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At various times during the Sino-Japanese hostilities,
Chinese soldiers have, usually inadvertently, entered territory
under the domain of the Hong-Kong Government. The government
has seen fit to treat these soldiers as prisoners of war and
have interned them as the cutting indicates. I understand,
(you will know definitely), that since there has been no
actual declaration of war, this internment
this internment is not legal.
These soldiers, it is obvious, wish to return to the
front in order to aid their country and recently there has
been a great deal of unrest in the camp. One soldier actually
escaped and, as the cutting states, another was "shot while
attempting to escape", (this convenient term is, as you know,
largely used in Nazi Germany!).
In the fighting which took place a few weeks ago on
the border between the Hong-Kong new territories and Chinese
territory, Japanese soldiers trespassed, and actually placed
their flag on territory under the Hong-Kong Government. They
were not, however, arrested, only a protest being made to them,
after which they withdrew.
The figures given in the cutting, apart from those of
the soldiers, refer to the ordinary refugees, (i.e. mainly
women and children), and the fact that some provision is being
made for them is, I think, commendable. It does not, however,