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THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 17, 1937.
A GOLD-FEARING TODy
NATION
The world has, of late, beer clined to simple faith and innocent seriously concerned with gold.
The general impression is that gold is magical s iff, which does what it likes, and nothing can stop it. It appears to come in and out like the tide, or the cat, and, like them, takes no notice of what any body says.
When it comes in it has to be buried, either in a vault, like the Squire, or in a hole in the ground, like a golf ball with luck.
The occult and mystical behaviour. of this uncontrollable substance (if it is a substance, and spirit) naturally
By YAFFLE
Communism To-Day
What Communism Means To-day, by Hamilton Fyfe, (Nisbet, Ss. 6d.)
Communists, to-day, advocate. peace, freedom and democracy with the same fierce vigour and enthu- siam that formerly inspired their
trustfulness than most business
In the ordinary way, when the propaganda for (a) overthrow of men, regard the whole procedure as
of anything increases its the State; (b) anti-Parliamentar- savouring of bug-house, and there supply
those who believe price falls. But although, owing to ianism; (c) Parliamentarianism. are not wanting that financiers should be led gently the sinister machinations of Russia, but-no-truck-with-Labour; and (d) away from the City and put into gold threatens to become as com-grasping Labour by the hand in
mon and plentiful as taploca in a order to grip it by Homes.
boarding school, we dare not lower Hamilton Fyfe's aim in this bril- not like its price.
Therefore, as I should
class as you to regard the ruling: less rational than it really is, if that were conceivable, I will essay a simple explanation.
are
liantly written little book is to For it would undermine the chart this somewhat crazy maze national morale to lower the (and he does it competely and dis- market price of a sacred and passionately), to explain Commun- mystic symbol One might as ism's "new line," and to indicate well announce to the public that, the possibilities that a united De- if put up for sale at Smithfield, mocratic Front might open up for a bishop would only fetch 6d. a the people of Great Britain. For reasons to be explained later
lb. on the hoof..
In the first flush of the Russian we cannot stop gold in bed) the experts agree that Further,
into the belief deluded themselves the amount of money in existence coming in, for it is part of the Revolution, when the Soviet chiefs
that if you keep gold out, it will damage your export that conditions everywhere were ripe for revolt, Marx's precisely- I am told that many business must be related to the amount of magical proc
trade:
stated view that, in democratic men pray to gold every night. gold in existence.
This rule constitutes Article They believe that if they live
and
III. of the Necromancer's Creed, countries, democratic machinery
should be used to effect righteous and sober lives,
change was forgotten their prayers and wash behind. their ears, and do their best to keep wages down and prices `up, gold will be pleased with them, and bring them more business. Other people, however, less in-
ple to regard it uses pure (when the children and businessmen
THE
mon
many
peo- pious awe.
Now the price of gold was fix- the world's ed at a time when say
output of gold was more or less regular. Lately, however, the
have Russians
disclosed vast quantities of gold and begun to dig it up and send it about, the
cads.
WORLD GOES BY By "ULYSSES"
་
bar to
the
These Reporters
+
and you
it cannot understand unless you have taken a Double First in Yogi and Hoo-doo, We
are thus in the awkward position of having to continue in- definitely enriching the Russian [people, many of whom never wash in winter and none of whom ever went to a decent school.
tity of our wealth a disturbing thought:
social
“All who were not prepared to the march with them (that is, Communists) along a road very vaguely indicated, were denoun- ced as cowards, traitors, buf- foons. Every effort was made to inflame the anger of the workers against all in whom they had learned to put their trust.” To the menace of Hitler, munists were almost as blind as Social Democrats.
"Instead of working hard in- side the Social Democratic Party and converting the majority to their programme, they had set up a rival organisation which tried to storm the position from outside. Thus they weakened, without dislodging the men whom they rightly distrusted.”
There is no way out of this dilemma save by adopting some other standard for our money. That cannot be done, for two rea song. First, the only s alternative ́ESTERDAY I referred to the of sand and scrub, through which. YE
would be a Commodity ·Standard. lack of good manners in Hong the hero staggers in a very able- Kong. A visitor suggests to me bodied manner, rolling his eyes, That would mean basing the quan the desirability. of pointing out pointing to his mouth and finally tity of our money, upon the "quan-}
That is falling to a stagey death. that, contrary to apparently re- ceived Hong Kong opinion, com- thirst in art, and it is nothing to the real thirst at an office desk,
It would mean that there might is no civility conduct of business.
soon be enough to buy all we pro- He declares during which the victim gradually
and a mouth
throat like
How far thunder on the Left in duced. Our standard of living that he has been received in abrupt gets
He on earth. by nothing
thinks of
would be limited only by our Great Britain helped to drive "La- and condescending fashion
squashes through a
capacity to provide goods and bour leaders to the Right might be several foreign "clerks" (forgive long lemon
an interesting study in political services: the word). I too have noticed it. straw, of icy beer, of clinking ice peel, and his
An awful and demoralising psychology. More important is the The noblemen who act as "clerks" and floating lemon
abundance would ensue, and the fact that Communists seem willing (again my apologies) in Hong agony gets worse. He cannot get out for hours yet. Something
result would be anarchy and to learn the lesson of recent his- do not mean Kong perhaps
tory. They realise that, if Fascism should be done by Government |
three meals a day to be offensive but they most as-
about such tortures.
The other reason for remaining triumphs, the cause of Socialism suredly take no pains to be polite.
will be lost for years ahead. Hence on a gold standard is expressed
the "new-line.” I am the last person in the world
clearly by "The Economist”, “The to ask for servility, but between
Communists now recognise that less sophisticated section of world servility and rudeness there is an
opinion still regard gold as the one the Labour Party is the essential easy and a happy middle path, that of good manners, which doesn't In addition to learning the deaf standard of value immune from Party of the British working-class. It is They pledge themselves to accept rely on possession of an, Oxford and dumb alphabet, a China: Mail Government interference. accent. When a clerk deserts a reporter has taken other precau- because the public believe in gold its decisions, reserving only the client whose business he has begun tions, în connection with particu- that bankers are able to use it..." right (which every other section of And it adds that if Governments the Labour Movement reserves to handle, in order to serve a bet-larly "tough" interviews for which- ter dressed one (which happened he has to gird up. his loins. Out-interfere with it again, "they will quite properly) to advance their view and to convert, to me the other day), he is doing side a certain taipan's office, the seriously shake belief in the yellow own point of v no good to his firm or to himself, other day he spoke to a policeman. metal;" Moreover, he is liable to be bawled He said: "I have posted my Will to I have my
“Their policy" says Hamilton out, and made to look as foolish as my people back Home.
Fyfe, has been changed to meet this one was, for the second client pockets filled with condensed food.
The reason for maintaining the changing circumstances." They ac refused to take advantage of the I have a ball of string here, one. clerk's snobbishness. The sour, end of which I will tie to the pillar link with gold has thus been made cept, although with some qualifica- mistrustful, brusque, arrogant de-here. I will pay out the string as plain. It is to enable financiers to tion, the nationalisation-cum-com-
of some of
But our local I go.
in addition, if you take gentry gets me down. I suggest should not have gone
to keep our purchas- They say, "trust in Parliament, but they discard it in favour of good pension, I'd like
keep your powder dry” They ask you to. "ing, power within decent limits.. manners, which cost nothing and "What's the game," demanded the They have already put the fear of only that every step taken by a La- sometimes actually pay dividends, officer. "Are you crazy?" "No," gold into business men. It only re-bour Government will be a step to- like bread cast upon the water. said our reporter, "But I'm going mains to convince the people that wards the classless State ---
any case, good manners make in here to ask for certain informano national
tion for...the
have gone into
when Labour will forget the venom life more pleasant all round.
officer saluted and stepped back their temple and consulted the Gold of old-time Communist sectarian- “I'll leave word for my twenty-Oracle?
hanism, but he does feel the urgency seventh successor on the beat," he Only thus can they d defend us for everybody to liquidate paster- said, "to enquire for you? from the dangers of a high stan➡rors in a generous unity, whose po- Thanks," said our reporter and dard of living, so that we remain a litical rewards, his important and the bravely entered the building and sober, right@bus and gold-fearing able book suggests, will be swift The cinema often shows
and sure. un-scorched desert, endless acres bearded the taipan lion in his den. community.
meanour
In
Thirst
-•
*
if they can, a majority of the Party to that point of view.
Home on time of popular supersti-pensation programme of Labour,
̈ China · Mail The until the verin be dealt with| Hamilton Fyfe does not foretell
-