Appeal to Government for Protection [Frese Ovn Own Commsronere Hongkong, Oct, 12 Anticipating further—interference by Japanese warships, Chinese dshing' junks in Hongkong have apcaled to the Secretary for Chinese Affsirs for naval protection outside the territorial waters of the Colony.
While an official statement 1s not yet available, the Hongkong authories are sympathetic with this movement In view of the havoc suffered by fishing smacks at the hands of destroyers. Several boats registered fu Hongkong were sunk or burnt by Jepanese warships outside. Hongkons Warships justified their action on the ground that they refused to heed orders from the warships or that some of the larger craft opened fired on Japanese pinnaces when they tried to board fishing boats, As a result of this interference, few Ashing vessels dare to venture into the open sea and prices of fish here rocket skyward. " Fresh-water fish from Canton are scarce owing 10 the closing of the river between Can-fon and Hongkong.
Prices of foodstuffs are going up by po by 20 to 30 per cent, because of the increase in population and profiteering, which has caused considerable suffering to the poorer people. Efforts are made by the authorities to cheek profiteering and the rise in rent but without much result, Hongkong bankers handle more silver and billion now than at any time in the history of the Colony. Large shipments of specie and bars arrived by steamships and - trains shortly after the Shanghai hostilities Opened. OMcials, rich people and Bankers in Canton. Swatow and Shanghai shipped sliver for storage im Hongkong and vaults are full. With the blockade of the China coast by the Japanese navy, this metal was shipped vid the Canton-Hankow Railway and the Canton-Kowloon Railway. Consignments have stopped now the bridges and rails were badly damaged by Japanese bombs. Large shipments also" have been sent to Singapore, Saigon and as far as London and New York.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.