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Show The visa came through all right, so I am free to leave whenever I wish. The arrangements for transport of the medical supplies have not gone through. One approach through the army was approved by this end and then rejected In Chungking because of shortage of space. Another army approach is -pending. Also in the fire is an application to the National Health Administration to get it in on their quota, Any of these would be free. I have made reservations for my own passage for next week, just in case things break between now and then. If not, I'll postpone my departure a few more days, but in any case I must leave before my permit to enter China expires. There is considerable doubt as to whether I could get an extension of time, and I don't dare risk not getting in. If the transport cannot be arranged before I leave, I can leave the stuff in the charge of the Chinese representative of the National Health Administration here, who will handle this end for me. Then I can push the matter In Chungking, where all final decisions as to allotment of space, regardless of the agency, are made. I have learned from several Hsiang-Ya men I have met here that IIsiang-Ya Medical College is moving from Kweiyang to Chungking, regardless of what the military developments are. So I shall expect to be there. Hence I have booked my passage to Chungking instead of Kunming, If the stuff ends up in Kunming, I'll make an extra, trip back to get it, after getting all my papers for travel in China fixed up in Chungking. The other day on the trolley I ran across Richard Chen, who interned in Hsiang-Ya in Changsha three years ago and then went to work with Dr, Pearson in Shaoyang. He later returned, to Hsiang- Ya where he was assistant resident in surgery until he had to get out last June. He said that very little was gotten out of Changsha, but that the stuff at Yiyang was moved on up the river. Ling Kwang-hung and his wife, the tall doctor in Obs, are running a dispensary at Tung P'ing, a little west of where we spent the summer, with the stuff which was gotten out. Dr. Hsiao is there but is not doing much active work. He evidently is pretty well beaten down. John Lin took his parents, wife and kids to Yuanling. I understand he is going back to Tung P'ing, to help in the work there. Richard Chen is one of a group of doctors being sent by the Chinese government to America to study. He is to spend a year in anaesthesia, I have given him a letter to Whipple and he might work in New York, He has to report in Washington. I am glad he to study anaesthesia, because he ought to be a great help to me in chest surgery when he returns, I hear that Y. K, Wu has done a lobectomy and a pneumonectomy in Chungking. The next surprise was to find out that Felix London is here in town. He arrived several days ago on his first lea ve. He is now a captain. He expects to be able to get his British citizenship in another year or so. He has given up the idea of going to South Africa after the war, because he likes China and wants to stay there. He has learned quite a lot of Chinese. Ian Annand is now a Lieut.-Col. and is the temporary commander of his outfit. Felix has a free 50 lb. allotment of air space for his return which he will not use because all his stuff is in China; he has offered it to me, which will be a great help, I shall get 35 lbs. on my ticket and expect to be allotted 55 lbs. more of excess, which will cost me about U.S. „i5.0Q a lb, to Chungking, |