Honolulu Record, August 19, 1948, vol. 1 no. 2, p. 5
By James Lee
Honolulu Record
China Correspondent
Shanghai, July 28th—Soochow Creek is a garbage-laden, brackish finger of water branching off from the Whangpoo River, on which Shanghai is located. On this creek, in craft ranging from 40-foot lighters to 10-foot sampans, live thousands upon thousands of China's "chwan-fu"—boatmen.
Some of the "chwan-fu," who are members of tightly organized guilds, earn a fair living, by Chinese standards. Their travels up and down the waterways reveal a world which most inland Chinese do not suspect exists. A world with food, education, and some modicum of dignity for the laboring man. But, added to the already overcrowded creek population, are the streams of peasant-refugees who find their way here in search of peace and, they hope, livelihood. Generally, they find neither. A ragged woman, whose family for generations had owned 3 mou (6.6 mou equal one acre) of land in Kiangsu, about 200 miles north of Shanghai, fled from the civil war battle which was being fought near her farm. In the sampan which had heretofore served only as a bridge connecting the two parts of the family's land, she and her 44-year-old husband and two daughters made their way to Shanghai. On the trip down, the 20-year-old daughter died. Of what disease the mother was not certain. The poor in China come into the world unattended; they leave the world unattended. Medical attention is a luxury few can afford.
Day's Pay—One
U.S. Cent Once in Shanghai, both the mother and father tried to get work. There was none. They became beggars and garbage scavengers. Between them, they earn about $10,000 (CN) a day ... a little over one American cent. It provides the family with 2 meals of "hsi fan", a thin rice soup, a day. They supplement this with the food they can salvage from the garbage. The old peasant woman had never heard of Chiang Kai-shek. She had not heard of Communists. "We are women," she said, "we do not know why there is a war." Old Chou is another "chwan-fu." In his 56 years, he had never seen a foreigner until he arrived in Shanghai from Kiangsu 3 months ago. He, too, was unable to identify Chiang Kai-shek. Is Chiang good or bad? Are the communists good or bad ? Why are Chinese killing Chinese ? "We farmers," answers Chou impatiently, "we don't know these current affairs." For as long as he could remember, Chou and his family had tilled the 70 to 80 mou farm he inherited from his father. The work was hard, but the land was his. And it was good, rich land. By Chinese standards, Chou and his family were well-to-do. But war came to Chou, too. Armies fought. Chou's father and brother were killed for "non-cooperation." Non-cooperation with whom? Chou was not certain.
Garbage Scavenger
He, his wife, two small sons, a daughter and son-in-law left the land—for the first time in their lives—and came on a boat to Shanghai. Now Chou and his 12-year-old son pick garbage day and night for the food they may be able to bring back to the family. The naked children of these peasant "chwan fu", with their bloated bellies and sad eyes, know nothing of childhood. There is no playtime for them. As soon as they are old enough they must earn their way in the race against starvation. The children of six and eight roam the streets searching, searching for food. Chou doesn't know whether his farm is still as he left it. He will go back when the fighting stops. Meanwhile, says Chou, "I have nothing. Nothing but my poor body." Li, a skinny, sad-faced man, was born on a large river boat 36 years ago. He doesn't know where. The Japanese bombed and sank that boat, killing his father and brother. So now, Li lives on a crude little Sampan in Soochow Creek, with his blind mother. He, too, lives on $100,000 (CN) a day and 2 meals of "hsi fan." He, too, trudges the streets of Shanghai, endlessly searching for salvageable garbage. Li is an able-bodied man. He is eager to work. But there is no work for him, either. Li would like to have a wife. He would like to have sons. "But," he says, "I have no food to eat. My old mother is blind and hungry. How can I have a wife . . . and sons?"
Disapproves War
He knows that the war being fought now is between Chinese and Chinese. He doesn't know why they are fighting. He believes that a Chinese who fights another Chinese must have something wrong with his mind. Until the fighting stops, says Li, the Chinese people will be hungry. There will be no way out for them. But millions of Chous and Lis have learned that there is another way of life for them. A way of life that provides work for the able-bodied; land for the tillers; education; hospitals. The Chinese people are making, or are being forced to make the choice between two ways of life. And their choice will determine the course China takes.