CO129-590-22 Situation in enemy occupied Hong Kong 19-1-1943 - 20-11-1943 — Page 123

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the foodstuffs were reaching the Indians. The day after informant left Hong Kong, the Americans bombed the port area and it was possible that the Japanese might claim that the supplies had been destroyed. (Note: It has

ince been reported by the International Red Cross Committee delegate that foodstuffs have been distributed but there was no direct statement as to the amount given to the Indians. It was, however, reported that atta included in the Indian stores had, with the Red Cross delegate's concurrence, been sent to the Philippine Islands.

A considerable amount of relief work was done by Dr. Selwyn Clarke, Director of Medical Services in Hong Kong, who raised funds from wealthy Chinese and Indians as well as devoting his own money to the purchase of foodstuffs. According to Dr. Selwyn Clarke, food was not good in Stanley Camp, there not being enough fats, proteins or vegetables. The condition of internees improved when they were able to obtain bread. The morale of the internees was stated to be high.

Considerable assistance was given by the Irish priests, who were treated as "Third Nationals". One in particular (Father Joyce) was described as a "magnificent" man, who wanted to organise a Consular Committee for relief immediately. He worked in close contact with Dr. Zindel.

(8) Sham Shui Po. The prisoners at this camp were treated abominably at first, being accorded worse treatment than the civilians. Whereas the latter were provided with boiling water in which to cook their rice, the prisoners received cold water and had to manage as best as they could. Treatment improved later and residents were allowed to take parcels, which were handed through the barbed wire to Japanese guards, who passed them to the prisoners. Conversation was forbidden and when this rule was ignored, the Japanese were furious and instituted a system under which the parcels were handed to the Japanese some 200 yards away from the prisoners and all wrappings were stripped by the guards to prevent messages going into the camp. Notwithstanding these precautions, messages continued to get through

The health situation was very dangerous. During the summer some 240 cases of diphtheria occurred and, as the Japanese excel in Bacteriology, there was, in the informant's opinion, no excuse for their not making attempts to cure these cases and to prevent other epidemics.

A number of Chinese volunteer students were in the camp and the Japanese transferred these to a special section where they were well fed

and filled with propaganda. These men were later released but not permitted to leave the Colony and they spread the news that conditions in Sham Shui Po were "wonderful".

(9) Behaviour, etc. of Japanese. In the opening days, the Japanese Military were dreadful, although the Japanese civilian residents remained kind and helpful. Many of the latter deprecated the brutal behaviour of the Military. As their entry into Kowloon was not opposed, there was little brutality there, but on their entry into Hong Kong, the shock troops shot all they met. At Shaukiwan all, including Chinese ambulance men, were shot, with the exception of one (the I..S. or I.M.D. officer in charge), who was asked to locate "bobby-traps" and, when he denied knowledge of these, was compelled to walk ahead of the Japanese soldiers. The Chinese members of St. John's were regarded as military on account of their uniform and the charge was made that military were in the hospital this, it was assumed, was based on information given to the Japanese by co-operators that soldiers (actually St. John's men) had been seen to enter the hospital.

The Senior Japanese Officers tried to be courteous but the line troops were ignorant and brutal, filled with anti-foreign propaganda.

On the civil side, it was held that the Japanese were short of administrators. They had occupied so much territory that there was a lack of good men and those that were being used were completely inefficient The first administrator (Fugita) was good but he was shortly replaced by

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