder of the Cathay Oil Company who had negotiated the original contract setting up CNAC." (From "Wings for an Embattled China") This photo comes courtesy of Ki Chun's family and I thank them very much. Kai Tak Airport, 1949. W. L."Bondy" Bond, Ki Chun, "Bix" Bixby, Max Polin and "Allie" Allison All good friends. Best guess is Hong Kong sometime in the late 1940's or very early 1950's Max Polin on the left, uninown on the right August 8, 2004 The following e-mail came from Max's nephew, Packard Polin. He was born in the Ukraine, probably in Kiev, and as a young child, emigrated to Philadelphia in the early 1890's. With his parent's and siblings, he relocated many times, living in Kansas City, Missouri; Cripple Creek, Nevada; Goldfield, Nevada; and finally, in San Francisco; where he became an employee of the Associated Oil Company. He was assigned to Shanghai as the company's representative about the time of World War I; resigning in 1925 in order to found his own firm; The Cathay Oil Company. In addition to this business, he eventually became a representative of aircraft manufacturers, and sold planes to the Chinese military. He is the father of two son's; Tom; who resides in Hong Kong; and Bob; who lives in the United States; as far as I know. He was interned by the Japanese (Santo Tomas) at the beginning of World War II, but was selected by fellow American internees to be repatriated to the States on the Swedish American Liner "Gripsholm", to represent their financial affairs. As you are aware, he was the American Director of the CNAC in the 1930's and as such, and as a business man, it is said that he traveled more air miles in Asia than any other passenger of his era. Because of his extensive knowledge of China and the Chinese, he was recruited as a CIA Officer and returned to Asia for the balance of the war after completing the financial affairs for the internees. After the war, the Communists appropriated the oil company's holdings in China, so he conducted Cathay's business from offices in Hong Kong and in San Francisco; travelling by Pan American Clipper Ships between the two. On January 22, 1958, Max S. Polin died suddenly of a heart attack on Hong Kong Island, and his body was returned to San Francisco for the funeral and burial at the Home of Peace Cemetery, Colma, California. Best regards, Packard May 26, 2020 Received the following 4 photos from a family member. Can anyone out there tell me anything about these photos? February 10, 2021: From Bob Polin: I don't know if you'll find the following interesting, (I, Tom, did) but I'll send it to you anyway - a 2-page letter that Freddy Elias (the rabbi at the synagogue that my dad went to, I think) wrote to George Schlenker (the executor of my dad's will who might have also been some sort of business partner and who might not have had anything to do with CNAC) about the last few days of my dad's life. The "George" mentioned in the letter must have been "Uncle George" Sellett. Here is the following letter and list of of floral offerings after the Max died. February 11, 2021: Tom: My mother died in 2004. Her name was Tong Sau Ying. My dad had a sister that I didn't know existed till that trip to Manteca I mentioned in my last email to meet my aunt, Packard and Marvin. I just saw that my last email was wrong. I went to meet them in 1974, not 1978. Before that trip, I had only heard of my mom mentioning "Ike" and "Jake." I don't know her name and only found out she existed from the attached picture that my aunt gave me. Her husband and my grandmother are also in the picture. I'm pretty sure my aunt was Jacob's wife, not Isaac's. Again, I'm not positive, but believe Packard was her son. I believe Marvin was Packard's older brother, but there's a slight chance I'm wrong, and he's Isaac's son. I'm laughing now because every other sentence, I seem to be saying "I'm not sure." Marvin and Packard had a sister in Alaska (I don't remember her name and never met her), and another in Hayward. I visited her a few times. Her name was Nan Busk. I know nothing of Isaac (and have never seen a picture of him) except finding out recently that he was the assistant fire chief in Shasta Lake Fire District around 1939 and he owned a general store called Polin's Little Reno (which my aunt also gave me a picture of). The next time I'm out West, I'll definitely go to Shasta Lake and see if they have any antique pictures at the fire department or the museum. I just looked at your updates of the webpage on my dad. You wrote, "From Max Polin." No, it's "From Bob Polin." (all corrected) Right below that, I was reminded again that you visited my dad's grave in 2007. If I haven't thanked you for doing that, I'll thank you now. I haven't been there for over 20 years. The last time I was there, I was trying to find Wyatt Earp's grave more than visiting my dad. I did find Wyatt Earp. I've totally forgotten about how I found out about CNAC, or whether you found me and emailed me. Or maybe it was Renee Robertson who found me and told me about CNAC and your website. She found me somehow and called me out of the blue 10 to 15 years ago. We talked a few times over the phone since. Very sorry to see that she passed away in 2015. I'll continue babbling - this last bit at you before I go to sleep. I saw that March 2015 issue of Cannon Ball and realized she and my family and me crossed paths long ago. If she was born in Shanghai in 1928, then she and my parents were all there at the same time. If she was working on Carnavon Road in Hong Kong in the 1950's, I lived there from the time I was born in 1955 till around 1962. Carnavon is a very short road, so who knows, we might have walked right by each other sometime. Then we both have San Francisco in common. I lived in the Bay Area longer than anywhere else. Finally, after reading that she dated Clark Gable when he was in HK filming Soldier of Fortune, I downloaded that movie immediately and watched it. Bob September 10, 2007 Last week I attended the CNAC Reunion in Burlingame, California. On the way home I stopped at the Home of Peace Cemetery and left flowers and a stone at Max's grave site. It's very quiet and peaceful there. Tom Moore Max's parents If you would like to share any information about Max Polin or would like to be added to the CNAC e-mail distribution list, please let the CNAC Web Editor, Tom Moore, know. Thanks!