Wartime in Burma: A Diary, January to June 1942

March 1942

M A R C H 1 9 4 2 Sunday, March 1, 1st Waning of Tabaung Even though today is Sunday, we were in the middle of moving, and so we all had to come in to the office. Even Secretary U Kyaw had to come down from Maymyo. After he had met and talked with most of the staff and officers, he arranged the tasks that had to be carrried out in the future. Mr. Alexander and Mr. Chari said that they wanted to go back to India and did not want to continue working in this office. They were given permission to resign. Some of the other officials too, and also clerks and office messengers, did not want to continue working ; what they wanted was to get their pay—this was the only reason that they had stayed on and not left the job. All these officials, clerks, and messengers were in a state of confusion and only wanted to get away. They were completely demoralized. U Kyaw had a lot to say, and it was quite late in the afternoon before he went back up to Maymyo. Everyone was intent on drawing their pay tomorrow morning—getting their traveling allowance—getting their three months’ discharge gratuity. This business of drawing their money worried them more than anything else; some were even worried that if they didn’t draw their money out early, government was going to run out of money and they would get nothing—such is the low opinion they have of this government. Thinking all this over, I can’t help feeling sad. March 95 Monday, March 2, 2nd Waning of Tabaung Thetreasuryofficeandthebankarecrowdedwithpeopledrawingout money. A whole lot of departments have been evacuated from Rangoon, andalltheirstaffs—officials,clerks,andmessengers—arevyingwitheach other to get their money. No other work can get done. The treasury clerks and officers are in utter confusion. The poor things have never dealt with anythinglikethisbefore.WhenIgothomeintheafternoon,Iplayedwith thechildrenandmywifeonthegreengrassinthegarden—wepickedthe flowers, taking pleasure in their beauty. We have made up our minds to make the most of this luxurious break in our flight while it lasts. We have no idea what the future will bring. Tuesday, March 3, 3rd Waning of Tabaung Today we got our salaries, and so the whole office was pretty well satisfied. For this month at least, we’ve been lucky. But now that they have their salaries, they are trying for their traveling allowances—no other work is being done, only the writing up of expense accounts. The poor old Indian who has to examine the office accounts is overwhelmed with work. If someone makes a larger claim than he should, this accountant cuts it down. Consequently he has to endure everybody’s hatred. Still, this doesn’t worry him—he pays no heed to anyone’s hatred. It’s no concern of his that there’s a war going on. It makes no difference that they are all refugees—he is guided strictly by the rules and carries on without deviating one jot from them. One who can carry out his duties in this way at a time like this is very rare, and our elderly accountant deserves immense credit. Only such a one can be called a good bureaucrat. When I got home from the office, I spent the afternoon with the children and their mother in the garden in front of the house. The news of the war is very bad. I hear that there is large-scale fighting going on around Pegu—very discouraging. Wednesday, March 4, 4th Waning of Tabaung Government has issued an order authorizing the payment of three months’ extra salary for the purpose of evacuating wives and children, 96 Wartime in Burma: A Diary, January to June 1942 and this has started new attempts to get hold of this money. The whole office is in a ferment, and there’s no work being done. All that people are concerned about is getting the money. It isn’t only this office—in most of the others too, it’s just the same; all effort and energy is being spent on seeing how to get the largest amount of money. At the bank and the treasury there’s a great mass of people, and it’s pretty obvious how much work most of the officials concerned are doing. All most of them are thinking about is getting all the money they...