Orig.regd.
in
18885/6/44.
8.
Extract from Far Eastern Weekly Intelligence Surmary,
No.55 for the two weeks ending 28th. January, 1944.
OCCUPIED CHINA.
Broadcasts:-
1.
58
(a) Following a trial run, the Canton-Kowloon Railway was formerly opened on the 27th December 1943, this being the first time for six years that a through-train has run the length of the line.
(b) There have been many reports concerning repairs to the bridge on this line at Sheklung, which was damaged when the Chinese troops retreated from the area. The above report appears to make it clear that the bridge has now been completely restored. Previous to the Pacific War, the railway used to carry as many as 5,000 passengers daily the whole length of the line. Before 1937, the amount of railway goods traffic carried was insignificant as transport by river steamer was much cheaper, but after the Sino-Japanese War had begun, the transport requirements of the Chinese Government increased enormously and the railway company was able to compete for the traffic.
5.
The Japanese have removed three of the five electric generators that were formerly in use in Hongkong and Kowloon. Only one is now in operation and one is stored as a reserve. There are about 1,000,000 tons or coal in stock in Hongkong which is being reserved for use of the Navy.