54

intending to proceed to Shanghai at the first opportunity. Over two thousand Portuguese were evacuated to Macao within two months after the surrender.

The Chinese population was decreasing rapidly. Hundreds of thousands of people have left during the first three months of the year. This was strongly encouraged by the Japanese who opened several routes for the purpose of "repatriating" the Chinese population.

The impression on the whole was that the Japanese have probably no intention of allowing the resumption of normal business life in Hongkong for the time being, but are reserving the colony for their military needs.

(Signed) B.G. Milenko.

Address: c/o Butterfield & Swire,

Chungking.

Share This Page