INFECTIOUS DISEASES STRIKE CHINA; RELIEF WORK UNDER WAY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600290939-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 29, 2011
• Sequence Number: 939
• Publication Date: April 3, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/29: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600290939-8
LANGUAGE
DATE
WHERE
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
HOW
Sociological - Epidemics
Daily newspapers
Hong Kong; New York
8 Feb - 8 Mar 1950
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1950
DATE DIST.3 Apr 1950
NO. OF PAGES 3
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
INFECTIOUS DISEASES STRIKE CHPLA;
RELIEF WORK UNDER WAY
400 DIE IN 2 WEEKS -- Wen-hui Pao, 12 Feb 50
Pei-ping, 10 February (Hein-hua) -- The Ministry of Public Health of the
Central People's government reported today that a serious epidemic of smallpox,
cerebrospinal meningitis, and measles recently broke out in the provinces along
the Pei-ping--Han-k'ou Railroad and the middle region of the Lung-Hai Railroad.
Within 2 weeks the epidemic spread some 400 kilometers and caused the deaths of
400 people.
Other epidemics include: diphtheria in Shen-yang, T'ien-ching, and Shang-
hai; scarlet fever and whooping cough in some areas; and plague in Fukien and
Kwangtung provinces.
In view of the seriousness of the epidemics, the Ministry of Public Health
today issued a directive to all medical personnel in affected areas to concentrate
on combating the diseases in the shortest possible time. The directive included
methods of organizing personnel to prevent the epidemics as well as to treat the
affected persons. The directive emphasized that the diseases should be eliminated
so that more manpower could be utilized for the spring cultivation to increase
food output.
PLAGUE BREAKS OUT IN CHEKIANG AND KWANGTUNG -- Wen-hui Pao, 13 Feb 50
Pei-p'ing, 11 February -- During 2 -. 4 February, four persons died from
plague in Wen-chou (Yung-chia) in Chekiang Province. The plague outbreak is
also reported in Kuan-tien village of Sui-ch'i Hsien in Kwangtung Province.
REPORTS PLAGUE IN SZECHWAN, HOPEH, NE CHINA -- Hua-ch'iao Jih-pao, 7 Mar 50
Hong Kong, 4 March -- According to a radio broadcast from Pei-ping,
plague is now prevalent in Szechwan, Hopeh, and Kwangtung provinces and also
in Northeast China.
STATE NAVY NSRB
STAT AIR FBI
CONFIDENTIAL
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CLASSIFICATION CoNmmIALG6@'F';ITIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/29: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600290939-8
SMALLPOX, CHOLERA EPIDEMIC IN-SOUTH ASIA HARBOR AREAS -- Wen-hui Pao, 8 Feb 50
Kuang-chou, 8 February -- On 8 February 1950, tine Kuang-chou Port Quaran-
tine Station announced that smallpox epidemics are nca? prevalent in the harbor
areas of Tien-thing, Shan-t'ou, Nan-ching, Wu-Han, Rangoon, Bombay and that
there is cholera as well as smallpox epidemic in Calcutta.
All harbor residents going to or coming from the affected areas shall be
required to take preventive inoculations; all residents in the Kuang-chou--
Shan-t'ou region shall be required to be vaccinated against smallpox, the
announcement pointed out.
STARTS ANTIFAMINE CAMPAIGN IN CENTRAL, SOUTH CHINA -- Wen-hui Pao, 9 Feb 50
Han-k'ou, 7 February (Hain-hua) --All levels 'of the people's governments
have been directing the antifamine production and relief campaign in the
calamity-stricken areas of Honan, Hupeh, Hunan, and Kiangsi provinces which
were struck by flood, drought, hail, and insects last year. The unprecedented
calamities affected about one sixth of the total arable acreage and some 10
million people.
More than one million people have found means of sustaining livelihood by
participating in various production works. The local authorities are rendering
relief work by selling their handicraft products, by establishing cooperatives,
and by paying their wages with provisions.
In Honan Province, 1,100,000,000 yuan was appropriated for production wd
relief work. The afflicted people in the cotton-growing areas of Lo-yang Helen
have taken up cloth making and are now producing 100 rolls of cloth each month.
In Hain-cheng and Chang-ko hsiens, some 6,000 people have earned 1,200,000
catties of grain for making ballast for the Cheng-chou Railroad Bureau. In
Huang-ch'uan region, many afflicted people are making charcoal or gathering
herbs and iron ores. Still to be accounted for are the 378 families in Wei-yao
village where only one family out of six has enough food to last until the harvest.
In Hupeh Province where one family out of ten lacks food, 200,000 cattier of
provisions were provided to help the destitute. In Mien-yang Special District,
people have taken up fishing, wood-cutting, net-making, and dike repairing.
They have earned 35 million catties of rice which is sufficient to feed one
million people for 2 months. The Ministry of Water Conservation of the Central
People's government has allotted 20 million catties of grain for repairing the
Hung Chiang banks.
In Hunan and Kiangsi provinces, most of the calamity-stricken people are
participating in the repair of river and lake banks and in drainage work. More
than 100,000 people in Kiangsi Province are now repairing the banks of the P 'o-
yang Hu. To assure winter and spring planting and cultivation, many people in
Hunan and Kiangsi are making farm land productive by participating in drainage
work. Some 500,000 mou of land in An-hhing Hsien of Hunan Province was thus
made productive. The fields were immediately sown with fast-maturing crops
such as wheat, rape, peas, and broad beans to forestall the impending famine.
STARTS PRODUCTION AND RELIEF WORK IN NORTHWEST -- Wen-hui Pao, 12 Feb 50
Hsi-an, 11 February -- On 9 February 1950, the Northwest Military and
Political Commission issued a directive for all responsible personnel to
direct the production and relief work in calamity areas to prevent famine.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/29: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600290939-8
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/29: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600290939-8
Last year, natural calamities and war inflicted serious damages to various
areas in Northwest China and affected some 900;000 people. At present, the
people in F:.chung, Lin-hsia, and chin-chi special districts, in Shendi,
Kansu, and Ningxia provinces, respectively, are faced with serious food shortage.
ESTABLISHES CENTRAL RELIEF COMMITi'1iE -- Hua-ch'iao Jih-pao, 8 Mar 50
to establish the Central Relief Committee.-Me main function gof the Committee
is to direct production and .
li
_
e
ef
Tang Pi-wu was appointed the chairman of the committee. Other appointees
are: deputy chairmen
Po I-
o
d th
,
p
, an
ree others; and committee members,
Chen Ch'i-yuan and ten others.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/29: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600290939-8