March 25

At the gates of the mission compound was a crowd of internees, several of whom were friends.

I slept with Martin under one cover, along with 20 all told on a board floor and mats in the basement of a recitation building. We slept on the floor for two nights. Llewellyn Davies gave us a heavy blanket, a heavy overcoat and a wadded garment which, with our steamer rugs above and below, saved our lives.

We had roll call in our eight groups, lined up two by two and just counted. Gertrude had a hard time on the floor with the other ladies on the first floor of the same building. Fires in rooms helped a bit as a cold N.E. wind sprang up.

Mar. 26

Drizzly rain off and on all day. Had roll call. Signed an oath "to obey rules and commit no hostile act," and declared our money. I had $717 and Gertrude $1,100. We had planned to leave $200 with DeVargas for poor preachers, but he was not at the station and we didn't see him at all on the afternoon we left Peking. I gave a Swedish lady my card asking her to give it to him — to attend to my box. Gertrude and I, like all married couples, were assigned a room by ourselves — Block 13 House 10. The Hubbard's are in House 11 and no one is in the end house, 12, so we are very secluded with no one to pass our doors.

Cold rain with some sleet kept us from moving in, as our big baggage has not come and we are allowed to stay in the same recitation building. Martin left me, but I had enough bedding with Davies' to use on the floor. Gertrude was on a cot with Dr. Brown. There was no fire except in adjoining rooms.

Slept 11 hours. It felt fine.

Mar. 27

Cold rain all night. It wets down all the dust, which was bad, and will be packed hard for a long time.
Great for the farmers.

Our beds are not yet here. Gertrude and I slept on the floor, warm. We are assigned a stove. Smithberger -- a former Marine and athletic coach at Fu Jen — got it set up and got the necessary tools.

Our bed also came and we got it set up too, so we had a good long warm night. The stove went out. Our baggage was under cover and got only slightly wet in transit. Poor coal — slag.

Sunday, Mar. 28

1/4 in ice, but with a bright clear sun. We are still settling in, but had a splendid eleven-hour sleep. Gertrude had no backache, thanks to the good double woven wire bed and mattress that we kept from the Language School house (but it was old abandoned private property).

Several services - Catholic Mass at 6 and 8 A.M.; Anglican Communion at 10 A.M.; Protestants at 4:00 P.M., with Hanson preaching on the Jews in exile and their prophets. Rather muddy in spots, but not bad.

The fire went out, but was red hot after being rebuilt. We had a good dinner with meat, potatoes, soup with vegetables.

Mar. 29

Got another trunk that had been here under cover all yesterday. Young huskies carry such stuff into our home.

Fine soup at noon with plenty of bread, just as at every meal. The bread is from Tsing tao — home-made style.

The Tientsin British and Americans came in with great applause from the crowds waiting around the gate. Included were the Strongs, Dr. Nutting, Miss Buck and Mr. Grimes, of our Mission.

Mar. 30

Warmer, but the fire was comfortable — came up finely from a mere spark.

Another good dinner and supper of vegetable soup and boiled potatoes in jackets bursting open.

I helped at the hospital to salvage good paper for an hour or so, and then cut up meat into inch cubes with Frank Grant, John Beal and Albert Liao — about 200 lbs. of meat, 50 of tendon and gristle, etc., for soup. Hard work — earned double ration, a blue card.

Pumping water is hard. They started in four shifts, 3 hours a day, for strong men but it was too hard and was cut to 2 hours. Gertrude helps cut up potatoes, etc.

The Peking British came in while I was at work. Their baggage was in ahead of them.

Mr. Grimes gave us $460 more so we have $1,886 plus $460. We now have $546 that is not yet declared.

Mar. 31

A Mr. & Mrs. Fleet came into the last building in our row. He is a mining engineer. I got them a mat and A.J. Steele got them bedding. He paints and likes birds — has read China Journal — and hung a painting of a kestrel on his room wall.

The last of the Tientsin contingent came in — parents with children. It is said that there are only a few scattered folks still to come.

Had squid steaks as the staple in our soup. Plenty of bread, but not quite so good as that brought from Tsingtao. It is home-made style.

We got the March 28 and March 30 Chronicle. Our table of nine paid for two months of the paper.

April 1

Gertrude cut vegetables 1 or 2 hours after breakfast. She and I went to salvage paper from the hospital records. We had a lot of bonfires outside and burnt much good kindling but we will not need a fire much longer.

More squids - but a very good meat noodle soup with vegetables, potatoes, etc., as well as the squid chowder.

Better coal is now to be had at the public dump.

Our last trunk is not yet opened. Prayer meeting at 4 p.m. today, led by R.W. Cooley. The church is so cold that we stayed away.

Hub and Knauff speak of hearing geese going over during the nights. I thought I dreamed it once.

Apr. 2

Heavily overcast and the east wind brought rain after lunch.

We opened our last trunk and packed two trunks with things not needed until next winter, arranged along the west wall so as to make seats and a table in the middle, made of two trunks piled on either side, with one streamer trunk or chest with suitcases set on top for a seat and back.

Worst fish chowder yet seen, full of fine fish bones — but plenty of bread, and it had a good flavor. Mrs. Henning learned that Gertrude could not eat the fish chowder (she is allergic) and brought her two eggs bought here at 60 cents apiece. We gave her a tin of milk — we had eight given to us by Chinese.

Sunday, April 4

We were ordered to deposit all the money we had declared with the bank by Sunday P.M.

A long queue for the 8:00 - 9:30 breakfast. Getting hot water at 10 a.m. and the bank took up the day until a little after church time. Gertrude and I divided the time in line and deposited $1,800, with a receipt to be given the next day. When we left Peking it was worth at the rate of 9 to 11 FRB to $1 U.S.

Cotterill preached well on "The Church," it being the fourth in the series planned in Peking for Lent.

The hospital clean-up was postponed over Sunday, but carpenters had to continue work and kitchen knives had to be sharpened, so E. L Johnson got the whetstone and I did it at home. Sharpened about a dozen knives. L. Davies keeps the books of tools loaned by the hospital, and I sharpen knives right beside him on his counter.

Apr. 5

Gertrude and I got hot water in a pail and a big dish loaned by Martin to do our washing — one sheet, one shirt, one union suit, etc.

Got our receipt for $1,800. Wrote and mailed letters to DeVargas and to Vetch.

April 8

This week I have put in 2 to 4 hours a day sharpening knives and tools, especially 5 bread knives, 5 butcher knives, 2 cleavers and the women's vegetable kitchen knives. I drop in a yellow slip giving the hours worked every day.

On Wednesday I went to look over the wall at ramps to the lookout stations on three sides of the compound. A Japanese soldier called me off before I got to the top of the third one, on the south side, and tried to set me and Hubbard to work cleaning up bricks and rubbish in back of our kitchen #3, near the gate. He was rather gruff and would not listen to Hub's explanation that he was in charge of labor, and that I was old. "Mei kuanse." An officer watching the work asked my age and when I said 73 he patted my back and said "We are looking for young men to work."

We subscribed for the Chronicle for 2 months to come to Hub for the nine at the table in the American Board Mission. Got March 26 and 28. The office clerk told me none had come since then. The Salvation Army people say that a whole issue of the Chronicle was burned because it had big headlines — "Russia Declares War on Japan" — and it is said that fighting continues on the Siberian front.

Gertrude and I are on a list of old folks and parents who have a green "P" badge giving priority in the waiting lines for meals, dishes to be washed, and water. We don't like to use the privilege, but have done so. It is very kind of the committee.

Evacuation — i.e. repatriation — of Americans is still in the air. All who have not registered are asked to do so, so there is still hope for it.

On Thursday Hub and I started on the Chihli bird list again, checking up on Shaw's book to put his "Shaw" initial on our complete list.

Hemmingsen at Pei T'ai Ho does not want any letters. A few days ago someone got a comfort package by mail and had to pay $20 war tax, probably more than it was worth.

A coolie caught selling eggs or something was beaten, and a report said that one was given the water cure (torture). The seller of brooms — last week at $1.00, this week at $1.50 — says he is not afraid, but keeps it secret.

Chinese say that Japan and Russia have fought for a week. A Japanese said Tokyo has been bombed twice.

Apr. 9 to 15

Were notified that stoves must be turned in by April 15 and it was done on the 13th, but families with babies and old folks were allowed to retain them. It has been chilly nights and mornings as the spring seems two or three weeks later than it is in Peking. Poplars bloomed March 14-16 there, and by March 24th they were shedding their flowers on us as we loafed at the American Legation lawn for examination.

The Bank opened today, April 15, to pay the monthly stipend of $30 per adult in FRB notes for our purchases at the Canteen. A canteen opened about the 13th with laundry soap $2.50 a bar, one bar per person, cold cream, etc. We need pails, and a long list signed up for them at $10:00. The canteen is to get them. Brooms rose from $1.00 to $1.50 and $2.00.

Softball baseball is drawing crowds. Tientsin beat Peking (14 to 12), and Tsingtao, also winning return game in 11 innings, 10-7.

On Tuesday (April. 13) I gave three or four Badger Clark poems in a prayer meeting on "Finding God in new Surroundings." Many couldn't hear, though I spoke loudly.

Some said they heard about a half, some a third. Several asked for his book.

Hub and I worked on the Chihli bird list.

April 16

A fine ball game, Peking 10, Tsingtao 9, in 11 innings.

I continue grinding knives, 5 bread, 7 butcher, 12 kitchen knives, plus private knives, hospital scissors, carpenters' planes and chisels, 1 to 4 hours a day.

Rumor says that the Japanese have done to Vladivostok what they did to Pearl Harbor. Russia and Japan are fighting. A Solomon Islands sea victory is claimed. There is still fighting in Tunis.

Apr. 17

Chronicles of Mar. 30 and April 1 arrived. No news except that Gabes are about to fall to the A's. The Axis is greatly outnumbered in Africa. The right bank of the Donetz is still fought for.

4-2.

A fine 11-inning game of softball was won by the Fathers (Catholic), over Tientsin

Began getting tree specimens to identify.

Sunday, Apr. 18

A Red Cross "comfort loan" of $50 per month, (U.S. $4.50), will be given to all who have applied for evacuation. It will be applied to our account with the Bank and we will still draw $50 a month. (The comfort loan is $80 per couple, and less for children — $30, etc., according to age.) We only had to sign.

There was a two hour Palm Sunday Catholic service in the morning.

Apr. 19,

I have an apprentice at knife-grinding, Mr. Littler of Salvation Army, who put in 2 hours.

The Swiss consul of Tsingtao came to inspect the camp. No one was allowed to mention camp conditions. Old Dr. Hayes, 86, went on a stretcher to see him. When asked where he would prefer to go if taken away from here he replied: (1) Heaven; (2) my old home in T'eng Hsien; (3) A larger room here; (4) America. Tokyo had cabled that he could be left at T'eng Hsien, but it was suppressed at the office here until he was brought here.

A fine sunny wash day. After heating water for wash we let the fire go out, as the thermometer stood at 88 degrees for the room.

Apr. 20

Consul Ager came again, followed by a bag of mail, and we have ten more copies of The Chronicle, up to April 11 since March 26 — 14 in all, with two missing. A lot of big boxes came in, some being electric refrigerators, but the current will not run them.

The stove is out and we probably will not build a fire again. It is hot in the middle of the day, cool at night.

Apr. 21

Water is getting lower in the wells, and rationing is threatened. Nothing but wash water is to be used on plants. The big Men's W.C., closed for repairs for several days, is now open only for two hours a day for emptying chamber pots. Our ladies' toilet in Chinese style is done every day.

Miss Studley returned Badger Clark's poems, "read from cover to cover." I took it to Bryson and found him in bed.

Gertrude worked 5 hours a day or more making one-finger mittens for fire-stokers, two or three thicknesses on the palm, made of heavy canvas — hard to sew.

Electric light is on.

April 22

Peking 7, Tientsin 3 in soft ball. Many errors, but interesting.

Had Communion service in the evening. We are reading "Intimate Papers of Col. House" aloud.

Apr. 23

There is candy and fruit at the canteen.

Steiner's "Crucifixion" in the evening. Crowded.

Apr. 24

Left Peking one month ago.

Got a few cheap candies for $2.40. They are now to be bought by the warden of each block and divided among his subjects, 26 in our block of 13 rooms.

Tientsin softball took revenge on the Fathers, 11-1. Steiner's "Crucifixion" again -- crowded.

Sunday, Apr. 25, EASTER

Beautiful clear fresh morning. The young peoples' Sunrise Service at 6:30 am Tokyo time among the trees in front of No. 23 hall was very impressive.

Shaw asked me for the correction on a sundial to get mean time. I had one from my diary of 1922 and he plans to get a dial up.

Sycamore Avenue in front of No. 23 is just blossoming, small leaves and buttons, male and female.

Finished Vol. I of "Intimate Papers."

Catholics had a morning service with a Bishop from Canada preaching well in English. The Anglicans also, and at 4:30 p.m. Eric Liddell6 preached an Easter Sermon well — "The Significance of the Resurrection for Protestants."

Hubbard and I worked on the Hopei bird list in the evening.

We had extra food - good cake with orange peel sauce for dessert.

Some Catholics helped sing and a good many attended our service, as we did theirs. The young priests are quite jolly with the young girls here, and are inviting them to Mass.

April 26, 1943 Red Cross Letter. G.D. Wilder to Theodore S. Wilder from Civilian Assembly Center, Weihsien, Shantung, China. This letter reached Geneva (via Shanghai) on Sept. 20, 1943 and the American Red Cross on Nov. 11, 1943, with a typed note: "No reply necessary as inquirer returning on Gripsholm." (TSW) "Here one month, one room, double bed, stove, trunks, table, occupy space. Internees all work. Church services, baseball, strolling inside compound. Food enough. Well."

April 26

Got up early — 6:30 — to get hot water for a bath, and went around with Hub identifying birds and trees. Hua chiao - Chinaberry - and Wulung buds are just swelling - Paulonia leaves are only on root sprouts.

We are ordered to get all goods out of our rooms so the floors can be painted with a germicidal wax. Some bed-bugs have been reported, but we have seen none.

Eric Liddell, the Olympic champion who was one of the two runners featured in the film AChariots of Fire.@ He later died of a brain tumor and was buried in the Wehsien camp. (See Norman Cliff's and David Michell's descriptions at end of April diary entries.)

Rev. Murakami came from Peking, bringing letters, flashlights, etc. The Pope had asked that his people not be interned, or to be kept as near as possible to their field of work, so now those from Meng Chiang and the North are allowed to decide whether to return and be interned in Peking or elsewhere. They say they want to stay here, in the main. The Bishops are consulting.

Miss Marian Speer of Yenching led the Praise Meeting, and then there was a musical entertainment.

April 27

Up early. Hugh and I moved everything occupying floor space out into the yard before breakfast, then we waited around until near noon. It was reported that there was not enough of the paint, but it just lasted until our 3 rooms — 13-10, 11 and 12 — were all done. We had to camp out on our mattresses spread over trunks and suitcases all afternoon.

Went to the ball game, Tientsin vs. Tsingtao. They tied 3-3, then 5-5, and ran into 14 innings, ending 7-5 for Tsingtao. Rumpf, a professional in hardball, pitched for Tientsin.

We moved back into our rooms after supper, but hardly got settled. Irwin and Wright and Strong and Hubbard carried our trunks in.

Apr. 28

Our neighbors are compelled to put all their things out into the front yard to have their floors painted.

I umpired a major league ball game, Peking 4 to Tientsin Yankees 1. It was a good, fast game, 1 2 hours. Only one questionable decision on a foul past 3rd base.

Apr. 30

Lost my fountain pen. We got our flashlights back, but no binoculars.

May 1

Watched the game. The Fathers won, 12 or 13 to Tsingtao's 2. (They got 9 runs in the 1st inning).

Went to a concert - piano and violin, a mixed quartet, and a 3/4 hour Tchaikovsky piano solo by A.C. Grimes Jr., with the orchestral parts played on a second piano by Ruth Stahl — very fine!

Saw a newt in the drain at the kitchen's pump. Forgot to take it to Miss Borung.

May 2

RAIN - heavy in the evening.

Howard Smith preached on "Thomas' Belief in Immortality" — due to his invincible faith in a kind, loving, just and righteous God, as Jesus had showed him.

The Canteen sold fruits much cheaper; finally sold off apples at 5 for $1.00.

L. Tipton was arrested and quizzed on suspicion of having dealings with the enemy in the person of a Chinese carpenter. Several people have bought smuggled eggs, 50 or 100 at $1.00 each — but it is dangerous.

May 3

Drew a rough map of the western edge of the camp, to put in trees — found 22 species on it.

Cold, strong NW wind — 68 degrees.

May 4

At 10:00 a.m. "All out!" for roll call, covering the athletic field. It was not fully satisfactory and we are to have another tomorrow.

Major league baseball — Peking 0 to Tientsin Giants 1 in the last inning, and one that didn't count.

Evening prayer meeting — well lead by someone from the Oriental Mission. A Japanese in civilian clothes came to the door and finally stayed through the service.

On the way home a Chinese with basket of 200 or 300 eggs came in with a Japanese soldier. When the Japanese who was at the prayer-meeting came along, the one escorting the egg-man made the egg-man disappear into a convenient court. There is a big bootleg business going on over the wall. We think the authorities or some of the Japanese divide the profits. Several Chinese were arrested for selling and last night one woman escaped over the wall. A sister followed and saw it. A Father was quizzed as to why he bought eggs and replied that he didn't get enough to eat.

May 5

Gertrude did dishwashing before breakfast. She was able to get boiling water. Hub made a comfortable seat with the two end-irons of a school desk, laced together with rope.

The "All out" count took from 10:00 to 11:20 because one warden forgot to count himself. The great rush of bootlegging has slowed up since arrests were made of two foreigners and some Chinese.

May 6

The locust tree has grown 2 1/8 inches in a day and 1 1/2 in a night.

The Catholic Fathers beat the Tientsin Yanks 8-2, shutting them out after the first inning. There were several snappy double plays, especially by their shortstop, Kleine.

Identified the beautiful fringe tree. Many go to see it.

There was a Congregational meeting of all Xns (except Catholics) at 8 P.m. to discuss a "Union Church" or a fellowship to include all. Garvin said he would have to leave at once if it was called a "Church," but we can't see why, since he preaches, etc. at Union Church in Peking.

May 7 - 9

Bought three bottles of orange cider soda water " $1.70. There is a rumor of other goods coming. No pails as yet. Refrigerators (electric) are being set up — the best of these in Japanese residences.

Temperature was 68-78 degrees Thursday.

A rumor of a letter encouraging us thrown over the wall. Eggs are still sold, but not easily — 50 or 100 at a time, $1.00 apiece. The Germans are unable to make a spring offensive in Russia, and are retiring from Africa by plane.

My class in Chinese characters gathered in vain by mistake. It is to begin on Monday. In baseball, Peking 8, Tientsin Yanks 2. Sunday sermon by Cullen of Tientsin London Mission Society was good, on "The Problem of Evil."

Martin read the last chapter of his book -- a good ending.

Kitchen No. 1 caught fire from fat and burned a section of the roof.

Paulonia Avenue trees are being cut by the carpenter for timber. They were 16 years old, some 1 2 to 2 feet in diameter at the base.

May 10

No more tree cutting today.

I happened in on a birthday party yesterday in back of #24, when I followed the coolies carrying the Paulonia logs to the carpenter shop.

Had my first lecture to about 30 on Chinese character writing at 5 p.m. Beginners and advanced were together. Gave the general principles of character structure.

Found pannicles of small lavender-pink buds of Chinaberry tree just opening. The fringe tree is almost white, as though covered with snow.

There are rumors that both Japanese and Chinese armies are losing many men in severe fighting. Tunis has fallen. Soldiers who fought against Germany are interned for fear they will revolt — also Belgians.

All of us were weighed by doctors. I am 149 (154 in Peking). We are both lighter here. Gertrude is only 105.

May 11

All mail except postcards, which were sent, is to be returned to us next Friday or Saturday.

Single people are to get $50 a month for miscellaneous expenses, married couples $80, not $60 as announced before. Children of certain ages get certain allowances.

It is not too hot - 82 degrees in the room, 72 the night before. Baseball: Tientsin Giants lost to the Yankees, 15 to 3 or 4.

We got our windows screened to be fly-proof with some lace curtains and a lace lien tze on 5 or 6 split bamboo rods.

May 12

Had my second lecture on character writing, beginners and intermediates together - on etc.

Mail is in — only got the Chronicle for May 1 - 7, with one or two missing. We are to get all the mail that we have sent out back again on Friday or Saturday.

It rained hard in the early morning after a sprinkle all night. There are many leaks in others' roofs and the streets hold water in many places, so that draining had to be done, the athletic field especially.

Father ? _lectured on "My Life as a Trappist" at Yang Chia P'ing. Standing room was already taken and there was no admission for us. It was very fine, and it is hoped to be repeated.

Peking folks to arrive tonight.

May 13

Went up on the tower after the rain, but it was rather misty. I saw at a distance in the wind the great difference between Populus alba (or tomentosa), with the silvery under- surface of its leaves, and Populus tremula diurdiana —.

Peking folks came in rickshas, etc. about 7 a.m. after a through train ride. Grabau, Ferguson, Aikins, Gillis, Leynse, et. al. are still exempted, but mostly are interned in the British legation. The Swedes were put out of the Presbyterian Mission, preparatory to looting or turning it over to the Chinese government.

Good news from Tunis, Bizerte with Fuelles (?) Islands — 75,000 prisoners.

May 14

Had the last of three lectures to my united class in Character Writing.

Much excitement over orders not to buy from Chinese. Rumor said a Father was caught and warned that he would be shot on sight if caught again. He said he hoped they would not shoot until they saw the whites of his eggs!

May 15

Baseball between Fathers and Tsingtao. Poor.

Sunday, May 16

Strong preached.

Candy and peanuts are offered in the Canteen.

We were notified that no letters have been sent out as yet.

There are still rumors of the Fathers from the North returning to Peking, but to self- support and detention just as close as here.

May 17

Began separate classes on Chinese Characters — beginners at 4:00 and intermediates at 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

I still sharpen knives every other day, changing off with Littler.
May 18

Umpired: Catholic Fathers 4 to Tientsin Giants 3. A good game with a queer case of "dead ball" from a bunt toward first bounding backward and then striking the bat just as the runner dropped it. I called it a dead ball. The bat left it on fair ground. It might have gone foul.

May 19

Got May 9, 12, 13 papers. Tunis is evacuated. The Riviera is all fortified along with the rest of the Mediterranean. Rumors are afloat that Guam and Wake are retaken and the Dardanelles opened — also that Cinstanza is taken or attacked by the Allies.

A good concert.

May 20

Baseball: The Tientsin combined team, (Giants and Yankees) lost to the Padres 8-2. Had a pretty young married woman to chat with.

Porter was arrested, rebuked, and slapped -- it is said for insulting the guard. Haven't heard his story. Someone saw him standing quiet and dignified while the officers shouted at him and slapped him in public.

Gertrude is under the weather. Upset by some Dutch porridge but seemingly not infected by germs -- temperature of 100.

Cold weather — 62 & 68 as a minimum in the room, to 78 as a maximum. Eastham has some sort of flu rather badly.

May 21

More rumors. The betting is 6 to 1 on the Bourse that war will end in June.

Our mail has not gone out since we came to Wei Hsien.

Hub and I are asked to take folks out birding Monday and Thursday before breakfast. Orders are out that the black market over the wall for eggs must be stopped on pain of severe punishment to individuals and to the community as a whole.

May 22

Tientsin Giants lost to Yankees this afternoon, 5-2. Still sharpening the kitchen knives with Littler. We alternate days and put in about 5 hours a week.

Sunday, May 23

Earle preached a fine sermon.

May 24

Did not go out with a group as the notice posted for bird walks before breakfast was for Tuesday and Thursday, so no one appeared.

I had my beginners class and proposed they go into the intermediate class after another week.

It was our 48th wedding anniversary. Mary sent over some cake and we sent John a box of candy for his birthday.

May 25

Had about 20 for a bird walk, right on time. Cloudy. Padres against the Yanks, 4-1.

May 26

Had both classes, from 4 to 6. It is rather hard, going so long.

May 27

Had no ball game, the series being over, but the Catholic Fathers against the All-Stars is posted for Saturday.

Rumor through the Dutch of a naval battle off Malacca Strait near Singapore and Japan's scuttling ships to prevent their being captured or sunk by the enemy!! Also that T'eng Hsien was evacuated by the Japanese on the understanding that the Chinese troops would move in, but Wang Ching Wei finally decided not to, so Teng Hsien is "free." This was reported by a Chinese workman who saw a Teng Hsien preacher preaching by the river near here. The schools are dismissed for the time.

May 28

Had class and examination of beginners — good — all got 90 - 100 except one, Sister Immaculata, age 74.

Lost my large pan liang, having failed to pick it up.

May 29

Peking 5, Padres 2. Only the second defeat suffered by the Fathers. Seven men and hard ball with special ground rules; on a full-sized diamond. They use Japanese rubber balls and a regulation ball at times. Lost four of the former over the wall in the last game, but got others back.

Many rumors.

May 30

Sermon by a Tsingtao man.

Finished the tree map. Miss Borung is putting the index in alphabetical order. Loaned Matthews to Wright.

May 31

Had bird walk.

June 7

George King of Canada preached.

The week is quieter because of threats to punish black marketers. The Trappist who repeated his lecture on life at Yang Chia Ping is the leader in the black market. He was caught and quizzed. When asked why he bought over the wall, he said, "There is not enough to eat. We need eggs and chicken for the sick. There is no other way to get it unless you sell it to us." He was told he would be confined in solitude and replied, "For 30 years I've been that way at our monastery, talking to none." "You will get only bread and water." "I'm a vegetarian and live that way most of the time at Yang Chia Ping."

A boy, Lambert, was caught Monday morning and threatened. Caught again, he was beaten up and suffocated by the guard, but soon was out again boasting of his torture. He is said to get it for others and will not sell or give it to his mother. Said to be a reckless, wild boy. But a Mrs. Richards speaks Japanese, and took to the officer a picture of this boy being given a medal from Baden-Powell for having saved a Japanese from drowning at Pei Tai Ho. The officer recognized the boy and she gave him a tongue- lashing for requiting him in this way.

The black market is on again. Bought refined peanut oil at $10 for a 3-pint bottle. My Marine friend got five for us and our neighbors; also 5 lbs. of peanut meats at $4.50 a pound. Eggs are promised, too.

June 8

A good softball game, Peking 3, Tientsin Giants 2, won by a sacrifice fly in last half of the 9th inning with only one out.

Two ladies from K'ai chou arrived, Miss Kupper and Mrs. _, after 6 weeks on the way.

Rumor - a Chinese letter saying to buy soon, for barbed wire is to be put all around the wall to prevent buying from outside Chinese. Davies says he saw the letter and it is genuine. They have gotten in a lot of barbed wire lately.

A Catholic Father gets a typed letter from French Catholics in Wei Hsien sent in over the wall. One says that three evacuation ships are on the way -- one to take Americans in about two weeks.

June 9

A good class to Phonetic 70.

We were offered honey at $6.50 per pound at the Fathers' Black Market. Also oil, at $8.00 per bottle, and vinegar.

June 10

Went to the Fathers' market for 1 lb. of honey. The Trappist had been caught at midnight dealing over the wall and a Chinese "who stuck is head up" was shot at. The Father went home to bed and the guard called him out for interrogation but he was let go in 10 minutes.

The Chinaberry planted by Mrs. Jackson has sprouted. It is Melia azedarach.

June 11-23

Board is rather thin and there is general sickness — 200 are ill, and there is a lack of pep in everybody. I umpired a minor ball game and it was characterized by lack of pep.

The black market had flourished, but is being severely forbidden.

Two expert masons came and spent half day (their time off) building a "corn stove" up on our foundation.

June 23-30

Much better food. In the evening, dinners of potatoes, fried or mashed with plenty of gravy, roast beef, one or two vegetables such as string beans (once), summer squash (three times), greens and soup. This went on all the week and into the next.

From about the 25th to 30th Hubbard and Gertrude both were sick in bed with diarrhea. Hub had bronchitis as well. I had to do all the chores, emptying slops, getting various kinds of water, bringing their meals from Hospital One. When they were up and out I came down with temp of 102.5, Wednesday, June 30th, and chills that night, beginning on my way home from E.T.C. Werner's lecture on "Chinese History from a Sociologist's Standpoint" covering two periods, Feudal and Monarchic. I had had a full day, sitting for a pen portrait by Father Genechten for an hour. He couldn't get the likeness as he did with Porter and Britland, both in characteristic pipe-smoking attitudes.

Prepared for class in Characters at 5 p.m. Went to Werner's lecture from 8 to 9 p.m., then it was the shakes for me. I had caught cold a week before June 23 when it was cool and I was in a sleeveless shirt in the evening.

Our thermometer runs from 68 at night to 78 in the daytime - our hottest temperature in the house during this period was 84. In May it had been up to 88 in the house. Our stove has an oven that is always warm, and it can bake a cake with a special fire. We four west-enders use it. It is the best stove built yet, to our mind.

Sister Colette and another bring some new tree leaves for identification, they having gone into the residence compound out of bounds two or three times.

I saw Bishop Morel, whom I had met at 30 li west of Saratsi and had a talk with him.

He says the irrigation canal was a great success — washing out the alkali from the soil into the river again — never spoiling the fields, as was feared by Dr. P. But it has been neglected so that it is now useless, though not ruined.

I saw Father Genechten's picture of the dead Father, who is to be buried Friday temporarily in the cemetery cow pasture. The Trappist Father _, who had run the black market business for the community and had been threatened several times, was jailed on June 30 in the foreign residences in the cemetery at the S.E. corner of grounds. They do not seem to have carried out the threat of a bread and water diet, but say he will be released from solitary confinement in two weeks.

We got 100 kao liang stalks for $5 and have stuck up our tomatoes 15 inches high, a square support around each of 50 plants.

High School Commencement was a fine affair, Gilkey giving an excellent address full of local color. Three grads, Stephen Shaw, Miss Hansen and a Tsingtao girl, got diplomas for work finished this year, and two (Nancy Pratt and another) received them for finishing last year's work.

A very oratorical, poetical tragic-comedy was given by the best talent of the camp on June 25. Gertrude was in bed, but I went.

Have gotten eggs again at 42 cents apiece, chickens (good) at $11.00, millet at $5.00 a catty, and glad to get it at that. The Canteen is getting a lot of goods now and we order things like umbrellas (paper) at $11, cloth at $18, a 4-story lunch set at $11.50, etc.

Rumors galore and no papers since the 21st, e.g. 3 victories in Burma, one in the Russell Island of the Solomons claimed by the Japanese, whose claim to have downed a big U.S. bomber at Hanoi indicates the truth of rumors of air attacks there. Japanese reports of our retaking Attu Island confirms rumors. A Chinese claim of victory at I Chang, getting 30,000 Japanese soldiers, and the evacuation of Hankow by the Japanese is doubtful.

June 30.

Went to Werner's lecture, 8-9 p.m.. Taken with chills on the way home, and two more times in the night. Just a week before I had had slight trachea trouble, gradually increasing until July 1st I began to cough up yellow sputum from the chest. Dr. Lewis started sulphapyridine, three times a day. Temperature of 102.5 on Thursday. Dropped to 100. Sulphapyridine on the second afternoon made me a little nauseated and I lost my appetite. A temperature of 99.6 and 99 hung on, keeping me in bed.

Sunday, July 4

Our English neighbor, the mining engineer Fleet, wishes us many happy returns of the day and at breakfast they sang "Happy Birthday to Uncle Sam."

I went to the hospital for meals today and yesterday, but my temp has risen a bit this afternoon and I will stay in tomorrow.

Sister Colette has had to leave my class, but came again with two oaks and Huai shu buds. She has made her list and writes the Chinese characters.

Read a letter from an outsider offering to take our money to Tsingtao, buy the things we need and deliver them at the lowest prices.

Last month the wires were stretched around us about six feet out from the wall, and insulated for electric current, but the merchants were willing to risk it.

A big shower floods our garden and washes out a bit of our compound wall but no one will try to flee!

July 5 to 12

The doctor let me up after two days. My temperature was normal on Saturday July 10 and Sunday the 11th. On the 12th I had class as usual and sharpened knives, but got pretty tired. We hear that repatriation is still being discussed. Letters from the U.S. of last March speak of the Gripsholm still lying in Boston harbor waiting to go to Goa for us. It is due to leave about 15th, taking 38 days to Goa. The Swiss consul here has us make out new papers for repatriation: women and children first, old folks 65 plus next; prisoners first of all. It is said that only about 200 of the 400 Americans here want repatriation. The Catholics will return to Peking instead.

The last class of the term is on July 17.

Our food is much better. We have eaten at our kitchen since about the 10th. Father was let out OK. Cheered.

The Japanese head says this camp will be closed before winter as the sanitation would freeze up, the Catholics going back to Peking, the rest to places in Shanghai vacated by American repatriates.

Sunday, July 19

On July 18, Rev. Cooke of Wu ting fu, Tang shan and Tsingtao preached on Isaiah, "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord" - good. Went to song service conducted by the girls' junior choir.

I worked sharpening knives. Ripe tomatoes were issued.

July 22

Had an extra good meal of potatoes, meat, etc. We got a second helping of potatoes and took it home to fry for breakfast.

July 23

Finest breakfast yet, and at home with fried potatoes, boiled egg, stew coffee, peanut butter and honey, and couple of tasty foreign apples, bought yesterday.

Another sale of tomatoes and decaying peaches. Good peaches at 4 for $1.00. Best breakfast yet. Good tasty hot stew for dinner with a tomato and an apple. The food is improving and we both have good appetites.

A cable from the State Department sets September 15 as the exchange date at Goa.

Dr. Robinson, our neighbor, took a sick person to Peking, under guard, closely watched. He had two chances to ask, "any outstanding news?" Both said nothing in detail, but generally good news. The Sicily front is advancing northwards. The papers cry out against the bombing of Rome — the first. The Basilica is destroyed — accurate work. The Vatican denounces it, as do the Germans and Italians in Shanghai also.

Dr. Robinson reported this morning that Hoeppli considers the repatriation of U.S. nationals to be going smoothly - all lists of both sides are in.

Baseball is scheduled two games a day, on three days of the week.

Yesterday, Thursday, we cleaned house under the bed, sunned the winter bedding, etc. Galt gave us small nails and ten squares, and I took off the bottom of the trunk tray, reversed it and nailed it on again so it can travel once more.

Mr. Barr, the new helper on kitchen knives, is doing well. We take every other day. I needed to use only an hour today. I did about 11 hours last week. A fine breakfast (Friday the 23rd). Knife work 1 hour only.

Checked up on the tree map, which is now posted in the Science Hall (24) for use of the public and a class in Biology.

Candy for sale again but no eggs, and the black market has been closed by constant guard for two weeks.

Apple fritters for supper with hash and vegetables and good potatoes — two weeks now of good food.

Baseball: Kitchen #3 vs. Kitchen #1 drew a tremendous crowd surrounding the diamond. It ended 6-2 in their favor. A return game was later won by Kitchen #1. Then they played the "8-ballers," who won in a tight game 5-4. "Wendy" pitched for the 8-Balls on July 24 and sportingly said, "It was a good lose."

Sunday, July 25

Busby preached - easily heard. American Board folks met at 7-9 p.m., discussing how to get started again. A statement by Wei Chin Yu was interesting, but most of the time was spent on the question, "What is the Church?."

Barr's work on knives -- WWW pattern — still works and we both follow it with all knives, vegetable, butcher, bread, and kitchen.

July 28

The kitchen ball games this week still arouse great interest. Kitchen #2 against #1.

July 31.

Peking and Tsingtao beat Tientsin 12-3, getting 9 runs in one inning, mostly after 2 out.
Better food of late but not enough eggs. "Wall" eggs at $.50 are coming in again after a month's cessation of the Black Market, with the guards vigilant, too. The corner tower with a red door, ladder, and grass roof has been demolished and a new and better tile roof put on it, and a guard is there all the time — see Gertrude's sketch.

Sunday, Aug. 1

Corkey preached on "Faith (Vision) in God and Man." He was heard easily at back until far along in the sermon. A full house, but in the evening the "Fathers'" 7 - 9 p.m. concert competes successfully with our Protestant song service.

Ate supper — a good one, with roast meat, potatoes, gravy, etc. — with Miss Adams in the church door, the coolest place to be found. Thermometers read 103 in the shade, it was said. Ours stood at 90 in the room, the highest yet in the house.

Aug. 2-6

Baseball: much interest in the kitchen teams. Our Kitchen No. 3 first team lost twice to No. 1, considered the best. No. 2 Kitchen beat the "8-Balls" and No. I. We played No. 2 again on August 4th and won 6-5. Steven Shaw starred by making four long fly catches — one while falling backward after a jump — and a home run in the 9th, winning the game.

Robbins Strong caught for Father Whalen in the game yesterday, just as Kitty went to the hospital to have her baby. He went to her after the game at 8 p.m. and stayed to see the baby born at 1:50 a.m., August 6th — "Tracy Burr Strong," hesitating some over the middle name, being doubtful if Aaron Burr was a traitor or not.

August 6th went to the 29th anniversary of the wedding of Fred Pyke and Frances Taft. Six or seven of the guests were born in China.

After supper our Kitchen #3 second team lost 6-3 to the Braves in soft ball, largely due to a rank decision of "out" at the plate when the catcher never touched the runner sliding feet first into the catcher, who was reaching high over his head to catch the ball, and came crashing down on top of the runner, bases still loaded.

The Canteen has laundry soap for all — one cake each, $1.60 per cake, 4 x 2 x 1 inch for the month of August. I got 12 cakes for us and three families in John Stanley's corner Block 15. His Charlie walked at the end of July and is progressing finely.

After the baseball we went to a high-grade concert of a 20-piece orchestra concert, two vocal soloists, a duet, and a mixed quartet, and a piano solo accompanied by the orchestra. Miss Stranks, soloist, was given a bouquet from our garden.

Aug. 7

Three ball games — 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. The Major league begins a new round on Monday. The Saturday afternoon game — Padres 8 - Peking Tsingtao Combined 4 — was lost by errors. The Padres have a very fast air-tight infield, with Valerian Wendelen Schott, a great outfielder in as short stop in place of Kleine — the fastest thinker, thrower and runner in the camp, a short, stocky, good-natured padre.

Spent three days, of three hours each, with Hayes, checking up on Directory of the Camp; not finished.

The concert was given again, very fine for a camp with no equipment, music, etc.

Sunday, Aug. 8

Last week we were warned not to send orders to Tsingtao for goods if we were expecting to go on the repatriation ship.

Rather sultry - 88 in house.

Dewey of Chang Li preached for youngsters on "The Value of a Man" in a very intimate, interesting way.

Last week the Canteen announced that tomato season is over! Meaning they would supply no more, though the country is full of them. Watermelons, delicious though small, were sold twice last week at $4 and $2 each, 40 one time and 100 the other, two to six persons, with a certificate of sale to prevent one person buying twice. Big baskets of plums came in yesterday. They seem to plan one sample of each fruit — "each kind in its season."

Aug. 9

Heard Barr say that the meat cutters said the knives are too sharp — one cut himself. I had to put in only an hour on them Sunday morning.

Hayes and I nearly finished the check-up of the Directory as to kitchens etc., by nationalities and of working age.

The 6:30 - 8 p.m. baseball game began the new series of Major League games with a game between the Padres and the "Camp." Peyton bets $150 to $100 that the Padres do not lose a game. Only one error and a balk that lost the game 2-1 for the Padres. Pitcher Lin, a cricketer, has not quite got the game in his blood and lost it by a balk and by getting caught out on first base.

Aug. 10. I did knives and Mr. Chin cut down the high ends of our stove; then I smoothed it off with a gravel-concrete block, so it will be better.

Good food today. Our big yellow tomatoes are fine, meaty and almost seedless. One is enough for two plates.

Camp Stars against the Padres lost again today 12-13 in a most exciting game. Great enthusiasm. The field was surrounded with people. That makes two games for the Fathers.

Prayer meeting was very difficult for the first half hour. Aug. 11

The head of the camp definitely declared that the Fathers are to leave for Peking August 16. Americans are probably to be evacuated by August 30, and 300 Chefoo school children and internees will be brought here.

Had a fine Padres vs. Camp ball game — exciting almost every inning, and 1,2,3, out in order several times. Father Schott, a sure catch, jumped for a fly and knocked it down over his head and back into Father Andy's hands, but he dropped it. This was the only error. Leo Thomas pitched for the Camp — the one whose balk lost the first game. The Padres only run was in the last inning, 1-1, followed by Troxall (shortstop) out-tricking Wendy, who had tricked them so often. Playing for best three out of five games in successive days, 2 to 1 in the Stars' favor. It was the only game the Fathers have lost since one early in season. After the game Father Fayer spoke to a group on the life of Father Libby, Lu Shen Fu, a remarkable little man who founded the I Shi Pao, for a long time the only independent daily in Tientsin and Peking, which Gailey, Edwards, Pettus, R.T. Evans and I bought and incorporated and ran for a few years. He was broad, liberal, and against French imperialism — prevented the French annexation of Lao Hsi Kai. The Tientsin Catholic Fathers stopped it by calling a strike. The speaker, Father Martin and two other liberals were gotten out by his influence. He was a Chinese citizen. Tientsin was held by the Communists for a month. He flew to Chung King and died.

There are pretty well grounded rumors that we will leave for America after the Catholic Fathers return to Peking for further internment there in two lots, August 16 and 23. The one who escorts them is reported to have said that he would return after the second lot had arrived in Peking and take us to Shanghai. Some Fathers are to be left here, such as Father Martin, who was in prison 6 months and is regarded as a prisoner of war!

On Friday we had a good clean entertainment.

August 15, Sunday

Had to sharpen knives for bread, as much — 1,300 loaves — had been cut, and the Fathers' lunches prepared for Monday's departure.

Gilkey preached well on Amos — against spiritual and moral pride in the war business. It was a brave utterance, charging hearers with (easy) hypocrisy, but doing so constructively, (hopefully).

On Friday night, August 13, we had a fine entertainment for the local crowd, gotten up mainly by the Americans — Daisy Atterbury giving a chalk talk, drawing notable members of the camp in cartoons, and finishing portraits already prepared. They gave a prize to Father Kleine — Wendelyn, (Wendy) — a ballplayer who could have made the big league teams. He is by all odds the best on the field here. He is very modest and was overwhelmed at having to come on stage, receive his cup — a water pail and mop — and make a reply speech. He is a good sport all round. They got Miriam to make a cake and get up a good feed for the ball players on Saturday, after the final two lovely ones on Friday, both won by the Fathers 7-2 and 6-3, but exciting.

The rumor of the Fathers leaving on Monday, August 16 was confirmed Thursday when dozens of big mule carts came and hauled away heavy baggage — no inspection. Monday morning all lined up on the athletic field. The Salvation Army Band came out and played familiar tunes — Auld Lang Syne, etc. The whole camp came out to say good-bye to the splendid Fathers. Father Pieters who lectured at the College of Chinese Studies on Chinese Religions two years ago, was group leader. Everyone turned out to see them off. It was an ovation. Certain Fathers to be repatriated — 17(?) — were left behind here, even after their names had been on the list to go.

Another lot of both Fathers and Sisters will go Monday the 23rd. Their heavy baggage is to go Friday. School was dismissed and the day given to this event. They feared they would have to go by ricksha, as they pay their own expenses back to Peking, and afterwards in Peking. But they had big trucks to take them 5 li to the station. It was a great and sincere send off. I had to be sharpening knives near the gate so I could easily time the getaway and saw it without too much standing idle. Father Brines took the corrected index of my "Adventures Among the Birds" to Vetch. He is to be interned at the Franciscan Hall.

I am busy writing a Meditation for the Communion Service Tuesday night August 17. I remind them of some features of our camp life: (1) Congestion — 1,800 on 21 acres — and its spiritual fellowship; (2) Solution of property and labor problems — the use- possession principle recognized, and cooperation in community service and organizations; (3) The baseball field's beginning.

Aug. 18, 8 p.m.

Hub gave a fine lecture on "Introduction to Birds of Wei Hsien." He drew pictures of 11 out of the 20 species nesting here, and Gertrude colored them. I had already agreed to go to a group on Church Unity at the same hour, so I could not go.

Galt read Gray's paper on the Unity movements - in part. Fred Pyke and I worked on Kitchen #2 statistics.

Aug. 19

The Sisters big baggage is getting off. They to go Monday, as per rumor. The Fathers went on the date that rumor had set.

Aug. 20

Two ball games as usual. A good one of 10-9 — Kitchen against Pick-ups. A fine concert by Grimes, etc.:

o A fine Male quartet — 3 numbers — Walton bass, Parkin tenor;
o Piano-violin — Miss Stranks piano and Mrs. Amory violin — good;
o A brilliant Liszt, four movements without notes by Grimes — Miss Stahl had to use Grimes' manuscript copy — the last movement only finished at 5 p.m. that afternoon. Not a sign of hesitation.
o Peking Union Church girls' junior choir sang two songs. It was probably the last time they will ever appear.
o A men's quartet: Walton and Whipple (China Inland Mission), Glede and Parkin.
On Saturday we stayed with Baby Charles Stanley while his parents went to the concert's second performance — the house was nearly full in spite of the Fathers' departure.

Bryson and Kitty Strong and their baby are out of the hospital after 9-10 days.

Watched some tennis. New balls! One went over the wall. Hayes and Helsly vs. Hub and Ditmanson. They tried to get it. Two baseball games. Did knives after supper.

Sunday, Aug. 22

In the morning, 10:30 - 12:15, had a good discussion about education, into which Mission Boards might enter, and the consensus was that a limited number of primary and middle schools, in certain areas not adequately supplied, might be carried on by missions under the rules of the Government and with a view of helping the Government get a sound system.

In the afternoon, the service was conducted by Coburn and Clark of the London Missionary Society, the latter preaching to the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, who attended in a body with their Wolf and Owl emblems. A good text on David as one of the world's greatest scouts — Samuel 26:24. Very good.

Aug. 23 Two hundred twenty five (225) Fathers and Sisters were given a big send-off, going back to Peking for further internment. One on a stretcher was taken in an auto, the rest in buses and trucks, six making two trips. Word came in later saying they were treated like criminals last week — no windows allowed open; waited at Tsinan two hours in the sun (black clothes a torture) — but were well treated in Peking.

Aug. 24, 25

While sharpening knives at the vegetable cutters awning under huai shu at #44 I heard children shout in alarm 30 yards away at the kitchen cesspool of our kitchen. I saw the 3 year old child of Dr. Kelley (Chinese mother) just going under in the pool. He came up and went down again. Hayes ran from the kitchen, reached in and pulled him out. He cried lustily and had not taken in much to his lungs or mouth. At 10 a.m., an hour later, his father led him back all clean.

We had Techou's wild kaoliang for breakfast — improved by taking off the woody fibre — at 6:30 Tokyo time. I went to the top of the main tower to see the sun rise out of a bank of cloud. While watching it, a Japanese guard came up without seeing me standing watching it at the N.W. corner, faced the rising sun, folded his hands, bowed his head for a minute then whistled softly a tune. He soon turned and saw me standing, but showed no surprise, crossed the tower to look west and paid no attention to me.

Someone sent Hub an apple pie made of good white flour! I had a two inch section that Gertrude resigned to me without my knowing. At supper we had big individual pies, with plenty of good tart foreign apple in them. We have had two allotments of eight of them.

Aug. 26

Our early morning rumor was that our repatriation is delayed a month. We feel somewhat depressed as we thought we would leave here next week the 29th or September 2nd. Aggni, the Swiss consul, said the Japanese diplomats in Chile must be sent to New York to take the Gripsholm, thus delaying us. We think that cooler weather to leave here is desirable. It has been 82 minimum up to 93 maximum in our room every day for a week and 106 in the shade outside, 120 in the sun on the ball field. It is very trying, but there is a cool breeze from the sea in the evening.

Good food again last week and this is partly due to the brain of Mrs. Dr. Clay and other food experts, and Richard Hanson's conscientious job at the kitchen #3 — 425 to feed.

Aug. 27

The two families expected from Peking are Mr. & Mrs. Shoemaker, whose mother-in-law died in June we just now hear - and four Dallas from Pao Ma Chang — a great jockey. The Inchan Japanese interpreter says Goa on Oct. 15.

Aug. 28

A big rain on Monday. It ended a long drought.

The Shoemakers came yesterday but I didn't call until today. We loaned them pillows until their baggage comes. They told the news. The Germans are back in the Donetz basin, having lost tens of thousands of prisoners. Sicily is all over and 20,000 captured Germans were sent to the U.S. in a week. Mussolini went to Berlin and was probably detained there by Germany. Italy capitulated to Germany, is the rumor. Several islands in the Solomons were retaken. Kiska, a harbor equal to Pearl Harbor, was also abandoned by the Japanese. The Kuriles are being bombed; Berlin bombing is the worst yet and Rome has been bombed again. The Allies announce which of Germany's best cities are to be bombed again and again until destroyed unless they surrender. Munda and some other bases on the Solomon Islands, and two on the Borneo oil coast were bombed at an immense distance from the planes' base — 1,200 miles.

Aug. 29, Sunday

The Shoemakers and a letter from Mrs. Aikin in Peking say that foreigners have to give up breakfast cereal and servants can scarcely get grain food or meat at all in Peking. Things are better off here by far. Our food is better — soup or stew, meat, potatoes, squash, cucumbers and pudding at one meal.

The Chefoo crowd is to arrive at 3:30 p.m. Tangtai did not come. Took Shoemakers a pillow.

Barr is at work. He said he couldn't find a stool for the stores. In the evening I found it in the bread room, and did bread knives.

Hubbard preached well on "Leadership." I had a talk with Gilkey about his sermon two weeks ago or more.

We had a song service at the hospital in the evening led by Miss Buel — where the Fathers used to have their jolly songs for crowds to hear. The Chefoo folks did not come.

Aug. 31 Notice of evacuation is officially posted. We are on it, Nos. 663 and 664, USA. Everyone is asking, "Is your name written there?"

Rains on Sunday and Monday. People came at last from Chefoo — 60, with 300 more to come — on their way to the U.S., but not forewarned of coming here for three weeks. Young Mr. & Mrs. MacMurray, (with two 2 girls) — Canadians — and Dr. Young are the only ones we know.

Old Dr. Hayes and his wife were first told that they could stay here as they wish, but then the commandant ordered them to leave — also Cousin Llewellyn Davies, much against his wish. He never applied for repatriation and doesn't know how his name got there on the list.

Sept. 1

We got our things into 3 trunks, one large suitcase and a camphor wood chest, to go on as heavy baggage.

Sept. 2, 3

The examination of heavy baggage began and most books were taken, but not all. In the afternoon some examiners were lax, but some cut open pillows looking for printed matter, money, etc. We kept ours over to Friday noon. John Stanley and Dick Irwin carried our five pieces to the church yard. A passing shower tarnished the new suitcases.

The examination of our baggage started about 3 p.m. A nice young man, who had watched Gertrude painting a picture and talked with her, examined the first trunk, No. 3, and took her most cherished pictures — Helen's hollyhocks, done in 1888 (Helen was Gertrude's sister, who died young); Uncle Will and sheep (my best-prized); Miss Millikan's oil painting of the Southwest City tower of Peking. They let me put our name and #663 on them, but there's no hope. I tried to smuggle in my "Field Notes" and the last half of volumes III-VIII of Phonetic Groups of Character Analysis, but they were confiscated. So, too, were a lot of Gertrude's water colors of Shantung, Pei Tai Ho, etc. None of her flowers, however, or her sketches of camp life were found.

They were more severe the second day at first because Mr. Hansen had $400 US Travellers' checks in his daughter's cloak, which he had put in the lining in Peking and could not find when he got here. They took typewriters and almost all printed matter. They took all of Prof. Bodde's scientific materials, to his amazement — they were not at all hidden. They took Gertrude's Bible, given by her father at age15, and mine because of marginal notes. They let me take a Moffatt translation after tearing out the fly-leaf presentation note.

They finished ours about 4 p.m.. Shaw and John Stanley helped Gertrude and me pack up, all roped, and #3 with a strap besides. While examining ours, big mule carts hauled away those stored in the church, which had been denuded of seats. Our trunks were taken to carts in front of the church and by 6 p.m. all were out and shipped to the Shanghai Station Master. We hope for access to one suitcase and one trunk at Goa but can get along the whole voyage without them. A rumor says that Portugal has declared war, so that Goa can't be used to exchange nationals.

They showed much skill in carting away all the mountain of baggage to the station. Llellwyn Davies' case is not yet decided and his baggage is marked "special," to be sent back if he does not go.

No Friday and Saturday entertainment, as the church was denuded of seats to give place to the baggage.

Sunday, Sept. 5

Sailer preached along his favorite line of determinism and free will — very interesting in spots. Hoeppli came from Peking. He had a verbal message from Vetch that he had my corrected Index for "Adventures among Birds" that Father Bruns had taken to Peking; also word from Dr. Grabau in Peking. I sent no word back. His message was written, read to us, and the writing handed back to the Japanese guard so that no secret message or news could be passed. He could take no letters.

Hubbard mentioned to Hoeppli and the General Affairs Committee the loss of my field notes on birds, 1899-1939, and last half of "Phonetic Groups."

We had another session of the American Board from 10:30 to 12 noon.

Sept. 8., Evening

We had another meeting and picnic supper under the awning at Helen Burton's exchange, where we discussed indemnities. Should we give our opinion to the Board as to asking for them? Private loss is an individual personal matter. Mission or institutional loss is different. Replacement indemnity for this was favored by a minority. No one favors punitive indemnity, and few favor private personal indemnity.

Sept. 9

On Monday I had my teeth put in shape, cleaned and 2 fillings patched up or replaced by Prentice. He gave me to read Pere Teilhard's "How I believe," the scientist's apology for his faith in Christ, 1934.

Those with initials M to Z had three inoculations at a time for Cholera, Typhoid and Smallpox as requested (i.e., required) of all repatriates by both U.S. and Japanese governments.

Mr. Christian has persuaded the authorities to give us a chance to recover our precious pictures, documents, etc. after the war is over. We had 2 p.m. as a time to claim. I got my Field Notes Vols. III-VII, and 1899-1939 complete, and put them in a Time envelope, and then in the official's, tied with string and labelled No. 300 (Camp number), name, and Boston, 14 Beacon Street as the address. In a second envelope I put my Phonetic Groups Vols. III-VIII complete, and also my photographs. A later chance may be given for books and pictures other than photos. My picture of Uncle Will and his sheep was not there, but had been seen by the attendant somewhere.

The 300 Chefoo people, several over 80, came dragging in, very weary.

Sept. 10

Had a well-acted, not too good play, "Night Must Fall," on Friday and Saturday.

Baseball, "Goers vs. Stayers," 3-2 for Camp. A balk was declared for the winning run in the 10th.

We went to the headquarters office and found all our pictures, Bibles, etc. and made up three parcels for keeping by Japanese authorities to the end of the war.

Sunday, Sept. 12

Sunday morning we had the final American Board get together. Twelve or 14 were there. In the afternoon Bryson preached and I baptized Robbins and Katherine Strong's baby boy Tracy Burr, born Aug. 6.

Curtis Grimes conducted the oratorio "St. Paul" well in the evening. Sept. 13

Packed three suitcases and a bedding roll to be examined and sent off at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Sept. 14

E
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Norman Cliff, Courtyard of the Happy Way

A week after we arrived they lined up outside the church. The authorities had stipulated that they could take with them no printed matter except one Bible per head, without markings or notes.

Japanese officials took them into the church building where they were carefully screened, and stripped to the waist. By an arrangement made by the International Red Cross they were to travel in a Japanese ship to Goa, where they would be exchanged for Japanese prisoners from North America, and continue from there home .

. . .

Then followed what was to us who were left behind a sad farewell just inside the front gate . . . .

Loaded with excited travelers, the lorries drove off through the gate, down the avenue of trees and round the corner towards the station. We returned to our duties with heavy hearts. They were going to freedom and plenty while we had to continue business as usual for some indeterminate period behind the electrified wires.

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