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Only a Christlike character can keep his temper, tolerance, and self-respect in such an atmosphere. To commonplace actions of fellow prisoners you attach motives sinister. Thoughts become poisoned against roommates, minor matters become irritations, over interest develops over inconsequential matters. In March 1942, the Japanese Gendarmerie informed us that for "economy's sake" all British and Americans would be required to leave their homes and business residences and go into the Victoria Hotel as an "assembly centre." The Japanese hated the words "concentration camp" when applied to the internment of civilian prisoners. "Assembly centre" does sound better than the pestiferous "Kriegsgefangenlager" of the Germans. At the end of March life became exciting and interesting for a few days as we helped each other lug suitcases and furniture to the hotel, "the assembly centre." There were committees to form, and families and individuals were busy making their rooms comfortable. No sooner had we established ourselves in the hotel, than the Japanese announced that all those British and Americans who wished to be repatriated might apply for repatriation. Negotiations were nearly completed for an exchange of prisoners between the Japanese and the U.S. and U.K. governments. All the civilians applied for exchange as no good purpose was served by allowing the opportunity to slip by with years of captivity looming ahead. Singapore had fallen. Rangoon was in the Japanese grab bag. Many were beginning to think of the Pacific War in new terms. Pearl Harbor and the U.S.'s habitual unpreparedness did not make for an optimistic outlook for a short war and an easy victory. As members of the British armed forces no application for repatriation could be put forward by my officers or myself. On April 11th, 1947 about fifty Britons and Americans left Canton as deck passengers on a small Japanese coaster for Shanghai to await the repatriation vessel. This left about eleven in our hotel. A few missionaries had the choice of repatriation or returning to their mission stations. We had
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