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보/고/서

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 4343

FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - 0043)　23 October 1950

PW was cooperative and intelligent. Reliability - fair

Feb 33 - Went to LUNGCHING (龍井) from place of birth.

Feb 33 - Dec 48 - Remained in LUNGCHING as a student enrolled in the Chinese communist Army Medical School in Jan 47 and graduated in Dec 48.

Jan 49 - Feb 49 - Served in TAHU-SHAN (大虎山) with the 17th Hospital of PEKING.

May 49 - Jun 49 - Served in SHIH-CHIASHAN (石家山) with the 17th Hospital Unit.

Jun 49 - Aug 49 - Served in KU YINGCHEN (古榮鎭) with the 17th Hospital Unit.

Aug 49 - Apr 50 - Served in CHANG-SHA (長沙) with the 17th Hospital Unit.

Apr 50 - Repatriated to NK.

Obs: Feb 33 - Dec 48

The city is situated in the center of a flat plain surrounded by a string of hills which form an arc around the northern fringes of the plain. The hills are gently sloped with numerous valleys radiating from the plains. The highest hills, non of which are in excess of 400 meters, form an arc east to north about 3 kilometers from the instances when requests for travel were refused. No details are available on the travel permits. A special permit issued only by the provincial administration was necessary for travel outside of CHINA and MANCHURIA. No details are available on these permits.

The city is linked by good, all weather highways with HOERYONG (會寧) KOREA, HOLUNG, YEN-CHI (延吉) and SAMPONG. The highway to YENCHI and HOLUNG separates at a junction 1 km south of the LUNG CHING railroad station. From this point, the road to YENCHI runs due west and the road to HOE RYONG extends southeast. Immediately north of the junction is a highway bridge which spans the HAILUNG River. Details of the bridge are as followers: Length - 200 meters, width - 8 meters, construction - wooden with reinforced concrete foundations, capacity - 15 tons. The roads were wall graded and surfaced with gravel. Width of the highways was about 12 meters.

The highway to HOE RYONG, KOREA extends east from LUNG-CHING. There are no steep grades or bridges on this highway. Width of the road was about 12 meters. The road was well graded and surfaced with gravel.

The highway which links the city with SAMPONG, KOREA is well graded but not surfaced with gravel. The road runs parallel to the LUNG-CHING - SAMFONG railroad line and is kept in good repair. Width of the road was about 7 meters.

In addition to the principal highway to HOEYRONG previously covered, there is also a secondary road which extends ESE from the city. The road, although kept in good repair, was not surfaced with gravel. The road crosses the LIU TAO HSIEN River but there was no bridge since the river bottom was firm and the water was only 30 cm deep.

The highways were extensively used since rail transportation alone was inadequate for transportation of supplies. The trucks were of Japanese and US manufacture and although old were in good condition. There was an auto repair shop in LUNG-CHING. Details are as follow:

Location - 1.5 km 3 of RR station

Structure - 50 x 50 x 15 meters, brick with concrete stucco, gabled galvanized iron roof (painted red). The building was unpainted.

Area - 70 meters square.

The shop employed only Japanese and Korean technicians. Number of workers or interior details are not known. There are an estimated 100 motor vehicles in LUNG-CHING.

Transportation between the city and the outlying areas was principally by horse and wagon. Horse carts are used extensively as a means of transportation.

No details are available except that there are adequate facilities. Telephones were permitted for private use. A telephone could be installed in a private home at a high cost, amount unknown.

Sep - Nov - Average temperature is about 10℃, low -2℃, high 10℃. There are high winds which usually blow from the north. There are sporadic rainfalls in September. The ground begins to freeze in the middle part of November.

Dec - Feb - Average temperature is about - 20℃, low -30℃, high -7℃. There are occasional high winds which below continuously for two or three days. Wind direction is usually from North to South. It usually snows about twice a month. Average depth of snowfall is about 10 inches. The level areas are usually free of snow because of the high winds but the hills and sheltered areas are snow covered throughout the winter months.

There are three single track railroad lines leading from the city to CH’AO-YANGCHIUAN (朝陽川), TUNGSHENG YUNG(東盛湧), and HO LUNG (和龍). The LUNGCHING-CH’AO-YANG-CH’UAN railroad in a direction SSW from the city, crosses the HAILAN River and passes through a 100 meter long railroad tunnel about 1 km NNE of CH’AO-YANG-CH’UAN railroad station. There is only one railroad bridge between the two cities. Details of the bridges are as follows: LOCATION- 1 km SSW LUNG-CHING RR Station. Span the HAILANG River. Length - 200 meters, construction - steel with concrete piers, supports single track RR Line.

The LIUNGJIN-KOREA railroad line runs northwest and curves east through TONGSHENG YUNG. There are no tunnels or bridges on the Manchurian side of the railroad line.

The LUNG-CHING HOLUNG railway extends southwest and curves east after crossing a railroad bridge 1 km SW of the railroad station. Details of the bridge are as follows:

Length - 300 meters, width - 5 meters, construction - reinforced concrete. Supports single track rail traffic, pans the LIU PAO HSIEN, a tributary of the HAILAN River. This railroad was constructed in 1943 by the Japanese for temporary use and consequently was of poor construction. It was improved extensively by the Chinese and presently it rates as the best railroad in the area.

The trains run exactly on schedule and there were no instances when the train arrived off schedule. The rolling stock were all of Japanese manufacture which were in MANCHURIA prior to the end of World War II. The locomotives, freight and passenger cars were kept in excellent repair. All rolling stock in the area was repaired at the CH’AO-YANG CHIUAN repair shops ( Details of the shops are not known). There were a considerable number of Japanese technicians employed on the railroad as engineer and repairmen. A large percentage of the technicians were either Japanese or Koreans.

There are five passenger trains running from CH’AO-YANG CHIUAN to SAMPONG, KOREA via LUNG CHING and a like number from SAMPONG to CH’AO-YANG-CH’UAN. There are four passenger trains which arrive at LUNG CHING from HOLUNG and a like number running in the opposite direction. Freight traffic was also scheduled but details are not known.

Travel permits and identification cards were necessary to travel by rail. Permits were obtained from local police. There were no outskirts of the city. The hills north to west of the city are about 50 meters in height and gently sloped.

The southern outskirts of the city are bordered by a broad, gently flowing river.

The HAILAN-CHIANG (海蘭江) River flows east to west along the southern outskirts of the city. The river bed is about 100 meters wide but width of water flow is usually 75 meters. Rate of flow is normally about 6 km per hour. The river at most points is about 1.5 meters deep but rages from 1 meter deep at its shallowest points to 3 meters at the deepest points. Fluctuation of the water level has not been in excess of 50 cm during dry and rainy season. The river flooded once in 1940 and since then, there has been no such incidents. Details of the flood are not known. The bank of the river are gently sloped at about 150 and are sandy with little or no mixture of pebbles or gravel. The river bottom is also sandy with about three inches of mud but is sufficiently firm to support vehicular traffic.

The river begins to freeze in the early part of December and the ice reaches its maximum thickness of 70cms in the latter part of December. The ice supports vehicular traffic between mid-December and mid-April. The river begins to show signs of thaw in the latter part of April and thaws completely by the latter part of May. There is no commercial river traffic.

Soil composition in the area east of the city is primarily red clay but the land west of the city is black humus. The topsoil in the area west of the city is about one meter thick. In the areas cast of the city, soil composition remains the same to an undetermined depth. Generally, the soil is fertile with no rocks or gravel. The ground begins to freeze in mid-November and usually freezes to a depth of about 1 meter. The ground begins to thaw in vehicular traffic is possible throughout the area but during rainy seasons, trafficability is limited to the highways. Natural drainage is good and the surface of the ground dries rapidly, usually within two days, even after heavy rains.

There is no natural growths of trees in the area surrounding LUNG-CHING but there is a verdant growth of grass and weeds which normally reach a height of about 50 cm. The grass is excellent fodder for livestock. Type of grass is not known.

Mar - May - Average temperature is about -3℃. Low -10℃, high -2℃. There are high winds which usually blow from the north. Snow falls through the month of April. Average depth of snowfall is about 4 inches. In May, there is occasional rain and snow.

Jun - Aug - Average temperature is about -20℃, low -5℃, high -28℃. There are light breezes and occasional strong winds which blow from the north. Rainy season is between the latter part of June and the early part of July. Average rainfall is usually between one and two inches.

Telephone exchange:

Location - 2.5 km S of the RR Station

Structure- 150 x 10 x 10 meter, one story concrete with gabled galvanized iron roof.

Details - Unknown.

The population of the city is estimated at 50,000. 70% of the population were Koreans and 30% were Chinese. There were also an estimated 1000 Japanese who had been withheld from repatriation because of their technical abilities.

The city is situated in the center of an agricultural district and the economy of the city is primarily dependent upon agriculture the small business. About 20% of the population were laborers and the remaining 80% were businessman and municipal and railroad employees. There was no friction between the different races. Type of employment depended upon individual capabilities.

The social and political aristocracy of the city were a handful of Chinese appointed to the important administrative positions by the government. All of them were members of the Communist Party. In all instances, the leaders were from areas outside of LUNG-CHING proper. No information is available on the administration of municipal affairs.

The educational level of population was relatively high. Of the Korean population, 100% have at least a primary school education and 70% have had some middle school education. Of the Chinese population 50% have no education and remaining 50% have same educational background. Of the entire population of the city, 80% were literate. In 1947, a compulsory education program was established in which all children were required to attend primary school. Approximately 60% of the primary school graduates enroll in middle schools but only 40% of the figure actually graduate. There were seven primary schools in the city of which one was for the Chinese students, one for Japanese students, and 5 were for the Korean students. Educational facilities in the primary schools were very good. Instruction was in the native language of the pupils. In most instances, a middle school diploma was the only qualification necessary to apply for a teaching job in the primary schools. The teachers were paid in rice by the municipal government. There were seven middle schools in the city of which one was for the Chinese students and six were for the Korean students. The Japanese students were required to attend the middle school in YEN-CHI since the number of students made it impractical to operate a separate school for them. Since the schools give courses for specific field such as business management, agriculture, etc, there are no elective subjects. There standard curriculum for academic middle schools are as follows: Algebra, Chemistry, Physics, English, Russian, Chinese, music and physical education. In addition to this, they received two hours of political training each week. Each institution has a special instructor who is responsible for the political education. The ordinary instructors are not allowed to indulge in this subject. The political instructor was actually a government employee who did not belong to the instructing staff of the school. All middle school instructors were college graduates and prior to admittance in the teaching staff, must pass a brief oral and written examination. The middle school instructors were either paid in goods or cash, depending upon the availability of the goods.

There is only one college in the city, the LUNG-CHING Medical College. The institution was temporarily used in training medical officers for the CCF but has been returned for civil use. The school has facilities to enroll 600 students per year. Length of instruction is for 5 years. All applicants for enrollment must have a middle school education and pass an entrance examination. The 13 instructors at the college are all Japanese with the exception of one Chinese.

Middle school graduates who wished to further their education in fields other than medicine had to go to TSITSIHAR (齊齊哈爾) or YEN-CHI for enrollment in college. Between 1946 and 1947, a number of enrollments were negligible, the institution was moved to TSITSIHAR.

The necessary school supplies including books has to be individually procured. There were no fees for the primary school students. Middle school students had to pay a tuition of 2,000 Yuan per month. Students at the medical college did not have to pay tuition but had to buy individual supplies.

Sanitary conditions were extremely poor, there were no adequate sewage or drainage systems. The streets were littered with trash despite the efforts made by the municipal government to improve sanitation. The municipal government has been conducting extensive propaganda activity to have the residents police their living areas but no active steps have been taken. There has been no outbreaks of epidemic. All residents were required to received cholera, typhus, pest, scarlet fever and smallpox immunization shots once yearly. Immunizations were conducted free of charge.

The city water supply comes from the HAILUNG River. The water is pumped to a concrete reservoir situated in the hills about 2 km east of the city. The water is chemically purified. Water mains extend from the reservoirs to furnish each household with running water. The water was furnished free of charge.

There was a shortage of skilled laborers and technicians. There was a great demand for doctors, electricians, mechanics, and experienced railroad workers. No details are available on working conditions.

No information is available on the municipal administration.

The Japanese were not permitted to participated in political or administrative affairs.

1. Crops: the principal crops grown in the area are rice, millet, corn, soybeans and potatoes. No information is available on amount of harvest but after paying 20% of the harvest to the government, the people in LUNG-CHING county had sufficient food for the whole year. There were no flour mills or soybean oil extracting plants in LUNG-CHING proper. Crops are harvested once a year, in November for most of the crops. Planting season is in May,. There were no fertilizer ration and the farmers used human and animal waste during planting seasons. With the exception of the rice fields, there is no necessity for irrigation since there is sufficient rainfall. 100% of the arable land in LUNG-CHING county is under cultivation.

2. Livestock - there is small scale hog farming in the outlying districts of LUNG-CHING. Most of the farmers own two or three hogs. No other details are available. There are no cows or horses being raised in the area.

3. Forest Products - there are no forests in the area.

Thermo Electric Power Plant

Location: 150 meters N of LUNG-CHING RR Station.

There is one 250m x 200m x 50m reinforced concrete building with a flat roof. There were two, 10 meter high smokestacks on the west side of the roof. The plant used bituminous coal form the HOERYONG coal mines. Quantity used is unknown. The plant technicians were of 1000 men on three eight-hour shifts. The plant technicians were Japanese. Power output is not known, but is sufficient to supply all of the power needs in YEN-CHI Country. The plant is in an area 1 kilometer square and is surrounded by an electrified barb wire fence.

EMERGENCY LANDING STRIP:

Location - 2 km W of RR Station.

The airfield area was about 5 kilometers by 2 1/2 kilometers.

There were no paved runways. During the Japanese regime, the field had a dirt runway but when last observed in Dec 48, the entire field was covered with grass and weeds. There were two 50 x 46 x 7 meter high galvanized iron hangars on the northern edge of the field. There were no other installation.

17th General Hospital, 4th Field Army

Last Known Location - CHANGSHA, CHINA. Obs Feb 50

The hospital staff was composed of 9 Japanese doctors, 3 Korean doctors, 3 Chinese doctors, 100 Japanese nurses, 60 Korean nurses and 20 Chinese nurses. All doctors received pay and privileges of a Regt CO, the nurses of Plat Ldr. There was no rank. The hospital supplies were, for the most part, of Russian origin but there were Chinese and US manufactured items also. The CCF used a considerable quantity of plasma but there was always a shortage. Plasma was of US, Japanese and Russian origin. The hospital is capable of attending to 1,500 patients at any one time. There were two trucks assigned to the hospital.

For the commanding Officer: