Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
At least three letters arrived in New Rockford, post-dated November 26, 1961. A simple return address from "I.C.R.C." was all the information given. The postage stamp was undeniably foreign, with the image of Sun Yat-Sen, who was known for his role in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty during the 1911 Revolution. Curious indeed, and that's just the envelope! Courtesy photo.
I took it as an honor when Eddy County Museum Board Member Sandy O'Connor asked me to join her for a visit to the office of John Hovey, a retired attorney who practiced law in New Rockford from 1964 to 2001. Our intention was to collect a series of letters regarding the placement of Chinese refugees outside New Rockford.
Hovey donated three of these envelopes, each containing a letter, to the Eddy County Museum. The letters were addressed to the Hon. Mayor of the City of New Rockford, Superintendent of Schools and the Manager of Rockford Hotel. These letters were written by Clifford J. Chong, American Secretary of the International Chinese Refugee Committee.
The opening line in the letter to mayor Edgar Mattson reads, "In January 1962 ten members of the Chinese Refugee Committee will arrive in New Rockford preparatory to the establishment of a Chinese Refugee Center adjacent to your most excellent city."
Chong goes on to explain that the preparations included construction of living quarters for up to 4,000 Chinese Refugees as well as a factory where "pyrotechnic signal equipment to U.S. Navy specifications will be manufactured."
The letter to the Rockford Hotel requested reservations for 10 members of the International Chinese Refugee Committee. These members would be traveling from Hong Kong, Republic of China, Federation of Malaya, Canada and Washington, D.C.
Chong closes the letter by saying, "It is unnecessary to confirm or acknowledge these reservations. If you find it imperative to communicate with us, please address me at the Committee's permanent office, since I am this week closing our Washington D.C. office and am returning to Hong Kong."
The letter closed with the statement, "A confirming telegram will be sent to you by the leader of the party, Dr. Chiu, about January 2 when the majority of the Committee will arrive in San Francisco."
On Nov. 30, 1961 the Transcript published an article titled, "Hoax or Fact? Letters Create Excitement on Possibility of Refugee Center." The article posited, "While the letters seem to be authentic in many respects local officials are skeptical, to say the least, and are content to wait until January 5 when the first 10 delegates arrive to complete arrangements."
The planned arrival of committee members never came to light. There was no confirmation telegram, and no committee member arrived to claim their reservations at the Rockford Hotel.
Because Edgar Mattson – John's law partner and the mayor of New Rockford at the time – had been in Washington D.C. just a few weeks prior to the arrival of the letters, he became the original suspect for the hoax. It was Mattson who gave these original documents to Hovey. In doing so he made it clear that he had no involvement. When Hovey donated the letters he insisted, "It may have been a hoax, but it wasn't carried out by Mattson."
A modern perspective
Internet searches for an International Chinese Refugee Committee in Hong Kong or Washington D.C. in 1961 do little to confirm the validity of the organization. It does however illuminate a significant fact that was left out of Chong's letters. A stream of 60,000 Chinese were seeking refuge in Hong Kong. Many were denied entry into the British Colony.
In 1961, the United Nations initiated the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness as a multilateral treaty whereby sovereign states agree to reduce the incidence of statelessness. This treaty was in direct response to the number of people fleeing communist regimes. In the same year, President John F. Kennedy requested Congress to enact H.R. 8291, the "Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962."
No internet searches revealed any stories about other communities receiving such letters, and it can not be confirmed that the International Chinese Refugee Committee ever had ties to Washington D.C. or whether the committee ever existed at all.
Did other communities receive similar letters? Was this incident isolated to New Rockford? If so, why? Who? How? These questions might remain unanswered, leaving Eddy County with a strange tale that we don't fully understand.
These letters will be on display at the Eddy County Museum this summer.
