Provided help along the way

Lloyd Meeds represented Washington’s 2nd District in Congress for a number of years and was a frequent visitor to our newspaper in Bothell. He spent a lot of time in the district and would come by the paper for interviews and to report on what he was doing back in Washington. Quite often, his wife, Mary, would accompany him. 

I told the two, on one occasion, of my plan to travel to the far east, and they quickly suggested that I include Taiwan as one of the countries to visit.

Mary Meeds was Chinese and a personal friend of Madame Chiang Kai-shek. She said that she would write to them and report on my visit plans. She further explained that her government friend controlled the Grand Hotel in Taipei, and said it was the best hotel on the island.

It worked out perfectly and when I landed in Taipei, an official from the government met me and took me to the hotel. The man spoke English and explained that he had been instructed to drive me wherever I wanted to go.

We met early the next morning, and I told him I was interested in four things: an interview of Madame Chiang Kai-shek, a visit to a small farm, a visit to the national museum, and a visit to Quemoy, one of the offshore islands near the mainland but under control of the Nationalist government.

He quickly stated that it would be impossible to speak with Madame Chiang Kai-shek because she didn’t give interviews. He said the other requests might work out but that he would need special permission to fly me there.

Quemoy was only six miles from the mainland and there were often problems there.

My driver said that on even days the Nationalists would lob an artillery shell to the mainland and on odd days the communists would return the favor.

The Nationalist government left the mainland in 1949 after losing the civil war with the communists. He said he would have to seek authority on the Quemoy issue.

We drove out of the city for about 25 miles to a very small house where a farmer was separating the chaff from his wheat crop. Through my driver, I learned the farmer was preparing part of his crop for market. He was tossing the wheat in the air while on a large concrete slab. The farmhouse was most modest and barely large enough for the man’s wife and family. That pretty much took the day and I was tired from travel, so I suggested the national museum for the next day.

I was interested in the museum because I had read that the Nationalist government had collected every art piece it could get its hands on and taken them from the mainland.

I wasn’t disappointed or misinformed. It was the most exciting museum or art gallery I have ever visited.

The Grand Hotel was an excellent decision. I was in the lap of luxury.

My driver said that the next day was Chinese New Year and he would be busy, but if I would like to join him I could do so.

The custom was to pay your debts using “funny money,” and so it would be a busy day for everyone. Funny money turned out to be printed fake money. But it made people feel like they were starting the new year with a clean slate.

He started the next day at my breakfast time and said that the Quemoy might be on, so I should be ready to leave on a moment’s notice.

As it turned out, the trip to Quemoy, he said, was deemed to be too dangerous for me.

The uprisings in Hong Kong have been in the news, off and on lately. When the British returned Hong Kong to China in 1997 it was with the understanding that it would enjoy self-government for 50 years. 

It was called one China, two systems.

The Chinese government took a lot of Hong Kong citizens’ freedoms away and it provoked uprisings that haven’t fully ended.

The Chinese government has used this same pledge to the residents of Taiwan, but I can’t see them buying it.