The first Beginnings (2)
The next step was to set up a school board. Since Fu Jen was highly respected, only prominent people were invited. Fr. Huengsberg reported August 19, 1948, that August 10 the school Board was established. Honorary president was the Governor of the Province Dr. Wei Tao Ming, president was (for the time being) Mayor Yoo Mi Chien; “ he is Protestant, capable, popular, friendly to foreigners, modern”.
The members are: Cardinal Thomas Tien; represented by Rev. Li Tien Yi, Exc. Paul Yu-pin, represented by Mr. Ku, Msgr. Arregui, O.P., Apostolic Vicar of Formosa, represented by Fr. Gonzalo, Very Rvt. Fr. Superior General Kappenberg. P. H. Rigney, rector of Fu Jen Peiping, Fr. P. Huengsberg, Administrator of Fu Jen Peiping, Mr. Huang Chao Hin, Chairman of the Provincial Council of Taiwan, who 5 years earlier had been head of foreign affairs office in Lanzhou, a good friend of the mission and of Archbishop Buddenbrock, a Taiwanese. General Niu Hsien Ming, vice commander of Taiwan, Mr. Li Chung Hua, highest director of taxes in Taiwan, a friend and partner of His Eminence, Dr. Liu Sin Yu. President of the Taiwan Power Company, a Catholic, longtime Professor at Aurora in Shanghai. Mr. Lin Chien Shang, big industrialist, a Taiwanese, Mr. Chai Li Ho, member of the Legislative Yuan, a respected scholar, specialist in Chinese phonetics, a Taiwanese, Mr. Wang Chiu Ting, Director of the Taiwan Coal Company Mr. Ku Ta Hsien, a Catholic, vice president of the Taiwan Power Company.
The SVD Generalate was somewhat taken aback by this development, especially because of the “size”, which seemed to be projected by such a Board of Trustees. August 27, 1948 the superior general wrote a letter of warning to Fr. Fuchs: “With regard to the reports and plans of Fr. Huengsberg, we cannot avoid the impression, that he is moving somewhat too impetuously. We have to keep in mind, that we should start small…. Regarding the Middle School it is in view of the developing mission situation, as we can judge now, advisable that it becomes property of the Society….Even in case we are no longer in charge of the administration of Fu Jen.”
A further letter from Fr. General to Fr. Fuchs of Sept. 1948 expresses again the same worry: “Overall the undertakings in Formosa are for us too much enveloped in opaque darkness. Even your letter of August 23 with the explanations of Fr. Huengsberg of August 11 and 19, which you copied and attached, do not provide us with a clear picture.”
That the action in Formosa should not fail because of money, this Fr. General expressed in the same letter: “You write that the most urgent problem is to get the money. Tell us as soon as possible and as detailed as possible, what the money is for and how much is needed, so that we can prepare ourselves.” (Letter of Sept. 16, 1948)
So, it is clear that the Generalate was prepared to spend money for a clear plan in Formosa. But Fr. Huengsberg in the meantime had found a provider of money, namely Mr. Yen from Shanghai, who wanted to bring his money out of Shanghai in safety. The situation of the money market in nationalist Mainland is clearly portrayed in a report by business man, Mr. Teuerkauf in Tientsin: For the newly established gold value, i.e. 4 Chinese dollars (Gold Yuan) for one American dollar, the inflation began in the middle of September 1948. All gold and silver had to be turned in. For all businesses there was a price stop. Business people had to sell their goods for a fixed price. Then buyers began a rage of buying in order to invest their money into goods. While business people soon had empty ware houses, and pockets full of money, with which they could not do much.
Fr. Huengsberg, who must have been not well informed about the beginning inflation, borrowed these moneys without the approval of the Generalate, but wrote in a letter to Fr. Fuchs: “I am sure that Rome will cover us.” (Taipei, Sept. 3, 1948) This loan of $20.000 US became a big loss for the Society.
General visitator Fr. Fuchs was facing a dilemma: on the one hand was the warning from Fr. General, “not give Fr. Huengsberg too much leeway”, and on the other hand was Fr. Huengsberg, the man in Formosa trusted to provide as soon as possible places of retreat for the incoming China missionaries. This dilemma is very clearly expressed in a letter of Fr. Fuchs to Fr. General of Oct. 13, 1948: “But how can one under the present circumstances interfere. The matter is already in full operation.” Fr. Huengsberg in the meantime had already bought a fixed place for the procure, and Msgr. Arregui should come on Sept. 8 to for the blessing. The address of the procure was: Taipei, Divine Word Missionaries, Chang An Tung Lu, 1. Section, 33/ No. 5. Besides Fr. Huengsberg Fr. Linzenbach, Fr. Stier and Br. Dennis also stayed in the procure. The last three had come to Formosa at the end of August.
The main focus of Fr. Huengsberg was still the Middle School, and there were difficulties, which were not easy to fathom for Fr. Huengsberg, in the transfer of the land and also in he permission to open the school. It was already September and September is the beginning of the school year in Taiwan. But Fr. Huengsberg did not want to start small and unnoticed. (Letter to Fr. Fuchs of Sept 3, 1948) Also the members of the Board did not want a small beginning. The school should act “up to standard” or better “up to the reputation of Fu Jen” (Letter to Fr. Fuchs of Oct 3, 1948). Fr. Huengsberg concludes: “In this way we have for the time being put all ideas of education on the back-burner.” (ibidem) Probably reacting to this letter Fr. Fuchs writes to Fr. General on Oct 13, 1948: “Fr. Huengsberg seems to make things too big. We have agreed that we should start with one class only. He does not mention this anymore. All indications show that it should be a big school and also a very big hospital.”
This hospital was anther complication and burden for the beginning of SVD Formosa Mission. In June 1948 Fr. Huengsberg and also Fr. Fuchs had planned a hospital for Formosa and had discussed the matter with Governor Dr. Wei, who stressed the formation of hospital nurses.
When Fr. Huengsberg and Fr. Fuchs were back in Shanghai in July, they heard of the plans of Fr. Linzenbach to transfer the hospital of the Xinxiang mission to Nanning. Then Fr. Linzenbach was invited to open the hospital in Formosa. Fr. Huengsberg commented: “The idea was, that the hospital could probably become the beginning of a nursing school, and the nursing school could be the beginning of a Medical College. Furthermore a well-run hospital with all its charitable work is always profitable. That is why we thought through the hospital we could give financial support to the Fu Jen School.” (Letter of Fr. Huengsberg to Fr. Fuchs of Oct 3, 1948).
But the realization of the hospital of the size it was being planned had its difficulties: 1) They were waiting for the school land, on which also the hospital had to be built. 2) Fr. Linzenbach could not accept the school land as being too unfavorable, because it was too far away from the population center. 3) Fr. Linzenback could also not accept, that the hospital was planned as a possible center of refuge for missionaries. 4) Fr. Huengsberg from his side did not want a small hospital. He writes: “Furthermore, we cannot accept a hospital with smaller space. The Fu Jen hospital should be first class, according to European standards, for it to be able to serve as an example and to overcome all competition.” (Letter to Fr. Fuchs Oct 3, 1948)
As a temporary solution Fr. Huengsberg was willing to accept a proposal by the heads of the Provincial Health Bureau and to have the SVD build a hospital on the campus of the Provincial Nursing School, where the nurses could practice (ibidem). Fr. Huengsberg worked out a proposal for cooperation: “The Taiwan Provincial Nursing School and Hospital Project.”
In a letter of Oct 28, 1948 to Fr. Fuchs Fr. General writes: “The Generalate till now is not yet in favor of taking on a hospital. In this question according to the present plans there is the danger of confusion. Fr. Linzenbach apparently is there as representative of the North Henan Mission and is working with the money of that Mission. We should by all means endeavor that we in Formosa be independent in the work of our Society, not only from any Mission, but also from the Fu Jen.”
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