CO129-590-22 Situation in enemy occupied Hong Kong 19-1-1943 - 20-11-1943 — Page 166

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Drake: originally a merchant who lived in Japan, retired to Hong Kong long before the war. There he joined the staff of the "Hongkong News" (Donei), but as he said purely to correct the English and not to do any writing himself. He was very bitter about his internment during the war by the British because he had two sons in the airforce. He has now gone to Shanghai.

Wing On were forced to open their store by the Japanese, but they prefer to hoard rather than sell their gooda because they can get no new stocks. They have often been seen to refuse to sell

to Japanese, saying they have no such goods in stock.

After Stott's escape until six weeks ago, Selwyn-Clarke had no contact with Stanley. But during this period he said that he was still able to send stuff in unofficially, through the Chinese wives of internees, etc. His permission to visit was then renewed and he had been to Stanley twice and seen the Colonial Secretary.

Considerable annoyance was caused in Hong Kong by the visit of Egle of the International Red Cross from Shanghei about 4 months ago. Egle went on a conducted tour praising things highly and saying that there were thousands of people in Shanghai who would be happy to be living under such conditions. (He was comparing conditions with those of the German Jewish refugees). Afterwards

he explained that by taking this attitude he was able to get more out of the Japanese than if he did nothing but criticise. The Japanese used his statements for broadcast and propaganda. Zindel visits the Stanley camp regularly.

The Chinese who were released from the military camps were given special treatment, taken to hospital, given special food, etc., and were terrified into saying that conditions in the camps were excellent when they came out." Many Portuguese have remained in Hong Kong purely in the hopes that their relatives will be released from the camps.

After the bombing of Hong Kong the reaction of the Chinese was one of unmitigated joy. It was said that the Japanese women got very excited and panicky and shouted to be taken home to Japan.

Passes to come out are now more difficult to obtain, and third nationals have to have two guarantors. (Fehily has brought his Japanes passes thinking that they might be doctored up and used again).

The Japanese administration in Hong Kong is going from bad to worse. The more decent Japanese, as for instance Fugita who was in charge of civil administration in Kowloon, are all resigning one by one and being replaced by incompetent scallywage. The real governor is not Isogai but the gendarmerie. The gendarmerie are the most corruptible element and many people get permits through Chinese or puppets who bribe the gendarmes. Many Chinese have come to Hong Kong from the North and Mandarin is becoming as common as Cantonese. The Hong Kong Hotel is packed with Chinese `visitors.

Until the debasing of the currency all prices were quoted in Hong Kong dollars, but now everything is quoted in yen and goods are at least eight time the price that they were previously.

It is thought that the New Territories are now only very thinly garrisoned by Japanese troops. This has been confirmed by

Mr. Ezra living in Fanling.

Law and order is being drastically maintained and there are periodic mass executions of thieves who are first made to dig their own graves. Recently Indians have been called upon to do much of the dirty work (grave digging etc.) which has greatly antagonised them.