HELD BY JAPANESE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 November 1942, Page 4

HELD BY JAPANESE

PRISONERS IN HONG KONG CAMP CONDITIONS. AN AUTHORITATIVE ACCOUNT An authoritative account of the conditions of Europeans interned at Stanley Hong Kong, is given in a communicaiton from Mr T. B. Wilson, of American President Lines, San Francisco, received by Mr H. G. Thomson, of Auckland, whose son and daughter were wounded during the Japanese assault on the island. The letter states that both were well at the time of the writer’s departure. Afteb describing the siege from the first air raid on December 8 to the taking of full possession by the Japanese on December 25, Mr Wilson refers to stories, of atrocities. There were such atrocities, he states, but none of the several hundred prisoners interned for whom he was writing was molested. Many Chinese and Portuguese and a few foreign women suffered. Scanty Food Supplies Describing the concentration of Europeans, which began on December 30, the writer says: “We were all sent to Chinese hotels and other places for original imprisonment. The accommodation were crowded to say the least. There were no luxuries —not even comforts or essentials. Boiled rice was the only food supplied at spme of the hotels. After a few days we succeeded in getting supplementary foodstuffs smuggled in to us by our Chinese friends. “On January 22 all English, American and Dutch were sent to Stanley, where we were interned in the warden’s quarters. It was universally, overcrowded. The food supplied was scanty. Eating and cooking utensils, blankets and cots were at first very scarce. Practically everyone was using a cup oi’ plate made from a tin can. Eventually, through the organisation of Dr. Selwyn Clark, we were supplied with cots, blankets, mosquito nets and hospital supplies. No Epidemic Outbreak “The Americans were exchanged and’ we left on the Asama Marti on July 1 for Lourenco Marques. There are remaning at Stanley about 2000 British, 50 Americans and 50 Dutch. At present they are receiving sufficient food to keep in fair health. There has been no outbreak of any epidemic.” The daily food ration was described as consisting of Boz. of flour, 7Joz. of rice and fractions of an ounce of peanut oil, sugar and salt, though sugar and salt were frequently not available. In addition there was a small daily supply of meat and vegetable paid for by the Hong Kong Government and a little milk for children. Tobacco was almost unobtainable. Improvement in Conditons. “A welfare committee was organised within the camp,” continues Mr Wilson, “and, through the co-operation of third nationals in the city and secret loans from friendly, wealthy Chinese, a limited supply of essential food and clothing was comng into camp for distribution to the most needy cases. This work is now taken over by the International Red Cross and the result should improve conditions.”

Mr Wilson states that he has reason to believe that the conditions of the Hong Kong Volunteers, and captured troops are about the'same as for civilians.