The first Beginnings (4)

Now Fr. Schneider comes into the picture. He was the procurator of the China Mission in Shanghai and was critical of the Formosa Project. He had heard from Fr. Fuchs who happened to be in Shanghai, “that for settling down in Formosa already US$ 20.000 had been spent and now again US$ 20.000 should be spent.” He wrote Dec 31,1948 to Fr. General:

1) The purchase of the property in Formosa was too expensive. “…in a house of US$ 20.000 one can lodge 20 people. Not counting other factors, this is too expensive.”

2) Fr. Procurator feared that in case the Formosa undertaking would devour more amounts of money, the missionaries who stayed on in China, could no longer be sufficiently supported. “…. If any of our groups has the right, to be supported to the end, then this would be these missionaries, who knew exactly what they were doing, when they did not leave when they still could do so.”

3) Fr. Procurator stressed that Formosa because of its climate was not fitting for old and sick missionaries.

4) Fr. Procurator also questioned the security of Formosa. “For the USA neither Qingdao nor Shanghai nor Formosa will be a case for war.”

From the letter of Fr. Fuchs from Shanghai on January 4, 1949 to Fr. General and from a letter written by Fr. General to the Assistant General on the President Wilson on January 7, 1949 the following can be concluded:

Fr. Fuchs, who still on Dec 31,1948 sent a telegram to Fr. General and asked for money for the house purchase in Taichung, became uncertain through the argumentation of the Procurator Fr. Schneider and on January 2 sent a telegram to Fr. General, saying that Formosa was no place for sick missionaries. Then Fr. General on January 3 from the President Wilson sent a telegram to Fr. Fuchs: “If Formosa unsafe for sick missionaries, stop everything there, have wired Europe for certain houses, cabling you definitely tomorrow or after.”

Fr. General on January 7 1949 gave his Assistant General the following reasons: “The main purpose of our endeavors was finding a place for the old and sick missionaries, and this is now no longer the case; therefore, it is not according to prudence to start a new undertaking in an area, of which we do not know how long we can stay and work.” (Letter of January 7, 1949)

After Fr. Fuchs received the instruction of Fr. General, that everything in Formosa should be “stopped”, he on Jan. 4, 1949 cabled Fr. Rahmann saying: “Stop buying house wait information.” It seems tat till Jan 19. 1949 no further information was sent to Formosa, because Fr. Rahmann continued to make plans to establish a middle school. In a letter to Fr. Fuchs he reported on this matter on Dec. 28, 1948, and further at the Shanghai Conference of Jan. 18 1949 in the presence of Fr. General. He proposed three possible foundations, but stressed in particular the Middle School project in Chungli. He explained: “Fr. Stier and undersigned visited the community. We got a very favorably impression… The Chungli project, seen from the missionary point of view, looks very promising. In case we open the School, it was promised, they would very soon rent us a house where five or six confreres could live.”

But Fr. Rahmann it seems could not pursue his idea after Fr. General had decided to “stop everything”. Jan. 10, 1949 Fr. Kappenberg set a telegram to Fr. Stier in Taipei, in which he also canceled the Middle School project in Chungli. “Stier Steyl Taipei. don’t accept chungli donation all school hospitals projects impossible neither personell nor finances inform chungli authorities immediately Kappenberg.”

At this Shanghai Conference it was definitely decided to retreat from Formosa, and the liquidation was started. From Manila Fr. General on Feb 26, 1949 wrote to his Assistant General: “I already mentioned that I have completely stopped everything. Thinking of immediately liquidating everything however, is impossible, if we do not right away want to carry along too big losses from Formosa. Nobody knew in detail about the undertakings of Fr. Huengsberg, who was not enough checked by the General Visitator, which was certainly also very difficult for him to do.”

The General Council completely approved of the full retreat from Formosa. Fr. General Assistant van der Heijden already in a letter of Jan 22, 1949 had mentioned “that Formosa in the long run could not give absolute security.” And Jan 23, 1949 he wrote again to Fr. General: “Concerning Formosa we here already had our worries. We also hope that the moneys meant for Formosa are not yet invested. The General Council would even advice that the pieces of land which already have been bought be sold again. In this way at least part of the moneys could be recuperated.” And again on April 14, 1949 the General Assistant writes: “The General Council is of the opinion, that we better sell all acquired properties in Formosa, although probably under big losses. Probably the Communists will sooner or later take away everything anyway. For this reason a total sell-off seems advisable.”