Warning from a Victim
"Dear X X, before you decide to come here you must ask yourself whether you are prepared to suffer. You must be able to work like a horse and yet eat as little as a cat. You should have the fortitude to do cheerfully what you are told to do even if you are spat upon. Otherwise, stay where you are and don't act like a fool as I did."
This is a passage from a long letter written by a Chinese repatriate to the mainland to his friend in Indonesia. The writer arrived in Kwangtung on last March 17. Thirteen days later, he was working like a draft animal on a farm with all the money and personal belongings he brought with him gone.
"My luggage was first stored in a warehouse upon my arrival in Canton. Five days later I had permission to get it. But when I examined it, I found most of my valuable articles gone. I was about to lodge a complaint when a friendly old man stopped me. He said I was asking for trouble."
The letter writer spent ten days in Canton. "During this period, I spent JMP$668 paying board and lodging. That is one month's wages for 100 workers in the people's commune, I learned later. So by the time I was assigned work, I was dead broke."
"The Communist cadres told us the more shabily dressed a man is the more he is admired as a hero. I admit that I am at a loss to understand this kind of philosophy.
"We returnees are also told to discard our shoes while working. This is the way to show a classless society, they said. But what intrigues me is that the cadres themselves wear shoes."
After describing his plights in his new environment, the writer concluded: "I did not mean to frighten you. I am not in the habit of telling people what to do or what not to do. But for the sake of friendship, I do advise you to think twice before making your decision."
Philippines
The School Issue
The controversy of whether to close the Chinese schools in the Philippines erupted anew in late October following the appearance of student pickets by the "Nationalization Youth Movement of the Philippines" at the Department of Education.
The youths demanded the Chinese schools be padlocked. Among their specific charges against the Chinese schools is that they are a "breeding ground for Reds."
Immediately after the picketing, Congressman Joaquin Roces, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government, again proposed the "Filipinization" of Chinese Schools. At the same time, the Education Department stopped issuance of permits to new Chinese schools.
In view of the seriousness of the charge, the Chinese Embassy in Manila categorically denied the alleged Communist infiltration of Chinese schools.
The embassy said in a memorandum: "The Chinese schools in the Philippines have always been in the vanguard of anti-Communist movements and the moving spirit of all anti-Communist activities." The embassy further pointed out that the principals of all Chinese schools in the Philippines pledged in a declaration to fight Communist ideology.
The declaration referred to was issued after a meeting of the principals at Manila in April 1957. It said in part: "Our board of directors, our principals, our teachers, and our students are doing everything within their power to combat and defeat any attempt that may be made by the Communists and their sympathizers to infiltrate our schools or to lead them into subverting the free institutions of this country.
"We are always vigilant to Communist machinations and propaganda, and deal with them mercilessly in cooperation with the authorities of the Philippine government. We fully support the democratic policies of the Philippine and Chinese governments and will play our part in their implementation without reserve or equivocation."
Apparently false as the accusation is, it is doubtful whether the denial of the Chinese Embassy will take the pressure off the Chinese schools. Men like Congressman Roces seem bent on the closure of these schools regardless of the consequences.
Store Owner Murdered
A Chinese store-owner at Malabon, a northern suburb town of greater Manila, was stabbed to death on the night of November 20 by five unidentified men.
The victim, Eng Kiak, suffered two deep stab wounds and succumbed before reaching the nearby hospital. His helper, So Han, was also stabbed when he tried to make an outcry.
After committing the crime, the murderers ransacked Eng's store and left with an undetermined amount of loot.
Taipei
More Relaxations
The Ministry of Economic Affairs announced in late October that overseas Chinese businessmen whose investment project in Taiwan has been approved will soon be issued entry-exit permit good for one year.
The ministry said the multiple permit, which will be issued by the Taiwan Garrison Command, will enable the overseas Chinese investors to travel back and forth for an unlimited number of trips between Taiwan and their domicile countries within the one-year period.
At the same time, the Foreign Exchange and Trade Control Commission decided that overseas Chinese visitors to Taiwan will henceforth be allowed to bring out locally-purchased products worth up to US$100 without paying taxes.
To Bridge the Gap
For some overseas Chinese students it is a hard task to catch up academically during their first year of study in Taiwan. Unless they really work hard, and successfully overcome the language barrier, the chances of failure are great.
Mindful of the plight of these students, the Ministry of Education has recently decided to establish four preparatory courses for overseas youths aspiring to college education and one preparatory class for middle school candidates.
The preparatory schools will help the new arrivals bridge their academic gap in a one-year period. Then they will be formally admitted to the various middle schools and colleges.
More Returnees Arrive
Two more groups of Chinese repatriates from Indonesia, totalling over 350 persons, arrived in Taiwan for resettlement last month. The first group of over 1,500 returnees which arrived last September, have been resettled.
The recent arrivals received cash relief as well as temporary accommodation provided by the government. Like their predecessors, they will receive public assistance in finding a living in their mother country.
Educational Subsidy
Four overseas Chinese schools in Japan will receive NT$3,500,000 from the home government as subsidy for their expansion projects.
Chow Shu-kai, chairman of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission, said last October the subsidy will be used to purchase educational facilities for the schools, all of which were newly established. He said the subsidy was granted at the recommendation of Ambassador Chang Li-sheng, who had just returned to Japan after a home consultation trip.
Chow also expressed the view that overseas Chinese below 20 had better receive education in their country of residence. Sending them to Taiwan before they are old enough to be left alone without parental care is educationally unwise, because family warmth is as vital as school education in the upbringing of a good citizen, he explained.
Panama
"Justice" Boycotted
Representatives of 20 Chinese organizations recently signed a declaration pledging a boycott of a Chinese Communist daily newspaper in Panama City.
The mimeographed newspaper, which is published in the Chinese language, is (to the surprise of no one) a Communist propaganda tool. But the Reds call their paper "Justice."
The Chinese Embassy in Panama said another local Chinese newspaper, the anti-Communist Yim Po, sounded a warning not long ago against pro-Communist statements in "Justice" and called on the Chinese colony to repudiate such Red propaganda.
The declaration signed by the Chinese representatives also provides for informing Panamanian authorities of activities of Communist agents within the Chinese community "in order to protect and safeguard our good reputation."
Indonesia
One More Blow
Publications using Chinese characters will be prohibited in Indonesia effective June 1 next year.
The prohibition was contained in a regulation issued last month by Indonesia's Supreme War Administration. It stated that "publications using scripts other than Roman script, Arabic script and native Indonesian regional scripts will be prohibited."
Although not stated implicitly, the new regulation will singularly affect Chinese-script publications, because Chinese characters would be the only script used in Indonesia which would fall under the prohibition category. At least three Chinese newspapers in major Indonesian cities and a large number of lesser publications will be affected by the regulation.
In another development, the Indonesian government has set January 20, 1961 as the deadline for Chinese holding dual nationality to choose between Indonesian or Chinese citizenship.
After the date specified, all Chinese dual nationality holders would be automatically treated as citizens of "people's China."
The so-called "people's China" and Indonesia signed an agreement several years ago allowing overseas Chinese in Indonesia dual nationality status for a limited period.
The deadline was set in a new accord to be signed between the two sides in the near future.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian military authorities placed 25 anti-Communist Chinese leaders under house arrest on October 5. One of those arrested is Chang Chih-mou, a renowned educator who had just returned to Indonesia after escorting the first batch of 1,500 Chinese repatriates back to Taiwan.
This was Chang's second arrest by the Indonesian government. He was jailed for the first time in March, 1959 on charges of aiding the Indonesian rebels. He was released after spending 18 months in prison. The Indonesian government did not say why he was arrested again.
Ecuador
Entry Relaxed
The immigration office of Ecuador no longer insists on the US$500 guaranty required from every Chinese applying for entry to the country.
This is the main concession of the Ecuadorian government in a new agreement signed recently after a series of negotiations between Chinese Ambassador Hsieh Wei-lin and the Ecuadorian foreign ministry. The agreement contains the following points:
Chinese nationals entering Ecuador must produce the certificate of a public notary and necessary entry papers.
Chinese nationals who apply for entry from Taiwan, Hongkong and Macao should submit their application papers through the Chinese Chamber of Commerce or the Chinese Embassy in Ecuador.
For Chinese nationals residing elsewhere, they should have the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Ecuador as reference in applying for entry.
Hongkong
New Pledge of Help
To the hard-pressed Chinese refugees in Hongkong, the end of the World Refugee Year did not shut the door of much needed help.
The good news came from the United Nations late last October when Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold officially announced a sum of almost US$4,500,000 had been contributed or pledged for the relief of the Chinese refugees in Hongkong under the WRY program.
According to the report, up to September 30 this year, US$4,486,074 was contributed or pledged. Of this sum, approximately US$2,500,000 will go toward the Hongkong government's goal of US$7,280,000 for its WRY projects. How the remainder will be used has not been specified yet.
The WRY began in June, 1959 in accordance with a UN General assembly resolution adopted in December, 1958. Officially, this operation has come to an end. However, Hammarskjold stressed in his report that "WRY should be regarded not as the end of an effort but as the beginning."
Dinner Across the Ocean
Little Miss Yuan Man-chi had a sumptuous turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day, a dinner airlifted from the United States.
The airlift was originated in Baltimore by a group of American foster parents—actually 65 employees of a Foods Fair supermarket in the Maryland town—who adopted the nine-year-old Chinese refugee girl earlier this year.
They wanted the child to have something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day. So they decided on the novel gift for her and her family which includes her parents, a 15-year-old brother and a 5-year-old sister in a resettlement building.
Miss Yuan is one of some 1,000 children in Hongkong who are being helped by the Foster Parents Plan.
United States
Ding-Dong Puzzle Solved
A 4-year-old Chinese puzzle created when a bank confused Dong Wong for Ding wong has been finally straightened out.
The story goes like this:
In 1956, a car driven by Ding Wong struck a pedestrian. The victim sued and won a US$2,500 judgment. The Security Bank, following a court order to turn over the account of Ding Wong, gave the injured man the US$2,200 savings of Dong Wong, no relation to the driver in the accident.
Three months ago, Dong, a retired restaurant-owner, returned from two years in New York City and went to the bank to withdraw his savings. When he found them gone, he sued the bank.
Last November 24, Ding (now 73), Dong (now 61), the pedestrian, bank officials and their lawyers met to straighten out the tangle. The bank admitted its mistake and gave Dong his money with interest and an allowance for lawyer's fees. Dong promptly opened a new account in the bank.
Old Bachelor Honored
The oldest living Chinese in New York marked another milestone one day last month when more than 100 oldsters of the local Chinese community gathered together for a party celebrating his 103rd birth anniversary.
The grand old man is Leung Po, a cigar-smoking bachelor who went to the United States sixty years ago. He was born on a farm in Kowloon, and used to be a seaman. He is living by public assistance.
The birthday party was co-sponsored by the Chinese Golden Age Club and the Welfare Department of New York City Government.
The club is composed of elderly Chinese who no longer have their families living with them.
England
Happy Exile
Fu Tsung, the young Chinese pianist who defected from the Peiping regime last year, has been drawing applauses all over Western Europe by his virtuosity. Last month, the young musician in exile received a still greater boost.
In Fu's concert audience there was a beautiful girl who was not only captivated by his skill at the keys but also by his winning personality. She was Miss Zamira Meuhin, daughter of violinist Yehudi Menuhin.
Love grew quickly between the two young people. In November they announced their engagement in London.