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was called to see him but on returning to the Camp in the company of this officer a general panic occurred in the Police block and rapid meatures were taken to conceal the pilfered property. Georgeat Hoan of the Police atarted to carry a case of tinned goods ncross the open suddenly saw three Japanese soldiers standing about, panicked, dropped the cage behind a bush and ren off. His suspicious conduct lead to his immediate arrest by the Japanese soldiers. The Japanese Officer wes still content with a mild line end turned Moss over to be dealt with by the Camp Authorities. In the meanwhile most of the property aaked to be returned was handed back in some oases more than was naked for. Mosn wae oharged with receiving stolen property before The Chief Justice Sir Atholl MacGregor, to whom he pleaded guilty and was remanded for One week under open arrest.
He had no legal representation,
4
In the meanwhile the general looting of the Godowns had come to the ears of Cheng Kwok Leung and he demanded from Fennefer ther Ivana and Fraser a full report within one week with the names of all those impliosted backed by the threat that if the matter was not fully disclosed he would call in the Gendarmeri to search the Camp and remove ell food stocks and also to turn Moss over to the tender mercies of the Gendarmerie. My own personal opinion ie that this demand was no more than a bluff on Cheng's port, as the nojuisition of food atooks by the internees seriously incommoded his own interest in the Canteen. Sheftein (one of the Police Superintendents) was detailed to prepare a report. day or two before we left the Camp I heard from Sheftain thet the report had been prepared and forwarded to Cheng. I have no knowledge of the nature of the report.
ith
About the 10th March Mess was brought before the Chief Justice on remand and sentenced t 4 monthe imprisonment. him was gt. Fyffe of the Police on a similer charge, but I am not cogninant with the circumstances of his onse. It was not in the general mind of the Comp that Mosa's sentence was anything but a sop to Cheng and the Japanese (who appear to have lost interest once the missing property we returned and few dreamed that his imprisonment would be anything but formal allowing him the liberty of the Camp. However, a small room adjacent to the Police block kitchen was prepared and a grille door installed in which Moss and Fyffe were subsequently imprisoned. Personally I was so disgusted with the quisling at titude of those responsible that almost the last thing I did before leaving was to plage Moss'a care in the hands of Brooks and Davidson of Megara. Heatings and Co.(Solicitora) They undertook to do what they could.
The following pointa were uppermost in my mind (e) Whether former Hongkong Government property recovered under risk from Jepanese could be described na Stolen Property."
(b) While no specific authority to punish had been delegated to any person by the community I entirely felt that such authority wea necessary to deal with purely Camp offences against the community. I strongly question however the authority of any Britisher in the Camp to punish any person for a deed originating out of an action against the enemy. I regard the noting of the Chief Justice and Penneferther Evens es constituting @asistence to the enemy. In the absence of delegated authority I question their right physically and actually to imprison Mosa,
(c)
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