The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-03-31

Pearl Harbor the Japanese showed they didn't care for lepers as they never came across the river to at- tempt to take the fathers into cus- tody. However, they kept firing at anyone who appeared on the open hill, either with mortars or 75 nm. guns.
 T was listening to this back ground of Ngaimoon, when it sud- denly occurred to me that the forts seen on the other side of the river were Japanese. In answer to my ex- cited question Uncle Joe confirmed this fact. My appetite disappeared. In fact a form of nervous prostra- tion gripped me, particularly when I realized we would have to go back the next day in broad daylight Father Sweeney treasured me that there was nothing to worry about. Uncle Joe Works Harder
 While listening to the radio Father Sweeney told us about his troubles in keeping the leper refuge operating. The difficulties in bring ing in supplies, imitation with at tendant high costs for food, and the nearness of the Japanese which made them even more isolated had resulted in the deaths of many lep- CTS. These poor, afflicted people eat more than the average healthy per- son but Uncle Joe couldn't give them the amount of food needed and as a result many were dying off. But despite seemingly insur- mountable obsta cles Uncle Joe' rolled his sleeves up and worked that much harder. The article in Readers Digest, which I mentioned, said that Father Sweeney weighed 200 pounds. Now he was down to 150 pounds.
 During the night some gunfire was heard for few minutes. Uncle Joe came into my room to reassure me that this was a common occur renee, but fortunately I was so ex- hausted by my efforts of the day that my slumber was undisturbed.
 Saint or Martyr
 Tn my opinion Father Sweeney, who along with his once famous partner, Father Frank Corners, established this leper re- fuge, is in the modern sense of the word a saint or "a martyr. Ger tainly he is as fine a man as I have come across in my brief career. He can discuss baseball or night clubs with you as readily as he can make sense on lenrosy, religion or inter- national affairs. He rolls his own native cigarettes and when you sit down to an evenings discussion the local wine is always at hand for the guests.
 My return on the open stretch of path along the river was specta- cular.
 "Following Sweeney's instructions we split up. Father Lavin went across the 200 yard stretch in 'noth- ing flat and after GismountIpg bee hind the trees on the farside, sig naled to me to proceed. I jumped on my bike, pedalled furiously, and proceeded to fall in a rice field on the side of the trail. After five minutes of frantically trying to ordinate my efforts I finally got myself freed along with the bike and this time I made 1t, although discription was the primary factor, not speed.
 T found Father Lavin, the heart less fellow, in state of collapse, not due to his anxiety over my danger but to mysteries over my act. I had to agree with him that the i probable reason the Japanese didn't fire at me was their becoming hys- terical too over the little comedy produced. The balance of the trip was stately ard uneventful. no more rice fields - more Japanesel Such E. visit to Americas ] oatnnst tn China"