RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1975 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/j0995146d CAPTIVE SURGEON IN HONG KONG 277 left to rely almost wholly upon the stores we possessed. Knowing the Japanese fear of infectious disease I am still surprised that they did not take decisive action to curb the outbreaks of epidemic diseases by supplying, for example, antidiphtheritic serum and drugs with specific therapeutic action in sufficient quantities. Maybe by then, however, these stores had been shipped to Japan. So far as the deficiency diseases are concerned, my account shows that bulk supplies of foodstuffs of special value to us began to be supplied by the Red Cross after the effects of the deficient diets became evident and a little before the spate of visits we had from Japanese inspecting officers and medical men. I cannot tell whether pressure was put upon the Japanese by the Red Cross to get permission to send in foodstuffs they surely knew were badly needed, or whether the threat of unmanageable numbers of men suffering from deficiencies caused Japanese uneasiness which was communicated to the Red Cross. Whatever the immediate cause, the resulting improvement for us was undoubted. It must, however, be placed on record that the scale of Japanese rations and the type of foodstuffs supplied by them did not change at all. All the benefits, therefore, came from the Red Cross supplies. I always found the Japanese attitude to gifts brought by our Hong Kong friends to be hard to understand. Though they kept a strict general control of the system, they were not stupid, and I always thought that they turned a blind eye to a possible method of communication between relatives and friends in and out of hospital, which they must have known or at least suspected to exist. No understanding of any kind ever existed between us and the Japanese over this system. The standard of technical medical and nursing care of our wounded in the hospital was high, but I believe that because we were left in Bowen Road, we were shorn of some of our ability to contribute to the treatment of sick prisoners, especially during the epidemics. In order to reach hospital from any camp, a patient had a lorry journey in Kowloon and another on the Island, with a cross-harbour journey by lighter in between. This involved at least four disturbances and handling of patients. Since neither I nor any other hospital doctor was allowed to discuss or try to coordinate a proper allocation of the resources that we could muster with our medical colleagues in the camps, transfer of patients to hospital depended upon the whims of the unpredictable Japanese doctor. Page 285 Page 286 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1979 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/2801w5938 THE MARYKNOLL MISSION, HONG KONG 1941-46 31 the occupying troops shoot across the bay at any moving target; so far, none of the patients has been hit but some fishermen have been hit and their wounds treated by Dr. Bagalawis. Father John Toomey, formerly a thorn in the side of the Japanese occupying forces in Kongmoon, has been named Local Superior at Stanley, to replace Father Tom Malone. June 23rd was the 25th anniversary of Father Downs' Ordination, and the 21st of his entry to Maryknoll. The event was fittingly celebrated at Stanley, with Bishop Valtorta and a number of non-Maryknollers present at dinner. JULY July saw the arrival of Father John Toomey to take over as Local Superior. His departure from Sun Ooi was delayed by the Japanese, who apparently "hated" to see him leave for the freedom of Hong Kong, but was very much regretted by the many hundreds of starving Chinese who will no longer share in his daily issue of U.S.A.-donated cracked rice. We learn that our old and valued friend, Capt. Joe Ryan of the President Steamship Lines, is now in the U.S. Navy. We learn that he has commissioned a friend of his to continue to bring the ship's used magazines to Stanley for our library. AUGUST August is usually our busiest time with the Mainland missioners taking their annual holidays and seeking medical, dental and optical attention during this steaming summer month. However, with travel so dangerous and difficult, our occupancy record is the lowest in the history of the Stanley House. On the 16th, two officers of the Royal Engineers came for the second time to look over our property, with a view to taking over a part of it in case of emergency--such as an attack on Hong Kong! A full house might have dampened their interest but seeing so many vacant rooms couldn't help make them see the house as a perfect military hospital. SEPTEMBER Dr. Wallace, an American Mission doctor, well-known to all ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h 181 of the Olympic Theatre or Royal Olympic Theatre which was located at the back of the Shanghai Club, in the southern part of the Settlement. It had a dress circle and there is even mention of a "second circle". I. Finally we come to the last of the godown theatres, the Lyceum Theatre which was stated to be situated at Peking Road (ex Consulate Road), 104 The proprietors were the big firm of Jardine, Matheson & Co which had a hong on the corner of the Bund and Peking Road, 105 This was the scene of the 1864-1865 and 1865-1866 seasons. J. Evidently the existing situation was highly unsatisfactory. This was realised as early as 1852 when, at a Public Meeting on September 25, a Committee was formed at the instigation of the Shanghai Library that was looking for more appropriate accommodations. This Committee was to study the possibilities of “erecting a Building for an exchange and reading room". 106 In December a prospectus was issued by the Committee in which it was suggested that in the so called "Public Institution”, “a large room might be fitted for the Theatre, already under comparatively disadvantageous circumstances one of the most popular amusements we have", All these plans came to nothing, however, so in 1864 an epilogue to a theatrical evening gave vent to feelings of discontent: * 107 Ladies and gentlemen, our course is run 'T is yours to gild our quickly setting sun For if upon your frowns that sun should set This theatre must be advertised "To Let'. Shorn of its glory, prestige and renown Like our poor selves 't will be a mere godown. Not that the Drama in this wealthy port To such an humble bounty pray be led And build a lasting structure in its stead". 108 Apart from the inconvenience of securing a suitable godown every year, there was a great deal of capital loss involved. Each time a warehouse had to be fitted up at considerable cost (about 2,000 Taels in 1865; a Tael was worth approx. 6/7 in this period; in addition to the rent of Tls ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1995 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/95941j25g 175 there are rainwater catchments discharging into underground water storage tanks. Outer defences consist of a dannert or barbed wire topped chain link fence, slit trenches, barbed wire entanglements, and at some locations concrete bunkers sunk into the hillside. Dense thickets and tangled undergrowth form a natural defence outside the perimeter. A later Police Commissioner, Charles Sutcliffe, who came to Hong Kong from Tanganyika, had the idea of improving the natural defences by planting the Mauritius or Cape Thorn. His idea was to cultivate the thorn all along the border fences and around the observation posts as a general security measure. The plan was not successful as the plant did not grow very well and in most areas never really developed as expected. The man who gave his name to the new observation posts and whose idea it was to build them, was Duncan William MacIntosh, C.M.G., O.B.E., who assumed command of the Hongkong Police Force on Nov. 22, 1946. At the age of sixteen he joined the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1920 and served with that force until 1922 when he joined the Airdrie Burgh Police. In 1929 he was appointed an Inspector of Police in the Straits Settlements and was interned in Singapore during the occupation. After the war he became Acting Commissioner of Singapore Police, from where he was posted as Commissioner to Hong Kong in 1946. Commissioner Macintosh was responsible for reorganising the Hong Kong Police Force after the liberation, and to him goes the credit for laying the foundations on which so much of the present efficiency of the force depends. One of his most important tasks was to improve the low morale among the men under his charge. He set about this by beginning a long battle to upgrade police pay, conditions of service, and above all living accommodation. He also concentrated on improving professional standards, and reorganised the Police Training School. He succeeded in his efforts in boosting morale, improving recruitment, and established an esprit-de-corps essential to the running of an efficient police force. After leaving Hong Kong in 1953 on retirement, Mr. MacIntosh accepted appointment as Adviser to the Iraqi Police and spent some time in Baghdad. He died at his home in Surrey, England on September ================================================================================