More serious than these shortages, which. can be endured, even though they cause annoyance, and most par Ucutarly to the foreign community, the steep rise. in the cost of living. Not only imported foods bul, indeed, everything hes risen in pee, even me hiding those articles. such' as earn fud timber, that should, by reason of {the ban on' exports, be both plentiful and cheap, There must be Tot of profiteering going on in the various Trot The blockade has caused many oceupations to. languish; and has erated" privation. for the poorer lasses and. greater economy among the rich, "But It has failed to Incline heats of the population towards peace, "The gererth opinion still {hat the struggle should be continued tntit the enemy is willing to come (0 terms:
'Alt' setivity came to a complete sandal since the abortive threat of last June. But this week am alreratt-Japanese navy to capture the port
earlier archered off the coast and sent five blores up dally on reconnaissance and bombing flights in. the area, There were desultory, bombing ratels an Tsingtien, Linhaly Weehi, aod. on {ie timber mitis outside the Wenchow West Goto suburb. A salt depot was ruck at Weeht but the rest of the bombs destroyed houses mainly, while moat of them dropped near Wenchow felt in fields and in the river.
Hongkong, Nov. 2.
The war in Europe is a boon to local industries, specially manufacturers of flashlights, rubber goods and singlets (cotton " underwear). There fare. good demands in Engiond for Mashlights owing to the black-outs. while exports of rubber shoes are also brisk.
These goods were formerly supplied by Japan, but owing to the Sino-Japanese hostilities and the boy~ colt in the United Kingdom - of Japanese goods "orders for these commodities have been coming Hongkong. The flashlight industry here has been doing well for many years and are still better on account the European war.
Singlets are supplied to Malaya. Java, Indo-China, the Philippines and other tropical " possessions. Their main use is to prevent perspiration from appearing on the outer clothes by absorbing It. and they are more serviceable than those made in the United States, Although there are restrictions in Malayaon certain imports, itis Tearned that there is no. diserimina~ ton against goods manufactured this Colony. "ence the exports of Toco products (0 the Straits and Malaya have been going on the same a3 before. Hongkong buys consider-fable rubber and tin from these sister colonies.
Special Watch on arbour Meanwhile, Hongkong is taking steps to strengthen its defence. About 80 Buropean and 100 Chinese mem~ bers of the Naval Volunteer Reserve have been mobilized to. guard the strategic approaches to the harbour, which "are heavily mined. These volunteers serve as a sort of waler trame policemen In seeing that ships. get near to the mined areas.
It seems that Hongkong has more army and naval officers as seen in streets and other public places, but 8 matter of fact there is no' substantial increase. All servicemen are required to wear uniform at all times during the war except the members of the Volunteer Defence Corps and the Naval Volunteers. In the past all commissioned officers here wore mufti except when they were" duty, and some times they wore elvitian clothes even in their ofoes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.