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And after a weary wait on the cricket ground, an all day wait practically, they were herded like cattle in Chinese hotels and other buildings, many of them brothels, near the Wing On Company, and later taken out to four bare walls and a bare floor at Stanle Prison. For savage cruelty and a callous disregard of the first elements of common decency, not to mention international agreements it is hard to equal. Mr. Gimson, the Colonial Secretary, made a strong protest' to the Japanese authorities about the conditions at Stanley after that place had been running a few weeks. He reminded them that it was a contravention of international agreements, the internment of the civilian population of an occupied city, and that they would do well to realise that Japan would not be always in control
of Hongkong, and that they would live to regret it. The reply from the Japanese was a file of soldiers with drawn bayonets who carried Mr. Gimson off it is said to Military Headquarters, where for punishment for his temerity, he was kept standing immovable in one fixed position forty eight hours. The experience has not quenched the fire of his courage however and in his farewell speech to the Americans, when they were leaving Stanley, he said "we are still confident of victory".
Mr. Kimura is reported to have been horrified at the treatment given the Europeans, and to have rounded up every motor car he could find to help people in coming down from the Peak, and in getting them to the Chinese hotels. He did so much that he got himself into,great difficulties with the Gendarmeris, who forbade him having any communication with Mr. Gimson or Mr. Alabaster or Mr. North, who were permitted to live for some time in the top floor of Prince's Building.
I was always allowed to see him, in fact instructed to see him, and we had many plesant chats, sometimes lasting three quarters of an hour. We discussed the war situation freely and I gathered that what the Japanese fear is an attack on their own home country, from the Americans and from Russia. This would automatically force the troops and navy which have extended their battle lines so far, to return and defend their own homes.
We talked about a good many things, quite frankly, and one day shortly after bad reports about conditions in Stanley began to come in I asked Mr. Kimura why it was that our people were treated in this way, sent to live in such dreadful conditions, while my own country people, the Americans, sent their prisoners to Virginia Hot Springs, this had been announced in the Japanese newspaper. This place was a luxury resort, where the Japanese lived in the greatest confort, .there was no shortage of food, nor medicines nor anything they needed. Only very well to do people lived at Virgina Hot Springs, or could afford to and there was such a difference in treatment that I could not understand it.
Mr. Kimura replied that there was no Virginia Hot Springs in China to which I replied, that having lived in China a number of years I knew this only too well, but that in spite of what he said about Hongkong being a "battleground" in reality, the battle was over, and if only we were allowed to have our own money we could buy necessities. I warned him that my husband would surely die if I was not able to get the necessities my husband required.
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My remarks evidently annoyed Mr. Kimura, because it appeared later in the paper that a British woman had complained" because the British were not sent to Virginia Hot Springs also. Which is one way of misquoting.
About the 26th of February Mr. Kimura told me that he was going to Peking but that Mr. Oda would be coming, the Bureau of Foreign Affairs was to be established and that Mr. Oda would look after us as well or better than he had done. He kept my pass, to my great dismay, but gave me in place of it Mr. Yarno's personal card with instructions that all courtesy be shown me, chopped with Mr. Yarno's own seal, saying that if I had any difficulty I
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