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ost of living in the interior. To my point of view, the difficul- ties facing China at present are internal rather than external. First, communications are disrupted by the war, consequently it is expensive to transpert goods from producing centres to the needy areas. Secondly, there are not enough factories in Free China to manufacture the daily nec- essities for the people. But is seems there is another side to these
blems. There is not sufficiently strict control over the banks' policy In lending money for speculative purposes and there is also a lax eontrol over the bank's practise in investing large capitals themselves in non- essential industries.
For the past few months there have been severe critici against the Government's" laisses-fare attitude towards this matter. is a highly technical subject and I do not profess to know what it is all about. Se for fear of making a mis-statement on this question, it is better for me to leave it alene. All I know is that në foreign loans can stabilize China's cost of living and no foreign loans can increase the purchasing power of China's national currency which is still being issued en a large scale. The scarcity of commodities in Free China is an irre- futable fact and the hardship we are going to experience will be greatly accentuated, if Burma should unfortmately be lost to the Japa or áf Calcutta is rendered useless as a supply base for China.
you!
The following news about Hongkong may be of interest to
Chungking, March 12, (Central): Miss Phyllis Harrop, of the Hongkong Government Service, arrived in Chungking last night from Hongkong. Miss Harrop, who left Hongkong at the end of January, said:-
"Equal treatment is given to Chinese and Europeana. All civilian American, Dutch and British men, women and children have been interned at Stanlay. All prisoners of war års at Shanabuips and Argyle Street, Kowloon. The eivilian internees occupy buildings and houses used formerly for schools and residences. In all there are some 17000 people, which include 3,000 British, 000 American and some 70 Dutch."
Miss Harrop said she had no knowledge of the number of prisoners of war or of their treatment beyond a scarcity of food.
"The internees are supplied with two bowls of rice per day to which is added very little vegetable. Fish had been given occasionally, but no meat. No foreign food was available as the Japanese had gathered up all the small stocks in shops and godewis and shipped them to Japan.
"Seme food was offered for sale en the streets where Chinese friends could purchase it and send in to the camps. Ho visitors were allowed in the civilian
he difficulty ms money. Hongkong banknotes were accep- table up to 10 bill at a rate of two Hengkeng dollars to 1.
"To sooner had the Japanese occupied Hongkong than they gathered up all the metal, both old and that used for railings and even statues. The brense lions at the entrance to the Hongkong Bank have been shipped Japan, were motor cars.
"The colony, now under the control of the Gendarmerie, has been throughly looted, which makes living extremely difficult for the Chinese, for many have lost all their personal possessions and household go oda.
The high coat of food -- rice sells for HKS249 a bag, about £15.0.0. -- makes living mest hazardous, which is one of the explanations why many Chinese are being forced to leave the Colony. There is no curfew, but due to the lawlessness which prevails, people keep off the streets as much as they can.
"As a result of the extensive scorched earth policy most of the ferries were sunk by the defenders, so there is no regular communication with the island and Kowloon. Due to no petrol being left the buses have just began to run, as have the trams, some which were capable of repair. Certain areas have some electric light and also some gas, but the`introduction of these is
1944/2
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