DISMAL FATE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26530, 4 August 1947, Page 9

DISMAL FATE

FISHING CRAFT SENT TO CHINA ROTTING IN THE RIVERS p.A AUCKLAND, Aug. 2. The dismal fate of the small ships purchased by UNRRA in New Zealand for the Chinese fishing fleet was mentioned by Mr M. Solly, chief engineer in the Merchant Navy, who has returned to New Zealand by flying boat from Sydney after two years in China Because nobody seemed to want them, the ships were rotting in the rivers of China, with hundreds of similar vessels sent by various nations to relieve the economic plight of the people. He considered that too many people believed the Chinese were starving. On the Wong Poe River he saw between 150 and 200 of these fishing craft tied up, while there seemed to be any number of Chinese crews to man them. Surplus War Material Mr Solly took a contract with the China Merchant Steamship Navigation Company when he was in the United States. His task was to operate ships oelonging to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, which were being used to bring United States Army surplus war material from American-controlled ports to China under an agreement whit the United States Government The vessel which Mr Solly controlled during the trips to load war material for the Chinese Government was a former American tank-landing craft, six of which were engaged m the trade. He travelled from Shanghai to Okinawa and back every eight days to take on board part of 800,000 tons of surplus material which the Chinese had purchased for 17 cents a ton. A large amount of the cargo was brand new, and . some of it had not been taken out of the crates. It included weapon carriers, .armoured fighting vehicles, jeeps, and bulldozers. , Two Year’s Work Similar effects were being loaded on other tank-landing craft which were operating between Chinese ports and Guam, Saipan, and Manila. Mr Solly was engaged on the run from Shanghai to Okinawa for two years, and his vessel alone was responsible for thousands of tons of war materials reaching China. It carried 2600 tons every trip There was a vast amount of material still to be transported from American sources, and he estimated that the work would take another two years at least to complete, although he did not know the ultimate destination of the Chinese purchases. Mr Solly described the arrangements as similar to those which were made with Japan for her to acquire surplus machinery before the war. There was widespread feeling among Europeans in China that the goods would be returned one day in the form of bullets, he asid. Mr Solly, who does not intend to return to China, will travel to Nelson to rejoin his parents at Richmond.