THE GREENWICH
MERIDIAN
71SITORS to Greenwich great nuisance, especially
VISITORS fuld Grewer invigators.
to
miss the line where East The Greenwich Meridian was meets West, for to denote defined as the North-south line the Greenwich Meridian a running through the transit circle in the Obrervatory, that Airy brasa strip let into a band Transit-Circle which, when not has in use by the astronomers, con of white stonework now been laid across, the now be shown to visitors to the pathway outside the Royal Octagon Room. Observatory.
Previously the meridian line was indicated by little more than a scratch in the pavement, while the plaque recording it was set so high as often to escape notice.
CONVENIENT DATUM
Positions on the surface of the earth are given in latitude and longitude; but while the equator provides a convenient datum from which to measure latitude, whether North or South, there is no such datum ready to hand and some When the Octagon Room for the longitude,
was arbitrary prime meridian must be of the Observatory taken over by the National chosen from which to measure it. Maritime Musoum it was In the past, many prime have been used. felt that something more meridians
needed, Eratosthenes naturally used the conspicuous
meridian of Alexandria, of and at the request of the whose great library he had been Museum the new marking appointed librarian in 240 B.C. Ptolemy, to avoid the dificulty has been installed by the having both East, and West Ministry of Works.
longitude, used that of the 'For- tunate (Canary) Islands, the most westerly land known, so that all longitude should be measured eastwards.
1
was
ADOPTED IN 1884
The Greenwich Merkillan was adupled us, the Prime Meridian by the world in 1884 at the eug- Uned States gestion of the Government, which had called sa Intercefonal conference to consider the matter, for the use of differing prime meridians by different nations had become o
there
about
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of
"V
THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1953.
I
FLY TO
IN A
STAVAI ('Get at my last station with the MIC
was loo
the We in
Alt
("Any ed to be heading for our area,
FREEDOM SOVIET MiG
By Lieutenant FRANCISZEK JARECKI
part of the school buildings, and political situation and duridk/the ensuring that they were read by period of the capitalist entireje other members of the circle. ment of the Pence Comp. tho This compulsory membership responsibility of Party members of Communist youth organisa is greater than ever-befde. tions has a far-reaching effect Comrade, are you aware of the upon students. Many feel that tusks which the Party expects membership of these societies is you to undertake?"
opportunity to dispiny their Finally I was informed that and so may be a a stopping-stone
Active
an
membership
The
I was
risky to up') 'Odavaisyal quadron It
of divine ser« ('Get dressed!') attend any tart
vite. shouted the Rus in Poland there is a general sian sergeant as he hanged belief that a clash between the on the door of my uncle's West and the Soviet world is
Inevitable. cottage in the middle of the Force hall
frequent alert- night.
and usualy This is the personal story of a 23-year- faith in the Conununlit Party my That was how it about ang a
between two and three in the morning 10 intercept Ameri- old Polish fighter pilot-as told through to ofices under the Blats ar to chic
vestigated on would be in- began.
Hier Kommunist?
can or British bombers report an interpreter-who escaped in a MiG-15 jet other well-pald jobs my membership card. Hier Kommunist?
of Communial Aril
April 1 Communists here?') A The staging of these alerts was fighter from the Polish air base at Slubsk, on youth organisation compensates Fool's Day!r the Party, April any lock of ability ar graduated from Deblin on woman with a baby in her cleverly done that most plots the Baltic coast, on March' 5 this year and to:
special qualifications.
April d. I was named the best arms, her face twisted with behind them. The constant re- landed on the Swedish island of Bornholm. As I have said, I had always graduate of the year and given wanted to be a pilot, so, early a huge radio set as personal fright, gasped Nein, nein'. petition of the Communist ver-
sion of American aggression in Picture of Lieut. Jarecki below was in 1950, I applied to enter tho That was how it ended.
We present from the Russler The cadet
General Ivan Turkiel, Com- This is my story between Korea did have its effect on us.
taken in London, showing him wearing the Polish Air Force.
course was
to begin in the
Officer the manding
of the Polish 15, 1940 and CONSTANT ALERT Polish Silver Cross for Valour awarded outumn. There were 150 vacan- Air January March 6, 1953. In the early
cles and 8,000 candidates. The cong by General
Cormations signed.. Wladyslaw An- anal qualifying examination for
10 sident Bierut. hours of the first day 1 to hate the Rus learned
ders, wartime Polish Commander-in-Chief. Beblin was smartby politicni; in very handy for Rstening to sians: on the morning of the second I flew to free. dem.
felt there must be something
AFTER Eisenhower's election as to
President, propogando about Western preparations
was su stepped up that many people expected an attack fairly soon During the NATO exercise last autumn-Operation Mainbrace which they told us was only for actual ag- amokezercen'
kept in gression, we were
12
As the alarms always Ozzlej
I personally became in out,
Always 1 had wanted to fly always, since I was a student in 1948, I had wanted to escape At one time
from Poland. It seemed to me state of e:nstant alert there was an
the mute
that the
comple- to
prime
two were attempt
with the line of no
mentury. meridian
And to escape in a MIG would be a drumatic
easingly exeptical, but it's magnetic variation, but the Im- possibility of unifying two lines gesture in deßance of Russian hard to say how true this was
inclined to each oppression a gesture which I
of others, The Russian officera which were
felt would have the maximum I met in the Polish Air Force other at an angle, and the im
effect in the ol Lying! down
propagando
seemed to believe their
own Western world. meridians running
I
stories, but I think their main was born in 1931 In a through the Canary Islands or
village in Eastern Poland. My
purpose was to keep up morale
forces. It in the Pollsh the Azores had by the nineteenth
father was a shoemaker and my century led many countries to
mother ran a small shop to help part of the great hate campaign of their
which went against the West adopt the meridions
swell the mengre family in come. But my father dled in I was 1039 when
only seven. On the eve of the German at- tack on Poland my mother took to stay with her family in Stanislawow. Soon this part of
Rus
principal observatories.
Roving
Maniac
me
was
on non-stop until Stalin died.
Perhaps what has impressed me most since I arrived in Lam- don, is that the people appear less tense and strained than at home. I was surprised to find everything looking so peaceful and people not taking for grant-- food was short, and my mother d the inevitability of another A man, described by the secret then thought that I should be xcrvice as a dangerous raving better off with my aunt and who lived in a nearby and uncle manlac,,
was trapped
There was more food arrested here today for alleged-village.
Captured
New York, Juno 10.
Poland was overrun by slons. It was a hard winter,
1y addressing assassination in the country. threats to President Eisenhower. Hezidentined himself as Albert
3. Drevney, 40, originally from
Denver, Colorado.
Eden's Condition "Satisfactory"
LOUD KNOCKS
wor
of
13
At home in Poland, hardly
Batisfied. Most anyone is them belleve that Poland already de facto part of the Soviet Union. I was convinced of Russian Intentions last year when saw a Soviet flm of the life
SUSPICIOUS
him
+
so
well as a letter of..
·Pro-
ed. by Tho
radio came
at BBC, Radio Free the big hurdle was a question and the Voice of America.
on the political and social role of the Communist Party. My
As a leading graduate I was
answer, I suppose, was perfect; selected for the crack regiment of the Polish Air Force students I had memorised a long passage
in Warsaw. on the subject in a standard text book!
AIR CADET
DURING
days'
the three examination, I was question
Just as I had no alternative but to become a member of the Communist Party, so I had to consent to become a securly officer for my unit in other words
a political spy, That I managed to avoid taking
ed closely on my past life and duty seriously. asked if I could state how much Poland owed to Union
the Soviet
Although I was successful in answering the various examino- tion
ari sure that my papera, final selection as a cadet owed
a member of the ZMP at Bytom
tijat
CHECK-UP 2
Tthe end of June 1952, while
on the theory of Dying, 'I was
told
something to the fact that I was called out by a Lt. Amczyk, who
me I wa
was to report im and chairman of the Soviet-mediately to the Information Polish Friendship Society cat feelings.
ore. Officer. It is easy to franging my
.As word,
I walked across political my reliobility was
as the airfield and looked at the equmily
this was
In
tions,
my.
I thought that technical MiGs,
probably the last day in my
a pilot hands trembled "us" I the doar o aL. knocked
tho Officer's TOOL Information
I began my two years' courte com at the Polish Air Forcs College October 1950. at Deblin During the next two years, was given only a week's leave Sitting behind the desk was to see my mother and stepfather. Important spy, and beelda) him
of the one of In addition to technical train the former, a captain, stood up known local sples. ing, much of the time of the cadets was devoted to political and shook my hand-a-much education. We were ordered to different reception from what I
read books by Lern and Stalin, had expected. Instead of asking and to kami, almost by heart, me questions, he gave me a The standard history at the lengthy account of
of the Intersh Bolshevik Party. Every evening, tional situation, stressing tho two Hours wera devoted to u unsatisfactory attitude of many children werd lectures, during
the which
of my colleagues. He then
me asked whether I was aware of the duties of a loyal member
batred of the West,
married NO ALTERNATIVÉ «f the Party.
or quite aware of my
con-immediately nearly a thousandRDINARY Poles are suspic. the war ended, and, as I have the Silesian town of Bytom. In T the end of my first year at know what sort of duty he had
A bulletin described the operation as rellef of an struction of the main duct-Reuter.
bilo
With QUAKER OATS
ious of officers in the ormed
The captain said that a check-
three days and nights the train to continue to hold-runk,-you-afford the luxury-of friends.rt family reasons my mother and Loot, read a single books, by Leal operational units. Their political
aman
18
11
a jew
nd I
three o'clock on January 15, of Lenin. The actor play Ing Stalin said that the fore- A 1940 I was awakened by most task was to spread Com Ho is also alleged to have previously sent threats to Pre-loud knocks on the door of my munism, and that to this end sidents Roosevelt and Truman uncle's cottage, Russian soldiers Russin could do nothing better ordered us to get up and dress. than to add some new republics Reuter,
remember vividly being to the Union. I took this to marched in Д snowstorm to mean that my country would be Stanisławów rallway
station, definitely absorbed and lose spy on others. Perhaps the man occupation
of a things that made me determined not permitted to attend primary students were inculcated with six miles away, and in the dark- even
what remains
to escape will not sound very or secondary schools, ncss losing the small case in nominal independence,
After original: the knowledge that
the 'Uberation' of Boston, June 10. which I had packed a towel and
mother theusands of Poles had decided Poland, my Two
American specialists pyjamas.
not to return to Poland when, again and we went to live in
duties," I replied, although I operated on Mr Anthony Eden, We
railway reached the 50, the British Foreign station just before daybreak and
the oppressive evil and do the autumn of 1948 I was able the college I was awarded in mind. Secretary, today and hig
tion of Communism.
It to attend a secondary school. But certificate as the leading sladent. dition afterwards was declared men, women and children were is a within a few months my school- But, although I did well in up was made of pilots before „**satisfactory,"
herded into cattle trucks.. For
broken. For political subjects, I had nover, In
could be assigned to ̄ they the must be politically trusted by ob- stond the station. We were
Many times I had an almost was pain
The truth is, that it without food, water or heating. Russians, who, in fact, use off intolerable desire to confide in stepfather went back to Gdow, or Stalin.
cers to try to persuade the borneone that I had planned my
nora was quite possible for a student loyalty was also examined, However, after I was lucky: Many died,
to
well in people
accept unpopular escape. But a security officer
hlá political A Ukrainian- who
the to do only fainted.
months, wo
SPY OATH measures and decisions.
told me that
he listened planning
to Bytom. I was sufficiently
exerminations guarded the entrance
our. Inside the forces there is a lot escape could be cislly truck took me to the station-
re then 10 and able to attend the nightly lectures and remembered
autumn of 1947, ned, in
parefully
was rather surprised by this master's office. I was question of grumbling, You may gay cognised. He might drink too Bytom Technical Collczo.
grumble, but heavily, sell his clothes and be During my three years at the the main tene!s of Macklat talk, which, in effect, was a ed by a Russian lleutenant and that all armies
dogma If a student in his lecture. I therefore asked the when he was satisfied that my this goes deeper than that. longings and try to get hold of
college I studied internal com- written 簇
examinations uses the captain his motive. parents were not kulaks. I was There are very real grievances.. maps. So, taking this
"Counter-espionage" tho It allowed to join my mother. Particularly there is no attempt warning, i kept hold of myself bustion engines and in 19501 maximum of derogatory phrases
was the
when
School in his references to the West, he plied brusquely: "From now pa had determined to get out of to reognise or treat the men do until
moment Poland long before I was able
human bangs
isplmost certain to get-good you will collaborate with us actually started to dive over Certificate,
masies. to fly a MIG, because life under
He looked to me for an answer The stipulated two years of the Baltic. Then, when, almost
YOUTH GROUP military service were suddenly deliriously. I yelled into my Communism sickened me.
Towards the end of my course and, at the same time, the other at the
the collego was invited to officer pushed a paper and pen Like most Poles, I was increased last
summer to three, radio: "Yes, I am going. I am
member 0
the discussion
In going to get como medicine for WHILE I was attending the become brought up a Roman Catholle. without
the table. I said I I am still a practising Catholic, parliament or consultation with Father Stalin", It was my con- Technical College my political Communist Party.
cducation began. One of the really no alternative but to willing to collaborate.
"Now we shall write it down," but any open show of religion is any of the people affected. fession.
teachers was a Communist and it agree, although I realised that
the captain and began
to discouraged for Party members. Often, Air Force ground staff.
was his duty to pet na leader so doing would help me to win sald remember a Russian.
dictate: Pep talk, telling eral, skilled mechanics and so on find
of the school ZMP (League of the confidence of my superior their period of servico extended
"I, Franciszek Jarecki, volun- mustn't disgrace. the uniforms
indefinitely, with no
with no pessibility AFTER the Germans attacked Polish You) circle. On several officers and might even help me,
thought, in planning my tarily agree to collaborate, with ive wore by attending Mass, or, of appeal or redress,
A Russia in the summer of 1941 occasions he asked me to join the I
the counter-ospionage. The fact If we got married, by having a Discipline, too, is very strict and that part of Poland In circle, but I always made on pe
The Invitation to join the that I am collaborating with this church wedding. The rule by I know of many cases
During our last year Party where, which I was then living with excuse.
Caro from one of organisation is a military secret. which only 20 percent of officers for returning more than two my mother was overrun by the at the school only three, in-
Cadet Officer and for the mere disclosure are allowed off duty at any one hours late from leave, men Nazis, my mother decided to cluding myself,. out of 30 pupils my roommates,
He told me ho bad this collaboration I am able to ume effectively prevented 115 have been sent to labour camps move to other relations in the in
my class had
not become Sobieraj.
been given the special task of face trial before military from attending Mass. On Sun- for five years for desertion. small central Polish town of member of the ZMP. I felt I
persinding me to become a tribunal". day mornings. they always
For years after I joined the Gdow, near Cracow, I remained could no lungo rerist,
member of the Party,
At the end of the'ádábúent I organised political lectures, or Air Force I did not have a there until the war ended.
The role of the ZMP circles
"The Party have decided," he wrote my future, synonym, something else to keep us busy. single friend. I didn't want the My mother was almost en- Is to train boys and girls
sold "that, in view of your "Franck," and signed the outh Parly. The condiŭon of you may not be worthy, of
at becoming #, cmdidate-member."
RADIO SET
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The Chatter On Y
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KOWLOON
"
in a
us we
any
OVERRUN
I used to go to church during kind of friend who would bo tirely responsible for my early
awarded
my
• There was
across
VENDOR, wil
the week in civilian clothes, but spying on me as I was made to education, for during the Ger Potential members of the Coms achloverments as a leading cadet, with my full namCONTIVIK,
POOR LITTLE RICH GIRLS
Р
ARE POOR
:
IN HEALTH
יי
from Newell Rogers
pany:
So in letters
ing to underweight, retarded to the companies he says: trowth, poor complexion, bad "Level off production.""
and multy
teeth
boys.
Girls are
Worso They diet. Ilke their mothers to
GOLFER
munisip
is attendance
醇
weeldy meetings. A leader of
the circle reade an extract from Communist Party literature.
A
and THE Invitation to become a
The captain warned me that I was not permitted to talk about den it when my spy name or to: filling in offelal forma
"This is your task", "rold tha To obreTUOKO
general discussion follows to A meniber of the Party was a captain.
there must be no
what has been read,
I
great distinction, since only the movements of plots, their at
versation, to find Soon after. I joined the ZMP elle of the cadet officers in the tudo, their toples of com
out! win ürd circle my headmaster criticised collego were given the privilege their friends partently me for political inactivty, He of possessing Communist Parly their girl friends and to d suggested that I should help to membership cards. In the cover as much as possibiblabout found a school branch of the training fight in which I be- their family Head Polish-Soviet Friendship Society longed, there were 60 cadels, yet
an act, he said, which would only five were members of the origin." demonstrate my desire to be a Party, and when I graduated eltizen of the Polish. There were only eight cadets who.
ONELY. Ragtime Cowboy Joe, St. Andrews. His millonafre | most certainly have icopardised Ap
Alas MOM A
A WARNING,
+
New York. much
too fast!
City This is just cowboy boots. "dudes what labour leader Waller, buy them for holidays
at good OOR little rich girls are Reuthor tolls Delroll's motor- Western ranches and pay 29 to Republic. I realised' that refusal svoce members of the Party out
was then that -was warned truly poor in health in car makers. He fears they are £17 a pair. Crosby is part to accept might involve my dis of the total ut 150 who were IT
about the hazards of truth this land of plenty. } making to many cars now that owner of a cowboy boot com- missal from the school. I had falling my course,
seen this happen, before,
Sobieraj
gave me a number of to escape. With holiday time up- A survey of 2,500 boys and the market will go bad, and
Polish read. books and pamphlets to
Thera la an girls by Texas State College there will be unemployment preaching business booms."
including AS A LINK
one! by
Frealdent verb which saysDA
Ilsten shows faulty caling habits lead late in the year.
to the advice Blerut, called "The
and experienced people an Foundations of Thomas Suffern put even if I were not Party you act on it your sucede
of the Party *,~~ital.; Taller gave up a golf course od, fallure to comply with the
Look the advich built for him as a duplicate of headmaster's proposal
1, 1982, but before this
the would
captain. I was ordered to
man planning- usually socks motal support de out on the range, no longer bankerfi142,000 to that my chances of passing the School appear before the Party Com
Certifienta examination." So I mission. Sitting at long tablo I have already said, 17 divulgedach "serious under-sutrition." " can buy a new type saddle with his son could become a cham-consented to become a founder covered with a green cloth were my plans to no vas. In
a built-in radio, covered
with Dion.
member of the Polish Soviet two political officers attached to mense, was better off-than ERRICK WILDE Won the tooled leather,” Batteries go in. He tells DEE
the Probate Court Friendship Society, and at the the college. On the wall behind most men plapning to dafret
Stalin, Elégut tion's single sculls champion- loop antenna is sown under the up and advises its public sale. I was elected chairman, My new politient
officer wor
addressed les along the ship after five rivals mistook a enddio skirts, Price about $920. The course girl in a red coat for the Anish
Atlantio
Ocean at Newport involved acting as link will mentor
"Comrade! You have, been Ithode Island Taller ranked the office of the society in marker and mopped roWİDE AYEVADA BANCHER Bing among America's top ten golfers Bytom, collecting literare: and greatly honoured by the Farty THAGINE worker telling the Crosby, nieomag mooner, in the mid-1930s, bat. Called to loaflets from this office to have been adraitted to this bow he is making goods, make a good thing out of with a major tournament playing them in a prominent examination." In the prevent
keep slim. And girls from the
highest income
На groups show
needs to sing to himself.
Int
a
American Rowing "Associa-'matching suidle pockets. The that he cannot afford to keep it first moeting of the new, Birla them wero portraits of, sharod; my STOON, A our unite
and Nokossowski.APPEN
the
couldn't talk continuous prészvodé made me. evento moris cnutlivin might othewindvo
(TO BE" CONTINUED