Ladder to Heaven

"Communism is paradise! The people's communes are the ladder to heaven!" proclaimed the tattered signs nailed to the masts, but the words carried a special irony for the fishermen who manned the fragile junks. Last month 1,000 of these junks had sailed into Macao harbor from Red China, their crews and passengers ostensibly bent on celebrating Chinese New Year in the 6-sq.-mi. Portuguese province. As usual, the men swarmed ashore to jam the smoky teahouses and to try their luck at fantan. But when the long holiday was over, less than half the junks sailed for home.

Though Macao is no stranger to refugees, never had so many--6,000 men, women and children--come at one time. Reason: a report that the Reds were about to start fishing communes, to match the hated land communes. To lure the fishermen back, Peking promised that the fishermen would still be able to keep up to 40% of their catch. The Communists also put pressure on Macao fish merchants not to buy from the refugees. Both pressure and promise failed. In desperation, some fishermen tried eking out a living with odd jobs ashore, or by begging in the streets; they had almost nothing to eat in Macao, but still would not go back. Last week, with 500 Chinese junks still in Macao harbor, Peking tried another approach.

At noon a Chinese gunboat moved into the harbor and contemptuously lay to a few yards off Macao's downtown wharves. Next day two armed motor junks began zigzagging among the fishing fleet. Later Communist police launches joined in. They fired no guns but that night far fewer junks remained.

Pressed by newsmen, Portuguese officials reluctantly admitted that the Chinese had indeed kidnaped some fishermen, and had forced others to go home. But as always, the Portuguese had no intention of offending their immense neighbor. When asked whether the Communist gunboat had not violated Portuguese waters, the harbor master talked vaguely about his authority extending out only 70 yds. from the shore--a figure that conveniently put the gunboat in the clear.

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