After the examination, the group were taken to Changi Prison. All the thirty ABL activists except John Eber who was kept in the Outram Remand Centre.
The detainees were kept in solitary confinement and met each other only during exercise in the evenings. James was interrogated by a British officer who had served in Northern Ireland called ASP Fell. Fell was very courteous – even apologetic about the entire exercise. James refused to admit to his ABL activities. The interrogation lasted for about a month until C.C Tan and other public figures visited them in Changi and eventually had them transferred to St. John’s island.
James and the other detainees were surprised at the gentle treatment they received during interrogation. They had expected to be roughed up by the police officers. Instead Corridon and the other officers refrained from all violence or even threats and instead adopted a very soft approach indeed. This was in sharp contrast to the rough – even brutal – treatment they were told the police inflicted on the Chinese-speaking detainees.
In James’ opinion this soft approach stemmed from the fcat that the British officers were uncertain as to the best way to treat the ABL activists. The Special Branch men were accustomed to dealing with Chinese-educated communists. For the first time they had an English-educated group of Marxist individuals on their hands and most of whom where college-trained as well as professionals with good standing in society.
James believed the Special Branch decided to treat them as circumstances warranted, all the time testing and searching for the best method or solution.