Beginning at midnight on Tuesday, the French military and civil authorities ce-operated in a vast enterprise of strengthening the French defences in the Hungjao-Siccawei sector. The work, with hundreds of soldiers and Chinese coolies engaged, continued through the day and last night by artificial light. It is understood that the operations wil} continue today. The measures are precautionary, and reflect the critical situation in Europe.
At points in the part of the Hungjao area which the French troops took over after it had been evacuated by the Chinese forces last year, French soldiers were digging trenches yesterday. Other work consisted mainly in strengthening barbed-wire fences already in existence and in putting up more concrete pill-boxes of the portable or block type. Besides, a large number of "knife-rest" barriers ("chevaux de fuse") were placed on the French side along Avenue Haig and on other boundary roads.
While the new trenches were dug by soldiers belonging to the battalions stationed in the French Concession, the wiring was performed by coolies employed by the Concession Public Works Department and wearing the characteristic red jackets of P.W.D. workmen. Where barbed-wire lines already existed, the wire was reinforced by erecting extra lines running parallel with the old ones, and "spidering" or crisscrossing the wire.
During the last few days a small exodus of fairly well-to-do Chinese from the French Concession into the Settlement has been noted. This migration, however, has been so slight as not to attract public attention.
It is further understood that several German families living in the Concession have moved to Hongkew.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.