CO129-589-3 Sino-Japanese War- attack on medical convoy- Maryknoll Leper Mission 20-5-1941 - 14-8-1943 — Page 18

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

18 increased to Chinese $750.00 (HK$150.00) per head per month,

which is the present estimated cost of maintenance owing to the

serious deterioration in the B situation.

5.

currency

Thus the cost of maintaining these non-Hong Kong lepers has

risen in exchange value from the equivalent of £49 per month to

£1225 per month, on the basis of the special exchange subsidy of

50% for relief payments.

b.

This enormous increase in the cost of maintenance appears at First sight to be most improbable, but it falls into place when İZİNKEE

it is seen that the Refugee Relief Dept. of the British Embassy

per head is paying relief to destitute refugees at the rate of Ch.600 per

Funtherwere

onditione in Free China (aatoo

Month.

Barch 1943) has been received sashisa Di

it is

ked that the m

A

PÄRASENAPRAWay in which

maintenance on "pogr

It is

people's standard" is Ch $15 per day, 1.c.450 per month. quite conceivable that the cost of drugs and medical equipment and the need for a higher degree of nourishment would raise the figure for maintenance of lepers above the lowest level of subsistence.

7 There is little doubt that a moral responsibility rests with the H.Kg.Govt. in the matter of these lepers but we seem to have reached/

Especially now that 2 point where the financial aspect must be taken into conson, the Treasury has to

meet a part of the expenditure incurred on ase of the H. Kg Govt. (as to which a separate letter) with eonfly be addressed to pou en tle subject

will am sendring 20 of general

be asked to audzi

B.

Hong Kong expenditure, which now greatly exeesds income,

A further £14,700 per year will be required if the moral respon- sibility for 196 lepers of Chinese, not Hong Kong, origin is translated

Should On the other hand we must not into action on this financial basis.

lose sight of the political side of the question and of the bad impression which would undoubtedly be caused if we were to disclaim the responsibility of the H. Kg.Govt. and leave these American missionaries

to face this heavy expenditure by themselves.

It and sermaymp

west, therefore, that something ghould be done in the case of the

HKg or UK. funds)

disclaim the whólệ

of the bunday

lepers and that should assume a part even if

om but we are referring the matter to you for your

Letni

Yours efcerely

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