The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America

Witherspoon Building

Philadelphia 7, Pa.

May ninth,

1 9 4 5.

Mrs. bamuel A. Moffett,

93 Elm tit. ,

New Haven 10, Conn.

My dear Mrs. Moffett:

I have your letter of May 7th and shall be very glad indeed to answer your questions.

annually. This makes a total of $47 monthly. In addition you have been receiving $100 annual^ for your minor child, Thomas F. Moffett, who reaches the age of 21 May 18, 1945. You have therefore been receiving a total pension of $55.34> which will now be reduced to $47.00 monthly from the Board of Pensions.

Your widow's pension amounts to $300 under the service Pension Plan plus $264 under the bustentation Department, or a total o£i$564

Very sincerely yours.

Assistant to the President.

RbD:B

Copy of a Letter from Dr. Horace Underwood, November 19, 19 U 5

Dear Dr# Hooper:

Your letter of October 19 to my .temporary APO just got here today.

Hereafter your letters will come thru in ten days to two weeks from observation of my 'wife's letters.

I understand from ner tnat she has already transmitted to you information in my previous letters which will largely answer some of your questions.

Churches are all suffering from "shock." Many were closed; none was allowed more than one service a week. ^11 leaders were under pressure, if not persecution. Some died; some were practically exiled; some fled; some attempted to hold on by minor compromises so that they might serve their charges. Many Christians were frigntenod away from churches; others refused to attend where oDjectionable features offended tnem; others, could not understand Japanese, which was insisted on in some localities. Liberation came as a wonderful surprise, attendance is steadily increasing almost everywhere; people are beginning to get together and think and plan a little. Some leaders are under severe criticism; sometimes in the church, sometimes from outside. The country is cut in two. No representatives can come from north of 36 except by stealth and on foot with risk of loss of everything they havj on them. The churches were not united until almost the end of ths war. Then it was done, and Mr. Kim Kwan Sik was made head of the United Church, as soon as possible after liberation he called a meeting of the Exec, Comm. (?) and resigned. No one nowr knows whether the churches will wish to separate into :vl* E. and Presbyterian or remain united. A number of prominent laymen have told me that "the majority of the laymen want one church" but that many of the pastors wish to break up into original churches. Of course, Holiness and such grouos will pull out, but some of us hope that M. E. and Presbyterian will stay together, Drs. norton and Shafer will have told you thoir impression. No r^al plans can be made so long as (l) country is cut in two by 38, (2) until Military Government oan bring some semblance of older out of present chaos. Severance and C.C.C. are functioning, at least after a fashion. Former J. D. Vie 11s School is going on well and doing good work, he nave received or are receiving custody of most of the real estate, P.M.B.S., C.L.S., Mission residences, etc., etc. Again we know nothing and are not permitted to go north of 38, he are told that Russians are stripping country, taking everything of value. Seoul Girls' School was taken over and away and name changed. Building is now temporarily occupied by a Boys’ School, to which I have given permission to stay thru winter if it can find no other place, .nlumnae of Girls’ School are anxious to reopen. I told them (l) I could not speak witn authority; (2) .1 understood that Board would probably not enter into creation of "Mission" schools again; (3) if they made adequate plans for reopening school, Board would probably be very sympathetic and might (a) allow use of buildings,

(b) supply American teacher or teachers, (c) possibly give some subsidy— but tnat none of these was certain and would depend on their plans and thoir reception by Mission and Board,

Property Damage; It is quite true that damage is not so great as we had feared. However, a’ rough estimate on paint and immediate plumbing repairs, etc., for Yondong houses came to over ¥100,000. At present rate of exchange* that is over <,6,000 and does not begin to cover what must be done, part of the grounds is riddled by ill-constructed bombshelters which are in danger of caving in. Electric lights, wiring, phones, new and adequate plumbing, now floors in many cases, probably almost new roofs in many cases and completely new furniture must be provided. There is nothing here, I am trying to buy Firs. Kinabe’s furniture for Board if Military

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Government will permit it. It is to cost about ¥U* 700* which is very cheap. If Board doesn't want it, I will keep it for myself. But it will give missionaries one or two beds, chairs, and tables to begin with. Prices here are atrocious, and arbitrary exchange does not begin to represent the real rate, which is nearer 80-1. If the Board expects to help institutions like Severance and C.C.C. and C.L.S*, further thousands of dollars will be needed, even if we recover soon from present inflation. Probably cheapest will be to buy in America und ship out almost every- thing, as there is little to be bought here even at any price. For u time we may have to go back to tne old system of large-scale grocery orders for even food,

Hope to make some arrangements for the first group to eat off the Army in some way, ,i0 ar~ hoping Bigger will be here soon, as Horton and my letters will have told you.

I am losing my machine taaporarily, so must close. Will answer Dr, Decker’s letter later. I start on Government tour of South Korea tomorrow morning and will be gone over a week. &11 Koreans, Christians and many others want missionaries back.

Hastily,

Horace H. Underwood

Dr. Horace n. Underwood

Hq. XXIV Corps, military Government

/4.P.O. 235, c/o Postmaster

S-n Francisco, California