ト(ハン
Harli
4
19/
officials still in Fong Kong are under surveillance and have to behave themselves. Immediately after the surrender, gambling was rife but it was shortly, a few weeks afterwards, stopped, presurably under the influence of local people who seem to be working for the common good, English street signs have been obliterated. According to Japanese sources they are going to make Hong Kong like Japan. They want the people to live on rice and beans. It will always be a Japanese naval base. Nevertheless a German Gestapo man remarked in Hong Kong that the Japanese would never have got where they were if it had not been for the Germans. He believed that the Europeans were finished in the Far East.
PRITISH FORCES.
Interned at Shanshuipo.
Can receive parcels. Relations, friends and wives send in sugar, jam, bread, carned meat, candy, clothes, shoes men are fed cn rice and soya beans sometimes meat and vegetables. Was an outbreak of cholera. Rumours that Eurasians and Portuguese will be released but no definite news.
MISCELLANEOUS.
No red rice in Colony. (Note, I take it this
means the unpolished rice containing the B vitamins.) Many people died of starvation soon after the surrender. Portuguese people in bulk sent to Macao where Portuguese Govt, is maintaining them,
Reported that French will be sent to Indo-China. Great decrease in population, streets not so crowded. Air raid sirens used as time signals, in Kowloon. People not allowed on streets after dark, Japanese fear guerillas in New Territories and keep a check up on inns. Armed robbery attacks are serious, The robbers get away before the Japanese soldiers can come. Reported that much arms and ammunition are loose in Hong Kong. Strict searching at H.K. side of Star Ferry. Economic Dept. made a list of contents of safe deposit boxes in H.K.Bank and Pank of East Asia, Nobody was allowed to remove anything. Nurses in Micdical Dept. sent out to give cholera injections. Even inexperienced first year medical students are allowed to give injections at the suffering and expense of patients. Now nobody allowed to proceed to Macao without permission of Portuguese Consul. Chinese are landed at island opposite Macao. All club houses looted, even to floor boards and doors. Flour now released to public at fifty cents per catty per head at markets, Generally today more law and order. Wherever Japanese are it is peaceful food problem, money problems ever on the minds of people. Very difficult for Europeens to leave Hong Kong, but very easy for Chinese, Chinese are afraid of robbers, People get the news from London and San Francisco by radio wherever they have a radic and electricity and pass it on amongst one another.
There were only two pure Portuguese families in Hong Kong The rest are Eurasians, Portuguese by nationality.
PART II.
THE AMERICANS AND THEIR CAMPS.
(A) Letter from R.B. SMITH, Tee Tsong Tobacco Distributors Ltd., Chungking, dated 30.4.42.
"Then I saw the three escapers, they told me the American Internees had organised a good Committee headed by Bill HUNT (now at Stanley) and TAYLOR (Stabilisation) assisting, with Sub-Committees; the Americans have pooled their resources, bought food and medicines, built a Community Kitchen offered to build one for their cousins, turned down; they have a post-office etc. The query was why didn't the others do likewise? There are · some very unedifying tales going round about them, the others among our friends, Food is difficult in H,K, Plenty of vegetables but scarcity of meat. Philip said they'd lived
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