CO129-570-13 Sino-Japanese War- Japanese attack on a fishing junk 23-5-1938 - 10-12-1938 — Page 25

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1. When local fishermen have hopes of compensation for

losses incurred in any way through some other arty, irrespective

of nationality, they do not hesitate to besiege whomever they

think can help them in their claims. If they had ideas that

the sinking of their junks or the losses of life or property

incurred at the hands of the Japanese had any chance of

bringing in com ensation, an increasing number of appeals and of exaggerated stories of victimisation would have come in. No such appeals have ever been received at the Secretariat for

Chinese Affairs, nor by the Police or the Harbour Office. In

the cases of reports of Japanese attacks the only requests to

the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs for help from any of the

victims (including all those who, with their relations, have

been closely examined on their stories and on their present

hardships and losses) were sometines for repatriation or else

for introduction to some work, and in one or two cases for a

charitable grant from the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs

itself to help then tide things wer. The reports about

Japanese attacks were not made with a hope of any monetary

gain or compensation,

2.

The main reasons for the reports, including that of

the present Lintin case, being given to the authorities are a natural indignation and also a hope that the making of the report may ensure some protection in the future. In addition

I understand from the Police that the fishermen usually make a habit of duly reporting any mishaps they encounter from an ordinary collision with a fellow-junk upwards; an attack committed upon any junks that have any of their antiquated arament seized or destroyed is bound to be reported so as to account for the loss of the cannon etc. which are all strictly

registered.

3. There is nothing to show that the Lintin executions