Evening star., 1937-12-19
115,O|)O CHINESE
SAVED BY PRIEST
Father Jacquinot Worshiped
by Those Rescued at
"Haven of Hope"
BY JAMES A. MILLS.

Dy c1AVAGo NAAAAos
SHANGHAI Correspondence of the
Associated Press) Father Jacquinot,
modest French priest, has saved
$4,000 Chinese lives in war-torn
Shanghai.
When Chinese bullets failed to stay
the march of Japan's armies and the
lives of hundreds of thousands of
civilians in China's greatest port city
were in peril, this brave Catholic pre-
late held up the might of the Japa-
nese empire with simple gesture of
charity.
To the Chinese, he is "our Chris
tian saviour"
Father Jacquinot has been engaged
in benevolent work in China for 20
years, When the warfare grew hot
around Shanghai he appealed to the
Japanese generals to allow him to
establish sanctuary in the Nantao
district to shelter, feed and protect
Chinese refugees who fled from war
stricken homes.
Skeptical of Motives.
At first the stern war lords of the
Rising Sun shook their heads. They
were skeptical of the priests plan, his
motives and his ability to care for such
a vast horde of humans as the war
had thrown on the mercy of the world.
But Father Jacquinot appealed
again, and in the end he triumphed.
His reputation for unselfishness and
devotion, his twoScore years of service
IN saving Chinese from floods, famines,
civil wars and plaques won an order
to the japanese armies to spare the
northern part OF Nantao Immediately
adjoining the International Settle
ment and the French concession in
Shanghai) from ravage.
In this area freed from attack, the
priest set up his asylum.
Chinese fleeing from the war-torn
areas around Shanghai f1ocked at
once into this haven of hope" and
were saved.
Today these tens of thousands of
fugitives refer to the priest as their
Father" and literally worship him.
For if they had been left to their fate
in the midst of the war, thousands
would have perished.
. Follow Him About
When this correspondent made a
tour of Father Jacquinot's refugee
camp, he found streams of Chinese
women, children and old men follow
ing the 60-year-old, one-armed pre-
late Che lost an arm when he inter-
ceded in a Chinese civil war some
years ago. in alteration and gratitude.
AS he gave food to the starving. medi-
cine to the sick, encouragement to
the weak, and patted children on the
face, crowds of pathetic sufferers
rushed to kiss the benign priests
hand, clutched at his one remaining
arm or attempted to kiss the hem of
his cassock. All were weeping-but
they were not tears of sorrow: they
we're tears of JOY and gratitude
Overcome by the scene, an Ameri-
can woman visitor to the camp re-
marked:
He's Christlike figure. The Chi
nese idolize him as we would a saint.
When he passes through the refugee
settlement, the Chinese war sufferers
lose their fear and anguish, for they
know he will save them from the Japa-
nese. They smile again, and see
prospect of hope and happiness in the
future, whereas when they first came
to the camp, they crouched in corners
and dark places in fear"
Steel Agent Chief Aide.
Assisting Father Jacquinot in this
work of mercy is the French priests
right arm," w. H. Plant, represent
ative of the United States Steel Co. in
China. Father Jacquinot calls the
American executive his chief of
staff" and literally he is for the bur-
den of the administrative work of the
camp falls upon him.
Even the enemy japanese were
moved by Father Jacquinot's humani-
tartan work.