CO129-590-23 Situation in Hong Kong 25-4-1905 - 25-4-1905 — Page 158

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M.0.1. MR. EDMETT COLONIAL OFFICE ALSO.

DOMEI COPYRIGHT IN ENGLISH (FOM) 1214 23.3.42.

MER JAPANESE CONSUL IN HONGKONG ON CONDITIONS THERE:

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NOTE: PLEASE READ AS CORRECTION TO SHANGHAI IN ENGLISH 11.45

ASH 56)

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TOKYO SHIROSHI CHI KIMURA, FORMER JAPANESE CONSUL IN HONGKONG WHO HAS BEEN APPOINTED SECRETARY OF THE JAPANESE EMBASSY IN PEKING, DESCRIBING PRESENT CONDITIONS IN HONGKONG SAID THAT VERY LIBERAL TREATMENT IS ACCORDED TO ENEMY NATIONALS IN HONGKONG ABOUT WHICH THERE SHOULD BE NO CAUSE FOR COMPLANT. KIMURA, WHO WAS CONSUL AT HONGKONG FROM MAY LAST YEAR UNTIL 10TH MARCH, WAS INTRODUCED BY TOMOKAZU HORI, SPOKESMAN OF THE BOARD OF INFORMATION AT THE FOREIGN PRESS CONFERENCE, AND POINTED OUT THAT THREE CONDITIONS MUST BE NOTED REGARDING THE SITUATION IN HONGKOMG:

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FIRSTLY: THE CITY HAD GONE THROUGH SEVERE DESTRUCTION DURING BATTLE AND MANY PLACES STILL MUST BE RECONSTRUCTED,

SECONDLY:- THE CITY IS PRACTICALLY ISOLATED WITH NO COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE INTERIOR OF CHINA OR OTHER PARTS,

THIRDLY:- AT PRESENT THE CITY IS UNDER JAPANESE WARTIME STRUCTURE.

KIMURA HANDLED ALL COMPLAINTS:

KIMURA, WHO HANDLED ALL THE COMPLAINTS LODGED BY ENEMY NATIONALS AND OTHER CIVILIANS IN HONGKONG, REVEALED AN ICIDENT IN WHICHONE BRITISH WOMAN COMPLAINED THAT THE BRITISH NNAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A PLACE LIKE THE JAPANESE DIPLOMATS IN THE UNITED STATES-HOT SPRINGS, VIRGINIA. KIMURA SAID SHE

WHEN

SEVERE BATTLE EXPLATEERIFIAT DENGKONGOHAN BERIOUS

BEEN

WAROUSATI SELEBRE BATTE

PARTS OF THE CITY, AND THAT THE JAPANESE AUTHORITIES WERE AT PRESENT BUSY WITH REHABILITATION WORK.

2,500 BRITONS IN HONGKONG:

THE CONSUL DISCLOSED THAT THERE ARE AT PRESENT ABOUT 3,000 ENEMY SUBJECTS IN HONGKONG, OF WHICH THE BRITISH NUMBER 2,500. THE REMAINDER ARE AMERICANS WND OTHERS. HE SAID THE NATIONALS OF EACH COUNTRY HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED TO ORGANIZE AN AUTONOMOUS COMMITTEE TO LOOK AFTER THEIR RESPECTIVE INTERESTS.

10,000 NEUTRALS:

HE SAID THAT THE JAPANESE AUTHORITIES ARE MAKING THE UTMOST EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF NEUTRALS BY ISSUING CERTIFICATES WHICH SERVE TO FACILITATE THE MOVEMENTS OF THESE PEOPLE TO OBTAIN FOOD, MAKE PURCHASES AND ATTEND OTHER NECESSARY BUSINESS. IT IS REVEALED THERE ARE ABOUT 10,000 NEUTRAL NATIONALS.

GOOD MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR BRITISH WOUNDED:

REGARDING BRITISH PRISONERS, KIMURA SAID WOUNDED BRITISH YOLDIERS WHO WRE IN HOSPITAL WERE GETTING GOOD MEDICAL TREATMENT, WHILE BRITISH NURSES WERE ALLOWED TO REMAIN IN THE HOSPITALS TO TEND THEIR PATIENTS WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS. HE DISCLOSED THAT ENEMY NATIONALS WITH SPECIAL STATUS, SUCH AS FORMER OFFICIALS, MEMBERS OF BANKING ESTABLISHMENTS AND NURSES, WERE ACCORDED LIBÉRAL

CONCLUDING, KIMURA SAID 'CONSIDERING WHAT HONGKONG HAS BEEN THROUGH 2 MONTHS AGO, KONGKONG CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO BE THE HONGKONG OF BEFORE THE WAR. PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING A PEACEFUL LIFE AS MUCH AS THE PRESENT SITUATION PERMITS. +++++14.45 23.3.42+++++++

TREATMENT.