SOS

One of China's external assets is overseas students--3,610 of them in U.S. colleges. A few have come on scholarships; some have been sent by their government, but most have come on their own. They are in the U.S. to study everything from church music and airline management to philology and nuclear physics. They include many who support the Nationalist government, some who have ranged from undergraduate criticism of their government to outright pro-Communist opposition. Most of them, whatever their politics, were in trouble last week.

The U.S. was just learning the reason: more than half of them are unable to pay their bills. China's war and inflation have destroyed parental bank accounts, interrupted remittances. At least 2,500 students are without money for either rent or tuition.

As they learned of the situation, U.S. communities and campuses were doing their best. Columbia has been deferring tuition payments. The University of Michigan was increasing financial aid to its 204 Chinese students. Community campaigns have been started in Wisconsin, Minnesota and at the University of Washington.

Last week the harried Chinese government, through its Washington ambassador, V. K. Wellington Koo, offered a proposal of its own. If the U.S. would agree, the Chinese government would forgo some of the ECA aid already appropriated, in order to have $500,000 worth applied to the education bills of its stranded scholars. That would at least get them through next June's final exams.

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