By the
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queues of Chinese were about half-a-mile long. middle of February, however, the outward appearance of Hongkong began to resemble normal. Inwardly the town was almost in the same state of total mess as just after the surrebder, Apparently the Japanese were not interested in reviving the business life of any sort. The shops were opened in March but this was seemingly the only business life going. The only active centres were various and numerous Japanese departments which in most cases carried their work on their own with very little cooperation or sympathy between them.
The Japanese organisation in Hongkong seemed to be very poor. There were Army, Navy, the Military Gendarmes Finance Dept., Investigation Dept., Civil Affairs Dept. and numerous others mostly semi-military. Everyone of these helped themselves freely to the stores they required, buildings they liked, etc. The Army and the Navy had the lion's share in this, the Military Gerdarmes (Japanese "Gestapo") had apparently more say in any matter than the others. Examples of non-cooperation were frequent. A certain Japanese organization would occupy some buildings for their quarters, turning everybody out, to be evicted in their turn by a more powerful department. A red Cross truck carrying bread, milk, some blankets for "Stanley" provided with permits for everything, would be stopped on the road by the Gendarmes and treated according to the idea of the particular sentry on watch - if the latter would think that blankets were unnecessary, they would be taken off regardless of the official permit of the proper Japanese authorities.
The police was reorganized and consisted of the Indians and Chinese, managed by the Japanese Gendarmes. These, I believe, were the only Japanese employees who received their salary in cash. All others, such as bus drivers, tramway company employees, coolies employed by the Japanese in sundry works were receiving their wages in rations of rice which were mostly inadequate.
Life of third nationals in Hongkong was hardly a pleasant one. In certain cases it was worse than of those interned. Food centres were organized at the consulates, where third nationals were able to receive rice, flour, sugar for 1/4 of the market price. The only available financial means consisted of drawings from personal account in banks as mentioned earlier, and even this was temporary and as a "special consideration". No financial support could be received through any of the banks or other channels. All the neutral consulates were officially closed early in February in accordance with the Japanese demand. Almost all of the neutral foreigners were
intending
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