EASTERN CRISIS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1939, Page 6

EASTERN CRISIS

ONLY HANDFUL OF BRITISH CRUISERS. HELPLESS AGAINST JAPANESE FLEET. (Rv Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “Everyone knows the position. We have only a handful of cruisers in the Pacific and in the event of trouble they could do nothing against the Japanese fleet,” was the answer given by Dr S. S. Strachan, of Hong Kong, who was a passenger from Sydney by the Wanga-, nella, 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 and the situation had appeared to 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 l?y circuitous routes.

“But if you visited Hong Kong today you would find it crowded and apparently a prosperous city but that is only in appearance and is due to the tremendous influx of refugees. The normal population of a million has been increased by 400,000 refugees and their presence is creating big problems. Anti-British propaganda has 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 Swatow would undoubtedly cause a food shortage in Hong Kong, because most of the city’s fresh foodstuffs come through Swatow.”

Asked if he was not glad to be leaving a place so close to the Sino Japanese conflict, he replied: “Is there any place in the world that is really safe now?” .