122
we left Chinese tobacco at HK$12.00 per catty in Hongkong was selling at HK$42.00 per catty in small quantitites in the Camp. Smuggled cigarettes, Camels HK 15.00 per tin of 50s, Players HK$2.50 for a packet of LOS, Macao cigarettes HK 1.80 to HK$2.00 per packet of 10s, No effort has been made to supply tobacco officially at reasonable prices' to internees.”
I will add a little here about the perpetual queuing up in the Camp which is most trying age in particularly for older people we were eight in our room and arranged to queue up for the Canteen which was to open at 1-30.p.m. we started at 8.8.m. and we were not the first, as we had hoped we would be, by a long chalk, and took it in turns to take an hour each we bought what we could at 3-30 p.m. in the afternoon. Again where the Communal Kitchens cooked for five to six hundred people it
is necessary to queue up twice a day for fifteen minutes at least to be served with your cooked ration of rice etc. The prices As quoted when compared with Chungking prices dod not appear very great but were very high in comparison with old Hongkong prices and prices during the war and even after the Surrender. Among the delicasies which Cheng insisted on our buying were a lot of toothpicks.
Paragraph 16.
Thompson says Harking back to the ratione no food allowance was made for children under 3 years of age. Selwyn Clark was, I believe, responsible for getting them a amall issue of milk daily, about 1 pint, but I am not clear on this.
Paragraph 17.
Demand for payment for food supplied.
**
"About the end of February, a sudden demand wa s made by Miyaki through Cheng for the payment of some H18,000.00 for food supplied during the stay in the Chinese Hotels and to date in the Camp. Fraser, (British, and in the C.3.0.-during the War he was Defence Secretary) Bolt, (Dutch) and Hunt (U.S.A,) handled the negotiations, Fraser taking the lead. The Geneva Convention, by which it was understood that the Japanese had agreed to abide, although not signatories, vis-a-vis the Americans, was quoted at length, Fraser held that the Japanese should treat us equally. The demand was imperative, due I believe to the imending sudden departure of Miyaki. A time limit for payment was given backed by a threat from Cheng to turn the Gendarmerie loose in the Camp to seize money and valuables to settle the account. Miyaki's attitude was adement, Fraser reasoned there were three ways of meeting the demand.
(1) To refuse point blank the demand was backed by the
threat to discontinue the supply of rations.
(2) To meet the demand by a levy on the Brivate Bank
accounts of internees.
(3) To settle the demand through the British and
American Banks.
Fraser quite correctly pointed out during the negotiations that the settlement of internees expenses was a matter which should be settled after hostilities between Governments and not between "comparatively minor Officials" - The phrase especially annoyed Miyaki and Cheng - Cheng subsequently sanounced to a number of us internees collected outside the room where the discussion wes taking place, that no rations would be issued to British internees. I personally heard this - 3ubsequently the threat was withdrawn and the rations issued. Fraser, however, came to the conclusion after long discussiɔn
with
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.