The first Beginnings (3)
In the middle of October Fr. Huengsberg had come to a different view on the hospital project: 1) because Fr. Linzenbach does not want to use the school land; 2) because Fr. Linzenbach does not accept the hospital as a potential center of refuge for the SVD; 3) because the purchase of a piece of good land within the city has not succeeded and because there is also no money for an exemplary hospital. Fr. Huengsberg concluded his letter of Oct 20 1948 to Fr. Fuchs about the hospital project: “As I already hinted at in my last letter the available hospital equipment from Xinxiang is not useful to make long term investments and high expenditures. We have overestimated the value of such a equipment in comparison to all that still is needed, not even considering that the Xinxiang equipment makes a primitive impression and just is “Xinxiang”…”“I have to confess that I am no longer very enthusiast for the entire hospital matter.”
Fr. General was very happy about this retreat of Fr. Huengsberg, and he writes Dec 2, 1948 to Fr. Fuchs: “It is a big relief, that the matter of the hospital is closed. It should have ended this way, as planned, otherwise it would inevitably have led to big problems with regard to ownership questions between the Society and the North Henan Mission. The Society as such is according to all considerations not in a position to take over a hospital.”
In this way the plan for a hospital being canceled, soon the problem of the school also found a negative solution. Already Oct 3, 1948 Fr. Huengsberg had written about the school: “There are intrigues going on, but they cannot achieve anything except postponing our plans.” But it turned out differently, the Provincial Authorities refused permission to use the planned land site for a school. Fr. Huengsberg must have given an oral report to Fr. Fuchs in Shanghai.
Fr. Fuchs then gives an overall report on the situation in Taiwan to Fr. General on Dec 9,1948, in which he mentions the failure of all the plans of Huengsberg in Formosa. The reports goes as follows: “Today I would like to give a description of the situation in Formosa. It is a pity that Fr. Huengsberg had made the Board of Trustees of the School too big, i.e. there were too many prominent people included, therefore, the School could not start small. Fr. Huengsberg wanted to make it smaller and proposed to the mayor to rent buildings for the time being. But this was refused for the above mentioned reasons. Because the Provincial Government had to approve the donation of the big compound, that is why the whole matter was protracted, until a few days ago a negative answer arrived. This was to be expected because of what happened, namely that a real flood of refugees had started to arrive in Formosa (there is also talk of the government). Therefore, we are back at the beginning. We only have a small procure with a chapel, which was built by Huengsberg. Yesterday a telegram arrived saying that the apartment for our fleeing confreres could no longer be had for the money from H (Hunter) we had requested from you.”
Beginning December Fr. Huengsberg was telegraphically called back from Formosa by Fr. Fuchs, also because Fr. Rigney in October already had asked for his return. Fr. Fuchs writes about this in the same letter: “When I arrived here (in Peking) it was immediately clear to me, that Fr. Huengsberg, who during those difficult months for the University had been very much needed, should by all means come back. In answer to a telegram he came back immediately. To Formosa I sent with the consent of the house council Fr. Rahmann, who is flying to Shanghai today. I appointed him superior of all confreres who come to Formosa, and in particular director of the procure and of the house for refugees with the rights of a rector. He should also look around to see if he can possibly acquire an own house for the Fu Jen community, in which later, if necessary, we can establish again the University. That would be the legal Fu Jen, even if it would only be a shadow existence.”
For F. General this report and the development in Formosa were a heavy blow. He writes in a letter of Dec 20, 1948 from San Francisco: “Your communication on the situation in Formosa has been, to confess openly, a great disappointment.” Fr. General in his letter mentions several points：1) For the matter in Formosa it had been better to keep in mid the main purpose: namely the lodging of our needy missionaries, in stead of thinking of this or that side project. 2) The action in Formosa should not have failed because of money. “If there had been a clear project, then the permission would immediately have been given, even by telegram, and certainly up to 100.000 and more. According to my impressions the whole matter got hung up because the handling of the matter was unclear and its focus changed.” 3) “Please, even now do what can be done so that our needy confreres really can see that they are taken care of.”
The endeavors to settle in Formosa continued under Fr. Rahmann during December and January. For the evacuated confreres Fr. Rahmann wanted to buy a house in Taichung, which would cost about US$ 20.000. The telegraphic communication for the money was immediately agreed to by Fr. General from the President Wilson on Dec 31, 1948.
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