Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1950-11-24
Korean Relief Confronts
UN With Enormous Task

all its needs and enough surplus
for the export trade. Last year
Korea exported to Japan total
of 100000 tons of rice.
The distribution Of rice is han
died in a very colorful and eff
cient manner. To appreciate its
significance, it is necessary to
have some understanding of the
organization of the population in
the large cities.
Seoul is divided into seven dis
tricts. Each district is composed
of several streets. There are 10,
20 or 30 tongs in each street. Each
tong contains 10, 20, 80 or more
pans. There are 10, 20, 80 or more
families in each pan.
The heads of families appoint a
pan sleader. The pan leaders in
turn appoint a committee that
rules the tong. The tong commit
tees name a street leader, who in
turn is responsible to the chief
of the district, appointed by the
mayor of the city.
Three hundred and seventy-five
tons of rice are distributed daily
in the various districts of Inchon
and Seoul. From the districts the
distribution is broken down in
several steps until it reaches the
individual family, each member
of which receives about two
handfuls of rice daily. This rice
ration, added to food bought To-
cally, represents a total of about
1900 calories daily per person.
In the first days of the emer-
gency the rice was flown to Kim
po Airfield in u. S. Army Trans
ports. Now most of the supplies
come in by sea to Inchon. The
rice destined for Seoul is trans
ported in box cars to a rail-
head on the west bank of the Han
River, and from there, carried
by men on their backs to the
edge of the water, a distance of
about mile over rough terrain.
The rice is then put on barges
and ferried across the river. Here
each sack is weighed and distribu-
ted to groups of men, women and
children from each district who
proceed to cart it away by every
imaginable means of conveyance.
The crowds of people along the
river bank load the rice in native
pushcarts, ox-carts, carts drawn
by the midget horses peculiar to
the Orient, and other vehicles
pushed uphill by excitedly shout
ing men, women and children. 1t
is colorful and hectic spectacle
which begins early in the morn
and continues until sunset without
interruption, and in perfect order,
despite the general impression
of confusion. The rice rushed from
Japan represents the initial con-
tribution promised by Thailand
and the Philippines for food relief
in Korea.
To meet the first emergency of
the oncoming winter, a total of
10000 blankets have been order
ed by the Unified Command for
relief distribution in Korea. More
will be required. The distribution
of blankets is expected to begin
some time in November.
A quick survey estimates that
100000 yards of cotton will be
required for winter clothing. The
cotton will come to Korea in bulk
and be made into clothing by
Korean factories. The same will be
the case with supplies of rubber
for shoe manufacturers.
1t had been planned to import
raw cotton for manufacture in
Korea, but the destruction of most
of the mills during the war forced
the authorities in charge of re-
lief to abandon this idea.
In the steady incoming supply
of food, clothing, and material for
the building of shelters, the con-
tributions that are expected from
the Member States of the United
Nations will play a decisive part
in the future success of Korean
relief and rehabilitation.
Early in September, the Com
mander -in-chief of the United
Nations Command appointed US.
Brigadier General Crawford r.
Sans to administer the program
of relief in Korea.
The amount in dollars that will
be needed for food, clothing and
shelter and raw material and
machinery for industrial establish
ments destroyed or damaged by
the war cannot be properly es-
timated until peace is fully re-
stored in Korea.
The S200,000,0 900 relief and re-
habilitation project originally
planned for the Pusan perimeter