Diary pages from this date

The Canberra Times picks up a report on conditions in Stanley:

Conditions In War Prison Camp At Hongkong

LONDON, Monday.

 The "Daily Mail'' has published details of the Stanley prison camp, Hongkong, which were given by Sir Arthur Blackburn, the former British Counsellor at Chungking, who has been repatriated.  

Stanley camp contains 3,000 prisoners, including 2,600 British. The rest are American and Dutch. It has its own court. Sir Athol((l)) MacGregor,   Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who was among the leading officials in Hongkong interned, presides over the High Court. He hears civil cases and has made a decree nisi in divorce proceedings.

Magistrates preside over the camp police courts, which pass sentences for theft. The clergy hold services and solemnise weddings. There is a school and a hospital, and cooking teams provide hot meals twice a day.

Labour parties do wood-cutting, building, scavenging and road repairs and distribute food.        

Over-crowding and shortage of food were the first big problems. Nine persons, including Sir Athol(l) MacGregor and his wife, shared one large room. Food rations were increased to   seven ounces of rice, seven ounces of   bread and a few ounces of meat a day. Sugar allowance was one and a half ounces a week.  

Whenever Japanese officers visited the camp the internees were expected to bow. There had been several cases of men and women having their faces slapped because their attitude was considered disrespectful.    

//

"Esther" ballet music revival (Drown, Heasman, Lay)

Repatriation!! Yesterday evening, Mr Wittenbach, chairman of the Married Quarters, called a hasty meeting in the back yard and read out a notice to this effect: the British Government had applied for the repatriation of all internees but the Japanese Government had agreed only to the repatriation of all women with children, all other women, except those who refused to go, and all men who were suffering from some disease or who were in any other way infirm. This was only the preliminary notice and further details would be posted later. The notice stated that these people would be repatriated this summer. Such a buzz of conversation! So these rumours had been true and repatriation in some measure had come at last. But, alas, it was not the happy repatriation news that we had all hoped for – that all of us would go – and there were many heavy hearts at the prospect of separations in such uncertain times as these. By jove! Wouldn’t there have been celebrations if we had heard we were all going.

We cannot think why the Japs are holding out on the men like this, for it would be on a reciprocal basis. Well, I’m glad to feel that the British Government would have us back if she could. There has been a feeling all along that it was the British Government who would not agree to the Japanese terms and now we find it is the Japanese who have been the objecting party. This news came on Empire Day. Mr Majima had evidently informed Mr Hatori who came straight out in his motorcar to pass it on to the C.S. and Mr Gimson in turn had issued it immediately to the camp – so they had all kept their promises to pass on any news of the repatriation as soon as they received it.

Hot, humid.

Swim am with Bonnie.

((G))

Swim pm.

Softball with S.

((G))

More statements re repat. All women & children must go except those of dual nationality who have the option of staying.