out of rural areas.
Senator Fong. And did most of them come with families or alone ?
Mr. WATERS. The ones I talked with did not have families with
them. These were the ones that did not come in during the period the
border was open , but fled across the border, or through Macao, and
had been 4 or5 days in the process of getting in. They includedmen
and women, and some young people inthe teenage group, but not little
children .
Senator Fong. Would you say that a substantial portion of them
came to seek a living and also be able to lend a helping hand to the
people who were back in Communist China ?
Mr. WATERS. I think that is true. I think obviously the economic
motivation was behind their move, although they either sincerely felt
that they were trying to get away from Communist rule, or thought
this was the right thing to say when they were being questioned . They
brought this into their discussions, and they objected to forced labor.
All of them seemed to have a consistent line of feeling that the food
situation, as bad as it was, was going to get worse , and they would
like to get somewhere else where foodwas more readily available.
Senator Fong. What I was trying to get at, did you feel that this
was a migration of specific individuals in a family going out so that
they could contribute something to support back home, or did you see
whole families migrating ?
Mr. WATERS. No, these were individuals within families rather than
families that I saw .
Senator FONG. I have no further questions.
Senator HART. Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Johnson . Mr. Waters,I have the Hong Kong policy statement
here of Mr. Claude Burgess, theColonial Secretary, and I think you
are familiar with it. One thing he notes is that the shortage of food
or clothing has not been a basic problem in Hong Kong, and he gen
erally seems to be fearful about the creation of a relief mentality
amongthe people. Inconnection with our food distribution program ,
is there any incompatible area here in terms of American relief activ
ities and the objectives of the Hong Kong Government.
Mr. WATERS . I don't think so. I think the Hong Kong Government
is aa little concerned over the fact that as we expand the food programs
we are expecting them to expand their contribution in storage and
the other part they play in this, and it is some drain on their resources.
When he said that there is not a food problem I believe he is thinking
of the current situation . However, without the food now being put in
it, there would be a very serious problem. I think the Hong Kong
Government would not like to see it expanded to a great extent. Their
main concern would be the drain on their own resources in handling
it .
Now , this question of relief mentality — these people are not solely
living on the relief supplies, the food being distributed, though in
many instances that is all they have until they get a start. But most
of them are looking for workand getting somework, earning at least
something in part-time work. It is a gradual process beforethey can
actually take care of themselves or get families reunited.
REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO 159
In some instances, in regard to the family question you raised earlier,
Senator Fong, there is evidence of individuals coming across one at a
time and then trying to reunite as families. Many of them are search
ing for relatives that came over earlier, looking through these housing
projects that have been developed. I feel the British Government has
made aa real contribution in these housing projects, because they bring
some order out of the chaos and give you an opportunity to atleast
count heads and do some health checks and things of that kind. They
still have terribly crowded conditions, yet these people are paying for
these apartments, and their earnings are largely eaten up in paying
for this rent. Without our supplemental feeding, they would have a
very, very meager diet.
>
Mr. JOHNSON . The policy statement goes on to mention that the
Hong Kong authorities feel that the supplemental food program is
exceedingly valuable for those that are in the transitional period of
early arrival. But the other aspect of it is the frank admission now
that they will accept almost limitless assistance in their construction
program .
One thought comes to mind. In Tunisia, and perhaps other areas,
AID has supported construction programs, I believe on roads prin
cipally, in which wages were paid partially in food and kind. And it
worked out quite successfully. Do you think that there is any reason
able opportunity for application of this principle here in Hong
Kong ?
Mr. WATERS. I do. I have looked for such opportunities, because
as a general policy we are trying to encourage this shift from direct
reliefhandouts to work relief type of assistance in many areas of the
world . We are doing it very successfully in Taiwan on work proj
ects financed with food. They did explore this in Hong Kong. The
opportunities are more limited because of the limited land available.
However, we have approved, since my return, one project jointly with
CARE and the Kadvorie Foundation for a hog- raising project which
will make use of grants of our surplus corn to enable the establish
ment of cooperative hog -producing farms in the area outside of
Kowloon. That will put many of these people to work in the limited
land area available, raising hogs for the Hong Kong market to dis
place hogs now being purchased from the mainland.
To do this,however, and get the approval of the Hong Kong Gov
ernment, we did not want to develop a group of farmers in an enter
prise that was uneconomic, that was dependent solely upon the corn
we gave them and would collapse when the time came that we with
drew this assistance. So we developed a formula where corn is used
as feed capital in the project ; it is sold to the farmers at the start at a
low cost compared with what they would have to pay in the normal
market, but with a gradually increasing price until they get up to the
market price, whichthey will be able to pay as they sell their hogs.
The earnings retained out of this original capitalof donated corn
will be used in technical assistance tohelp other people enter farming,
and improve their hog production. We feel thatthis is aa work proj
ect thatwill permanently improve the lot of some 5,000, as we estimate
that 5,000 farmers will be involved in this one project. Many of the
work projects that use mass labor require available land. We have
had great success in Taiwain in reforestration and dike building and
160 REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO
conservation work. But land is very limited in Hong Kong. It is a
question there of whether we can develop work projects for construc
tion of housing, still so urgently needed .
I explored that one. The Hong Kong Government did not seem
particularly interested, although we still feel there is a possibility that
laborers on housing projects could be paid partly in food wages.
Mr. Johnson . I notice the construction projects they listinclude
water supplies and roads, both of which involve a lot of common
labor. Conceivably, food for wages might be applicable in these
areas.
Mr. WATERS. Yes.
Mr. JOHNSON. Just one technical question. You already mentioned
the contribution of $ 250,000 for the construction of a technical school.
This, I understand, was made available through the Far Eastern
refugee program ,
Mr. WATERS. Yes.
Mr. JOHNSON . Is this the administrative channel under which such
a contribution would go to Hong Kong inasmuch as it is a British
colony, and we have no aid program there, so our contribution would
go through specifically on a refugee basis ?
Mr. WATERS. Yes, sir.
Mr. Johnson. I have no further questions.
Senator HART. Mr. De Haan.
Mr. DE HAAN. I have a couple of questions.
Mr. Waters, would you say that the recent refugee influx adversely
affected the public health conditions in Hong Kong ? I ask the ques
tion because we read reports of widespread disease and epidemics on
mainland China. Now last year, I believe, the cholera epidemic in
Hong Kong and the rest of Asia originated in Red China. I was won
dering if any of the epidemics and diseases on the mainland about
which we read have come into the crown colony causing new public
problemsthere ?
health
Mr. WATERS I was unable to identify any diseased condition brought
in as such . The crowded conditions, the sudden absorption of more
people with the added taxing of water supplies at a time when the
water was very low, and the troubles of water supply generally in
Hong Kong, was creating some health problems. There was a very
demic goingon
serious dysentery epidemic going on in this area . But this wasblamed
primarily on the fact that the lack ofwater supply compelled shutting
down the mains entirely in the different areas of the colony from
time to time. Any area of the city only had water 4 hours out of the
24 hours.. Lack of pressure in the mains resulted in seepage into the
mains from open sewage, andthis has complicated the health problems.
But it was more of the crowded social conditions that was creating the
health problem , rather than any disease assuch that was brought in.
Perhaps one comment on thecondition of these refugees coming in
might be of interest. This was a report to me from the man I sent
to Macao, describing the differencebetween new arrivals that had
just got in and those that had been there 5 or 6 days:
The refugees of 5 or 6 days before presented a decided contrast to those who
had arrived on the same or the day preceding. They wore clean white shirts
and new short blue pants provided by the Center, while the new arrivals were
clad in very ragged clothing. The newarrivals were of wan and pale complexion
and bad yellowish eyeballs. The underside of the eye fold had lost its color.
REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO 161
Those who had spent a week or so at the Center were considerably healthier
looking in every way. Father Ruiz said that a few days of receiving proper
meals brings about a noticeable difference.
Mr. DE HAAN . May we have that report in full for the record, Mr.
Waters ?
Mr. WATERS. Yes, sir.
And I haveaа few pictures typical of the feeding at one of the relief
stations outside of Kowloon if the staff would like to have those.
( The report referred to is in the appendix of this record. )
Senator Hart. Thank you verymuch, Mr. Waters.
This concludes the committee's current series of hearing on the
problem of Chinese refugees in Hong Kong. The hearings havebeen
addressed tothe overall extent of America'sresponsibilityin the Hong
Kong situation, the adequacy and propriety of our present program
there, and other possible avenues of approach to the long-term needs of
the crown colony.
Testimony in open and executive session has been received from
appropriate officials in the Department of State. Representatives
from the voluntary agencies working in Hong Kong, and leaders from
the American -Chinese community, have also expressed their views.
This testimony, together with other information which has come to
the subcommittee's attention , has helped to make a rather compre
hensive record of the situation in Hong Kong. And, again, I thank
the witnesses for their valuable contribution. The subcommittee will
now study this record, and shortly file with the Senate a report of its
conclusions and recommendations.
Hong Kong is the West Berlin of Asia. So I trust that America's
actions for Chinese refugees will be sufficient and appropriate, and
commensurate with the political realities of the international arena.
In conclusion, I should like to quote from the concluding paragraphs
of my remarks to the Senate on June 18 :
Our response to the needs of Chinese refugees is being observed by a waiting
world. They want to see if we practice what we preach. But this waiting
world must also be made keenly aware of the reasons for the flight of the Chinese
refugees : An oppressive and intolerable political, economic, and social system .
Too often in the past our genuine humanitarian concern for refugees from com
munism has beclouded this reality, and thus blunted the persuasive ideological
force of our compassion.
But today, I trust that our informational facilities at home and abroad are
giving maximum attention to the agony of mainland China and the failure of
the Communist regime to provide even a tolerable life for its people. This,
coupled with positive efforts by the free nations to give effective asylum to
Chinese refugees, unquestionably will further the cause of freedom in Asia and
throughout the world.
If there are no further questions, thank you very much.
Mr. JOHNSON. I would like to request that the record be kept open
fora period of 2 weeks.
Senator HART. That will be done.
(Whereupon, at 12 o'clock noon, the hearing was concluded. )
APPENDIX
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT POLICY STATEMENT ON IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA AND
OFFERS OF HELP FROM OVERSEAS, JUNE 13, 1962
Mr. Claude Burgess, colonial secretary, today, June 13, outlined to Hong
Kong's legislative council the crown colony's policy on immigration from China
and recent offers of help from overseas. He was replying to a question by
Mr. C. Y. Kwan, Chinese unofficial member of the council, who asked , “ In recent
weeks Hong Kong's immigration problem has given rise to many and varied
offers of help, particularly from overseas. What is Government's policy in this
matter ?"
Mr. Burgess replied :
“ This question touches on matters of major policy and I will reply at some
length. The honorable member referred to the problem of immigration . I think
that I must first make it clear that, so far as Hong Kong is concerned, this
is not a new problem, but a problem which the people of this colony have been
living with for the last 12 years. What is new in the situation ( and this is
attested by many well-qualified observers who have visited the colony or written
about it in the last few weeks ) is that the problem is newly apparent to the
conscience of the outside world. The events of the past 2 months have opened
the eyes of the world to Hong Kong's predicament ( and to a less extent its
achievement ) in a way that the World Refugee Year, for all its high inspiration
and generous response, failed to do.
“The present situation can be analyzed only in relation to the facts and
achievements of the last 12 years. As to facts, these are clearly set out in a
concise booklet called 'A Problem of People ,' first published in 1957 and brought
up to date in 1960. This is still the classic account of the nature of the problem
and the way in which we met it and are still meeting it. A very large number
of copies of this booklet have been sold or issued free and copies are still
readily available in Hong Kong. As to our achievements in this sphere, details
of these have been reported to this council from time to time and I do not wish
to burden members with a repetition of detailed figures on this occasion .
“ As I said in this council nearly 2 months ago, we expect that in 5 years'
time nearly one -third of our present population will live in houses built from
public funds. One-third of the population is about 1 million people. One
million people is approximately the number of our immigrants in the last
12 years. Surely figures of this kind can never have been equaled by any
national unit in the world. To be more specific - 575,000 people now live in
houses that this Government has financed directly or indirectly, the great
majority in multistoried resettlement blocks each capable of housing more than
2,000 people. We have built 200 of these blocks since 1955 and they are now
going up at the rate of one multistoried block every 9 days. Our pace and
record in the educational field is no less dramatic. Government alone has
built or subsidized 180 full-sized schools of all kinds since 1955. Nowadays a new
Government school or Government -subsidized school opens in Hong Kong every
10 days. If privately owned schools are included, we get the astonishing figure
of one new school every 4 days.
" Over the last decade our annual revenue has averaged Hong Kong dollars
595m. (U.S. $ 104,125,000 ).
During those years our capital expenditure on Government and subsidized
housing has been Hong Kong dollars 475m. ( U.S. $83,125,000 ), on water sup
plies, Hong Kong dollars 356m . (U.S.$62,300,000 ) , on education , Hong Kong
dollars 131m . ( U.S.$ 22,925,000 ), on medical-health services, Hong Kong dollars
134m . ( U.S.$ 23,450,000 ) . These figures are I repeat all capital expenditure.
In Hong Kong we reckon that in any given year it costs between one-half and
one- third of capital cost to keep any medical educational or social welfare institu
tion in efficient operation . These costs ( all recurrent costs and all but a very
163
164 REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO
small fraction of capital costs ) have been met from our own resources ;; and we
8.33
have been able to do all this, remarkably, without laying any burden of public
debt upon our childern. The pace is also typically our own and there is no ques
tion but that it is being maintained or improved upon . The job is, of course,
not yet finished ; and since we are entirely dependent on external trade for our
GSG
M
livelihood, it is not possible for Hong Kong itself to say whether it ever will th
be finished ; but I think both pace and achievement hitherto might well be
sufficient to deter anyone who felt inclined to criticize Hong Kong for lack of
efficient and effective humanitariani We have been faced with a certain
situation and I do not think anyone in this chamber would wish to claim credit
10
for what has been done. Indeed, I give these details only to illustrate the sort
of thing that happens when a country takes in one immigrant for every two of its
population.
"The fundamental point in our policy hitherto is that government has never fo
distinguished in any way between immigrant population and population which
has its roots here.All have the same rights and the same opportunities. Once Gi
an immigrant has been admitted he will take his turn for our resettlement housing
if he needs it ; and our schools, our clinics, and our hospitals are available to him
on precisely the same terms as apply to people who were here before he came.
“When we decided some 7 years ago ( ī say 'we decided' because it soon became
very clear there was no practical solution in emigration and the problem was
ours alone to decide upon ) , when we decided to integrate every immigrant into
>
our community we were, in effect, making a decision that put the word 'refugee'
out of our dictionary. Refugees live in camps ; they do not normally earn their
keep ; by definition they believe that home is somewhere other than where they
are now ; their well-being depends on someone else's charity ; perhaps they do 1
not expect rice or bread to come to them from the conscience of humanity but it
comes nevertheless, and it brings with it the humiliation of the zoo — at any rate 1
the bars are there, the food passes through the bars, and somewhere else is home. A
“ This we would not have . The new people became our people ; and our people
stepped aside to give them equal access to all the jobs and houses and schools
and clinics that the enterprise of our economy could provide. Every time a 1
Hong Kong born man stands in a queue for a clinic, enters his name for a sub
sidized flat or waits for a school place, he tacitly endorses that policy. Since,
in consequence, the real burden was borne by the man whose roots were here, we
have always insisted that he, too, must share in any gifts that a charitable world
bestowed on us. We always made this clear. Money and food and clothing ;
projects like schools and community centers ; technical assistance of various
kinds were offered for refugees. In each technical assistance case and on every
occasion we said that the help was welcome but that the terms were impossible
not only did we not know who the refugees were but it was against our policy to
distinguish between different elements of the population on such a basis. We
had poor and deprived and handicapped people who could be identified but we
could not and would not identify refugees in our community.
" I venture to think that public opinion overseas has found and still finds this
position very difficult to understand. And we for our part have not found it
easy to explain. Sometimes, offers are received of generous quantities of surplus
foodstuffs of a particular kind, used clothing, or money tied to projects which
have more relation perhaps to sentiments in the giving countries than to care
fully planned programs in the receiving country. In such circumstances it is
very difficult to explain , not only that charity of this kind in fact does very little
to assist us in achieving our specific aim, but that it may, in certain circumstances,
actually impede us in our progress toward that aim. Let me hasten to add that I
have never been one to 'look a gift horse in the mouth.' But I have been deeply
touched by the understanding attitude shown by many governments and vol
untary agencies during these past
weeks and by their quiet and tactful inquiries
as to whether they could help. This government has never asked for aid and
does not do so now, but if a generous world wishes to help us we have a duty to
9
respond and from expert knowledge of our own problems give a clear lead and
indicate the fields in which we believe benevolence and charity can usefully be
deployed in order to bring lasting benefit to our population and also indicate
the fields in which we believe it would be misspent, illusory or merely of
ephemeral significance. The question gives me opportunity to do precisely this.
" One of the ways in which it has been proposed, though not by us, that our
burdens should be lightened is by emigration. This Government does not
believe that in the circumstances of Hong Kong emigration schemes can make
any significant contribution toward solving the Colony's basic problem of excess
REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO 165
population. The potential is so vast that we don't think it realistic to entertain
hopes of a solution along such lines. Moreover , in matters of this kind the
wishes of the people concerned are paramount. There is clear evidence that
the aim of most immigrants is to join their families, clansmen and people of
their own race, language and dialect in Hong Kong, and that they do not in many
cases desire to go further afield . Our experience of emigration schemes shows
that they are invariably, in some way or other, selective. Both these considera
tions imply that in any major emigration scheme there would inevitably be a resi
due for retention in Hong Kong - a residue which both in numbers and in kind
Hong Kong could not absorb. That is not to say that this Government is opposed
to emigration as such, far from it. People who want to leave and have anywhere
to go, are of course free to depart whenever they wish. Ample transport exists,
and many individuals would no doubt have joined relations and friends already
in other countries but for severe restrictions imposed on the entry of Chinese
from Hong Kong. We welcome such relaxation as has recently occurred in the
United States and Canada, and acknowledge the generous motives of these
Governments. This holds out to some individuals the prospect of a new life
elsewhere, in some cases reunited with their families. Emigration of this sort
involves no new principle and can be handled through channels and by procedures
already in existence ; it requires no intervention by this Government. However,
let me emphasize that, though we welcome these developments, we welcome them
because of the benefit they may bring to individuals ( I repeat, individuals ) ,
rather than because we believe they can contribute anything tangible to the basic
problems of Hong Kong. We are skeptical of emigration schemes purporting to
offer the prospect of large -scale relief ; they do not conform with the realities
of the situation, and this Government is not prepared to divert to them financial
or administrative resources, nor does it wish to encourage others to do so. We
urge that these should be devoted to meeting the problem of population in the
only place in which I believe it is realistic to suppose it will or can be met - in
Hong Kong itself.
“ Another way in which people have shown themselves willing to help is by
sending us aid in kind. This is natural. In some parts of the world there is
a surplus of food and it is understandable that those who live there should
wish to help the needy in Hong Kong from their own abundance. But, thank
God, a shortage of food or clothing has not been a basic problem in Hong Kong.
Food programs of certain special kinds and related to certain special circum
stances have been of great assistance to us ; they have helped people in transi
tional periods and in the cases of real hardship that exist ; but present programs,
notably that mounted by the U.S. Government, suffice for those purposes. Gen
erally speaking the burden placed upon us by the immigrant population is
not eased by the concept that relief can in any way mitigate the basic needs
of active men. 'Relief mentality' is insidious and breeds a special form of
economic servitude. The basic need of every man is economic freedom and
viability, and that is precisely what we aim to provide for every member of our
hugecommunity.
" Nothing could wreck both our plans and our achievements more rapidly or
certainly than a further flood of immigrants. I explained the reasons for this in
reply to a question in this council on April 18. We have accepted our heavy
burden and are willing to bear it, but we cannot allow that burden to be intoler
ably increased, and we must be allowed to pursue our policy of containment in
the immigration sphere. If the conscience of the world is stirred by the needs
of people who are affected by that policy , then it would seem that the needs of
those people can only be met elsewhere than in Hong Kong.
“Much of the foregoing is negative. We refuse to identify or segregate any
element of the population as refugee ; our problems are not such as can be solved
by emigration ; we have at present no additional need for relief in kind ; and
our policy of containing illegal immigration must continue. On the other hand,
perhaps for the fir time, the public and governments of friendly countries are
stirred by our problems, and I am glad to take the opportunity of this question
to indicate not only where assistance is not needed but where it is needed .
“ Not from choice but from necessity we are a manufacturing and commercial
community . Our only real asset is the industriousness, efficiency and strong
instinct for survival of our people. Hong Kong's rapid industrialization is the
key solution to its problem of people . Indeed, the prosperity of Hong Kong's
industry provides the reason why the world does not have an additional million
refugees on its conscience at this moment; and its continuing prosperity provides
87544-62 -12
166 REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO
the best hope, perhaps the only hope that the needs of our expanding population
can be met in a constructive and efficient way. As this Council is well aware
we have recently had to accept certain serious restrictions on our external
trade. The grim possibility of still further restrictions lies ahead. The first
way in which the outside world can help this colony with its burdens is to assure
reasonable access to oversea markets for the limited range of goods we can
produce efficiently. This Government can see no better way in which effective
help, in a form in which it is most needed , can be given to people about whose
future the outside world has shown so much concern . These people's welfare
depends upon our trade and, if our trade can be maintained with adequate scope
for growth and without artificial restrictions, there is every chance that we can
complete a task we first set ourselves 12 years ago. But the stifling of our exports
would, sooner rather than later, transform this dynamic community into an
international pauper and would thus create conditions in which massive and
wholesale relief would be the only remedy.
“ Secondly we have limitless need of assistance in our construction program .
Hitherto it has been the Hong Kong taxpayer with occasional but marginal
assistance from friendly governmentsor charitable and voluntary agencies who
has borne the cost of all the vast infrastructure that is needed to support new
immigrants and our excess population generally, and I refer particularly to water
supply, roads, housing, hospitals , clinics, community centers and primary and
secondary schools. A very valuable contribution would be to pay for any item
or items on our construction list. If any governments are interested, I invite
them to get into touch with us direct through official channels and this Gov
ernment will gratefully explain the range of items on which financial assistance
would be welcome. An interdepartmental committee is being constituted imme
diately in order to deal with any such offers of assistance received from abroad,
and also give guidance to voluntary agencies already operating here who may
seek advice as to the fields in which they can most usefully contribute either
service, expertise or money.
“A situation of this kind inevitably calls to mind the classic words of Sir
Winston Churchill : 'Give us the tools and we will finish the job.' For us in
Hong Kong today, the necessary tools are the opportunity to trade freely, a rea
sonable access to world markets, and a vigorous capital program. Given these,
we too will finish the job .”
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,
Washington , D.C., July 17, 1962.
Hon . PHILIP A. HART,
U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.
DEAR SENATOR HART : I have your letter of July 10, 1962, advising that the
Subcommittee on Refugees and Escapees is now completing its records on the
hearings on Chinese refugees in Hong Kong. You request current information
on the progress of the present program for the admission of Chinese refugees
in the United States as parolees.
In response to your request, please be advised as follows :
1. On May 23, 1962, President John F. Kennedy declared that several
thousand Chinese refugees in Hong Kong would be paroled into the United
States.
2. To date, 633 have been authorized to come to the United States. Of
that number, 207 have actually been admitted. (As of Sept. 5, 1962, the
figures were as follows: 1,410 persons authorized ; 675 persons admitted .)
3. It is not possible at this time to fix a definite date when completion
of the program should be effected . We believe the rate of admissions will
increase, however, as those approved for parole status — who until recently
had no reason to expect they would ever be reached for admission - are able
to make the necessary arrangements for moving to this country.
4. In my opinion the provisions contained in section 212 ( d ) (5 ) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act contain sufficient authority to effect the
parole of these refugees.
As you know , the President stated at his press conference on May 23, 1962,
that steps would be taken by the U.S. Government to bring into this country
Chinese refugees in Hong Kong whose applications for immigrant visas to come
to the United States to join relatives have been pending. These persons had
little hope of early entry into the United States because of a lack of visa num
bers under the small quota allocated to Chinese. Section 212 ( d ) ( 5 ) of the
REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO 167
Immigration and Nationality Act contains authority for the initiation of ad
ministrative procedures to carry out the objectives announced by the President.
To date, I am not aware of any problems that have developed to seriously inter
fere with our efforts to do this which would call for legislative remedy. How
ever , I appreciate very much your interest in the program, and the opportunity
you have given me to report to you on the Hong Kong parolee program .
Sincerely, ROBERT F. KENNEDY, Attorney General.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE ,
Washington , D.C. , August 20, 1962 .
Hon. PHILIP A. HART,
U.S. Senate .
DEAR SENATOR HART : I refer to your letter of July 25, 1962, requesting a report
of the refugee situation in the Portugese Province of Macau and a description of
Far East refugee program ( FERP ) activities.
Since the occupation of mainland China in 1949 by the Communists, Macau,
like Hong Kong, has seen an almost continuous influx of refugees escaping from
Communist tyranny. The refugee problem in Macau has, however, taken a differ
ent aspect from that in Hong Kong. This difference is due in part to basic dif
ferences between the two areas and, until recently , to the relatively easy move
ment of people between the two oversea possessions.
The British Colony of Hong Kong is roughly 20 times larger in area and its
population of about 3.3 million is 16 times that of Macau. The annual Govern
ment revenue for Macau in 1960 was U.S.$ 4 million, while that of Hong Kong for
the same year was U.S.$151 million . Hong Kong depends for its wealth on its
industries and commerce, while Macau has little of either and derives most of its
income from import duties and the granting of concession licenses for gold im
portation and gambling. In view of its larger size, Hong Kong has offered far
greater opportunities to refugees than Macau. This, combined with easy move
ment between the two areas, has resulted in a very high proportion of the
refugees entering Macau moving onward in a short time to Hong Kong. Indica
tive of this is the fact that, while the population of Hong Kong has mushroomed
since 1949 and includes over 1 million refugees, that of Macau has remained
fairly static during the same period. Since Hong Kong was the final destination
of almost all refugees fleeing Red China, the FERP relief efforts were centered
there until 1960 .
Late in 1959 attention was focused on Macau because of the condition of
those refugees remaining there instead of proceeding to Hong Kong. These
were blind refugees, who, after fleeing or being forced to leave Communist China,
were found to be living in great squalor and want on the streets of Macau. In
1960 the American Foundation for Overseas Blind ( AFOB ) , with the help of
FERP funds, began the construction of a center for blind refugees where they
could be registered , cared for, and given vocational training and classes in braille.
At about the same time as the AFOB commenced its program in Macau , the
National Catholic Welfare Conference ( NCWC ) started several projects for the
relief of other refugees remaining in Macau. These included a nursery and
clinic for refugee children, a small housing project of 80 cottages and, with funds
made available by the U.S. contribution to World Refugee Year, a community
center where vocational training and other services could be made available to
refugees. In addition to these projects, American surplus agricultural com
modities were distributed in Macau by the NCWC and CARE. During 1960
FERP contracts in the amount of $ 96,000 were signed for relief projects in
Macau. This amounted to nearly 10 percent of the total FERP program for
that year .
In 1961, increasingly strict controls were placed by the British on travel from
Macau, culminating in September with the virtual halting of legal immigration
to Hong Kong from Macau. The great influx of refugees into Hong Kong from
China in May of 1962 was matched by a proportionate increase for Macau. With
the halting of legal migration to Hong Kong, this influx has led to an unprece
dented increase in the number of refugees staying in Macau. Illegal smuggling
of refugees from Macau to Hong Kong, carried on with great energy and no small
profit by small -boat owners in both colonies, has maintained to a considerable
extent the flow of refugees from Macau to Hong Kong and, while causing con
cern to the British authorities, has helped to keep the situation in Macaufrom
becoming more serious than it otherwise might have been .
168 REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO
During 1961 and through June 30, 1962, FERP signed contracts amounting to
$ 92,000 for refugee relief projects in Macau. These projects were carried on by
the AFOB, CARE, and the NCWC. Except for the AFOB project, which was
an extension of the care and training program for the blind, these projects con
sisted of the construction of facilities for the conversion of surplus U.S. agricul.
tural commodities into finished or semifinished form. These facilities have
enabled the agencies to furnish hot meals to schoolchildren or to provide them
with milk and biscuits at lunchtime and, as in Hong Kong, has made more ac
ceptable to Chinese such items as cornmeal, wheat flour and powdered milk
which are unfamiliar to them and if delivered in dry bulk form are liable to be
sold for animal feed rather than be consumed by its recipients.
During 1961 , most of the projects begun in the previous year were completed.
As the number of refugees jammed into Macau has increased, the Department,
as well as the Portuguese authorities in both Macau and Lisbon, has given
greater attention to expanding relief activities to meet the needs of the new
refugees. Tentative plans, contingent upon the availability of funds, anticipate
that approximately $300,000 of FERP funds will be spent on relief projects in
Macau during fiscal year 1963. These funds will be used to provide housing,
clinics, and vocational training schools in projects similar to those which are now
being carried on in Hong Kong.
Refugee relief efforts undertaken in Macau face the difficulty of working in
an area of economic depression with limited job opportunities . Refugees cared
for in Macau have far less hope of obtaining satisfactory resettlement than their
counterparts in Hong Kong. In addition, there is practically no reserve of funds
available in Macau, either from Government or private sources to carry on and
pay the operational costsof projects started by voluntary agencies with or without
FERP support. There is also very little physical space to expand housing or
industry to accommodate the increased refugee population . Under the circum
stances, refugee relief projects in Macau must be undertaken with care to insure
that, upon completion, sufficient local funds are available to continue them.
Otherwise, without adequate funds, such projects would require a continuous
outside subsidy or collapse for lack of money to keep them going. Very careful
planning and coordination between all interested groups is necessary to insure
that the maximum benefit is obtained from refugee assistance projects undertaken
in Macau .
In connection with your request for information concerning present Portuguese
relief plans for Macau, the Department has been informed that a plan for Macau
was presented at a meeting of the United Nations High Commissioner for Ref
ugees in November 1961, by Mrs. Fernanda Ivens Ferraz Jardim, president of
the Caritas Portuguese. This plan called for the development of a refugee
assistance program in the Ilha Verde area of Macau. The details for this plan
are as follows :
Basic facts : Number
Number of refugees to be accommodated .. 30, 000
Number of dwelling units to be built---- 6, 145
Square
meters
Total area 230, 000
Area for construction .. 70, 600
Area for access roads.- 78 , 800
Green area ( gardens and parks ) . 80, 600
Area for housing- 142, 000
Area for schools, medical posts, etc---- 88,000
Principal buildings in total area :
Pavilion for admission of refugees 7,000
Housing --- 142, 000
Medical assistance posts- 17, 000
Pavilion for incurable patients . 7,000
Educational institutions--- 20, 000
All other, including nursery, church, etc ---- 37, 000
Total--- 230,000
Density of population : 1,730 persons per hectare.
Concentration : Only in housing areas.
Housing density : 432 dwelling units per hectare.
REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO 169
Density of construction in housing area : 5.7 m / mº.
Covered area : 30.7 percent of total area of urban zone.
Covered area of housing zone : 36 percent of total area of housing zone. Escudos
Estimated cost :
Pavilion for admission of refugees .. 2, 482, 400
Housing 298, 350, 000
Medical assistance posts_ 1 , 545 , 000
Pavilion for incurable patients .. 4, 627,000
Primary schools .-- 3, 289, 000
Secondary schools ---- 2, 992, 400
Nursery 1 , 191 , 000
Religious institutions 5, 526, 200
Industry ( handicrafts ) 9, 901, 700
Total.--- 329, 904, 700
( Approximately $11.5 million ; 28.60 escudos equals U.S. $1. )
It has been pointed out that the project is so planned that it can be built unit
by unit depending on the funds available . It is understood that the UNHCR
is to use his good offices to obtain contributions for the project. Possible U.S.
participation in the project is still under review and further information on
the details and scope of the project is being sought. As noted earlier, the
ability of Macau to support refugee relief projects is limited and reservations
have been expressed on the feasibility of carrying out a program of this size in
this Portuguese Province.
In reply to your second question, the Far East refugee program has expended
$ 2,029,315 for refugee relief projects in Hong Kong and Macau during fiscal years
1961 and 1962 . These funds have been spent in the following manner :
Percent
Local integration ( includes student assistance ) . 46
Medical programs 21
Conversion of food ---- 11
Resettlement assistance abroad. 22
As in 1954 at its inception, the FERP has tried to reach and assist selected
individuals , assistance to whom would have a real impact on the refugee com
munity and to assist projects providing badly needed services to large numbers,
of refugees. In selecting refugees for individual assistance, a large proportion
of FERP aid has gone to students and for medical care of the sick . The first
group has been so selected because of the known veneration which learning is
held by Chinese and because among this group will be found the future leaders
of the community. Equally important, general education and vocational train
ing provide a solid basis for the successful resettlement of the refugee who does
not go further abroad and adds to his value to the community.
A detailed breakdown of the FERP for ogram 1962 is as follows :
Fiscal year 1962, Hong Kong
1. Contribution to Hong Kong Government--- $ 250,000
A. Hong Kong Technical School.. 250,000
2. Voluntary agency construction program---- 180,000
A. Evangelical Free Church of America ( EVFCA ) Hospital--- 85,000
B. NCWC Social Center .. 20,000
C. Seventh -day Adventist Welfare Service Hospital.-- 75 , 000
3. Surplus commodity conversion .- 90,000
4. Assistance to selected individuals and groups--- 494, 000
A. Resettlement abroad ( includes orphans) 237,000
B. Local integration .- 129,000
O. Care and maintenance_ 148, 000
Total.- 1, 034 , 000
1
170 REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO
It is now estimated that during this year the influx of refugees into Hong Kong
will reach 125,000 compared with an average of 40,000 for previous years . This
influx, coming as it does when Hong Kong is struggling to find solutions to the
problems caused by earlier arrivals of refugees, has caused the Hong Kong Gov.
ernment for the first time to ask for assistance in its program to construct
housing, schools, and hospitals for the expanding community. In view of these
developments, the Department, pending the availability of funds, has planned
a considerable expansion of the FERP program for fiscal year 1963. While com
plete details of this program have yet to be worked out, it is planned to more tha
double the present program. Approximately 44 percent of the funds will be
used for construction projects in the fields mentioned above in projects under
taken either by the Hong Kong Government or by private voluntary agencies.
As mentioned before, approximately $ 300,000 will be used for projects in Macau .
Greater emphasis will be placed on vocational training and other local in
tegration projects, while somewhat less emphasis will be put on resettlement
abroad due to the limited opportunities for Chinese refugees to find immigration
opportunities outside Hong Kong. These two activities will account for the
remainder of the FERP program with the exception of approximately $ 100,000
to be used for surplus commodity conversion .
In this expanded program the United States will be responding to the increased
gravity of the refugee situation in Hong Kong and Macau , and will be aiding the
community where the largest number of refugees from communism are to be
found today.
If you would like any further information , please let me know .
Sincerely yours,
RICHARD R. BROWN ,
Director, Office of Refugee and Migration Affairs.
U.S. GOVERNMENT,
June 18, 1962.
Memoranum to : Mr. Herbert J.Waters, AA/MR.
From : Martin J. Forman, MR / ARD.
Subject : Macao visit.
On June 9, I visited Macao to hold discussions with Portuguese authorities
and volagency personnel on the use of Public Law 480 , title III foods in pro
viding relief to Chinese refugees. I met separately with Senor L. B. da Costa
Martins, director of public assistance, and with Dr. Antonio Nolasco Da Silva,
director of information and tourism . The former office is responsible for gen
eral public assistance, while the latter office is concerned with refugee matters.
Dr. Nolasco told me that the recent influx of refugees was not a big problem.
This was a purely routine matter for Macao, he said , and they were able to cope
with it. He referred to their " delicate" position vis-a -vis Communist China
and said that the Macao Government would " resist” any effort to have a publi
cized program of refugee assistance there by the U.S. Government. He reported
that the voluntary agencies were carrying out projects as was the Macao
Government, and he expected these to be sufficient to handle any needs which
might arise.
I told him we were aware of their efforts and that we had no intention of
doing anything to embarrass them or provide any additional problems. I told
him that the American people had a very genuine humane concern for these refu
gees and that we were ready to provide food , if it were needed , to feed any
hungry refugees. Further, I said we would be pleased to do this without any
publicity or fuss. I pointed out that the food could be given through volun
tary agencies or through the Portuguese Government, if a request were made
by them. I indicated that it was not our intention to interfere with their
policies or activities in this area , but that we stood ready to help, if called upon .
Dr. Nolasco thanked me and said he appreciated the sincerity of the offer and
would call on the United States for help if it were needed . He repeated , how
ever, that they did not need such help at this time and were able to care for all
of the new refugees.
I also visited the Reverend Luis Ruiz, S.J. , who bears the title of chaplain
of refugees in Macao. Father Ruiz is an apparently able, enthusiastic, and
dedicated priest who is in charge of a refugee reception center. ( This project
is financed by an FERP project through Catholic Relief Services ) . During the
day, a number of activities were in progress there. In one area , the resident
poor were lined up and showing ration cards to receive their regular allocation
REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO 171
of title III foods. In another area , recent refugees were receiving food and a
small packet of necessities such as towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. Out in
the yard, a group of refugees were busily engaged in weaving stripped bamboo
baskets under a contract given to the center by a local businessman to permit
short-term employment of refugees. Other recent arrivals were being interviewed
or were receiving instructions. The refugees of 5 or 6 days before presented
a decided contrast to those who had arrived on the same or the day preceding.
They wore clean white shirts and new short blue pants provided by the center
while the new arrivals were clad in very ragged clothing. The new arrivals
were of wan and pale complexion and had yellowish eyeballs. The underside
of the eyefold had lost its color. Those who had spent a week or so at the center
were considerably healthier looking in every way. Father Ruiz said that a
few days of receiving proper meals brings about a noticeable difference.
I had the opportunity to talk through an interpreter to about 100 of these
refugees, sometimes individually and sometimes in small groups. They all gave
the same reasons for leaving the mainland - insufficient food , fear of even worse
shortages in the future, and resentment at having to work long hours on farms
when this was not their chosen pursuit. Did they want to go to America ? “ No, "
they answered cautiously. In some cases, a puzzled look led to further question
ing and revealed that they didn't know where America was. Did they want
to go to Taiwan ? The answer was always " No." They all wanted to go to
Hong Kong or to stay with friends in Macau. In Hong Kong, there was food
and a chance to work and earn a living. If things got better, they would like
to return to their homes in China .
There were also several former Indonesian oversea Chinese among the group .
They spoke English ( and interestingly, no Cantonese, which meant they could
not communicate with most of the other refugees ) . They sought me out and
asked if I could help them get to Brazil. They said they had “ listened to Radio
Peiping" and had chosen to go to the mainland from Indonesia several months
before . They had been disillusioned, however, by conditions there, and they
were especially upset by having to work very hard and long in the fields.
They said they would like to return to Indonesia but that since they doubted
if this were possible, they would like to go to Brazil.
The reception center was providing food for the refugees for a 10 -day period.
They were also providing simple shelter. After 10 days, the Nationalist Chinese
consulate was giving each person 20 Macao dollars about ( U.S. $ 3.50 ) which
permitted them to move on to Hong Kong.
The refugees were also being given medical help at the center and at a nearby
hospital run by Catholic sisters.
I asked Father Ruiz what his needs were. He reported that they were re
ceiving sufficient quantities of title III foods without interruption. What was
needed was money to build additional housing for newly arrived refugees
also, although they were receiving a great many donations of samples ofmedi
cines, there was a need for antibiotics and painkillers. The samples all had
to be tediously sorted, after which it was often discovered that there were many
drugs unfamiliar to them. There was also an oversupply of many special drugs
which were of limited use.
One other need was mentioned by Father Ruiz . There has for a long time
been competition between the Communists and non-Communists for the minds
of the young children. He reported that as of the present time, there were 16,000
children in Communist- run schools, 6,000 in Kuomintang - run schools, and
26,000 in Catholic-run schools, which were also anti-Communist. He urged
that one or two additional schools be built to accommodate the children of the
new refugees and to attract some now going to Communist schools .
At the suggestion of Mr. Fraleigh of USAID / Taiwan , I called on Mr. Ch'ai
Tzu - Yin, the Nationalist representative in Macao, to discuss the matter of mi
gration of Chinese refugees from Macao to Taiwan. Mr. Ch'ai confirmed that
he had received instructions from Taipei, authorizing him to send to Taiwan
up to 500 refugees who had left the mainland of China after April 4. He stated,
however, that very few had come to the consulate and very few wanted to go
to Taiwan. I asked him the approximate number, and he replied, “ very few ."
Upon my pressing and asking whether the total would be 10, 20, 100, 200, 500,
or 1,000, he laughed and said the number would be considerably less than 100.
( From the way in which he replied to the question of numbers, it was my im .
pression that he expected no movement of a group of refugees as such but
172 REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO
that there might be a family here and there willing to go to Taiwan, and the
total number of such persons would be minimal. )
He said there is no administrative problem in getting refugees to Taiwan if
they want to go, but he repeated that very few want to go. He said most refu
gees are Cantonese and have friends or relatives in Hong Kong or Macao.
What possible migrants there were would come from the lesser numbers of
refugees from Kaingsi, Chekiang, Shanghai, andsuchplaces.
He also told me that he had just sent to Ku Chen-Kang in Taipei a com
plete report on the Macao situation ( including the small numbers of potential
migrants to Taiwan ) . He said that as far as he was concerned there is nothing
that needs to be done now. The Portuguese authorities told him they had
everything under control and if they needed help, they would call on him.
PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS,
New York, N.Y., May 24 , 1962 .
Mr. D. S. DE HAAN ,
Research Consultant, Subcommittee on Refugees and Escapees, Committee on
the Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Washington , D.C.
DEAR MR. DE HAAN : With reference to your letter of May 18, 1962, regarding
the refugee situation in Hong Kong, I take pleasure in informing you that on
May 21, 1962, the Chinese Government made the following announcement :
1. The Government of the Republic of China is prepared to receive new
Chinese refugees fleeing to Hong Kong from the mainland according to
their wishes, any difficulties notwithstanding ;
2. The Government decided to contribute 1,000 tons of rice to Hong Kong
Government for emergency relief of such refugees ;
3. The Government is anxious to cooperate with other governments and
with international relief organizations in assisting these refugees ;
4. The Government will appropriate funds for relief and resettlement of
the said refugees ;
5. The Government has established a special committee to plan and
direct the execution of these decisions.
I may add that ( 1 ) with regard to point 1, there is no limit, set as to the
number of refugees to be admitted to Taiwan, ( 2 ) the Chinese Government is
grateful to the Hong Kong Government for having received Chinese refugees
during the past decade, and hopes that for humanitarian reasons the Hong
Kong Government would not return the new refugees to the mainland, and
would cooperate with the Chinese Government or its relief agencies in finding
suitable solutions to this urgent problem .
While still awaiting relevant materials and documents from home, I can
inform you that according to information available to my Government, since
early April this year more than 30,000 Chinese refugees were returned to the
mainland against their will by the Hong Kong authorities.
From January 1951 to December 1961, the Chinese Government received
71,213 Chinese refugees and escapees to settle in Taiwan from 19 countries and
territories, including 17,552 from Hong Kong.
Yours sincerely ,
P. Y. Tsao, Technical Counselor.
REFUGEE REPORT BY CLAUDE H. CURTIS, JULY 17, 1962
The word refugee often brings to mind only starving, ill clad, and destitute
people. However , in recent months we have become increasingly aware of the
fact that people from all stratas of society have found themselves rightfully
classified as refugees.
Since the great modern day exodus from Red China into Hong Kong, the word
refugee is on the lips of nearly everyone in the free world. Prior to this dra
matic exodus only a small segment of the free world's people was concerned with
the refugee problem.
There are four different areas in which this problem exists as far as the
Chinese are concerned ; mainland China, Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan. We
should be interested in all classes of refugees * * * professional and otherwise.
My interest has resulted in a recent trip to this area at my own expense. There
REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO 173
is much misunderstanding and misinformation concerning the present day
refugee problem and I am trying to correct this in as far as it is humanly pos
sible for one person to do so . The tide in the China theater has turned in favor
of the West. The Chinese Communist leaders are not now thinking in terms of
an offensive program but rather of a defensive one. The people are in a state
of unrest and dissatisfaction due to a lack of employment, lack of food , and the
brutal treatment received at the hands of the leaders. The masses of China are
starving to death and the situation there is explosive.
Refugees from Red China are received and, comparatively speaking, well
provided for in Macao. The Portuguese Government is not asking for outside
help but is quietly providing for these people in a most humane way. Farmers
are even given small plots of land on which to grow their own household
vegetables. Relief is administered by the priests and is in the form of powdered
milk , rice, clothing, and other daily necessities.
On Taiwan the Nationalist Government has recently announced that the
mainland China refugees are welcome there in unlimited numbers and without
prior screening for security. The Nationalist Government, through the Free
China Relief Association, will provide free transportation from Hong Kong to
Taiwan. It will also provide housing, food, clothing, medical attention, a com
plete program of rehabilitation, pocket money and educational opportunities.
This is a most sincere and genuine offer on the part of the Nationalists.
It was my privilege to greet the first refugees who availed themselves of this
wonderful opportunity. They had courageously fled from the iron - fisted rule of
communism and gone to Taiwan to lend a hand in the cause of righteousness by
helping the Nationalists in their efforts to destroy this demoniac system.
This leaves us with the Hong Kong problem . This is a tangled affair if their
ever was one. Hong Kong has diplomatic relations with Peiping. Consequently
diplomatic channels are closed to the Nationalists who now have no official
medium of direct communication with the British.
I tried, and I believe with some degree of success, to approach the Hong Kong
situation with an open mind. Out of fairness to the British let me point out that
they have carried the burden of this refugee problem unsung and practically
unnoticed all these years.
My primary area of refugee interest lies in Taiwan itself. Shortly after
my arrival there I met with the top Free China Relief Association officials,
with Mme. Chiang Kai- shek and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Shen Chang
huan. I was briefed on what the Nationalists were willing and able to do for
all refugees who migrated from mainland China to Taiwan. This is over and
above the relief the Nationalists have endeavored to give the people on the
mainland and in Hong Kong. The Nationalist officials have stated without
any reservations that they will accept unlimited numbers of their fellow coun
trymen from the mainland. They have further stated that they would not
screen them before bringing them to Taiwan and every effort would be made
to rehabilitate the people. The Chinese themselves in Taiwan have launched
a tremendous relief program and Mme. Chiang's close associates among the lead
ing women of China have raised or pledged to raise about 334 million Taiwan
dollars for this purpose.
It was my good fortune to arrive there just a few days before the first
group of refugees out of the great exodus landed at Keelung. I was honored
with an invitation to be a member of the official reception party which was
headed up by top officials of the Free China Relief Association. At the pier
on the morning of their arrival the atmosphere was electrified with anticipa
tion and hope.
When refugees crossing the Red border into Hong Kong first began reporting
famine conditions we were told that these were not real refugees but rather
Nationalist agents who had been planted for propaganda purposes. Later
when they came in greater numbers we were told that they were refugees but
that they had been brainwashed by the Nationalists before the press got to
them . At Keelung I met them as they came off the ship. Sixty-two of them
from five different provinces ranged in age from 11 to 71. They were fresh from
the mainland , not planted agents , not brainwashed dupes as some would like to
have us think but rather courageous, though starving, men and women who
wanted more than anything that priceless commodity cherished by us, freedom .
The dock area was jammed with hundreds of shouting cheering people, healthy,
well fed Nationalists . The tears flowed freely as in two or three instances
parts of families were reunited and in several instances old friendships reestab
lished .
174 REFUGEE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND MACAO
I spent that day with the refugees. The officials wanted to take me to my
hotel for rest. They thoughtfully wanted me to have a good dinner. My eyes
were rested and my heart refreshed as I realized that the Republic of China
was then and there in my very presence beating the Communists on a third
front. They had already beaten them psychologically and economically and now
morally. Free China opened her arms wide to people who had been slaves only
days before. I did just what I wanted most to do that day. I spent my time
with the refugees. I ate their first Free China dinner with them. I met and
interviewed about 50 of the 62. My heart was so overcome with joy that right
there on the spot I gave away everything I had with me except the clothes that
a decent society required me to wear back to my hotel.
One boy, 11 years of age, whom I adopted as my foster son , completely won my
heart. His physical appearance reminded me so much of my own Philip back
in Hawaii that I gave Chen Chen -cheng that English name. He seemed so
apprehensive in the crowd at the dock and I wept as I thought of my own boy
under similar circumstances if we don't defeat communism . He had heard “hate
America ” all his life and I wondered how long since anyone had shown the boy
any love. We were so drawn to each other and it was so apparent that nearly 40
press photographers took pictures for almost 10 minutes.
Philip could not swim so his two older brothers and nine other people made
a raft of old belts and towed him as they swam for half an hour across the
river. His mother did not escape although his father did. The father waited in
Hong Kong in hopes the mother would make her way there and sent the boys
to Taiwan when he heard that the ship was sailing. Incidentally this was
Philip's birthday and when I learned this fact I was doubly glad that I had
given him my wrist watch as a token of American friendship .
A 17-year-old boy had made his way from west China to Canton . He traveled
most of the way by train but part of the way on foot. When I asked him what
he wanted to do now that he was in free China he stated that he wanted to