FO371-23514 — Page 145

National Archives 英國國家檔案館 All

Page 145

Page 145

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opened, locks smashed.

10

locks smashed. The attic was littered ankle deep. I could not stop to see what was taken but most of the bed- ding was gone and some clothing and foodstuffs. A carved teak screen had been stripped of its embroidered panels, a gift of Dr. C. T. Wang, and a heavy oak buffet battered in.

Yates, McDaniel of the Associated Press, the last of our newspaper men, left in the afternoon by another des- troyer for Shanghai. With him I sent another letter which I hope got through.

Friday December 17th. Robbery, murder

Robbery, murder, rape con- tinued unabated. A rough estimate would be at least 1,000 women raped last night and during the day, one poor woman was raped 37 times. Another had her 5-month infant delibe- rately smothered by the brute to stop its crying while he raped her. Resistance means the bayonet. And the hospital is rapidly filling up with the victims of Japanese cruelty and barbarity. Bob Wilson, our only surgeon has his hands full and has to work into the night. Rickshas, cattle, pigs, donkeys, often the sole means of livelihood of the people are taken from them. Our rice kitchens and rice shops are interfered with. We have had to close the latter.

After dinner I took Bates to the University and McCallum to the hospital where they will spend the night, then Mills and Smythe to Ginling for one of our group has been sleeping there each night. At the gate of the latter place we were stopped by what seemed to be a searching party. We were roughly pulled from the car at the point of the ba- yonet, my car keys taken from me, lined up and frisked for arms, our hats jerked off, electric torches held to our faces, our passports and the purpose in coming demanded. Opposite us were Miss Vautrin, Mrs. Twinem and Mrs Chen with a score of refugee women kneeling on the ground. The Sergeant who spoke a little French (about as much as I do) insisted there were soldiers concealed there. I maintained that apart from about 50 domestics and other members of their staff there were no men in the place. This he said he did not believe and said he would shoot all he found beyond that number. then demanded that we all leave, including the ladies and when Miss Vautrin refused she was roughly hustled to the car. Then he changed his mind, the ladies were told to stay and we to go.

We tried to insist that one of us should stay too but this he would not permit. Altogether we were kept standing there for over an hour before we were released. The next day we learnt that this crowd had abducted 12 girls from the school.

He

Saturday the 18th. At breakfast Riggs, who lives in the Zone's block away, but has meals with us, reported that two women, one a cousin of Wong Ding our Y.M.C.A. secretary

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