1941-07-02 — Page 3

HONGKONG DAILY PRESS

GOVERNOR BROADCASTS ON EVACUATION

Continued from Page 1.

was the job which the authorities had to carry out last year in the greatest baste.

Before I go further I want to

clear. In thing

the make

one

am Course this short talk £

of speaking only of the British Eu- ropean community, because that was the only section of the popu lation affected by the evacuation order. Admittedly that point raises another and a very large issue but I cannot deal with it to- night.

CRITICS OF MEASURE

There are clearly several schools of thought among the critics of the evacuation.

There are some

think Dot many, I believe--who that the whole thing was unneces

Then there is a much larger sary body of opinion which holds that

be regarded as a likely object of heavy attack. On that I can only say that I know of nothing that would lead me to think that His Majesty's Gov- has been ernment

able 10 change its view regarding the necessity for maintaining eva- cuation on a compulsory basis for the time being. And in case anyone may think that I am trying to make this Majesty's Government hold the baby' I may add that my own consi- dered view, knowing what 1 know is ideolical with that taken af home.

GENERAL

Two Houses Collapse

In

Queen's Road

Two pillars were what was left of the facade of two four- storeyed houses at NOS. 346 AND 348, QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL following the collapse of the verandahs about 9.20 am. yesterday. The houses presented a strange 5A made a detour on Bonham sight. when a reporter of the Hong-Strand East.

The two houses were situated at kong Daily Press visited the acerie half-an-hour later. A good view the Junction of Queen's road Cen- of the Interior the houses,tral and Sai Street. which were then deserted, could be No. 346 were the Yu Tai cloth shop Rnd the co-tenants the Hop obtained.

money changers

of

At 3.30 in the afternoon, colles Cheong Loong of the P.W.D. were still removing shop. the debris.

No casualty has been reported so far as digging is still in progress, but it is feared that two or three Another section of this Volun- street sleepers and pedestrians, Evacuation school 15. 1 who had no time to escape, might Tary Rather, Inclined to say even if the be buried. Colony is going to be attacked, we' would rather have our women and children with us; they can take!

it might have been very strongly necessary. I have no dou

TRAFFIC STOPS After the collapse, motor traffic! along that section of Queen's Road

Occupants of

The Bats above were used more or less as residential quar- ters.

Cause of the collapse has not yet The two build- been determined. ings are old.

People living opposite had no- need a large crack on one of the pillars as early as 7.15 o'clock and wamed the occupants.

SERVICEMEN HIT

It was reported that two British Alcrvicemen passing by at the time Over 20 buses and or collapse were hit by falling de- Both received slight Injuries how any husband or motorcars were scen ned up along bris.

were treated at the Queen father who hunks deeply and with both approaches. out prejudice into the real poss!- Later, bus routes Nos. 4, 5 and Mary Hospital. bilities of the case could contin

arged on the public, but not made that they could and would take 11, Central came to a standstill. compulsory. Then again there are nut conless that I cannot un-one period, those who argue that if compal-derstand sion was necessary it should have been made universal and that no British women should have been allowed to remain.

50.

to hold that view

PICTURE DRAWN

ben granted-one, 1 note, is the

and

I would like anyone who feels subject of a questions at the Legis FUNERAL OF MRS.

Davis.

21

M. C. R. ALVES

H. de

Another school is not disposed to discuss the past so much as the present and future and to plead that those women who now wish that way to picture to himself the lative Counell at its meeting next Scene: it is just what Thursday-others may yet have to to return should be allowed to do tullowing

Lastly there are the critics of might have happened had things be granted.

The funeral took place at the The evacuation thus brough

Catholic Cemetery yesterday of the way in which the polley of turned on differently here, or for

put that matter. what may happen down the numbers of women and Mrs. Maria de Carmo Ribeiro Alves. compulsory evacuation WAA

here by between two- into practice in and after June yet I want him to see himself on children

wife of the late Mr. Alves, formerly thirds and three-quarters, o very last year.

duty at his post, whether in a bat

trench material gain from the defence of the Imports and Exports De- Under

Father these different vlewa tery at Mount

with there often appear to run two above Repulse Bay. In the Hong-point of view. Unquestionably, the partment,

Electric under-currents, some people feel-kong

Company's power safeguarding of those who remain Angels officiating at the service or elsewhere not only here constitutes a problem, but a at the graveside. ing that His Majesty's Govern- station

of the town far less

than we difficult

The late Mrs. Alves was taken ment acted too hastily in Issuing knowing that the pr

1 on Saturday and passed away the evacuation order last year, where his family had been living should have to cope with other while others belleve that

were evacuated had wise for apart from the big re- the next day at the Kowloon Hos- the before they

pital. She was 51 years of age Hongkong Government misinter- just been heavily bombed but also, duction in numbers nearly all who preted that order. It seems to me having reason to belleve that a remain will be concentrated

was their duty posts. essential that those issues should hungry and desperate mob

of control and Those, then, are briefly the re be cleared up first and I will deal temporarily out with them as fully as considera-loting and worse that area.plies to those who maintain that

The chief mourners were de- tons of high policy allow

World not that man say "Thank evacuation should not have been

and God. my wife

are compulsory, or at any rate should ceased's sisters, Mesdames A. C. V. family

D Fernandes

C. and remam so no longer; and, second. Ribeiro, away?"

thely.

to those who contend that it Castro, and her brother, Mr. D. Alternatively, let him see same mental picture but with his should have been appiled root and Ribeiro. wift and children somewhere, branch.'

DEFINITE INSTRUCTIONS The instructions 14 evacuate Bri tish European women and chi- dren, which came from His Ma jesty's Government last June, were quite clear and definite THE S within my personal knowledge! that they were sent only after the matter had been considered on

her te She is survived by three sisters and two brothers.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 1941-PAGE

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and had lived in the Colony all

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Others attending the funera) in-

V

Ribeiro, D.

I am quite well aware, that they cluded Messrs A. ehher dead or in deadly peril In that disastrous turmoil, and he do not dispose of all that is being Fernandes, C. Castro, Mrs. E da Would that telt and said about the evacuation Rosa, Miss E M. V. Ribeiro, Mr. able to go to them man have even half his mind on last year. But tonight I am con- and Mrs. G. J. White. Mrs. Mendes, more than one occasion in all the sub? There are other telling faing myself to the major issues Miss B. M. Ribeiro, Mr. A. Castilho;

pictures of the kind that I could and to the future. That grievous and Mr. V. V. V. Ribeiro, the by

War aspects

Cabinet

utine: but I do not believe that hardships were suffered by indi.

No floral tributes were sent by There is no ground for thinking!

viduals is deeply regrettable bul

request. I need press the point further. that the drastic nature of the

of thought unavoidable: that given more time The other school step was not fully realised by the! War Cabinet or that it was given says in effect Granting that eva- the whole process of evacuation

less than full weight

The conclusion Lo which they were driven was that the situation was 50 grave that there was TTO alternative but tar Lake that step. Further- more, the Home Authorities were aware that the local eva- cuation scheme necessarily provided for the exemption of a considerable number of wo- men: that is a point to which

I will return in a few minutes.

I hope that that brief state- ment will clear away any mis- conceptions

points.

of those two

cuation was as necessary

as

all could have been better adminis-: that why were so many women tered is certainly true.

Criticismtion of war supplies for His Ma and girls allowed to remain? and on these grounds, however, should i jesty's Forces, or to carry on the why have others been allowed to not really affect, though they tend main trade of the Colony, it is

The answer in since'?

come

ما

the first question is that if the

business of the Colony--Guvern- ment business, mercantile bustness and manufacturing business-was

ard the more ordinary clerical duties in

I concerned

pressed.

its

men

to colour, judgment of the essen-among the absent wives of tlal issues and so far as they are irving here that we will first look

reafirm the two and if we can find what we want views which I have already ex-among them we will go no further

of Firstly, because

afield. In such circumstances supreme responsibility for the de however, no children could be al- to continue to be carried on and lence of this outlying fortress, His lowed to accompany them,

essential defence work such as

Majesty's Government took the

Thirdly. I have reason to believe censorship, cypherwork

right course. indeed the only that with the continuing rise in good many the civil defence departments was course, in ordering evacuation last the cost of living a

June: and, secondly, local cir men who have to keep two homes that considerable number of "umstances made it unavoidably going are very hard put to it. I necessary to exempt from evacua--

started by saying that I was not tion the minimum number of wo- going to make any rash promises men needed to keep things going and I stick to that. But I will u

dertake to look with a sympathe- here.

Lic eye at this issue if it is put up to me only-the word 'sym- pathetic must not be stretched beyond its proper meaning i

to be carried out, it was inevitable

a

women should be retained,

ACTUAL FIGURES

I do not think it worth while to discuss whether His

Let us look at the actual figures, Majesty's Government was right or not in From the time that evacuation be.. that decision. I freely admit that gan up to July 8, 1,640 women and everyone has a right to his own children belonging to the Fight- and 1.773 from the opinion, but that is not to saying Forces that all opinions are equally good; civillan population left the Colony: and when I comes to weighing during the next three months 89 the tully considered judgment of more, mostly civilians, went, mak- the British War Cabinet on se im-ing a total clearance of just over portant a matter, a judgment de-3,500. liberately reached in the light of

VOLUNTARY BASIS

Today there are in the Colony,

REVOCATION UNLIKELY

I will turn from the past to the future. F.est of all, what hope is there of general per- mission being given for women and children to come back here? Frankly, I am sorry to say, the answer, so far as the ironed ate future goes. must be 'none. No sane Government would be responsible for ex-

posing women and children unnecessarily ta the risks which for the present we must cont.nue tu run in this for- tress.

"SOFT WORDS

I have only two more things to say, and these I address especially to those who are mest concerned with tonight's subject. Firstly, I have just used the word 'sym- pathetic. Now, I know that 'soft all the facts against the opinions as nearly as can be estimated 918

words butter no parsnips,' but for of individuals out here, who have women and girls, the great ma-

all that I would have you be to found their views on what they jority of whom are in full time Of these 506 are

lleve me when I say that I would can gather from the newspapers employment.

rather be in a position to revoke and the wireless. there surely 18 ear-marked for front-line medical

this hateful bar upon your home- no room for doubt which has the duty as doctors, nurses, etc. in the Arst aid

But as against that I will con- life then to do any other single right of it. Al any

no various hospitals and rate

are fully

undertakings act here. frm Dow certain

As that is something amount of talking would reduce posta: all but a few

ANS, or V.A.D.

which I have already given to that I cannot hope to do in the disagreement on a point like this: qualified up to

standard and the remainder soon your Committee when we discuss-short time that remains for me so I will pass on.

will be. Another 60 have key

ed these matters and which they here, I can only do the next best posts in A.R.P. work, while very I come next to the larger num-many of the remainder are allo-have passed on to you. I promise, thing, that is to tell you so quite ber of people who argue, more cated to duties behind the line firstly, that Government will keep frankly and to look for lesser reasonably, that whatever was the which must be kept going in all case then, things are so much circumstances. better today that the necessity for still keeping women away who want to return is no longer justi- And by the facts of the case. They urge in short, that the evacuation should now be put on a voluntary Admittedly things basis. Well! look somewhat brighter at Home on July 1 this year than they did blt twelve months ago-quite a brighter: but that is not the real point, so far as we here are con- cerned

The question whether Hong-

kong should remain as it is for

the time being, lint is to say

Aus a matter of fact, al though from the strict defence point of view I deplore the number of women fetatried here, I have to admit that from the emclency stand- point there is a serious short- age of péribnnél eäpable of undertaking expert ·änd eón- fidential work.

COUNCIL QUESTION -

falling watch for signs that ways in which to ease your griefs. that embargo may be safely lift Secondly, I urge those of you ed. If only by a little: it will wel- those thoughts are apt to dwell come those signs when they ap-mainly on what has gone by, to pear and as soon as ever they shift your eyes more to the future, warrant even a partial relaxation knowing that as soon as øver Gov- of the present restrictions the ernment dares to bring your fami door shall begin to open again lies back to you again it will go cannot in honesty say more than forward gladly to the task; and that: I cannot foretell when that appreciating, I trust, a little more happy day will come nor how after this talk that the decision widely the door will open at brat which, last year, the War Cabinet I can only pledge that wo will had no option but to tako, was watch for that dawn anxiously taken in a full sense of their reapotability and with an open-

For instance, the D.M.B's hospi.pened.ently, hopefully,

tal and first aid requirements are Secondly, I will undertake this, byou realisation of what the future

a long way from being met. and If wille the general ban is still on might hold for us. I hope most he is only one of many employers it is shown to be unavoidable to sincerely that the day will not

with the majorlif of lis wo-who, frequently put up urgent re- bring in trained women here, in come to Hongkong when the wis

men folk disallowed front coni-

ing back, turns of the point whether Hongkong, is still to

qubble for leave to bring in trained order either to maintain the caution of His Majesty's Govern- woinen. During the last twelve Colony's defence or administrative ment will be fustified in your eyes months afteon such requests have services, or to enlarge its produs. by stark Thuli,

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