GOVERNMENT WARNS AGAINST SUMMER FAMINE; WHEAT HARVEST BRINGS SOME RELIEF

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320298-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2011
• Sequence Number: 298
• Publication Date: June 20, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/31 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320298-6
CLASSIFICATION coNFII~IQTIA>CONFIDENTIAI
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD P:O.
COUNTRY
China
DATE OF
INFORMATION
1950
SUBJECT
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
Sociological - Famine relief
Dsily newspapers
r~ ~
Dairen; Canton; Hong iLong ~ '~
DATE DIST. as
'''
~ N0. OF PAGES
Jun
2
DATE
PUBLISHED
18 Apr - 22 May 1950
LANGUAGE
Chinese
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT N0.
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GOVERNI~NT WARNS AGAINST SUMt+lER FAMINE;
WHEAT HARVEST BRINGS SOME RELIEF
MINISTRY OF INTERIOR DIRECTS FAMINE CONTROL -- Cantop.Nan-fang Jih-pao,
21 May 50
Peking, 19 May (Hain-hua) -- The Ministry of Interior of the Central Peo-
ple's government has directed the various provincial governments not to adopt
a lax and indifferent attitude toward the prospects of summer famine, in view
of the famine this past spring; and to prevent such a calamity by preparing
to lead the people in the Pight against a summer food shortage. The directive
pointed our that preparations must be made to cope. with a summer famine in
those areas where the soil is so poor that the amount of wheat planted is small
or the yield low.
Cadres from all government levels shall continue to visit the agricul-
tural towns, assist the farmers in making definite plans, organize agricul-
tural production to overcome famine, and devise me .:ods to stimulate mutual
assistance and to provide loans. Before the wheat is harvested, cadres shall
keep the farmers from eating Ch'ing (unripened wheat); after the harvest, they
shall e:~:hort the farmers to conserve by eating mixtures of unpolished grains
with substitute foods. They shall mobilize the farming population to plant
quantities of vegetables and other foods which mature early. '
DISCUSSES CENTRAL AND SOUTH CffiNA RELIEF MEASURES -- Canton Nan-fang Jih-pao,
21 May 50
Hankow, 20 May (Hain-hua) -- The spring famine in the Central and South
China Regional District has been brought to a standstill, thanks to the large
quantities of food distributed on loan from .the people's government and the
organization of welfare and production activities among the stricken people.
With the wheat harvest almost ,finished, the famine victims in the various dis-
tricts now have complete faith that they will emerge safely from the spring
famine.
tOAYf
NR
CONFIDENTIAL
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/31 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320298-6
CONFIDENTIAL CONFlD~.r~~~~I~
During the spring famine period of March and April 1950, the Central and
South China Regional District People's government loaned 890 million cattier
cf food and 31.0 million wan to help the suffering people produce enough to
carry them through the calamity period. At the same time, many cadres were
sent i:o the stricken areas from all levels of the people's government to look
into the loan situation and to organize the famine victims in a movement to
help themselves by increasing production.
At present, 5 million stricken persons in all the districts have ob-
tained from 2 to 5 months' provisions by participating in secondary produc-
tion and in river-control operations. More than $00,000 victims, from the
11 hsiens bordering Tung-t'ing Hu in Hunan Province and the special district
of Mien-yang in Hupeh, are engaged in repairing embankments. Their wages, in
provisions, should solve the livelihood problems of more than 1,200,000 per-
sons for 2 to 4 months. There are also more than 1,200,000 persons in Honan
who are making their living by repairing embankments and dredging.
To facilitate the marketing of secondary products, the Trade Office of
the Hunan Provincial People's government has distributed 10 billion yuan to
purchase large lots of local products. The s?~ply and marketing cooperative
in Chu-ho Chen, Chien-li Hsien, Hupeh Province, has bought textiles from the
stricken area and exchanged them for food which can adequately feed the fam-,
ine victims in nine villages for 5 months. Agencies and military units is
the Central and South China Regional District have :helped to relieve the
situation by conserving their food and sending large quantities to the famine
sufferers. Through these efforts, the spring famine in this district was
brought to a standstill to-aard the end of Aprj.l.
At present, the wheat is ready for harvesting throughout the district.
The Central and South China Military and Political Council is eager to aid
those people who are on the point of starvation and intends to release to
them, in the beginning of May, the 100 million catties of food distributed
by the Central People's government.
EVACUEES SETTLE IN NORTHEAST -- Hong Kong Hsing-tao Jih-pao, 22 May 50
Peiping, 21 May (Hain-hua) -- The 5,800 calamity-stricken inhabitants
of Liang-shah Hsien in Pingyuan Province who were recently evacuated to the
Northeast to engage in land reclamation are reported to be completely set-
tled. Of this number, about 4,700 were sent to the four bsien of Shang-chih,
Fang-cheng, Wu-ch'ang, and P'an-yuan in Sungkiang Province, while the remain-
ing 1,100. were sent to the three hsien of Ch'ing-an, K'o-shan, and I-an in
Heilungkiang.
The Northeast People's government recently grated these settlers land
for reclamation and 1,250 catties of food for the next 5 months. Plans are
under way to extend construction loans equivalent to about 1,000 catties of
food per Family to help in building homes. In addition, seeds and farming
equipment are also to be loaned to the settlers.
Dairen -- By engaging in supplementary industries many farmers' fami-
lies have been enabled to survive the famine conditions prevalent in the
Northeast during the past winter.
In Ta=lien Hsien, some 13,450 persons have augmented their incomes, by
147,995,460 yuan, through quarrying stone, fishing, basket-weaving, hauling,
gathering and selling grass and wood fuel, etc. With the price of corn at 30
yuan per catty, this income is equivalent to 12,330 piculs of corn and ie
47.66 percent greater than the estimates adopted in the conference of people's
delegates.
- END -
- 2 - CONFlDENT~~L
CONFIDENTIAL
~ Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/31