Evening star., 1960-09-16
By WILLIAM C. WALSH

hal. On three separate after
moons, I saw my brother, Bishop
James Edward Walsh, who is
serving a 2O-year sentence after
conviction Of espionage charges.
These prison interviews were,
Of course, my purpose in COM
ing to the Peoples Republic of |
China, but in the intervals the
representatives of the Chinese
Travel Service and the Chinese
Red Cross urged me to visit
places of interest in this biggest |
city of China.
They seemed very anxious to /
have me do this, so I acquiesced
in their suggestions, saying I
would leave the selection of the
places to them.
I was taken to various de-
partment stores. to Sun YatI
Sen Park, and to what was
called "the export hall" which
displayed a number of articles
1 was told were produced in
China. There were some pretty
good-looking automobile tires,
including a set of white walls, a
piano and other products.
Heard Operas Also
I was also taken to two
Chinese operas, a movie, and a
recreation center featuring a
variety Of entertainments, in
cluding opera, films, shooting
galleries and the like. I saw a
very good acrobatic show there.
I also visited a commune
about 20 miles from Shanghai,
which I was told was the latest
in that area. with 10000 fami-
lies and a total population Of
$4,000. OF these, 10000 men and
women worked-1 900 in agri-
culture, 1000 in industry
while the others were children
or people too old to work.
I was told there were many
schools in the commune, in
cluding kindergarten, primary
schools and what they called
middle schools, which ap-
parently correspond to our
high schools. They told me
there were some 400 teachers
in the commune.
Since it was summer, the
schools were closed, but on the
afternoon Of my visit some
Chinese ladies were having a
singing class for about 30
youngsters from 3 to S years
of age. This group was being
led by a little girl about 3 years
old, and when I appeared the
singing stopped and all the
children came up and shook
hands with me.
I did not visit any of the
schools and factories in the
commune but I saw several
stores and the mess hall, and
I noticed some of the conven-
fences which inclded electric
ity, water and toilet facilities.
Visited Satellite Town
I was also taken to what /
they called a satellite town.
This community was about 20I
miles from Shanghai. I was
told the town had been estab-
lished in 1858 and now had
about 10000 inhabitants. Here,
as in the commune, the build
ings were new. The satellite
town also had electric light and
water and I was told it had
been laid out in such a way
as to allow for future expan-
sion.
There was a hotel, a movie
house, stores and factories. but
I didn't go through the plants
since I told my guides I didn't
know much about machinery.
My guides continuously asked
me if there was anything parti-
cular I would like to do, and
while I couldn't suggest any
special points of interest, Il
did tell them that I was a law
yer and that some of my fell
low lawyers in the United
States would be sure to ask
if I had seen any Chinese
courts or had met any Chinese
lawyers or judges.
On several occasions I eX-
pressed a desire to do so, but
the gentlemen in charge said
they had never been in a
court, and they didn't seem
to know much about lawyers
and judges either. I never
visited a court or met any at
torneys.
Talked Always Of Progress
During all the time I spent,
with the Chinese Red Cross
and travel service representa-
tives they continuously talked
to me of the progress which
they said had been made under
communism in China.
1t was quite obvious they
wanted to impress me with
these accomplishments and
they frequently asked my opin-
ion of what / saw.
1 told them that since I
had never been in China be-
fore, it was impossible for me
to make any comparison be-