THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 14, 1940
CHINA MAIL Picturesque Annam-
HOUSE
JAPAN AND THE MOON
Japan has no doubt
been offered the moon by Germany if only she will
And Its Emperor
Some people say Hue deserves to the new larder, instead
of,one of those mandarins I never 1832, it was to sit on the ornate
come in and embarrass to be classed as one of the three bringing tons of spinach (in the could have walked so serenely throne his frail consumptive the Allies. What has hap-wonders of Indo-China the form of thorny pineapple leaves) because I would be perplexed by young father had vacated a few that adjectiye. 'luminous.' It years before for the still more pened in Indo-China is other two being Angkor and the daily to the elephants.
Baie d'Along. But 'wonder' seems
wouldn't be a smoother way of ornate tomb he had built for saying it would it? either a proof of German too strong and active a word for
And why himself at a cost of 12,000,000 as subtle and lazy
"virtuous" dragon? It seems to francs.
as
teeth and envied no one. There are forests of
of
Emperor's Love Of Speed
only
ac-
River Of Perfumes duplicity or of Japan's re- It is like a mild wine that
a place
The River of Perfumes flows me if you have to spend your The Imperial family of Annam fusal to deal with Ger-rever intoxicates and never quite through the centre of Hue. And time with dragans they'd better holds relationship with former heats the blood, but gives you an in some bewitched fashion it is be breathing Fire and generally emperors of China, and following many on her terms.
entirely complacent feeling. not muddy, or fouled, or smell-acting hellish. A "virtuous" dra-the Chinese custom, the Anna- The Governor-General For nearly 150 years the pre-ing of dead fish. It is just what gon sounds too much like spend-mite Monarch of to-day calls him- sent dynasty of Annamite emper- its name implics, a gentle blue ing an afternoon when a deaf aunt. self Son of Heaven. He stands as of Indo-China was remov- ors have held their picturesque stream bringing with it the iden- However, these Ministers are absolute authority in the minds ed from his post because and elaborate court in the townftified scent of verbena of frangi- not just quaint remainders of his subjects because he is the he was not in sympathy faced mandarins
of Hue. Here, with their poker-pani, and of jasmine. Mingled another ·era. In their bloodless core also of their religious beliefs. about them, with these is the languorous per-attenuated fingers are the threads He alone can make sacrifices with the Vichy Govern- they have been settling the affume of millions of unseen, uni-of government. That is, such to heaven for them, therefore any
ternal government as the An-1 fairs of some 20,000,000 subjects/dentified blossoms.
disobedience to him is not ment and was replaced who consider themselves lucky if The palace opens back from the namese nominally administer sacrilegious, but also calamitous. by Monsieur de Coux who they possess one garment and rich river through a series of porce-these days.
Heretofore the Annamite Emper- France concerns itself withlors have made their persons my- was. Obviously this metir the garment is without patches. lain arches and tiered gates. Each
It takes about six square miles is covered with a jewelled mosaic protecting the Emperor fromsteripus and far-removed from with the approval of Hit- to house the Emperor, his minis-of softly coloured glass and china. usurping-minded cousins: with everyday life. The French-edu- ler who said in the armis-ters and court functionaries, and They are like necklaces of rubies defending the country against at-cated Boa-dal departs from this
this doesn't allow for the royal and acquamarines magnified into tacks of acquisitive neighbours: custom. tice terms that France clephants who have been stabled life-size, and are very satisfying, and in addition holds itself res-
They are not gaudy, for they ponsible for foreign relations,] would be allowed to retain elsewhere.
This is not entirely duc, a pa. have none of the bold purple of public works, and collection of naval forces for the de- lace guard hastened to explain, to the bougainvillea and the wan-customs.
ton scarlet of the flamboyant This allows the Annamese gov-| fence of her colonies. Ger- congestion inside the palace com-
ernment to pronounce its sover- When 26-year-old Boa-dai goes many having conquered had eaten all available food: there
pound, but because the elephants blossoms near by.
Inside the gates there is a be-eign rule loud enough for the na-through the gates of the royal
assortment of the tives to hear, and to collect taxes palace (which were built to France naturally claims and somebody hit upon the prac-wildering
tical idea of moving the elephants quaint, the bizarre, the majestic, from them.
commodate elephant processions) the right to dispose of her
and the really beautiful. There
it is in a specially-geared Ameri- colonies.
naturally suspicious. They are palace guards in khaki shorts Loyalty Of Masses To can racing car, or in an American
playing football, there are hibis-
speedboat. The French say he The peace terms may are not quite sure whe cus-rimmed
lakes,
France porcelain
got his love of speed during the be very different from the ther they will be allowed summer pavilions, a terrace of
years he was in school in France: France counts heavily on armistice terms, but for to retain Indo-China even ems where previous generations darins attracting the loyalty
dynastic urns, and latticed har-Emperor and his traditional man-merely a part of his celestial in- the the Annamese subjects say it is the time being French co-if they won it. Then this of concubines lacquered their the masses, and of this there has when his natty little speed-bout of heritance, and they nod with pride lonies were to be adminis-may be a dark plot on the
been a fairly constant supply. It goes tearing down the banana is with the Emperors themselves channel of the River of Perfumes. glazed tered and protected by part of Russia which trees hanging limply green in the that there has been difficulty.
amber Light, and there are streets
The drone of the motor can be watches not without plea-like those in
France first took a hand in An-heard all over the town and far a building-block namese affairs in 1801 and since into the surrounding hills, and the French warships and sure the slow bleeding town where every tiny white then has made successive trea-copper-coloured peasants
house is identical. These are for ties with successive members
along four divisions of French process to which Japan the Emperor's ministers who the dynasty. However, the heat, say: "Ah, that means it is near- of the road nod to each other and troops are either on their has been subjected during themselves residential that or "bad spirits" blowing up from ly four o'clock and the Heaven- way or are already sta- the past three years.
If to
they wear plaques on their chests the south or distillation of
vouch for individuality in cold hate in their hears,
thely Son is on his way to Ming has Maith's park." Nor do they see tioned in Indo-China. On Japan gets involved in an-their names.
given the Annamese little re-anyhing incongruous in the spec- the face of it, it is clear other war, well Russia willį
verence for their signed word, and tacle of, the Young Emperor us- no sooner were some of the trea- ing a speedboat, talking along his that a Japanese attack on be in the happy position
ties stamped with big red "seals one wife and may be a cousin or Indo-China would not of superiority for many
than they were broken.
two, a picnic lunch, and going to These mandarins move so ef-
Then France sent more soldiers.enjoy himself at the tomb of one have the approval of years to come.
fortlessly they seem to be on established a protectorate over a of the grandfathers of his dynasty. Hitler.
This movement south castors. None of them looks less little more land, and a new trea- In Hanoi, again in Hue,
and than a century old. Perhaps thefty was signed and fixed with later in Saigon, I heard talk of a It may be, however, and by Japan is due to pres-serenity of the gaze lends this more red seals-until the next Communist Party or rather, of it is not at all unlikely sure from the north on semblance of antiquity, or may time.
a band of Annamites, Tonkinese, be it is the medieval costumes A treaty which is called "final" and Cochin-Chinese, who hope to that Hitler has double- the part of Russia. Ger-and the up-turned toes of their was made in 1884, and it is point-rid their country of French rule crossed France. Having many was really respon-
ed to as still being effective to-and even of slippers.
an Emperor, and Strung about their necks, like day. Maybe it is, but twice since set up instead a soviet system of removed the pro-British sible for Japan's exclusion decanters of sherry and port, are then, in 1907 and again in 1916, rule. Governor General, and from that region for she the plaques with their titles-Annamite emperors were taken
but not their years-engraved on for nice long rides on steamers munist group with 20,000 secret-
One report credited this Com- weakened the Allies' strengthened Russia by them. Many of the plaques are to the French island of Reunion members. strategic position in the her pact with her, betray-of gold:
Other reports pooh- but those mandarins off the east coast of Africa, and poohed at such a large number whom the Emperor delights to have never been given a return and said that perhaps a fifth of Far East, it looks as ed Japan and left her honour have plaques of jade, with ticket,
that number would cover all mem- though the obedience of friendless in the midst of maybe the special title of 'Lumin- The present Emperor, Boe-dai, bers and sympathisers. No out-
ous Friend of the Celestial Door-was given a boat ride too, but it siders seem the Vichy Government all this European turmoil. keeper' or
to take the group 'Companion of Vir-was to a school in France when very seriously-there is the clim- had been in vain. Ger- The re-orientation of po-tuous Green Dragon.
he was six years old. When helate, they say, that makes revolu- am sure that if I had been returned fourteen years later, in'tionary feelings very fatiguing. many has told Japan to go licy is an attempt to please ahead and stake her Japan, appease Russia claims in Indo-China. and antagonise the Unit-
It is too much to as-ed States.
French forces.
-
I
sume that Japan is going The benefits if any of into Indo-China in de- such a policy even if it fiance of Hitler and yet fails will accrue to Ger- that would be the reason-many, the risks will be- able interpretation of this long entirely to Japan, for movement if we assume it must be repeated that that Germany is going to Germany can in no way respect the Armistice help Japan should she terms. The influence of become involved with a the German Ambassador foreign power such as the and his Nazi supporters, United States. If Japan however, is too strong in had only left China alone, Tokyo to permit such a her national strength view being held.
would have enforced res- It is obvious that the pect, as her prestige Axis between Berlin and would have remained un- Tokyo which cracked sud- impaired.
denly in August 1939, has Nothing is so galling as been welded by the appli-to have won high honour cation of a good deal of as the result of a victor- soft soap.
ious campaign over a pow- Outwardly at any rate erful neighbour, like Rus- it looks alright; the great sia, and then to have lost thing is to make the Ja- it in a contest with a re- panese end of it turn. The putedly weak one, like Japanese, however, are China.
Semblance Of Antiquity
A gunner in the
This sketch Illustration shows a bombing raid on a German naval 'base. power-operated turret of a "Wellington" bomber, is bringing down an Me.110, whilst the farm- ation la still maintainad.