UA-R-GC-1914-01-01-1956-09-01_Page-148

EVACUATION ITEM FROM TfIE ?'RES:i:1'EaT RF PORT, 1941-42 On Juno 23, I was called to the American Lei*ation and was informed of the seriousness of the military sitoati.on on the Libyan front and was advised that all Americans should be ready for evacuation and that women and children should be evacuated at oncee As similar advice had been given to us, as a precautionary measure, in the summer of 1940 and again in 1941 without any really critical situation developing, the Uni.ve -si.ty circle had reached the conclusion that while due considera-tion should always be given to the opinions of our diplomatic represent-atives, the final responsibility for any decision lay with itself. Diplomatic and Consular officials very naturally, it not properly, give consideration only to the physical safety of our nationals. .they carry no responsibiJ i ty seemingly for the maintenance and continuance of civilian services and among these services those that are purely phil-anthropic and missionary are genernaly given less consideration and their interests are given much less weight in any critical situation. The University, therefore, felt it had to make its own decision. As will be recalled, the military situt tion worsened very rapidly F nd very seriously with the fall .,f Tubruk and the capture of almost three-tenths of the British forces and of an enormous quantity of material. The University staff felt unanimously that it should provide for evacu-ation of families. As :'resident I urged a. total evacuation of all families and of the husbands with their families.. I took this position for psychological reasons, for unless all the families were evacuated each was inclined to argue the example of the other as a reason for remaining and unless tha men went, the majority of the families refused to move. It was decided to evacur to to the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan as affording opprrtunity for further withdrawal by air to South Africa or to America if required. Once this decision was reached, the diffiG c.ul.ty of souring permission to enter the Sudan emerged. This permis-sion was secured for Americans through the intervention of the Ameri-can Legation and the British Embassy at Cairo on condition that such evacuees should not use hotels or pensions in their stay in Khartoum. The University a - pealed to the American Mission in the Sudan for a.ccomo-detions,, Through Mr. Shields, the use of a large enclosure with some buildings formerly used by n native evangelical sehoo1 Was secured. Then followed most hectic days of endeavoring to get passports regular-ized and visaed, securing transportation accomoda.tions and packing for an evacu^,ti.on which might represent the 1^.st to be seen of all personal possessions. Meanwhile th•., military situRtion became worse and worse; rumors filled the -air; nil transportation became difficult; banks felt the strain of withdrawals ..nd for our group it became really question-able whether it would be ';ossible to get beyond the Egyptian frontier before a debecle occurred which would be fatal to public security even en route. For the control and continued e.dministre tion of the Univers-ity' s affairs nn executive coma ittee of Dr. Boktor, Khalil Rizq, John Rizq and Ismail Husain was appointed, with additional members to b