“Shortly after the Japs took Pearl Harbour，” Galen Litchfieldbegan， “they came swarming into Shanghai. I was the managerof the Asia Life Insurance Company in Shanghai. They sent us an‘army liquidator’—he was really an admiral—and gave me ordersto assist this man in liquidating our assets. I didn’t have anychoice in the matter. I could co-operate—or else. And the ‘or else’
was certain death.
“I went through the motions of doing what I was told， becauseI had no alternative. But there was one block of securities， worth 750，000， which I left off the list I gave to the admiral. I left thatblock of securities off the list because they belonged to our HongKong organisation and had nothing to do with the Shanghaiassets. All the same， I feared I might be in hot water if the Japsfound out what I had done. And they soon found out.
“I wasn’t in the office when the discovery was made， but myhead accountant was there. He told me that the Jap admiral flewinto a rage， and stamped and swore， and called me a thief and atraitor！ I had defied the Japanese Army！ I knew what that meant.
I would be thrown into the Bridge house！
“The Bridge house！ The torture chamber of the JapaneseGestapo！ I had had personal friends who had killed themselvesrather than be taken to that prison. I had had other friends whohad died in that place after ten days of questioning and torture.
Now I was slated for the Bridge house myself！
“What did I do？ I heard the news on Sunday afternoon. I supposeI should have been terrified. And I would have been terrified ifI hadn’t had a definite technique for solving my problems. Foryears， whenever I was worried I had always gone to my typewriterand written down two questions—and the answers to thesequestions：
“1. What am I worrying about？
“2. What can I do about it？
“I used to try to answer those questions without writing themdown. But I stopped that years ago. I found that writing downboth the questions and the answers clarifies my thinking. So， thatSunday afternoon， I went directly to my room at the ShanghaiY.M.C.A. and got out my typewriter. I wrote：
“1. What am I worrying about？
I am afraid I will be thrown into the Bridge house tomorrowmorning.
“Then I typed out the second question：
“2. What can I do about it？
“I spent hours thinking out and writing down the four coursesof action I could take-and what the probable consequence of eachaction would be.
1. I can try to explain to the Japanese admiral. But he “no speakEnglish”. If I try to explain to him through an interpreter， I maystir him up again. That might mean death， for he is cruel， wouldrather dump me in the Bridge house than bother talking aboutit.
2. I can try to escape. Impossible. They keep track of me allthe time. I have to check in and out of my room at the Y.M.C.A. IfI try to escape， I’ll probably be captured and shot.
3. I can stay here in my room and not go near the office again.
If I do， the Japanese admiral will be suspicion， will probably sendsoldiers to get me and throw me into the Bridge-house withoutgiving me a chance to say a word.