CO129-579-10 Sino-Japanese War- quarterly reports of Japanese activities 25-1-1939 - 1-2-1940 — Page 30

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Manoeuvres there/

5.

A matter which has caused a good deal of interest in local

newspaper circles is the reported purchase of a large block

of offices in the city by ETO, proprietor and publisher

of the "HONGKONG NIPPO", for the purpose of publishing a

newspaper in English which will circulate throughout the Far

East as well as in Australia and the South Seus. ato, who

has only been proprietor of the "NIPPO" for about one year,

was formerly head of the Political Department of the Taiwan

(or Formosa) Nichi Nichi. It is reported that thisnew

English paper which he is to publish in Hongkong is to be subsidised by funds from the Japanese Foreign Office and Formosan

Government for pro-Japanese propaganda purpose and to illustrate

the present Japanese viewpoint to foreigners

6.

During the past month a total of 24 Dobun College Students

from Shanghai, composed of five different parties, visited Hongkong

as part of an "educational and sightseeingtour".

also included Formosa and Canton.

Taler itinerary

The stay of each party was

seldom longer than a few days. Taey were all kept under observa-

tion but did nothing of interest apart from visiting a few of the

main Japanese establishments in the Colony and local beauty spots.

Their College, which is again functioning in Shanghai, is said to

be a Japanese Government language School where likely students are

trained to become intelligence officers for all branches of the

Government Service and these "educational" and "sightseeing" tours

are considered to be part of their training, usually taken during t

the summer vacation. Quite a few of those whom we know to have bee

former Dobun College students, have later appeared in Hongkong work

-ing for such suspect organisation as the South Manchuria Railway,

Domei News Agancy, Formosan Development Co., etc. The Consulate

staff also includes a number of former Dobun students.

lk

12.7.39.

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