144
people mo than the minimum requirement, the lack of water, the filth accumulated everywhere and the Japanese c nfiscation of all drug stores in Hongkong and owloon, the danger of dysentery and cholera breaking out in the coming summer is very great.
When the British withdrew from Kowloon, many of the ferry boats were destroyed. At present, there are only 3 left so the service is Bost inconvenient. The Japanese charge 10g military note as ferry fare but to cross the harbour is not like in former ɑays. Before the war, it took only 10 or 15 minutes to cross, but it is now a one-day journey. The Jap- anese and their puppets have priority in crossing the harbour and only a few ordinary people are allowed to cross each time if there is still rožm in the ferry. As a result, people have to lima up for their turn and the queue of people stretches from the Star Ferry, Kowloon, way up to the Ob- servatory Road. Many people have to wait from morning till night before their turn comes to go to Hongkong and vice versa. Each one has to be searched by the Japanese gendarmes when boarding the Ferry and the same search is repeated when one leaves the Ferry,
After the British had surrendered, the Japanese refused to give any food or water to the British prisoners for 4 days on the pretext that Japanese prisoners were not given food or water by the Hongkong authori- ties for 3 days and nights.
The Japanese are adopting the German tactics by using food supply as a whip to force the Chinese in Hongkong to cooperate with them. They are advertsing for propagandists and workers for Japan's "New Order. Those who are willing to sign up and "pledge" their allegiance to the Japan- ese policy will be given the priviledge to buy rice for a greater quantity and at a cheaper price and those who have rendered signal service to the Japanese will be given free rice! It is said that the Japanese ære sending such workers to Malaya and the D. E. I. to help their propaganda work. Those who refuse to do so can starve themselves to death.
They
The people in Hongkong are really in a hell hole.
cannot get money from the bank to exchange it into Japanese notes and at the same time they have not sufficient funds to buy their daily food which they cannot always get. Their alternative is either to face gradual star- vation in Hongkong or to leave Hongkong without financial means.
Mr. Meng stayed in Hongkong for two months after its
surrender. He saw with his own eyes Japanese trucks carrying away money, jewelleries and other valuables from the bank deposit boxes. Anything that is fo value in Hongkong is being systematically looted by the Japanese. He said that when the situation in Hongkong became serious, many people removed their valuables to put into the banks and now the Japanese have robbed them in one sweep from the Chinese civilians.
All the British and American citizens - men and women are imprisoned in the Stanley Jail. The only white men and women in the streets are Germans Italians and a few Russians. Mr. Meng said that it is a fact that many white women were purposely ravaged by the Japanese. Hunārėda of Chinese women faced the same fate. Mr. Meng was asked by the Japanese to cooperate with them because he happened to own some factory there. He pretended to do so in order to save his life but as soon as he had an oppor- tunity he escaped to Chungking with the only suit which I saw him wear this afternoon.
Due to the difficulty of transportation service, food prices in Hongkong are 3 times as high as those in Kowloon. There are far more people in Hongkong than Kowloon and on account of the red tape in permitting people to leave a great number of poor people in Hongkong are already starved. It is feared that eņidemics will soon break out in the West Point section of Hongkong.
People at present are afraid of the Japanese in day time because they do not know when their house will be searched or whether they will be arrested, while at night they are afraid of robbers because no street order is being maintained. People are living under the strain of constant fear that something unpleasant may happen to them at any time.
Censor Comments The above report was written to his wife from the alary of Laniel S.K. Chang, who works in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, after
• Mr. Moody Meng had reporteu on Hongkong congitions to the Chinese Ministry. Intelligence School CLE
226/1 Lower Circular Rd., Calcutta.
Date
21.3.42
No. II/171/62
1958/2
George,
for Lt. Col.
of Lolamen
Capt.
O.C., Intelligence School "C"