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turned this over in my mind, and asked him a mumber of questions about conditions in Stanley. He told me that things there were bad, just about as bad as possible. People were living 10 and 12 in a room, there was a bad character in nearly every room, there were accusations of th-ft, and the accusations were usually true. There were constant quarrels, very often knockdown and dragout fights, among the women as well as the men, The food conditions were slightly better, but people were still hungry, the average loss of weight was about 30 pounds, in ig heavy people it was up to 65 sounds. There was beri beri, and prospect of plenty more to come. And yet, he was perfectly cheerful about it all, said that people manage to get on somehow, and that when I came to be sure to bring plenty of tinned butter and food.
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After considering the matter careful I wrote Mr. Oda a letter and told him that I was informed that the idea was to send me to Stanley and that I thought it only fair to tell him that nothing would ever convince me that Stanley was a fit place for any one to live, that if I were sent there I would be dead in a month's time of malnutrition and melancolia, and that I felt it only right,
in view or the fact that the authorities would be making decisions in the imediate future and that on their decision would rest my decision, to let them know my views on the matter, and that if the issue were forced I would have one alternative only, to end at once what would have and could have but one ending. I hoped they would not force the issue, and that he would help me as he has done in the past.
Mr. Oda telephoned Dr. Canaval who assured him that I meant exactly what I said and that I was in no condition to be sent to Stanley, so he told me. As a matter of fact, although I had been under a very great strain, I was surprisingly well, everything considered, but I had again firmly made up my mind to keep out of Stanley, and again, subsequent events proved the decision right. This was two days before my husband's death. Dr. Caneval was kept on at the hospital for several days longer, for my benefit I suppose, and the day after my husband's funeral Mr. Oda came to call on me. It was amazing to find so much sympathy and kindness articularly in someone who was our enemy, he couldn't have been kinder if he had been a member of my own family. He told * that I might remain at St. Stephen's Hospital and that I might keep my pass provided I gave my word not to run away, people had been escaping from Hongkong and Stanley at various times. They had all got away except one group of four men, who were treated with the most savage brutality and are I hear in solitary confinement in Stanley now.
This kindness from Mr. Oda meant that I was all right for the present and had nothing to worry about for a while. Bra, Reeves was sent back to her husband and child in Macao on the 10th of March four days after my husband's death. I begged her to impress upon her husband the necessity of sending us immediate help, for myself, and for the Blackburns, the lches, and vans, who are at tanley Prison. I asked for money to be sent, either through official sources or quietly through third nationals, and that every effort be made to have us repatriated, and that he inform the Foreign Office of our great need.
There was no difficulty in obtaining money, or should not have been. Some time before, during te early part or February I had been to see Mr. Gimson and Mr. Alabaster, they were living with several other people in the tp floor of the Prince's Building. I had seen them a 'mumber of times since and Mr. Gimson had been most kind and helpful. I had mentioned to him the serious results to` my husband of not being able to obtain medicines, and he had suggested my going to see Mr. H.A. Keller, the Swiss Consul, who was handling medicines, being a merchant consul. Mr. Keller became a most kind and helpful friend, I do not know what I would have done without his help in the weeks before I left longkong. Mr. Gimson also suggested that I might see Mr. M. Nemazee, a Persian
merchant,
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