Evening star., 1954-10-04
Goc;;e1lj|
.Cronfhoms Leuvinq
To CONTINUE Tour
Wife Of Hong Kong Governor
Discusses Effects of EnburQo
By Ruth Dean

py AZ
A goodwill ambassador from
Hong Kong is here is the per-
son of Lady Grantham. vivaci-
Gus, petite American-born wife
of Sir Alexander Grantham,
governor Of the British crown
colony.
The couple arrived last week
from a holiday in England
en- route home via the United
States. Lady Grantham, whose
husband is on a speaking tour
Of the country-ostensibly to
present Hong Kong's side of
it's position in the Orient
took time out from the social
whirl of their four day Wash
ington visit to express her
views in an interview over the
week end.
Lady Grantham revealed she
is not only a perfectionlst
homemaker but is we'll in
formed on events in one of the
strategic crossroads of the
world.
She said she hoped she and
her husband during their
American tour can correct"
some popular impressions of
Hong Kong.
Embargo Is Hordship
Lady Grantham, who was
born and lived in San Fran
cisco until her marriage some
years ago to Sir Alexander.
said the American trade en-
barge of the China coast has
worked a serious hardship on
Hong Kong.
1--WE stopped major part
Of our trade with China Ions
before the embargo" she said
She added, however, that be-
cause of the crown colony's
geographic position, it is
forced to acquire most of its
fresh foodstuffs from the Rec
China mainland.
Lady Grantham pointed out
that the American trade block
ade, however, has forced Hons
Kong to expand what indus
tries it has to a point of self
sufhciency it did not have be-
fore. I'VE will never agar
depend on China in the way "
have in the past" she said.
Whereas Hong Kong'S trad
with China in former day:
amounted to approximately rs
per cent, she said, it now rep
resents but a fourth, the majo'
part of its trade now going t
countries of Southeast Asia.
Economic Picture Strained
Even though the colony has
recovered somewhat from the
effects of the embargo, she
continued, the overall eco
nomic picture is still a strained
one. "Our trade has dropped
80 per cent" she said, land
we are still trying to meet the
problem of the large number
of refugees who flee across the
border to us from the Red
terror every day"
Since the advent of the
Communist regime in China,
she pointed out, Hong Kong's
population has been swelled
with over a million and a half
refugees. The government is
doing what it can to take care
of their needs, she explained,
but it presents a major prob
lem of supplying adequate
housing, schools, and hospi-
tails.
Lady Grantham, who as the
wife of the governor acts as
honorary president Of all VOL
unteer associations in the
colony, said a great many of
the refugees live in dangerous.
fimSily- constructed squatters'
settlements. Last Christmas
Day, we had a fire that left
$4,000 homeless" she recalled,
"but every one pitched in and
helped. The very next day,
$4,000 of them had been fed
two hot meals"
Live Without Fear
Lady Grantham said they
had no fear living so close to
Red China. 1--WE have always
been confident we could get
along" she said. "and things
are quieter than usual now"
Always on the alert for poten-
tial border incidents, since a
barbed-wire fence is all that
separates Hong Kong from the
mainland, she said, "My hus-
band believes in being firm but
not provocative. I don't think
they really want trouble. I
think China's ignorance is q
great stumbling block to free
world relations, and that If
they could just understand us
a little better they would lose
a great deal Of their fear"
Heavy Dolly Schedule
AS chatelaine of the colony's
overnor's mansion, Lady
Grantham keeps a daily rou-
tine that is suited to her ener-
getic personality. Planning of
luncheons and dinner parties
for visiting dignataries from
all over the world and daily
attention to the myriad details
OF running a big home COM