CONFIDENTIAL.
FORTNIGHTLY INTELLIGENCE REPORT NOS. 4 & 5.
Far Eastern Bureau,
British Ministry of Information, New Delhi.
Period ended, November 20th.
POLITICAL.
HONGKONG.
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1. Police School in Hongkong:
203 young Chinese men were recently selected for training in the newly established school for (Police ?) Inspectors. They are to be taught well-known Japanese mothods of defence. The opening ceremony of the school was held on October 22nd. (Hongkong in Cantonese, October 24th, 1130 GLIT, 31.68 m.)
2.
Hongkong Administration encouraging learning of Japanese language:
God
A variety
show
the
third of its kind was held on November 3rd in Hongking, with the object of encouraging the learning of the Japanese language among the male and female personnel of the Military Administration's District Bureaux. The programme included dialogues, singing, humour and other items, all in Japanese, together with a specch- making contest in Japanese. (Hongkong in Cantonese, November 7th, 1130 GMT, 31.68 m.)
3. Entertainment provided for shipyard workers: A 'Consolation meeting' was held on November 11th for the Chinese workers in all the Hongkong and Kowloon dockyards to which all the members of the families of the workers were invited. Entertainment was provided by the Hongkong Musical Association, the Dramatic Club and other organisations. (Hongkong in Cantonese, November 14th, 1130 GMT, 31.68 m.) Comment: The broadcaster commenting on the above stated that the workers were well pleased with the entertainment, and
It seems, it was expected that they would work harder and produce better results. however, reasonable to suppose that Allied bombing of the shipyards is affecting the morale of the workers, and that this entertainment was intended to strengthen their morale and keep them more contented.
ECONOMIC.
4. Postal money order and transfer rates with Japan revised: It was announced from
Hongkong on November 2nd that postal money order and transfer rates between Hongkong and Japan had been revised, and that the charges for the exchange of Military notes into C.R.D. had been raised from 50 sen to 1 Yen per 100 Military notes, while the charge for 50 or less remained at 50 sen.
5.
(Domei in Japanese, November 2nd).
Wholesale Market Guild established: The inauguration meeting of the Wholesale
Market Guild was held on October 30th. The Guild is established with a capital of 100,000, and is intended to regulate the distribution of daily necessities in those parts of the occupied territory of Hongkong which up to the present have been left w.controlled and to maintain appropriate prices, The Guild was in actual operation prior to the formal inauguration, working parallel to the Retail Market Federation which was established in the sunmer,
(Domei in Japanese, November 2nd). See F.I.R. Hongkong, No. 3 para 8.
6.
Communications
Telegraph service between Saigon and Hongking opened:
The Saigon
branch of the Japanese Ambassadorial Office announced on November 17th the opening of a telegraphic service in the Japanese language between Saigon and Hongkong as well as the Philippines. (Domei in English, November 18th).
/pmf/
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