Dossier of Suffering

Foochow had fallen. But Free China, tired, grim and battered after more than seven years of almost unaided war against Japan, was observing an anniversary. It was Oct. 10, 33 years since Sun Yat-sen's revolution toppled the ancient Chinese Empire.

In Chungking, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek addressed the nation, promised: "The coming year will not only bring us final victory, but will also witness the success of our national revolution." But he added a warning:

"I want to call the attention of my fellow countrymen to the intrigues of the enemy and of traitors. They are spreading all sorts of malicious rumors, predicting that there would be civil war and disunity in China. . . . I am afraid that some foreign commentators, unfamiliar with the real background, have also lent themselves unwittingly to a wider circulation of such rumors."

The U.S. also celebrated Free China's anniversary, paid tribute to China's struggle. In Manhattan's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel nearly a thousand leading U.S. friends of China heard United China Relief's President James L. McConaughy, Ambassador Wei Tao-ming, China's Vice Premier and Finance Minister, Dr. H. H. Kung, describe China's indomitable struggle and desperate needs.

Said New York's Bishop William T. Manning: "What China needs from us is not criticism or meddling in her internal affairs, but understanding, sympathy and sorely needed material and military supplies. Whatever the reason, it is the bitter truth that only a pitifully small amount of aid has been furnished to China by the United States and the British Commonwealth of Nations."

At last the real friends of China were beginning to talk back to China's detractors. It was high time. For China desperately needed the U.S. and the U.S. needed China. But relations between President Roosevelt and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek had never been worse.

Self-Help. What China had suffered in the common war against Japan was massively and dramatically documented. In Washington, China's member of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Council, Dr. Tingfu F. Tsiang, made public a 400-page report to UNRRA. It was a dossier of China's misery.

Dr. Tsiang's report told UNRRA that, in the first 18 months after Japan's defeat, China will need:

P: Supplies valued at $2,530,000,000, weighing a total of ten million tons. But China asked UNRRA to foot only 37% of the bill, would raise the rest herself.

P: Restoration of damaged and destroyed transportation and communications, at a cost of $663,000,000. This work would have to be done before other help could be given to the ravaged country.

P: Needles (983 tons), thread (29,687 tons). These were only two items in the clothing category, for which China required $172,916,671.

P: Industrial reconstruction, at a cost of $349,000,000; agricultural rehabilitation, to cost $77,476,000; health and medical care ($66,000,000) which would provide postwar China* with one doctor per 30,000 of population, one hospital bed per 5,000.

Dr. Tsiang hoped that UNRRA would earmark funds for China's needs next year, start supplying the country in 1946. He said: "In a good democratic way, this document will have to go through a number of committees, and goodness knows when we shall be through." UNRRA Director-General Herbert H. Lehman promised that UNRRA would open Far East offices in Chungking and Sydney by year's end.

*China now has one doctor per 40,000 of the population, one hospital bed per 10,000. Prewar U.S. had one doctor per 740 population, one hospital bed per 320.

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