CO129-590-24 Situation in Hong Kong 25-4-1905 - 25-4-1905 — Page 178

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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Orig on

54118/42 (3)

Extract from Memorandum by W.G. Poy

96

JAPANESE MORAL. EQUIPMENT ETC.

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177

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After my escape, I had the unique opportunity of meeting most of the principals of the Jap administration- civil, army and navy for I was staying in the house of the late in Tang Sen, 0.B.E. reputed to be the wealthiest man in the Far East his son was in my section of the K.V.D.C. On account of its beauty and the rarity of its contents (and perhaps a little monetary consideration) this house was spared by the Japs, but they subsequently made frequent visits without invitation. In fact, they were treating it like a Museum with a restaurant and bar attached. It was these contacts which enabled me to secure the scant information which goes to make up my disjointed memoranda.

When I visited Canton it was with the idea of going up to Ling Yuen to make arrangements for the securing of living quarters for my wife and family. That town is in unoccupied territory and is reputed to be safe from bombing. Lly plans were frustrated by the sudden movement by the Japs which severed the previous route of communication. I returned to Hongkong to find news of permission to go to Canada. I would mention here that after my escape, I used another name, posing as a Chinese business man who formerly worked for the Canadian Government. While in Canton I met several agents of the Chungking Government and they were doing good work. The Chinese sentries employed to make street searches under the surveillance of the Japs allow revolvers and bombs to go through, and are it heart Pro Chungking.

There were a great number of 5th columnists in Hong Kong and Kowloon during the war, and this enabled the Japs to get our gun positions and information relative to troop movements. These were Chinese and Formosans who were either Jap subjects or educated in Japan. Host of the former Chinese members of the Executive and Legislative Councils

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