“COULD DO NOTHING”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19980, 4 July 1939, Page 6

“COULD DO NOTHING”

BRITISH PACIFIC FLEET TROUBLE WITH JAPAN HONG KONG DOCTOR’S VIEW (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. “Everyone knows the position. We Lave only a handful of cruisers in the Pacific and, in the event of trouble, they -could do nothing against the Japanese fleet.” This -was the answer given 'by Dr. S. S. 'Stra'chm, Hong Kong, who is a passenger .from Sydney 'by the Wangnnella, when asked what the feeling was of -British residents in Hong Kong about the value of British naval forces in Eastern, waters. Dr. Strachan has retired -from practice in Hong Kong and, with his wife, is-on his way to live in retirement in England. He remarked 'that he had been, away from Hong Kong a month -and the situation -appeared to have become more serious than it was when he left. Hong Kong was really the main port for the south -of China, but, with the main -traffic routes no longer available, goods could not be delivered with the exception of limited quantities that -were finding their way into China by circuitous routes.

“But if you visited Hong Kong today, you would find it a crowded and apparently prosperous city, but that is only in appearance and is due to the tremendous influx of refugees. The normal population of 1,000,000 has been increased by 400,000 refugees, and their presence is creating big .problems.' Anti-British propaganda had been -carried on by Japan and Japanese agents throughout China, but only a small section of the population was heeding it. The majority of the Chinese were very friendly towards Britain.

The Japanese blockade of Swa-to-w would undoubtedly -cause a food shortage in Hong Kong because most of the city's fresh foodstuffs -came through Swatow. Asked if he were not -glad to be .leaving a place so close to the Siuo-Ja-panese conflict, lie replied: “Is there any place in -the -world that is really safe now?"