CONDITIONS BAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 32, 8 February 1939, Page 5

CONDITIONS BAD.

JAP-CONTROLLED PORT. CRIME RIFE IN TOWN OF AMOY. HOXGKONO. The port of Amor, first town to fall to the Japanese in South China, has become a place of extraordinary customs after nine months of Japanese occupation. Foreigners are not allowed to cross from the International Settlement island of Knlangsu to Amoy City unless they bow with suitable deference to the military might of Japan as represented by private soldiers on duty. A Briton from one of the vessels lying in the harbour was hustled by two Japanese sailors onto the gangwav of the ferry to Kiilanjrsu because, in ignorance of Japanese military ways, he had omitted to raise his hat and bow suitably to the sentry on duty at the bund. At the time, it was reporter!, the sentry was engaged in slapping the face of a Chinese girl who had not curtsied deeply enough to satisfy the sentry. The Briton, not wishing to observe the sentry's action, looked the other way, but the Japanese soldier chased him, and, with a comrade's help, whirled the foreigner round. Roaring in chorus, they rushed him to the ferry. Reports reaching Hongkong indicate that conditions are bad. On the surface everything looks orderly, but underneath- lie many festering soree. This is probably one of the reasons why the Japanese have decided to keep foreigners away. Hold-ups and robberies with violence occur several times each night, and no police are on duty after sunset. The Japanese have paid no salaries and no criminals are kept in ga°J— presumably because of the expense. The small police force has not been paid for nine months. Twenty thousand refugees walk the streets of the international settlement on Kulangsu unfed and uncared for. After several Japanese and Formosans fought with knives over food in the international settlement, Japanese police were sent to quell the disturbance. This was used as a pretext and since, Japanese police have patrolled the International Settlement island.