FO371-27622 — Page 83

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IV.

CONTACTS AND COMMUNICATIONS

26

It was

The section covering contacts and communications took charge

of all letters, telegrams and messages for the evacuees. announced in Hong Kong that all letters for the visitors could be sent to the Red Cross Office in Manila, to be held there until

called for or forwarded if the addressee was staying outside

Manila. Letters addressed care of the General Post Office or

the British Consulate were also sent to the Red Cross to ensure

safe and prompt delivery.

The office for this section was open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Recipients of letters were asked to sign their names in a

Hundreds of letters were

daily.

receipt book in order to avoid mistakes. handled every day. Aside from letters distributed to our visitors in Manila, incoming mai 1 was checked against lists staying in Baguio. These were sent by registered mail to the Red Cross Office in Baguio. There were also lists staying in Provincial

Hotels and outside centers and their mail was also forwarded.

Hospital lists were checked and mail for patients delivered by hand. Regarding distribution problems, letters often were ad-

dressed inadequately. Surnames in many instances were given

with no initials appearing on the envelopes. It was inevitable

that among such large numbers of people identical surnames ap-

peared.

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