CO129-590-24 Situation in Hong Kong 25-4-1905 - 25-4-1905 — Page 190

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

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SCHOOLS All schools have remained closed. The Japanese cou- ducted an examination for school teachers from the results of which they picked candidates as future primary school teachers. These successful candidates are now in training at St. Paul's Girls' College. In future all teachers must know Japanese be- fore they will be permitted to teach. Dr. Katie WOO is still in residence at the school where she is looking after her boarders. Because the Japanese are using her school they give her rice for her boarders and also teach them Japanese free. The Diocesan Girls' School is being used as barracks.

NOTE: Dr. Katie WOO is an 0.B.E. a most capable woman and was highly respected by Europeans and Chinese. St. Paul's is a Church of England School holding a high rank among the Colony Schools, The Diocesan Girls' School is also C. of E,,Kowloon.

CIVILIANS. The British, American and Dutch Europeans are intern- ea at Stanley Gaol Warders' Quarters and in St. Stephen's College. There are about 400 Americans, American Consular Officials are interned somewhere on Mount Davis, The Canadian Trade Commissioner was interned at his own choice in his office so that he could eat at the American Club, and when the food ran out he asked to be sent to Stanley. The internees get two meals a day. It is cooked by cooks. Often the rice is half cooked, The internees say they are always hungry. The Americans are co-operating much more smoothly. There are very few Dutch *Hill overlooking Stanley Bay.

Eurasians are exempt from internment. Chinese wives of Europeans were sent away from Stanley. A small group remain by choice as they had no livelihood cutside and did not know that they would be allowed to get money out of the Park. Eurasians are given paases as Third Nationals. Indians are free. Filipinos are free and are playing in bun (Cafes) sacrs in Nathan Road. Medical Department staff are retained under Japanese. A few Europeans are working on the cows at Pokfulum. Each child in Stanley is allowed a bottle of milk a day. What the Japanese do not want they give back to the Dairy Farm Chinese staff to sell for themselves. The radio engineers are kept in Gloucester Building and help run the Japanese station now JHPA. The Colonial Secretarial staff were kept in Prince's Building, Mr CHOW SHOU SCN and Mr LAW KUK WO are forerunners of the Co-Prosperity Scheme in Asia. Mr M.K.LO wears an arm- band very unwillingly. The former two are always making speeches and attending meetings. There is not enough to eat for the Chinese either. In Hong Kong they are allowed to buy half a catty (Note. A little over one pound) of rice per head a day and they buy it in lots for a few days. In Kowloon, each household is allowed one catty per day irrespective of the number of people in the household. The Japanese want the Chinese to leave Hong Kong. They want the uneducated people to go. They are running boats to Canton, Macao and Kwang Chow Wan. In fact most people in Hong Kong are hungry. They are living on a starch diet, rice, bread. The Chinese miss their rice and have to eat congee (NOTE.Rice gruel) to make the rice go round. Vegetables are most plentiful but poople do not have much money to spend.

COMPILER'S NOTE. This confirms what has been seen about Eurasians but I cannot remember exact source of information. The Filipinos in Hong Kong are usually members of cafe and dance bands. Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare of Kowloon. It is possible that the stopping of the milk for children,alluded to in letter "E" below, if true, is due to lack of food for cows as the grass was of a specially imported and planted type, and other food imported.

Mr CHOU SON CHOW is SIR SHOUSON CIOW mentioned in previous report as being Puppet Governor. I cannot identify LAW KUK WO. M.K.LO is referred to in same letter as the reference to CHOW in previous report. This seems to clear – him a little. Pokfulam is site of the Dairy Farm.

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