Evening star., 1946-07-11
UNRRA 10 Resume
Shipments 10 China
When Port Jam Ends
By NewboId Noyes, Jr.

UNRRA shipments to China of
supplies other than food have been
stopped only to help the Chinese
get the food, without which they
will starve, and all shipments will
be resumed AS soon as three Chinese
ports are cleared of a backlog of
undistributed supplies, according to
UNRRA Director La Guardia.
But, Mr.. La Guardia told a press
conference yesterday, UNRRA
doesn't like" the way some Chinese
customs affect distribution of
UNRRA supplies. He added the re-
lief organization will continue to
insist that supplies be distributed by
the central government in Com
munlst-controlled areas without po-
lltical discrimination.
Receives no Telegram.
The former Mayor of New York
was outspoken in his criticism of
UNRRA workers in China who last
Tuesday released the text of what
purported to be q telegram to Mr.,
La Guardla protesting persistent
misuse" OF relief supplies by the
Chinese. He said he had received
no such telegram, adding: Il don't
think I will" He learned first of
the action members of his China
staff when he read their statement
on the news ticker, Mr.. La Guardia
said.
Between $50 and 300 of UNRRA's
400 employees in China had been
reported as having subscribed to the
protest
Somebody" Mr.. La Guardia said
heatedly, is going to catch hell for
thls. L don't run government that
way
He added his action In ordering
halt of UNRRA nonfood shin
ments to China was taken without
regard to the reported protest. The
decision was not made overnight,
he said. 1t had long been antici-
pated that such step might become
necessary, but UNRRA had hoped
against hope" to the last minute
that 1t could be averted.
Explains to Chang.
On May %, Mr.. La Guardia re-
lated, he wrote Generalissimo
Chang kai-shek to explain
UNRRA's diSsa tisfaction with the
manner in which its supplies were
being distributed in China. The
letter was very plain" Mr.. La
Guardla told reporters. II did not
consult the protocol division of
UNRRA AS TO its phraseology. Oh.
no, 1t was not a threat. l never
threaten. 1t merely explained what
steps would be necessary if the sit
uatlon were not corrected. These
were the steps which we took yes
terday.
The UNRRA chief. who yesterday
defended his action al a closed hear
Ing before the Senate Appropria-
tlons Committee, explained the sit
uation in China to reporters this
way:
The trouble has been that inland
transportation, always backward in
the spraWling colossus of the East.
was completely dislocated during the
war. 1t has improved slowly but
steadily, until today UNRRA feels
1t should be possible to effect rea-
sonably broad distribution of relief
supplies.
Swapping his fingers, Mr.. La
Guardla declared: L expect quick
clearance on arrival, transportation
to the interior and distribution. We
nov have so many supplies, so much
material and equipment in the Chi
nese ports that they are all clogged
up. We cannot move stuff in
Mr.. La Guardia took exception to
a statement yesterday by Cheng
Pao-nan. Washington representative
of the Chinese National Relief and
Rehabilitation Administra ton. who
has just returned from China, TO the
effect that not more than 10 per
cent of UNRRA supplies to China
now remain in the ports. At the
moment, Mr.. La Guardia said,
UNRRA has so ships at sea on the
way to China. while 20 are an
chored at Shanghai waiting for
things to untangle so they can un-
load. Twenty more, he said, are
unloading.
Mr.. La Guardia declined to go at
length into the political background
of the relief muddle He said some
food supplies were getting into
China's Communist controlled areas
but hinted the Central government
Is not making satisfactory effort
III this respect. In all UNRRA
countries, the relief organization in
siSts on equitable distribution of
supplies without regard to politics of
the recipient, he asserted.
Specifically, he said. UNRRA does
not approve of Chinese custom of
paying distribution laborers with
UNRRA foodstuffs. These men
should either be paid in money or
they and their families should actu-
ally be fed in canteens operated by
the Chinese organization, Mr.. La
Guardia declared, otherwise food
given them may we'll find its way
into the black market.
UNRRA is also concerned about
reports that the Chinese organiza-
ton or some other agency has sold
UNRRA food supplies in an effort to
break the high black market prices. |
Mr. La Guardia said.
In theory this is all right" he