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After what has been said earlier there is no need to stress further the serious position that obtains. If Col. Fohily had the Health Officers and the apparatus, he could at least improvise some kind of Port Health Service organization but he has neither. He cannot leave the responsibility to Chinese Medical Officers and he has no working disinfecting plant. Apparently machinery and equipment have been held
up as well as personnel and drugs.
In
There should be reception centres in Hong Kong, wherever these are needed. addition, there should be a quarantine camp, preferably one that could be used for all requirements, conforming to standards laid down in the International Sanitary Conventions. In addition, there must be provision, when discases are occurring, for examining persons crossing the land frontiers from China by rail or road. I have visited Macao and have now a better idea of the possibilities of importing disease from that area, Macao is mainly a danger from the point of view of transients from Canton. I had intended also visiting Canton but for various reasons this was impracticable.. I have, however, had ample opportunity of discussing the situation here with those who have an intimate knowledge of the problems, including the Director of Medical Services of Canton who was in Hong Kong during my visit.
Hong Kong is a territory where, in spite of the most efficient Public Health service, disease will slip in and the degree of insurance, although only relative, must depend not only on the efficiency of the service but also on the measures taken locally to protect a vulnerable population. The other factors are a competent and adequate supervisory staff, reliable information as to the occurrence of infectious disease in neighbouring countries and suitable measures of control within these countries themselves. There is increased entry into the Colony daily and the matter is one of urgency. The position in regard to Health Officers has been described
under "Personnel.
12. HIGHER MEDIC.I. EDUCATION
Early in 1938 a Committee was appointed by the Chancellor, Sir Geoffrey Northcote, to consider the future development of the University of Hong Kong. Their report was submitted to the Chancellor in May 1939. Reference to that report should be made in reading this section of my report. Since the Committee's report was written the Northcote Science Block has been completed and was in use for a short while before the Japanese invasion.
The recommendations of the Committee are printed on page 40 and succeeding pages of their Report. The most important recommendation concerned the site of the University. It was recommended that, to provide for development, "the question of the transfer of the University to a larger site outside the town should immediately be taken into consideration. The reasons for and against this transfer and rebuilding of the University are given in the preceding paragraphs of the report. Apparently the Committee had a site in view on the Island of Hong Kong. ment for transfer is mainly based on the limited capacity of the existing site for future expansion, and the fact that suitable playing fields were not available for the undergraduates. The Committee went on to say, however, that no consideration of this problem should be allowed to interfere with the building projects then in hand.
The argu-
floor-
Since these recommendations were put forward the University buildings have suffered grievous damage, almost entirely through sabotage by looting;
very little damage has resulted from enemy action.. Unfortunately this looting is still going on, and will continue, until it is possible to occupy buildings. When I visited the Vice Chancellor's lodge it was apparent that active sabotage was continuing; ing was being ripped up, doors were being torn off their hinges, the uprights of the staircase were being sawn through to facilitate the removal of the timber and, actually, there were bundles of material stacked awaiting removal during the ensuing night.
The damaged buildings have had a preliminary inspection carried out by Lt.Col. L. W. Amps, S.0.1, (C.A.), Works. He reports that structurally the major- ity of the buildings are in very good condition but most of them have been completely stripped of timber including floors, and of fittings. Put briefly, he thinks that the majority of the damaged buildings can be repaired fairly quickly; in most of them
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