43
}
me a lift in the car they had at their disposal to where I wished to go. This lift I refused. They told me they considered that British had fought very well. They also said they would like to return to Japan and that Wars were not a good thing.
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The other incident was when I was on the Peak when the house coolie came in and told me a Japanese soldier was in the kitchen and wished to have his food a tin of bully beef - warmed – I was cross and rather grudgingly allowed the food to be warmed - fuel was very difficult to get then a Japanese officer came up to the house as well and I told the coolie to give them their food when warmed on the dining room table they then asked me to give them some rice so I boked in the saucepans on the stove and found the rice which was being heated up again for the dogs and told the coolie to give them that They wouldn't eat it and said it was too poor so I said I was sorry - they then asked for whiskey and beer and I told them there was none and gave them tea. They amazed me, when, on leaving, they handed me five tins of bully beef this probably doesn't sound very much but when food is scarce - bully beef is bully beef and five tins well worth having particularly as at the time we had no meat at all in the house.
Al
I can quote further incidents of consideration but think these two give the general atmosphere.
Thompson's notes read.
"I know of cases also where Japanese have behaved with kindness and sympathy towards British people and I cannot but strongly emphasize the value of a fair distinction between individual acts of brutality and kindness from the propaganda point of view.
The Japanese were most angry at the nature of propaganda reports emanating from Chungking given by persons who had escaped from Hongkong - While I do not
know the full context of the broadcasting they were undoubtedly received with anger by the Japanese. Their press made much of "Atrocity charges" by Mr. Antony Eden shortly before we left Stanley.
It