на
SECRET.
5.
COLLABORATORS.
To date a total of 39 persons have been arrested as suspected collaborators. The arrest of a further 19 has been epproved.
6.
(i)
AIR INTELLIGENCE.
An air reconnaissance of HONG KONG, KOWLOON and the NEW TERAITORIES has now been flown and copies of the photographs taken are awaited.
(ii) A Sunderland en route to SINGAPORE from HONG KONG was forced down by bad weather and landed at SAMOI on the South-West tip of 2.INAN Island, The Chinese Authorities on the spot refused to allow the aircraft to proceed until contact had been established on the matter with CANTON.
7.
ECONOMIC.
(1) The supply of coal to the Colony has received a minor set-back as a result of permission being refused by the Commander- in-Chief, on the advice of the Chinese lilitary Delegation, for certuin Chinese personnel to be conveyed to HONG KONG from KONCAY (French Indo-China). When this refusal was conrrunicated to the KONGAY Chinese, the loading of coal for HONG KONG vas imediately slowed down...S. ALACRITY" signalled the position from KONGAY and pointed out that if further shipments of cool were anticipated, Co-operation must be maintained with the Annamites and local Chinese who in fact control HONGAY.
(ii) It has been reported that the Colony has now reached a crisis in the matter of its food supplies. On 5th November there remained only enough rice to last until 14th November. The always precarious situation was aggravated by the apparent impracticability of obtaining supplies from certain sources which it had been hoped to tap; in particular, the action of the Chinese authorities in enforcing the order promulgated in 1941 banking the export of foodstuffs has dried up the Colony's only stopgap source which had hitherto been exploited to the full. There is at present no possibility of being able to alleviate the situation by obtaining supplies from local sources.
It had appeared on 15th October that two ships loaded with 7,500 tons of rice could be expected to reach HONG KONG from BANGKOK early in November. Subsequently, however, this programme was modified and now only the KINGHAI, carrying about 2,500 tons is expected from BANGKOK. Allocation of the YESANG to lift 2,300 tons from SAIGON will bring the total rice supplies reaching the Colony up to about 5,000 tons, but none of this can be expected to arrive until the third or fourth week in November. So for 6,000 tons have already been received since the re-occupation, and with the 5,000 tons mentioned above a grand total of 11,000 tons will result as compared with estimated requirements of 36,000 tons. Meanwhile, there is no knowledge of any further supplies being on their way to the Colony.
Shop
Rice must therefore be procured irmediately from a nearer source, and the only apparent solution is the allocation to HONG KONG of the surplus of 15,000 tons known to exist in FRENCH INDO-CHINA, if it be immediately available. It has been urgently represented to S.4.C.S.H.A. that HONG KONG be allowed access to this sole means of preventing a debacle.
The situation regarding foodstuffs other than rice is equally dangerous and uncertain, It is more than six weeks since the local authorities indicated that the Colony could accept delivery from AUSTRALIA of the rirst consignment of flour, sugar, nilk etc., allocated to HONG KONG, but up to November 5th all that was known was that a vessel to lift the goods had been earmarked.·
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.