12 Nov 1945, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

The debate as to Hong Kong's attitude to servicemen continues.

'Barnacle Bill', a merchant seaman, visited Hong Kong several times before the Japanese attack and he found the general attitude appalling, but makes one exception:

The only man who ever had any time for us and did put himself out to do things for us was Padre Cyril Brown of the Missions for Seamen....Outside hospitality was nil.

He says he made up a parcel for former Stanleyites, to show he bore no grudge, but on this visits he's stayed on his ship in the harbour for two months rather than go ashore.

'Reverse Side', presumably a local not a visitor, acknowledges the problem but puts most of it down to the character and attitudes of the servicemen themselves. He feels they tend to treat Hong Kong residents like officers and their stiff and deferential behaviour makes social contact unrewarding for both sides.

'Democrat' is on his first visit, and, although he has nothing to say about attitudes to service personnel, he does make some interesting comments on the treatment of the Chinese majority:

I am appalled by the smug indifference of the majority of European residents here to the suffering of the Chinese. Their ready acceptance and apathetic attitude is no doubt due to the fact that their own high standards of living and prosperity depend entirely on the maintenance of cheap labour.

But 'Democrat' shows an awareness of the complexity of the problem:

Also in my condemnation I include certain wealthy Chinese – particularly the coolie contractors who have recently been receiving not only a 15 per cent commission on all coolies supplied but have also appropriated as much as 50 cents from each coolie's daily wage of $2 as 'compensation for having produced work'.

Hong Kong has been freed – surely not freed to permit such unscrupulous graft and corruption.

He goes on to condemn excessively harsh sentences for trivial crimes (especially theft born of economic necessity, and the labour of old and pregnant women and children. He points out that some people he makes such points to argue that it's all the fault of the Japanese, while others assure him it was just the same before the war!

Source:

China Mail, November 12, 1945, page 2