1937

To all of you who so kindly remembered US with Christmas cards and messages, our sincere thanks. In our haste to get our December column written, we forgot to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year. So here are our belated but sincere good wishes.

Wayne Bailantyne called me last week to Teport on his recent luncheon in Chicago with the Freds Asher and Castle. All is well with them, so he says. And during our telephone conversation, Wayne gave me two important announcements that relate to our Teunion in 1962. First of all, Bill Rotch, our newspaper editor in Milford, N. H., has agreed to tackle the job of editing our 85-Year Book. Anyone who has seen any of these publications has an appreciation of the size of the task that Bill has agreed to undertake. And from '37's point of view, Bill's experience in this editing business guarantees that our 25-Year Book will be an outstanding one. The second announcement also involves a "Bill," this time Bill Coe who has agreed to accept the job of Reunion Chairman. Bill is a real fine organizer, an ability that will stand him in good stead for this new task. It anay sound strange that your executive committee should be worrying,about a reunion that is still a year and a half away, but to do the job properly, a lot of time and planning are involved. With these two "Bills" on the job, we should have a terrific time.

We have word about a promotion for Joe Tardiff. For the last seven years, he has been works manager of Hooker Chemical's plant in Montague, Mich. Joe has been made manager-personnel development for Hooker, and will soon be transferred to the corporate "headquarters in New York City. During his stay in Montague, Joe has been very active in community affairs including Community Chest, Rotary Club, county and area committees and organizations.

Among our holiday letters are two that we would like to share with you. The first is from Jack Young who until recently was manager of the Cuban Portland Cement Corporation in Havana. His delightful letter reads like this: -

My last note was written from Havana, Cuba where you know we have been living since February, 1956. In my note to you I believe I told you that we were then planning a vacation in the States during the summer and that our eldest son, Jack, age seventeen, would undoubtedly precede us in order to work the summer months in Chicago. Well, Jack's plans went off on schedule, but plans for the rest of the family went awry.

Our other two children, Jane fifteen and Bob thirteen, were sent out of Cuba early in July because things looked a little tough at that time. I sent my wife, Ginny, to her mother's home in Illinois at the end of July. In August our cement plant was seized by the Cuban government. They came into the office with four soldiers, tommy guns and pistols at "ready" - and advised us "that we no longer had the authority to run the company. Since then, they had legalized the theft by "nationalization" of the property. Whatever it is called, it still is robbery.

We left all our furniture and personal belongings in Cuba and are hoping we may be able to get linens, furniture, dishes and clothing out of there. Items such as silver, pianos, typewriters, kitchen appliances, radios, TV and all electrical equipment are prohibited from leaving Cuba.

I have returned to Havana three times, the last trip being a week ago. In every visit I am stopped, searched and interrogated at the airport - but I believe it was worth it because I've managed to get some belongings of two of our American employees out of there.

Life in Havana is sad now. The atmosphere is grim. It is a typical police state where fear is so prevalent, one can almost smell it. There is no intent of purpose on the part of the Cuban now. He appears to act as a ghost. Business is at a low level, traffic is about half of what it was a year ago. Food is in short supply, spare parts are non-existent, housing is short too. BUT the propaganda keeps on against the "imperialistas!"

I am now working with our parent company in New York. Ginny and I are living in Greenwich, Conn. Jack is at Mercersburg Academy, Jane is at Charles Ellis School for Girls near Philly, Bob is at the Hill School at Pottstown. At least they are all in one state and we are together for holidays — at Intervale Place, Greenwich.

The other is another wonderful year-endletter from Bob and Meg Aylward. Wehaven't space to include it all, but perhapsthis portion will serve to bring you up todate on Bob's present activities, and at thesame time convey at least part of the excitement and vitality so evident in their letter.

It never happens but it did to us! The Aylwards are back in Hong Kong for another assignment. Bob flew out in June; Meg and the three children arrived in early September. He has a wonderful job as Chief of the Consulate General's Refugee and Migration Unit. It is fun to repeat a post and especially one we liked. However, we are still startled to be here instead of the European post we had expected. The four years at home went very fast. Many things we had hoped to do never got done, but all in all they were satisfying years. The children in particular enjoyed it and we all are now a more representative American family.

On June 8 Bob took the train to San Francisco, spent a couple of days there, then by Panam jet to Tokyo. Arriving the morning after the Diet riots he had the good luck to be at the Embassy that afternoon when the news broke that the Cabinet had just requested "postponement" of the Eisenhower visit. He watched the student "victory" parades down the Ginza that night and reflected on the changes in Japan since we were there in 1950-51. He made a flying day-trip to Nikko and came down to Hong Kong the next day.

As Chief of the Refugee and Migration Unit of the Consulate General, Bob deals with the program of assistance to selected groups of Chinese refugees in Hong Kong. All projects are carried out through the American voluntary agencies already operating here (CARE, Church World Service, National Catholic Welfare, etc.) and supplement their efforts. These programs include housing, vocational training, clinics, student aid as well as resettlement abroad where possible. The primary objective is to demonstrate the concern of the American people for the lot of the refugee who has fled the mainland and to assure him tangibly that the free world is a better place that he has not jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. Part of the job is also coordinating and working out the best utilization of the substantial quantities of U.S. surplus foods which are available for distribution. It is an absorbing, many faceted operation and he enjoys every minute of it - except the endless paperwork!

Hong Kong is still a boom town and after four years away, the changes are startling and impressive . . . the new runway stretching a mile into Kowloon Bay, the Chartered Bank (higher than the Bank of China!), the new ferry piers, a 20story skyscraper on the waterfront, big hotels on lower Nathan Road, a 1000-room hotel going up on Murray Parade Ground (owned and built by Texans!), and every where old buildings being razed and excavations with pile drivers pounding. The Colonial Government's program for refugee housing continues unabated with huge, multistoried flats for those now sleeping in stairways, rooftops, and hillside shacks. But in many other ways it is the same fascinating city with its beautiful harbor full of more ships than ever before, criss-crossing ferries, junks and sampans. The streets are crowded but people seem better dressed. Chinese babies still bounce cheerfully along on mothers' backs, and the Sikh guards are still at the banks. The myriads of uniformed school children come and go, and tourists with hats and cameras still rush from bargain to bargain. As before Hong Kong is the window on Communist China and it remains a stimulating and exciting place where correspondents, travelers, and officials try to understand what is happening in the colossus across the border 25 miles north.

Our new address is American Consulate General, Hong Kong, B.C.C. There is no A.P.O., and it is not Hong Kong, China. B.C.C. means British Crown Colony. We hope to see some of you passing through in the next few years. In the meantime, Merry Christmas from us all.

Secretary, 25 Old Stamford Rd. New Canaan, Conn.

Treasurer, 17 High St., Greenfield, Mass.