Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-13
jim BISHOP

and, a little beyond, there
was a railroad siding. Follow
ing the tracks, one came to a
black iron bridge. It crouched
over the muddy Sham Chun.
This is the true Bamboo Cur
tain. On the near side, two
British policemen stood study
ing their feet. hands behind
their backs.
On the far side, Chinese
Communist soldiers in brown
TUNES lounged against the
rifles across their backs. A
small white signal tower
glistened with a red star.
Some refugees sat on the
shady side Of the bridge.
Their riches were on their
backs: a mattress, a chair, a
baby, a knotted bundle Of
clothes.
Most Of them were Canto-
neSe. They crouched on their
launches and whispered ami
matedly. They had been
cleared by the Peoples Gov
eminent Of China to emigrate
to British Hong Kong. The
English had cleared them
after ascertaining that they
had bona fide relatives in
Hong Kong who would keep
them from becoming public
charges.
Now all that was necessary
to complete the little cere-
mony was the arrival of the
old steam locomotive and its
10 cars. 1t left Canton-45
miles behind the Bamboo
Curtain-one morning each
week. The refugees watched
for it. Their black shoe
button eyes scanned the
tawny hills Of Mao Tse-tung.
If it did not come, they would
go back.
NO CHINESE wanted to
go back. They did not de-
spise communism. Most of
them do not understand ide-
ology. Food is god. Commu-
mist China is hungry. The
communes have not produced
enough vegetables. There are
500 million people. Even the
few who are we'll fed become
hungry again each day. Fa-
mine is the breeze which
sweeps the land.
Mao Tse-tung would not be
angry If 100 million of his
people left. He would give
exit visas to the old, the sick
and the very young-all non
producers. This would reduce
his food problem a little. His
population is exploding. He
prefers H-bombs.
The train arrived. 1t stood
painting on the far side of the
little bridge as the peasants
scampered to get aboard. The
British watched from the
near side Of the bridge. They
did not want these people
but. through custom, they
were forced to accept them.
Hong Kong-which is to
say Kowloon and Victoria
and the new territories from
Ha Tsuen to Sha Tau Kok,
held 80 million people. This
is an area of less than 400
square miles 5000 persons
per square mile. The tide of
floppy black cotton pants
and slippered feet is so strong
that a new school or health
station is opened every eight
days.
Last month 10000 Chinese
tried to get into Hong Kong
by stealth. Some sailed at
night in sampans; some
swan the Sham Chun; some
were taken across the bor-
der by Chinese smugglers,
who sold the refugees Hong
Kong clothes, then tipped the
British police where to look
for them.
THIS LITTLE GROUP got
aboard the train. It moved
slowly across the iron bridge
and on the British side,
pulled onto a siding and
Stopped. English officials ex-
amined the papers, interro-
gated the Chinese and had
them examined medically.
The train moved on down to
Kowloon and bullying bags of
rice.
Some are spies. The Brit
ish know this. They have
} their own Chinese hirelings
in Canton and Foochow.
There is no sabotage on Ell
ther side. 1t is understood
that Mao holds all the cards.
He controls the water which
quenches British thirst. He
can shut the valves at any
time. Also, at his whim, he
can unleash millions of fanat-
ical citizens who will, over
night. race through the tiny
British Crown Colony and
overwhelm it.
The English, with cool
snobbery, pretend to be mas
tiers of the situation. They
issue licenses and permits,
enforce laws which include
whipping Chinese malefac-
tors, live apart from the
teeming millions who throng
the streets carrying heavy
baskets on bamboo poles, and
sit in the cool of the evening
in their private clubs, slipping
gin and tonic and acting as
though their ancient tanks
and their battalions of the