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relief ships are to bring British from Japan, China and Manchuri but that the British in Hongkong are in the same oategory as the Americans in the Phillipines and are not eli, ible. Mr. Oda stressed that point so often with me, the fact that we were on Dur own land". He was adamant on that point.
What their reaction will be is hard to know,
The fact that British are being taken out, and that nothing is being done for them, that they are left! Before we left Hongkong a cut in food of 15 had been announced in Stanley. The people there are already underfed. Even with the parcels they receive they are underfed.
There are 2,700 people still in Stanley Prison. Out of these about 400 receive parcels regularly. The rest get just exactly nothing at all. There were 265 cases of beri beri in the Tweed Bay Hospital, when we left and more coming in every day, These were being dealt with by injections. Dr. Cort emphasized to me that this supply of medicine was nearly finished, there was very little more in Hongkong, and to please emphasize this to our home government.
And also that Pallagra, another vitamine deficiency disease was greatly on the increase, and that the people it attacked suffered mentally to such an extent, it attacks the brain, that they never recover. He stressed this particularly, and asked me to stress it.
He told me that he had examined Mr. Andrew Shields, a member of the Executive Council. Mr. Shields had lost 65 pounds. He talked bravely of the spirit of the British at Stanley Prison, he said that they were ready to walk into Hongkong tomorrow, and take up their old jobs. But he was so weak that he had to be lifted on to the X-ray table and when they heard that Mrs. Shielus was leaving with the Americans, Dr. Court said, "She will never see her husband again."
Getting out of Hongkong, difficult as it was in some ways, because we had so many examinations and medical tests and delays and waits to go through, in very hot weather, and none of us were feeling too strong, was still a thrill. To realize that - we were really going. We just didn't mind what happened.
Two days before we were to go I went to see Yr. Oda, to say goodbye and to again thank him for what he had done for me. He was so very charming, he has that sort of personality, and this is increased by his good looks.
I told him that I hoped that the next time we met it would be either in my drawingroom, or in his drawingroom, as it had been in the old days, and as it ought to be. He seemed particularly pleased at the remark. We chatted about a number of things, he never was in a hurry with me. I said that I hoped to see Lord Halifax and Sir Alexandar Cadogan, and wondered whether he would like to send them any messagd.). He thought for a moment and then said, "Yes, tell them from me to get the British out or Hongkong, get them out quickly, to India, anywhere, but get them out without delay."
I said "You will help? All the improvement in conditions for the British are due to you, happened since you took aharge. He replied, "Yes, I will, everything in my power".
But his protection aid not end there. The next day we were all required to go to the queen's dock to have our luggage examined by the Gendarmerię. It was a very hot sticky day, and a very long tedious business. we had not been allowed to take trunks with us, and I had been obliged to make bedding rolls of two lots of things. It was a terribly heavy job doing them up. And also, Mr. Oda had particularly warned me not to take some stories which he knew I had been writing, with me, he had spoken to me about that twice and said I must tear them up. I had taken them, nevertheless, carefully stowed in my golf bag. And all papers and notebooks and letters I had put in my husband's despatch box. we had had word that nothing could be taken, but I thought it would be well to at least try as the papers were very necessary to me. These ordem were for stanley.
"r. Cheng, from the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, came over to me and asked which were my bundles and said not to open
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