Pacific Stars and Stripes,
December 1950
By JOSN William Gilson
S&S Korea Bureau
PUSAN- Tough, bearded merchant
seamen confronted Edward Bartham, time after time, seeking food, clothing,
and shelter for homeless Korean waifs of Pusan.
Time after time, the seaman's canteen director fed,
clothed, and housed them. Limited rooming facilities at the club held
down the number of children he was able to aid, however.
Then he started an orphanage. From his own pocket,
he bought a house and from funds of the SOS Canteen, he was able to
buy food and what little clothing there was available in the poorly
supplied city.
At the beginning, Bartham found that many of the
children suffered from over-exposure, malnutrition, and quite a few
other diseases. He hired a Korean doctor to be on call at all hours
of the day or night so the children would have medical attention when
needed.
Seventy children have been taken in since the orphanage
opened two weeks ago. Bartham's latest plan for the advancement of his
home is to start a school. A teacher is on duty now and arrangements
for the opening classes are well underway.
And what does Bartham have to say about all of this?
"Well, someone had to do something," he says.
PSS-061
