5. It is hardly necessary to point out that refugees arrived in large numbers by other routes than those named. For example, in the bombing and mopping-up operations by the Japanese on the frontier (and, accidentally, in British territory) on the 21st of February, 1939, it was estimated that upwards of 50,000 refugees came over on foot and sought shelter in the Government camps and villages in British territory.
6. Experienced statisticians estimated the population as +10% of 2,000,000 at June, 1939. By extrapolation methods the normal population at that period was just over a million, consequently, the Colony was called upon to find food and shelter for almost double its normal population.
7. The main portion of the burden of caring for refugees who were without means was borne by Government, the Medical Department being entrusted with the planning and operation of the refugee camps. The Department received valuable assistance from certain charitable bodies in the form of clothes, blankets, educational materials, etc.
8. Apart from three semi-permanent urban camps capable of holding rather over 5,000, five rural camps were established with a capacity for about 10,000 persons. Actually, the maximum number of persons cared for by the Medical Department in the camps at any one time during 1939 was 12,297 (in April, 1939). The main object behind these camps was to provide shelter, food, medical, welfare and educational services and clothing, and to encourage the inmates to carry on industrial and agricultural work until arrangements could be made for their repatriation to relatively safe parts of China not directly involved in hostilities.
9. In many instances, refugees were assisted by free passages and small compassionate grants from Government to return to their homes or to places in unoccupied China.
10. During August, when the possibility of extension of hostilities to the Colony was manifest, every effort was made to persuade the occupants of the Government refugee camps to make their way back to China and the total in the camps fell to 7,379. The wave of refugees definitely receded during the second half of the year and the surplus of emigrants over immigrants by recognized shipping lines amounted to 72,570 for the year 1939. There were two main reasons for this partial exodus. Firstly, those with funds decided that they and their families might be better placed to meet any clash in the Philippines, French Indo-China or Macao; secondly, others in receipt of salaries paid in National currency were no longer able to meet the combination of the fall in the National dollar and the rise in the cost of living.
11. When the problem of refugees is under consideration it is necessary to recall that there are several main classes. A relatively small group with financial backing who have transferred their commercial interests from occupied China to this Colony. Several hundred factories, workshops, printing presses and the like have been established in Hong Kong by such persons since July, 1937.
12. A larger group consists of those artisans, small merchants and others who have managed to save their tools, some of their stock in trade and a portion of their savings and are able to maintain themselves at least for a time and, later, if they fail to make good, have to fall back on relief.
13. The third and by far the largest group are those with little if any savings which are rapidly exhausted. Members of the third group become destitute and are forced to sleep on the pavements until a Medical Department ambulance collects them from the streets and takes them to one of the Government camps under the supervision of the Medical Department.