Eric MacNider summarises a 'long letter' from Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke, sent through his town-based Informal Welfare Committee, and received today. The doctor explains that, working with the Informal Welfare Committee, he arranged for families with small children to receive a parcel in June. At the same time he 'farmed out' others, especially single men, to those wiling to 'adopt' them. This explains why a few people have receeived parcels from unknown sources. Selwyn-Clarke believes many more would have been sent if it hadn't been for the depreciation of the dollar which led to price rises.
The IWC had arranged a second distribution on October 8th. It had believed that those who'd been 'adopted' were receiving parcels, but now the whole matter would be revised.
The doctor asks those who have been 'left out in the cold' to accept his apologies for having 'failed them'.
MacNider comments, in Selwyn-Clarke's defence, that since he's not been able to visit the camp there has been no opportunity to discuss such matters and this is the first time the camp authorities had heard of the 'adoption' scheme and its probable breakdown.
Source:
MacNider Papers, '1942, Informal Welfare Parcels'
Notes:
It seems that the ban on Dr. Selwyn-Clarke's visits to Stanley - imposed because of R. E. Stott's escape from the French Hospital - was about to come to an end.
The dollar depreciation referred to is probably the switch from a rate of two HK$ to one Military Yen to four for a MY that was announced in the Hong Kong News on July 24.