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Colonial Office 46
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(F4331/2916/10)
Extract from report by r. K.E. Mogre forwarded by H.M. Consul General Kweilin 29th March, 1943.
Conditions in Hong Kong.
The present condition in Hong Kong is worse than before, Compulsory conscription will soon come into force, and already men of young age between 18 and 40 are given evacuation permits under the greatest difficulty. Unless the Gendarmerie Headquarters sanction these permits no one is allowed to leave Hong Kong, this has curbed any activities on the part of refugees to bribe the employees in the Civil Affairs office. Man Ching Po). Every young person has to pass medical examinations and their names recorded.
Kai Tack aerodrome has been extended, the whole road along the airfield has been broken up, and all the buildings along the Kai Tack Bund have been demolished. The Japs are going to extend the air field up to the hillside, and will have all stores, and even planes placed in tunnels, which they plan to dig in the hills. They employ foreign prisoners of war and also Chinese to dig the fields. I have reliable information that foreign prisoners are only fed with rice, two meals a day, and they work with hardly any clothing at all, some with a strip of loin cloth. The lack of clothing is due to what they had has gone to shreds. They receive no pay. The Chinese workers receive rice with vegetable and a small slice of meat and receive 30 cents in Military yen per day. Several foreign prisoners have been killed and wounded during the recent raids when bombs were dropped on the aerodrome.
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The tuberculosis scourge is taking a heavy toll of the population in Hong Kong due to lack of nourishment.
The four ships which were being built in Hong Kong at Taikoo and Whampoa Docks have been completed and are being fitted up. This information was given to ne by one of the owners of essrs. E. Hing, Shipchandlers and hardware merchants, for the Japs have bought from them materials for fitting the ships.
Price of rice in Hong Kong is M.Y.1.20 per catty.
The following are also strategic points of military interest:- Luk Kwok Hotel, completely taken up by the Japanese Authorities as a Naval Officers Home. All Buildings from Luk Kwok Hotel up to the China Fleet Club premises. Huge quantities of cement and building materials are stored in godowns and vacant places around this place. The dockyard is now operating and many former workers have joined in. The machine shops and other establishments in the Naval Yard are now operating, including the dry dock naval vessels necessitating quick and slight repairs put in at Hong Kong. Heavily damaged vessels do not come in to Hong Kong. Bombing of this point at night will save casualties amongst workers. Japanese Naval officers of ranks above that of Petty Officer stay in quarters established amongst all buildings on Blue Pool Road, Wong Neichong Road, and Tai Hang Road. All houses on these roads may be considered as residences for Japanese Naval Officers. Most of the knitting factories and rubber works have opened up making goods for the Japs. The rubber factories are melting down old tyres and getting raw rubber from Indo-China. Chan Wah Factory for radio receivers is now operating. All factories are under joint Chinese and Japanese ownership.
When I arrived in Kwangchowan I communicated with a Parsee merchant Mr. P.K. Pavri, informing him that I would do my best to seek among my Chinese associates help to arrange a way by which Indians can get permits to leave Hong Kong. In this I was greatly helped by one kr. Chiu Tse Wen, who is well acquainted with several Japanese agents and he helped me to such an extent that Indians who applied for permite
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