They
Beg are filled the streets, lay all over the pavements, you had to pick your way amongst them up and down Peddar street, especially in front of the Cloucester Hotel. Japanese authorities finally dealt with it with their usually 94
The sensible, efficient, and completely callous methods. had a quiet roundup, they gathered in about 8,000 and shipped ther over to the mainland, gave them each $10 and two catty of rice and turned them loo80. Of course the stronger begzers attacked and robbed the weaker ones and disappeared up country, they knew better than to try and return to Hong Kong. What became of the wenker ones can be imagined. Ho detalls over came back to Hong Kong.
The Japanese also cleared cut the Leper hose at
Powkfulhan, I was told by Father Joy, the Superior of the Jesuit Procurature, that they, the lepera, had been loaded into Chinese junks and thees,
three of them, had been taken out to sua and sunk, again, a most efficient way of decreasing the population, has to have seen what I saw, and lived through what I did to realise why I can say this so calmly and approve of their action. There was food to be bought in Hong Kong, plenty of it, the first months after the capitulation. I stressed this lir. Kimura, and afterwards to Mr. oda. There was at first nearly everything we needed, it was just a matter of finding it, and having the money to buy it. That was where we were in difficulties. The minute you began to spend money it went, like snow in sunshine, you got so little for a dollar. fish that sold at Wing on's for 230 before the war we a standard cammodity in the Black market, the curb stalls along queen's Road and later on in Stanley Street, for $3.40. It was the most nourishing of the foods, you got more for your money. A tin of IXL jam sold for as high as 1.20. Sugar went to 38.40 achty, and we little bag around your neck, I gave up carrying a catty, and was full of broken rice at that. You went out with my pocket book as being too dangerous, and returned with a few tins. Bread was $2.40 a pound when I left Hong Kong, and we had lived on rice bread for weeks and veeka ut St, Stephen's, This was got for us by the Hedionl Board.
Tinned
Supplies of tinned food in Hong Kong were enormous, but immediately after the capitulation mmbers of Japanese freighters put in their appearance, and carried away to Japan kad after load of rice, food and loot. All the good things from the hoLSO S on the Peak are now in Japan. The sorting was all done moet efficiently and methodically. A certain amount of the lesser valuable things appearod in Cat Street and Stanley Street, but very little that was very good.
(ne consolation was the news that many shipe leaving Hong- Kong for Japan were sunk by our subraarines en route. Some one naked kr. On for assistance to go to Shanghai, a third nati:nal, and was told, there are no chips for the present, too many of them have beon sunk" Kr. Cla mften makes indiscret remarke like that, it is most interesting to talk with him, and if you show no sign of having heard anything of special interest you of uúa hear a lot. He apparently doesn't mind talking, or doesn't realize how interesting it is to us.
During April the Japanese authorities insisted that all shops be opened. This was a definite step in the right direction. The town had and still has an indescribably shabby appearance. There are still damaged buildings, and shell holes, and broken water pipes which shower sowerage on the unsuspecting passer by underneath, this latter on a mall alley going through from Chater Road to Deavaux Road, The look of the streets than elves is indescribable, they are filled with people, all natives of some sort or other, all brown or yellow facee. You rarely see a Suropean, if it is it is always an Irishian or a Scandanavien and you look closer, to see if it isn't aome one you know there are so few left, I vas asked repeatedly why I wasn't at tanley, being a completely Anglo-Saxon type.
I usually replied, or about being Irish?"
Laxm
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