LET US PHOTOGRAPH YOUR
WEDDING
FRANCIS WU'S STUDIO
GLOUCESTER ARCADE
CHINA POY MAIL
No. 33905.
ESTABLISHED FOR OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS
HONG KONG, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1948,
BENES GIVES WAY TO REDS Communists Complete Seizure Of Power
In Czechoslovakia: Tension High
O.C. Police Wounded
Mr. Cheng Tuk, 0.6, Pa- Hee in fap-Sap-Mel (Chin- ese Territory) was admitted to
Kowloon Hospital at a very late hour last night suffering from gunshot wound on his right side. It IN reported that he had been shot by a body-guard
of a former Police Chief a week ago.
He condition is stated to
be fair.
EWO MAN KILLED BY ROBBERS
LAST OBSTACLE
REMOVED
Prague, Feb. 25.
The Czech Government Radio announces that President Eduard Benes bowed today before Communist demands; this indicates the re- moval of the last obstacle to Iron Communist control of all Czechoslovakia.
to nake
port.
beer
Russians Return A Tanker
Believed to be the first merchant Lease Lend ship to be returned by Russia to the United States, a T-2 Tanker, to be renamed "Pioneer Valley," will shortly be handed over in Hong Kong to representatives of the United States Maritime Commission.
Captain Edward Butler and his crew, of 40 American merchant
peamen arrived Hong Kong yesterday to take over the ship, which came heri from Vladivostock in mid. January. The new crow
sident Lines, who are to operat employed by the American Pre-
the the tanker on behalf of U.S. Maritime Commission.
If, on inspection, the tanker is found to be in good work. **********ing condition, she will sail fro
The radio, now in Communist hands, said the Pre- sident had accepted the resignations of 12 anti-Communist Ministers from the Coalition Cabinet. This would clear the way for the Communist seizure of complete power.
it was learned The President's office declined. At 1400 GMT
Janve Imme-Prague new apers nuy statement diately but did not deny the re.Instricted to prepare for publi
Communist Prender Kle-callon & Cabinet list including
four Socint ment Gettwald went to the Pre-12 Commista,
Left Wing Na sulent Palace to present a list of Democrats, two-
Lional Socialists, two Left Winp Ministers Fern new Cabinet.
People's Party, ene Slovak De- The Communists. clumped A
mocrat
nen- and two present as the grip on communications coup rushed to aellinax. No party Ministers (Foreign Minis and Nalong hers last night when they raid- | where, now, d: the opposition ir Jan Marryk
Defence Maister General Ludvik ed his quarters Inside the plant. parties Laver chance to oppose
Death is believest
Svoboda). ++ have bero Gottwald paktiely." caused by a fractured skull an
Dr. Benes til ha Immediately after the unnowice- sult of a heavy blow on the head
ment that Bee frail Dr. Benes hadnounced acceptance of Gottwald's capitulated
Government Cabinet.
includes The proposed
and three and gagged with her husband, was by the Secial Democratic Party, Gottwald as Fremter admitted hospital but her condikey party in the crisis, denying Deputy Premiers (Social Demu- tion is not serious
Shanghai, Feb. 25. Karl Renner. GO-year-old Bavarian chilef brew-niaster of the
British-owned Ewo Brew. erles was killed by armed rob-
will a bar weapon. The robbers
escaped with jewellery and money,
Mes. Renure, who
was bauleutled
Mr. Renner has two daughters, on-
in Hong Kong, studying medicine at
Radi Livadcast
the
split in its patikes.
a proclamation
Balance Of Power Former Premier Zdenk Fier- linger, who WILS once Ambasan.
the University dure and the other t Dayus, Switzerland. He has beru connected with the Ewa Breweried to Russla; has returned which is owned by Jardlae'sier power as lender of the 1936, when disapproving Nari pali. ties) hạ left Germany,—Reuter.
The Blonde Danger
FA
1.ondon, Feb. 24. Brigadier General G, W. Richards, General Officer Commanding, North Midlands District, speaking 10 cruite at a passing out parade Lincoln aday, told them they shonly be going to Europe and de clated: Beware of the
cartier in Germany,
Democratic Party.
to
Social
Fierlinger was ousted from the Party leadership Inst November, when he insisted on continuing alliance with the Communist.--- Associated Press.
will work.
platinan
duty at the
List
not an.
No Loan?
Washington, Feb. 24.
seizure of Czechoslovakla would probably result in the loss of
a proposed US $350,000,000 toan · from, the World Bank, a well-inform- economie ed international expert said here today— Heuter.
A Communist power In
in
are
Hong Kong to the Persian Gulf
to
to load oil or for New York. if not, sho will proceed Pearl Harbour for docking and! refitting.
She was built by the Kaiser shiptalding yard in Portland,
PICTURE OF THE DAY
Pliers, Please
Extensive use by the tele- phone company of under- ground cables makes thi sight
Bong rarity in Kong. A repair expert get- ting to work in Kowloon,
(China Mall photo).
A
Wha
Price: 20 Cents.
PORTABLE TYPEWRITERS
OF ALL WELL-KNOWN. BRANDS IN STOCKI
Hongkong Typewriter Exchange
1. D'Aguilar SL.
30,000 Japs Did NOT Lick Lick 100,000 Britons
Tel. 21433
The Army Estimates
London, Feb. 25. \Expenditure on the Army in 1948 to 1049 will be cut by 83,000,000 to £305.- 000,000, official army e-
...Says General Percival showed today. The
London, Feb. 25. Lieutenant-General Arthur. Percival, former Commander-in-Chief Malaya, expressed the opinion that Mr. Winston Churchill, Britain's wartime Prime Minister, was "misled” when saying at a secret session in Parliament that "100,000 British surrendered to 30,000 Japan- ese," according to an interview reported in to- day's "Daily Mail."
com-
General Percival was menting on his dispatch on the Malayan campaign, which in to
estimates show a cut in the
·STOMS Ennual cost of the Army of over £320,000,000 sixty per cent in the last two yOGII.
The statement said the it is hoped that the re- patriation of German pri- Boners of war from Britain will be completed by July, 1948 and from the Middle East by October, 1948. --- Reuter..
Suicide Verdict he published on Friday. Trap For
On Pyke
According to an interview with the "Daily Mail" reporter,! Alan Humphreys, General Per-) cival said:
Cable
London, Feb. 25. "The main thing I want to Thieves
A verdict of suicide while of bring out in justice to the
unsound mind was recorded here | troops. That has not been done
For some time past under-
today on 54-year old Geoffrey and I know they feel very keen-ground cable Iafd by the Army
WOR
Nathaniel Pyko, one of Britain'sly about it. wartime "brains" behind the "Last year, an account scenes, whose plan for giant | published in America of a man-made ice flors to act as air-secret aceaton of Parliament, at craft carriers was nearly used by | which Mr. Winston
the Allies.
In various parts of the Island has been consistently dug up and cften at night time,
This has
Churchillment not only much extra work for the Royal Signals, but hav stated that 100.000 British pur-been expensive and inconvenient
Mr. Pyke was on Lord Mount-rendered to 30,000 Japanese." to the military.
button's staff when he was Chiet of Combined Operations.
At today inquest, death was stated to be due to a fatal dose of sleeping tablets.
The coroner said that it was clear from certain notes Pyke had left that he was worried about his work generally or some of. his earlier work-Reuter,
"Chinese Bottoms Only"
Report Denied
Shanghal, Feb. 25.
Oregon, at a cost of US$2,000. The Government-controlled China Merchants
000.
Japanese Bring Back A Ship
In the offices of the National Socialist Purly whose headquor. ters were seized and searched on Monday, 10 armed police were **** stafluned. Most of the party's secretariat
staff
back was.
at erat Bohumil Lausman, Slovak The police were there as Communist William Stroky and defence guard, they said,-add-URO-President Communist Zapo blonde who is always just around then that similar guards were on lacky).
Communist party As it by long arranged plan
The ss. Carmen 'Moller, seiz- within the hour after a strike led by the Japanese when the was ordered for 1300 GMT, long Pacifio war broke out, returned lines of red arm-banded workers to ilong Koug yesterday with a Wenceslaus Japanese crew of 37 including marched through New Delhi, Feb. 24. Square between Czech, Russian Captain Elsa Fujimoto.
The property of Messrs. Mallers Junagadh, the Indian State with a and Trade Union flags, crossed populating of 400,000 in the Kaihia the. Vitava River bridge and slow-formally handed over to a represent (Hong Kong), Lad., the ship is to be war Peninsula, north of Hoımbay, hasty wound toward Hradcany Cas-
ative of the British Ministry of
so the original owners,
"She will have your money
take you for a sucker,"
and
wander
He asked the inen at about the streets when uff duty bui ta
take part in army-organised spart and games,
Almut early marriage, he said: "1
dkin't get married until I was 20 and
TO JOIN INDIA
It admitted, however, that it
“I bellove that. Mr. Churchill'
The cable itself is of uttle had been misled-but the state value to the thieves, but the ment was officially made and copper wire and lead inside the should be officially contradicted. cable can be sold at a high price, "When I came back to this To counteract thie persistent country. I asked the War Office thievings, the Royal Signals have how many troops the Japanese lavented an ingenious alarm sys- had In Malaya. After two days' [tem, which, although it has only digging into records, they told been in use for the past few me 40,000. The total number weeks, has already resulted in was actually about 200,000.
the capture cable thieves.
of four
-would-be
No Loss Of Morale This alarm. system'is an op- paratus situated in the wireless "General Wavell's. report room'of. HQ Land Forces which (published today) says that registers when a cable is cut any- there was a loss of, morale.where in the Colony and also Brigades were shattered and all gives the approximate, vielnity their transport lost. But it was in which the cable has been cut. not a ions of morale.. It was This information à immediately sheer fatigue. They fought each fushed to the bearest" "polies day and moved each night and station from where patrola are this went on and on.
sent out to round up the thieves.
Shipping Company today denied a published report that It has been ordered by the Ministry
The mind simply cannot of Communications to exclude foreign vessels
function quickly enough after in handling any exports from China,
that. The Japanese had a very They 'This move comes on the heels much greater strength.
strong denial by put fresh troops in every 36 has been requested by the Min- of a recent istry to stop up its volume of Chinese export car-nese Government contemplateden who had to oppose them." go-which-In-less profitable than the opening up of the Yangtze Reuter. inland traffic.
and other inland navigation
to foreign-owned ship MURDER REWARD
Franco To
own offcial quarters, that the Chi Fours. It was the same tired Clean Up
told the United that the Ministry of
Quads
An earlier report said that areas the Ministry had ruled that in ping. the future only Chinese ships Officials may carry exports leaving Press China, which would mean that. foreign vessels would be forced cargo except that consigned for to leave China ports with no
other destinations and picked up before coming to China.
Mor. However, the China chants, which private Chinese shipping Intereats charge with inseizing a monopoly on inland' trade, has bean requested by the Government, it said. to transfer some of Ita vesnels from inland shipping to for- eign export runs, thus giving
I had thoroughly enjoyed voted hy 198,779 votes to 95 in favourtle, official residence of the Pre-Shipping and eventually will go back bachelorhood. Ti you get married of accession to India, according to sident. now all you will enjoy will be, your referendum figures issued here today. married life."-Reuter.
--Reuter,
U.S. Dollar Rate Touches 6.10
Heavy clandestine remittances to the United States, coupled with continued persistent rumours of an imminent devaluation of ster- ling, sent the U.S. dollar at one time yesterday up to HK$6.10 for one American dollar in Hong Kong's "open market." The price of gold followed suit.
Referring in the sterling and Hong J■ '100, and NEI Guilders, were also Kong dollar devaluation" rumours, artonger at $31.00 a 100, Government pokesmu reiterated Sterling weakened to $12.95. “Au« emphatically yesterday that "there trallan pounds were quoted at $12.52. ino mare truth in this rumour than
in similar ones in the past
arke
periodically in
stumes of speculators."
which
the form of Remittances
The insatiable demand for gold From HK To
and for the U. S, dollar to
buy
(have "kejt "hoth in non-stop | spital
since the beginning of the week.
Gold went up en $372 a 'tael gès
terday after a hectic session in the
the
Be Banned
¡Nanking, Feb. 25.
morning, which opened at $165 la Instructions have been issued the afternoon profit-taking. brought by the Ministry of Finance that
price down temporarily.
with the exception of appoint- $565,50 at which rate: the market ed” banks, remiitaricos from closed.
Hong Kong to this country-in U.S. dollars spurted to $5,15 for Chinese national dollars by any notes, and demand drafts, and $6.10. bank-and-the-payment that for: TT-Demand was still uñastles might be effected in the coun- fied,'at the close of the, marked,:,,try by a bank on behalf of any
Plastzes were ignored, and were individual
(or concern in the quoted, nominal at $12.00 for 100, British Colony or Mácao will
Chinese -National Currency' opénél be prohibited, f
at the all-time low of 1694 cemus for in. The plan has been adopted by futures and 17 cents fortspot for the Ministry to prevent illegal CN$10,000)>búť cents for both at the scared, 11 transactions and to absorb re
Tiesirifirmed up aksin to $15.50 mittarices from abroad
617
Central News in Hong Kong By learned that native banks havo
ON OTHER PAGES been accepting Tremittance
to Shanghai throug. legal""practice"
At sircet corners throughout the city, groups of workers stood In formation behind flags as the procession passed and joined its serpentine and as it morched re- tentlessly ahead.
The marchers
were
The Japanese crew is at present, accommodated in dormitory of No, 5 War Crimes Court at East Point.
They are scheduled to return Japan by a British ship in two weeks,
tomorrow
At eleven o'clock in grkn mood and one witne classed morning (Thursday, 26 Feb.,) their feelings as: They don't the Royal Engineers will carry
do anything but celebrate. They out minor demolitions at Lye- an opportunity to private lines are expecting Dr. Benes to ac-mun Magazine ta seal off the to move in and take up some Gottwald's demands."-chambers damaged by ex-profitable Inland freight busi- United Press.
plosions In 1946.
cept
ness.
The "Atlas Sky Merchant'
His Cabinet
Madrid, Feb. 24. Well-informed political- sources said today that Gen- eraliasimo Franco is seriously The Shah of Perola is offering a contemplating a sweeping Cabi reward of 500,000 rials (about 4. nat Shakeup shortly.
Teheran, Feb. 24.
000) to the person finding the mur
Jerer of Mohammed Masoud, editorSources said that the changes of the Persian weekly journal, would affect almost all port- "Mard Em Roof," who was found follon, possibly with only the shot dead on February 12, according exception of the Foreign
to press reports here today. Athens, Feb. 25.
Mr. Alfred Holland, Teheran cor, Anna Havani, of Prevega,
respondent of "The Time mother of six other chil- dren, was reported today to have given birth to male quadruplets.
The Ministry of Health ordered four bundles of clothing be sent to her. -- United Press,,
Communications order агово out of an appeal by private shippers to restrain the alleged monopoly of the China Mer-
chants.
MAGICIAN DEAD
left yesterday on a Government ex
Affaira.
The efforts of the new Gov- ernment will be directed at
pulsion order, was alleged to have Spain's eventual inclusion in TEDX "biased and untrue", message the European recovery pro-
of the Masoud murder. Reuter.
MILLION
gramme-United Press.
C.N. C.N. DOLLARS
TO 3 U.S. DOLLARS
Shanghal Feb. 25. A million Chinese dollars was worth about three American dollars on the Black Market today. Widespread but completely unconfirmed rumours of a possible: Government reshuffle caused confusion and spiralling prices on fin- ancial exchanges.
.
The volume of cargo leaving China is much below, pre-war level owing to the high cost of labour and the unfavourable #ituation foreign exchange which restrict experts, and it ie not expected by informed circles that the entry of the
Following the recent loosen the market, China--Merchants vessels into
There supplies, this field would offer stiff, coming of control on the price of bought up by speculators, failed petition to foralg lines rice. China's staple food item to interrupt the upward trend. United Press,”
touched CN$8,000,000 per 138 Rationing scheduled to start 16. picul-a 100 per cent jump on March 1, is expected to bring Fin less than a month.
little relief. By official decree, The tempo of China's Inition prices will be set avery London, Feb. 25.diation is plodng up speed. A day according to the day's black -Will Goldston, founder of month ago, one United States market quotation at five per the Magician's Club and one of dollar was worth CN$160,000-tent below the open market sell- the most famous conjurers of half of today Black Marketing price. Associated Press his day, tiled in London on quotation. Five days ago, it was Tuesday at the age of 69. ....200,000... Today it was: quoted] Goldston, who retired from around $10,000. Wate the active aid of conjuring Dispatches from North China, about 80 years ago to enter the South Chips and other Interior rotally eide of the "-magicians' volute report pnessiness among buginoor performed before the Chinese populace as retail «rolond le moving slowly airs serve the Kestern"; son, and Front: 15 ridam, oxund Queen Victòria at the age of price tags on all essential come with in, fornen and to was usaha A 18Associated
modities, ara reviäod.¦» upwards tronchi ndr low. promuro, musending · from every day. In some cases, prices the Quilt pt minn 19. Kuapas la stapleri change in, a matter of hours, 5. BİZİS
DIDNT.
that their
The Weather
General, Bitnation hafiz "small,
The latest spiral of Chlin's many diody Konve, spe, periods.
bloated a currency followed, “Tarimdar a
Alaware Icosening of controla in ghAS KRISENT:360
Kal Mayor K:A) Wu, Hfted the
calling on the rics prica Monday following Ridgw man'slagrement with th ForThe price
antiq