COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL
PHOTOGRAPHY
FRANCIS WU’SSTUDIO
GLOUCESTER "ARCADE
ibrary. Suprera
Library, Suprema Can
CHINA MAIL
No. 33906,
ESTABLISHED FOR OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS
HMS "SHEFFIELD" SENT
TO BELIZE "Irresponsible Elements" May
Attack British
British Honduras
Sequel To Fuss. Over Falkland Islands
London, Feb. 26.
ILM.S. "Sheffield" has been ordered to Belize (British Honduras), a Foreign Office spokes- man sald today. The cruiser was ordered there while she was paying a courtesy visit to Carta- gena, Colombia.
Thus Council."
It became necessary to dispatch "Sheffold."
Macao To Cooperata
- - -— Shanghai, Feb.-26.- Disclosure that the Macao Government had agreed to conclude an anti-smuggling agreement with the Chinese Government and that nego- tiations were under way for such a pact was made by Ting Kweltong, deputy In- xpector-General of Chinese Customs, on his return here yesterday from
siz months Inspection tour of customs posis. Reuter.
M
HONG KONG, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1948.
Price: 20 Cents,
Many groups of local businessmen visited Kai Tak yesterday to in- spect the Atlas Sky Merchant plane. By special invitation, visitors were entertained on board the aircraft in which several sound films of a tech- nical nature, relating to the products of the Atlas Supply Co., the Stan- dard Vacuum Oil Co., and the Standard Oil Co., were screened. The plane leaves for Shanghai today.-"China Mail" Photo
False Report Led To Loss Of "Pr. Of Wales" "Repulse'
"We believe there is the possibility of an incident by irresponsible elements operating from Guatemalan territory," the spokesman said. Ho made L clear, however, the Falkland Islands being refer- that the British Government ex- red to the International Court at pected auch "irresponsible cleThe Hague ments" to net and not the Guate-action could be taken.
before any further malan Government,
Rejecting a suggestion that the The spokes.nan said the exefle-dispute should be brought before ment was caused by the recent the United Nations Security violent Guatemalan press attacks Council, Mr. Bevin said that renewing the etales of Guate prople cannot go on Interfering mald to Belize. This press can with British territory and then palgh, the spokesman added, may as a result of kicking up a row be an encouragement to irres-expect us to go ponsible elements to act.
to the Security
Chile, had suggested
that the British offer to accept the opin- The press compaign was on of the Court was not a fair launched in connection with one because Chilean and Argentine activities other parly to appear as plain- it was asking the in the Antarctic about which the tiffs. Guatemalan press expressed a The sole reason for presenting most demonstrative salisfaction, the matter in this form, however, the spokesman said,
was that neither the Argentine Guatemala may nar Chile had accepted the op- renew her Belize claim in a waytional clause bf the Statute of which might call
for British the International Court of Jus
Sinking of Repulse cost 27 naval action had been expressed tice, Consequently, it was impos-officers and 486 men while 4o repeatedly by British newspaperssible at present for the British officers and 764-mon survived. during the past few days but Government to bring the dispute Casualties on Prince of Walde, only today it was disclosed off before the Court clally that the situation had be-proceeding as plaintiffs.
by themselves were not disclosed.
The vivid narrative of the come tense on the "British Hon- When Mr. Anthony Eden, sug-last operation of these big dures front."
gested that a protest should be ships in defence of the Malayan
Anxiety that
The spokesman made it clear made against the landing of for that the dispatch of "Sheffield" eigner, contrary to the Falkland was a preventive measure calcul Islands legislation, the Foreign ated to discourage an outbreak of Secretary said: "I will certain- dilsorders, According to offelality look into it."-Reuter, reports, no actual incidents have occurred so far.
Mr. WJ.
Sarcasm
London, Feb. 26.
A false report of Japanese landings at Kuantan on Malaya's east coast led to the most disastrous naval defeat of World War II-the loss of the new battleship Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser Repulse.
Both ships, pounded by high-level bombers and blasted by torpedoes from low-flying aircraft, capsized and sank within. the space of 11⁄2 hours on Dec. 10, 1941.
Peninsula was told today In Ad niralty despatches published as a supplement to the London Gazette.
Percival Despatches
On Page 7
The Japanese Side Of The Picture
Malaya's Damage Claims
WAR
TO AT
YET
LONDON, FEB. 23. DAMAGE PAYMENTS
PORTABLE TYPEWRITERS
OF ALL WELL-KNOWN BRANDS IN STOCKI
Hongkong Typewriter Exchange
4. 'D'Aguilar St.
WHY DR. BENES GAVE WAY
Prague, Feb. 26. The Czechoslovak Pre- sident, Dr. Benes, ac cepted Communist Pre- mier Gottwald's Cabinet demands under duress because he wanted to avoid bloodshed. He was muzzled from appealing to the people by Com- munist control of the press and radio,
+
A high official who saw Dr. Benes yesterday and made the disclosure to the United Preas today said he thought that the President would remain quiet apether day and when would make some statement or tako some action to disprove the world impression that he con- sented freely to a compromise solution.
The official said resignation or flight from the country wore only two of the many alterna- tives that action by Dr. Benes might take. Another possibility is that he might make his in- fluence felt among the voters and attempt to reverse the Com- munist victory in the elections on the chance that voting would be comparatively fren:
Other evidence which sup ported this Informant's state ment were:---
1. A student delegation which
·TÚL 21633
PICTURE OF THE DAY Stars In Their
Courses
(DID YOU SAY CORBETST)
A pert little lady, she 'is appearing this week-end at the Queen's in Variety Girl.
The Weather
Geneval
jualkmeidke of high presadre, uxtends aberthienst from 'wouth Manchuria. A tow," prevaure ajatetz dominates China and Blam. A rapidly
| Bunahtiet "4.7) Bourgo
IN MALAYA WERE REFERRED called on the President's Chef Inignifing depression over Hokkaido. In
QUESTION TIME IN de Cabinet," Dr. Smutny, saldoing north-ce
Forecast |--Moderate y cant winda, wen- THE HOUSE OF COMMONS Smutny told them Dr. Benes ther loods with carly morning mit or
Gottwald's detale Warmer. TODAY WHEN MI, LEONARD Buùmitted to
CONSERVATIVE, and "out of fear of blocd- Yreierday's Weatheri GAMMANS, ASKED IF A DECISION HAD shed." Members of the delexa Maximis 0.5 deg. Fab. BEEN REACHED ON Lionsteld the United Press that Minimum 1 deg Fah. COMPENSATION FOR PER-Smutny was crying when he Rainfalli Trig, Total, since Jan. 1– SONAL EFFECTS LOST DUR- told them they could not be 18.0 mm).41° inches; na tagafnsk ́an ING THE OCCUPATION OF received by the President; ul 719 komm£.86" inched,
Reading si MALAYA BY THE JAPANESE. 2. Gottwald's announcing of
the new Cabinet at the mass, baro, allaiem 10203, 4916.0 m.b
Fourle →He also asked on what basis meeting at Wenceslas Square compensation was fixed.
complained that it took the Preet Humidity aident a long time to make up Wind Diretion.... his mind and it wasn't an cany décision for him to make." United Press
Mr. David Rees-Williams, Un der Scoretary of State for the Colonies, replied: "The Malayan War Damage Claims Cotmis- sioner is at present in this coun- try for discussions with depart. ments concerned...
Dew Poll-
Wind Force
FT 14..
KNOCKED
17
17 knots,
DOWN
Singapore and Malaya fell to the most powerful
Tokyo, Feb. 26. modern Oriental striking force ever assem- bled in the Far East, a force which sailed on
BY RAF CAR·· MICHAEL VISIT This is the 'Admiralty's story its hostile mission before war was declared,
́ ́A...... small boy was taken to of Task Force Z-Prince of
"It will be necessary for the
TO U.S. "Comic Opera"
informed Japanese sources said here today.
Kowloon Hospital shortly after Washington Feb.-26.-
Wales and Reprise-and-four
Malayan Governments to consi Exact statistics were not? Army, commanded by Lient-der the outcome of these discus
Washington, Feb, 23, 8.80 p.m. yesterday in a serious. The Chilean Ambassador, destroyers:
available en the number of General Tomoyuki Yamashita.sions in the light of the general
Ex-King Michael cf Rumania condition after. being knocked Brown, (Indepen Senor Felix Nieto del Rio, an- The forte left Singapore in men, and quantities of material whose Chief of Staff was Lieut-anancial position before a state- and his mother will shortly visit down by
an RA.F. Police dent), M.P. writing In the grily criticised the "Washington the late afternoon of Dec. 8 and supplies allotted to
State patrol car "Evening Standard." said the Post today for asserting that his steaming north to attack Jap-force,
this General Sosaku Suzuki, Yamament can be made of the basis the United States, the
The for Department' said today.
The lad Buffered severe in- "Insult from Argentina" almost country's efforts to take a claim anese landings between Sing-timated at least
but these sources cs-shita was dubbed. "Tiger of cn which any compensation anticipated the Honduras trouble. to areas of the Falklands Depen-gora and Pattani in Siam but participated.
300.000 man Malaya." He surrendered la war damage can be paid."visit would be "entirely unoff juries and was rushed to Kow-
cial", the statement added loon Hospital by the RA.F He commented ironically: dencies has "all the elements of the fores was sighted by Jap-1
the Philippines and was exenu. Reuter,
Reuter. "From now
hnd beter a comic operu plot."
The Japanese moved down ted for war crimes. quese nuval reconnaissance and the Malayan peninsula keep an eye un Monaco. It may
and He wrote in a
Yamashita's 25th Army of latter to the the attack was abandoned. "Surely there is nothing
into Singapore under an paper:
air feur Divisions, one Tank Group Mr. Brown, denouncing British theatrical nor
umbrella which the British and two Tank Regiments Wax comic in the 'ac- "Complete Peace" naval weakness, added:
tlons of the President of Chile
reinforced with an Artillery The force had turned back punched full of holes.
Group, an Anti-Aircraft Group, The Japanese planned the an Engineer Group and Signal operation Group, plus a. Railway and a
en we
be tempted to seize Malla."
L
"We sent a couple of wooden and of the Government, directed toward Singapore when a mes sloops and a small cruiser from to the purpose of reaffirming curage from the Eastern Flect's Malayan-Singapore South Africa with instructions sovereignty over sector of the Chief of Staff
announced: with meticulous attention tc Communication Group. The The striking force in- latter included road construc cluded well-drilling groups, tion, well-drilling, motor trans
Be firm but do nct fight. How Antarctic close to our homeland "Enemy reported landing at detail. are they expected to cope with and to which
we have well-Kuantan." the Argentine Navy"-United grounded claims."--Reuter,
Press.
Mr. Bevin
GOLD RATE
seemed improbable that water purification platoons and port and freight-handling units. DROPS
DUTIES TO GO London, Feb. 25. Argentine-has told Britain that
London, Feb. 26.
The Artillery Bire's new Cabinet had de the Argentine vessels around Do..! ception Island, had no intention cided to abolish the increased of assorting any right or taking duties on bear, tobacco and en- possession of any territory. They tortainments, imposed in Mr. were merely there to carry out De Valera's autumn austerity routine exercises.
budget.
Mr. Ernest Bevin, the Foreign Secretary, who gave this fact to the House of Commons today, insisted on
Gold took a sharp mechanised and employed 106 about turn yesterday,,
Group was
mm. guns and 150 mm howit-and from Wednesday's zers-formidable pieces peak-rate of $372 a tael oquipment which were lined up almost hub to hub at Johore for dropped to $357 at the seige of Singapore island. close of the market."
(Continued on Pope 12)
the unemy would expect Ferce sanitation companies to attend 2, last located steering to the to horses, which helped to drag Guns Hub To Hub northward in the, latitude of huge guns into emplacements Singgorn, to be as far south as from which they lobbed shells Kauntan by daylight.
along the length of the Malayan Kuantan, not far off the re- peninsula and into Singapore turn track to Singapore, was island. 410 miles from Japanese, acro- In their nine week thrust on dromes in Indo-China and was the Malayan peninsula, the A pint of beer will drop considered a key military post- Japanese employed the 25tb from 1/2d to 11d, 20 Cigarettention which every effort must be from 2-d to 1/8d (tobacco, fd | made to defend.
the rival claims in per ounce less) —Router.
Hong Kong Doesn't Mind If It Does!
Hong Kong's capacity for liquor and tobacco as re
vealed in returns for 1947 has inspired sothe monumental calculations with results as as- tronomical as current quotations for Chinese national dollars.
If all the cigarettes paying. Duty was also paid on 4262 duty in 1947 were placed end tons of tobacco and elgar's 'of to end they would stretch for Various types during the year: 18,815 miles, or about twice. The course for the incredulous. round the earth is obviously to put that in their
The total, 1,874,680,400, pinea and smoke it. weighed about 1,535 tone. If Total amount of duty collect lit at the same time this collée. Ed unclzarettes, cigars and lives or has been calculated to tobacco war: 96: 789,712 obliterate the Pork more effeck The 1,810,365 gallons of vols than the worst fogliquor which paid duty would bufficient to float a small
ON OTHER PAGES ship: Te would alro, no doubt, be
fvaluable in assisting to drown a prodigious number of sorrows. The liquor: Included 164,001-
galions
-gin add-856,367, gal- long of beer.
Duty
quor
Force Z arrived of Kuantan
at 8 a.m. on Dec. 10. No enemy forces were sighted and the destroyer Express, sent to in- vestigate the harbour, reported "complete, peace."
(Continued on Page 12)
STOP PRESS
Sydney, Feb. 20. Lieutenant-General Bermott... former Australian General Commending In Malaya, who escaped after the Japanese had token Singapore) today: described the full account of the Malayan・・ compalım, given in the despatches of Lieutenant-General. A. Percival, former Generale) Officer Commanding Malaya, as very honest."
C.
port that untrained reinforce "On" General. “Percivala 20 mente, including
Japanese Air Power Was Under-Rated
London, Feb. 26.
The high cost of underrating Japanese air, power In the Southwest Pacific fighting was added up today - by Air Vice-Marshal Sir Paul Maltby,
Opening in the morning at $362,50, It went up to $364.50 for a while, Belling pressure then brought the price down on a continuous descent to $257.
U.B. dollars dropped in sym- pathy and it the close of the market the rate was down to $5.55, as against $5.55 the day before.
Platrca had another market- less day at $12.00 a 100, no- ʼminal,
Ticals were ··unchanged · at $25.60 a 100, while NET Guilders were a little firmer at $31.10 a 100.
Sterling
was unchanged, at
Maltby, captured by the Jap- not realise that the prime Jap anese in the fall of Java," told, anèse-fighter plane early In the of the disheartening 10 days war was the Zero, an aircraft $12.85, AN -were-wAustralian of World War II in the Pacife which "proved superior to our pounds at $12.52. In a report chair fighting re, own fighters.”- „2" leased today by the War Office. This lack of technical know-
The report told a story of an ledge of Japanese neroplanes, ment, but struck in overwhelm enamy bill * presented against which continued "up to the outing numbers. He estimated poor Intelligence misunder- break of the war." was destin that in the Malaya fighting the standing, lack of preparedness, ed to have far reaching conse- Japanese, used about (700' first |and perhaps the most costly ¦ quences: in Malaya," the Air line aircraft against 4 158 item: failure to recogniso Ja Vice-Marshal wrote. Allled planes of obsolete and panas a` dangerous air power Bad, Intelligence | obsolescent-typen lookin
Maltby maid one expensive. This wrong asaceement of Maltby wasil Item in the Malaya-Sumatra their army units," he continu-Officer Commanding Java fighting was imnotance of ed, "was partly due to the fact Far East Comm the fact that Japanese that the system of collecting fall of Singapor Army Air Force was highly intelligence throughout the Far thon? encar efficient The Japanese NAVY
"Aira Arm Awas conside
sant, but ARM
delete-cair in- coilu,the;
highe
car.
The Three Certainties
1. DEATH
2. TAXES
Of Life:
3. RONSON
LIGHTERS
Get your
There is no escape!
You can't dodge 'em!
They NEVER fail!-
RONSON
RIGHT NOW
Before No. 1 or 2 overtake you.
HURRY OFF to
COM