Chinese Students Undisturbed Over Returning Home

Chinese students at the University do not seem to be visibly disturbed at the prospect of returning to a homeland under Communist rule, the Foreign Students Office reported yesterday.

The general attitude, the office said, of these students, who number about 50, appears to be "We are Chinese and China is our home, so why shouldn't we return there?"

Of the 50 Chinese students here now, 23 are receiving aid from the U. S. government. This money comes from two ECA grants made by Congress last year, the first for $500,000, the second for $4,000,000. The first checks from these funds were received by applicants in December.

Terms of the Grants

Under the terms of these grants, a student must return to China after he has acquired the degree which he is seeking, unless the University or certain of his instructors should recommend that he remain a further length of time for training and experience in his field.

University scholarships are paying the way of 11 Chinese here now, and independent scholarships from the World Health Organization and the Rockefeller Foundation are supporting four others. The others studying here are paying their own tuitions.

In order to be the recipient of ECA money, an applicant 1) must be a Chinese citizen; 2) must have engaged in a course of study during the academic year 1948-19; 3) must be enrolled or doing work on a full-time basis to meet academic requirements during the period for which aid is requested; 4) must be in need of financial assistance; and 5) must be and remain in good academic standing.

Return Transportation

The government grant provides return transportation to China after study is completed. Under present circumstances, with no ships calling at Shanghai, this transportation would be to Hong Kong.

Due to the inability of students to get out of China since the Communist triumphs there, the enrollment of Chinese students this year is about 40 below normal. Now that American consular officials are leaving China, this figure will drop off move, since it will be impossible for students to obtain visas.