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"I
THE CHINA MAIL, WEDNESDAY,
DID IT HAPPEN?
Tenth story in the China Mail series
T won't be very exciting," said Sergeant Brownlee. Yet it sounded attractive enough- dawn patrol alongsitle the Iron Curtain on the safe side! "A year ago that was different," the American went on. "The Commies, used to pot at usor at refugees trying to cross the frontier. But it's quiet now.":
#re
"Maybe it will liven up today," I suggested. "I have a reputation in England things seem to happen when I'm around."
""Say, you ain't a jinx?"
"No. But just as some people
accident - prone, so incident-prone.
I'm
If I go to, a volcano which has been quiet for years, it suddenly blows its head off."
He looked at me in some ap- prehension as I climbed into the Jeep, I sat at the back with Private First Class Costello; Sergeant Brownlee was in front [with the driver.
We left the American barracks 3 maze of. and plunged into forest ecimtry. After a short
halted run the
abruptly Trunks of trees, festooned with barbed-wire, blocked the road. More banks of
barbed-wire
stretched from north to south.
This is the Iron Curtain!" Brownlee announced. Now a branch
A HOLE
IN THE
CURTAIN
Jiri was an. ran Helena a musician
art
student,
Had they
Food parallel with the frontier, which chosen to swim with the tide here was a placid stream. Often they might have married and But they both had the barbed-wire approached its existed.
from active and intelligent minds. At banks. Suddenly a yell Costello halted the Jeep. He his university Jiri had been in jumped out, and ran through the constant trouble because of his awieward habit of speaking the long grass.
"Say, there's a dame here- truth-and revealing that be dead! Hell, there's a guy as road Western as well as Soviet well!"
No questions
books.
Now he had been expelled; and further disaster threatened.
"You're on, the black list, Jiri," a friend had warned--he TIRI regarded the forged docu- had joined the Party to keep ments with admiration. They his job. "The next time you were perfect, complete with the open your mouth will be the correct rubber stamps.
With last!" these papers he could travel-
Jiri was no Communist and no policeman would question
to be was not prepared them.
He paid
the forger the sum cabbage. Helena had already She was agreed. Forgery is a recognised made up her mind. profession
the not merely intelligent; she was Satellite states, Papers are neces- very good looking, and a neigh- sary for so many trivial purposes, bour Party official had been but can be difficult to come
comment on her She stage
171
Some
of
to
bourgeois views on sex. hoard Hence from official quarters.
knew what the next demand has created a supply.
An hour
Jiri was would be. laber
"We exhibiting his prize to Helena,
"We can go when you like
he said.
"Let's make it soon."
*
by Bernard Newinan
actors Bernard Newman kos sacurad much of the background maturiat for his work on a Bicycle. At 57. be can still corse 60 milaz a day. (Hy was behind the true Gurtala this year, in Hungery, but he left bis bicycle in Vlame.
Trailer, ther
Harmon was with the BEP in France from 1975 to 1919. in the 1939 wer he trovslied the world lecturing for the Ministry f Information.
In oddities to his many travel books, Berner Mexmon is e prolific writer of spy thrillwrs.
APRIL 27, 1955.
A bam provided shelter for the day. Before noon sudden alarm. Three men chose the barn as the site for their mid-day mstl. Firl had already reconnoitred, there was a ceiling
Buy, there's a-dama-here-dend /
But he could not resist the "Very well, Helena. It rising surge of happy confidence better to die like this, together within him. Then, just as he wonder if there is a life was about to sing aloud for joy, bevonds
We "We shall soon know! he walked into another swathe of barbed-wirel
bave failed to pass through one is a greater curtain, but this it mcoa? Two adventure.” layers to the Curtain? But this She kissed him fiercely; then was incapiete, merely a cover sank to her knees in a prayer, to a series of outposts. Scon He Jay beside her, they passed through it. embrace as they swallowed; the
draughts.
What did
Suddenly they heard a terrify- of rough planks and there be ing sound--the deep buying of a and Helena lay, mute, and tenst, dog. Then shouts. Evidently the a sneeze or even a deep breath pursuers were confused, for they would have betrayed them. did not find the refugees, But The danger passed.
The hour....
SOON
OON the stars gave a feeble guide. And the guards were careless--one of their huts was well lighted, and easily avoided.
Jiri led the way through the dark trees. "We must be dear the frontier, Helena," he whis pered." "This is the hour!"
Now. they must cross an open into a gentle space dipping valley. with the risk of en- countering a patrol: The sum me: darkness was an imperfect SCHKE and caution impelled
slow progré55.
"Halt!" Jiri whispered,
bours,"
Helena was tiring, and both were hungry. But they stumbled
Tomorrow
'the slevanth story in the series will be told by
*
GLYN DANIEL He, too,
will ask
you to say:
Did it rally
happen
---
?
the
In circles
in n bast
German
GREECE ON THE BRINK
By
HARRY CROWTHER
Athens.
INDER the stern and
UN
efficient rule of grey- ing, seventyiah Field Mar shal Alexander · Papagos, Greece has faded out of the headlines no terrorists devastate the mountain' vil- lages, breadlines are shorter, mdustry is growing.
But there is a worried look on the Field Marshal's brow these days. The Bul-
border garian
is being watched more closely. And Greek politicians are becom ing restive.
Two quite separate prob lems are coming to a head
and either or both may lead to trouble at any mo- ment.
PARTY SPLIT
The other is the split Papagos party following the "retirement" last year of his Arst lieutenanti, Markezinis,
Spyros
one
The eruption of either could bring the other to a head.
The Bulgarians stopped drovD- ping Communist guerillas a CTDAS. the border after Papagos mada them see the hard way that the game wasn't worth the candle.
But Greek Intelligence sources say that there is growing pres. the sure from Moscow on Bulgarians to put the mountain bands back in business.
One of them is mounting After the incident was frightening. THEY had been walking in
tension between Greece and circles confused by a bend dusk they moved on, passing by For an hour Jirt and Halens by 1 deserted village. All the quite still. The dog was their in the frontier. They had passed Bulgaria following the sign- frontier
had region
bren greatest danger.
Iron Curtain ichading of the pact between been Westerni cleared-save of the army of
"We must go oni" Jiri whis--for a total of two bour in all Turkey, Greece and Yugo- Weeds grew in the guards. farmyards; the Belds were rank. pered. "It will be dawn in two and, far greater tragedy, were in slavia.
Western Germany when they consummated their pact of death.
was the The bridge boundary.
So the dawn' patrol which found them was not Communist, but. American. And they were not dead, but only unconscious An astute sergeant recognised the symptoms and the jeep speeded them to hospital. There worked and men and women fought to save them from un- necessary death.
Helena Jiri and
had taken enough poison to kill a dozen men but faith or fortune proved fallible; alowly the text-books
wrestled and painfully they their way back to life.
"Well, your troubles are over I said. "You can lock now." There was a bridge ahead. A on-through another forest and forward toe new lifewith Jiri man leaned on its parapet, and by the stores of a lake. Then Helena had been wying on her the starlight glistened feebly Jiri had to admit that he was wedding dress. hopelessly lost. from his rifle.
"Yes," Helena smiled, happily. strange. When I lay "I think we have passed this "It is was already. We must have down to die, I knew no fear, mustered despondently
to life I was terrified."
Which seems to be el far Despair
their comment on the matters of our exhaustion. After they had world.
they could go mo further. Then
dawa two Now began the long trudge to "Follow me exactly, Helenal" the
came suddenly t the West They spoke little Near the edge the forest seemed to their tired eyes. German, so dare not approach again tools possession. Presum- It revealed a familiar scene anyone 1st, they should be ably the minefield had been revealed as foreigners. They passed.
It was a good sign a bridge, the one they had seen
the previous evening. It was agreed. Their kiss was used rural lanes and paths, and their luck was holding. the seal of the deadly compact, made a zig-zag course. By Yes, and here was the swathe So, we have failed!" said
The pitparations were few night, they slept in
of barbed-wire which indicated Helens. woods, of they could carry nothing with unseen.
the Iron Curtain. Jirl producedi "We may be able to try them but a little food. Jiri ar- Their food ran out and they cutting pliers, and Helena main again." quired a compass, but its move» dared not enter a shop-they tained a watch as he sipped ments were erratic.
had no German Currency any strand after strand: Friends who claimed expert way, But at length they reached They were through. knowledge advised against the a little town within a few miles. "Are we free?" she asked al- attempt to cross direct from of the Curtain. Now they must most deliriously. Czechoslovakia into the -Ameri- travel by night, and danger "I hope so-but we can't be can zone of Germany-it would linked every yard of the way, sure.”
will go but I'm not coming back, Jiri," she said. "If we're caught, it means 20 years in the mines. I couldn't stand For Jiri and Helena ( that. I'd rather die." would be unwise to use their real |names) had determined
She meant it. Helena always
He is married, has three daughters, lives in Harrow-on-the HIIL
Greece's strength worries the Russians.
on did mean what she said. So a be caster if they went throuk Now a climb up a hillside; sud- been walking in circles," he But when they brought me back the eastern end of the Mediter.
escape frous. the Czechoslovak workers paradise.
Live levened
People the
to
thust
suicide pact was born.
Eastern Germany. Armed with their precious passes they went
They waded the river tower down-it was only knee deep Tiri neaded little persuasion,
dienly Jet halted as a strange He was highly string, and the by train to a town near the mape appeared, beside them thought of torture and prison northern frontier. They slipped A watch-lower! That means appailed him. The document into Eastern Germany with com- that we're near forger put him in touch with parative ease, using unfrequent-It also suggered a minefield, staggered a few hundred yards WORLD COPYRIGHT RESERVED another useful man, who, for a ed mot
mountain paths. consideration. supplied small bottles of poison.
"So it's agreed, Jiri?" Helena said.
"If we fail to cross the Curtain we die-together,"
he knew.
emphasisea
"How, when we do not know where we are? And the dawn patrol may pick us up at any time. No. I have my bottle, Jirir"
He looked st her and, was inspired by her courage.
Now YOU have to decide: Did Barnard Newman imagine - kis story or did it really happen to him? in story No. 10 FACT or FICTION? Ses tomorrow. *
Yesterday's story "The Girl In The Car," by Robert Henriques, was FACT.
`DID IT REALLY HAPPEN? No. 10: A Hole in the Curtain
YES
NO
Roue der Nathaniel Gubbins: The Quiz Rayel
SI cannot read news-
with papers
my. accustomed ease until
I get better my life partner the Plucky Little Woman has taken on the
tty job, assisted by Albert the Robot Columnist...
N
on
of
personal appearance and con- those who do not call ini a Albert Has the onely been siders it was rather un-British doctor or visit a surgery for a able to notice the pictures "In view of the panel's health, certain period should be given Queed Soraya of Persia?
Gubbins: Kr. The defiant panel will now go a no-claim bonus up to 25 per-
to the low tavern to make its cent, on their National Insur- Albert; Doesn't the nose redder.
ance contributions. Does the think she's amashing panel,
Gubbin panel think this is a good idea?
The panel doll Gubbins: As it has been not consider "gshing"
describe frequently stated that the National Health Service
higher rents for meters. The Authority might even charge you for reading the meter. In any case, consumers will still get the same crazy bills which
nobody but the Author understands. PLW. As the panel. seems irritable would it care for a reading from something lighter like a cookery column?
Gubblar: Cookery columns half. usually make the panel feel sick, particularly when stale bread is squeezed to a pulp in water and lumps of dripping are mentioned, P.L.W. Dripping is not men tioned in this. It Is
a savoury of a half-eaten camembert. made cheese. You scrape off the skin.
What with? With a knife
:
w
and
They have been treating me like the panel in a BBC quiz, asking questions affairs of the day and quoting items of news "to hear the reaction. Like this:
P.L.W.: A £300,000,000 atomic energy programme - wil give Britain the lead over the rest of the world in nuclear your fingers, of course, power which will reduce the Gubbins: I thought so price of electricity in ten years' P.L.W.: You then mince the $18.00 time. What does the panel cheese with butter, cayenne pepper and chopped walnuts, Gubbins: Astuming that and shape into lifle cakes, the price of electricity will be Gubbins: What with? reduced in ten years time the P.L.W. With dirty Angers panel thinks it is wonderful smothered in germs. Then you neup for old age pensioners, add beaten egz and crushed Those who are still alive will cereals and fry in hot fat. be able to use an electric Gubbin Dripping? fire for a couple of hours a P.L.W. It doesn't say so, Is. 7.50 day without giving
up the panel feeling sick? ke a hot Sunday Gubbins: Yes..
POPULAR PUBLICATIONS
Chinese Creeds & Customs.
Enjoyable Cookery.
15.00
Baby Book
This is Hong Kong
25.00 $8.50
The Hongkong, Countryside (Herklots)'
25.00
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35.00
Coronation Clary
·7.50.
King George VI
It's Fun Finding Out →→2nd series
(Bernard Wicksteed).
Rupert Adventure Books
Rupert Magazines mi
No Hiding Place (Behind Scotland Yard).
Common Marine Food-Fishes of Hongkong
(second enlarged edition)
Ten Points About Pearls
Weights & Measurementy
Stamp Album"
think about that?
luxuries
dinner and a couple of plats
of beer on a Saturday night. commenta
PIAW Has the panel
any
to make on the
half-eaten
12.00 | PLW.: Why does the panel rebing's Fren
use the word "assuming" when the Minister of Fuel and Fower: has given a Government assur
ance
Gubbins: Because from
camembert cheets” argilable the panel would, rather, eat it straight mucked about.
and not have
think
It lessens their chances of acquiring strategie command of
ranean and the Dardenneller in the event of a major war..
It is also bad business for the puppet states in the Balkans, and particularly for Albania, A successful non-Communist state does not go unnoticed even be hind the iron curtain, and the long-range control of the Balkan states has always been a tricky business for the Companists.
Trouble on the border could give Papago enemies a chance to capitalist on the internal troubles of his own, party,
PAPAGOS PURGE MAI
Markezinis, as "Minister of Co-ordination", was the man who really put Greece back on her feet. But he and Papagos fell out-apparentlyt over per.. sonul matters and, after his resignation. Papagos promptly purged all his followers from the Cabinet
The Rest of 18d Markets faction promptly left the polty, citingPapagos following parlament from 247 to 20% in a house with 300 seats.
another election, the Markezirila men might well, do
much better, especially if there was trouble on the border and they could claim that, without Markezinis, Papagos could not
A slight shift in the balance not paid for out of National
Doesn't the panel and Greece would go back to Insurance
contributions but think she's even more smashing the pos 1952 political confusion
royalty."
out of taxation the panel than Marilyn Monroer thinks it is the silliest idea of the week,
Cxbbins the moment
the panel is not interested in
such things. INNE
excellent proged an ing ground for Commun
For Albert Would the panel ob
of the jeet if I wabte a-põën to Queen Sorayag
WHEN I returned the Plucky
Little Woman WAR
stiil reading the papers on my be
PL.W. In view
of recent speeches by the Chancellor of the Exchequer about checking inflation does. the panel
PLW.: Young brides in Hull Its income tax will be reduced
who are undecided what to give text. Budget? in the next.
their husbands--for the next Gubbins: In the first place meal may now dial a number the
under- panet has never
and be given
What a merk stood what inflation means does the panel think about that?
to even when politicians try explain it in economic in beciles by describing it as too much money chasing too few goods.
P.LV.; Isn't "too few" rather clumsy English?
Beribbins : Yes. Abert: The diiculty is
find
thing goes FE 49 Soraya.. I could!
1.
(win
|
The
thinka panel Gubbins: that this sort of t on women will soon become entirely useless, New Soraya. machines have now made Gubbins: You needn't g cooking, washing, and clean-
any further ing the home so simple that
Albert: If she spent her the stupidest man can do Soroa-i con go on all for himmelf in his spare
Soroya, Soroya If a wife can't EULT think up a menu men might as well remais bachelors,
the PLW:"Doesn't
panel is Gubbins: The quoting clumby politicians, All the panel knows about this time fa
•' mattey is that as soon as the
becomes. country
prosperous
with full employment high
and
wages there is always
a politician at hand to
panel
Think that men marry Women
the people that if they spend for other reasons than cooking
up menus?
payme
What a pity, you've already
got a boya Although I don't want to
annoy yo Let's go to a: show, ril meet ya for the foya. PLW: As you're so clever only people who are allowed their brilliant conversation, at rhymes, Alber, perhaps you FLW. On the other and a could help Eric Maschwitz, de to spend all their money free
Gre those who are 18-year-old schoolgirl writes to lyric writer who says there is of ta clever or lucky with football Awspaper saying she does all no rhyme for August.
who on the racecourse, or the cooking for her father,
the money they have earned and thinking we shall all be ruined. The
and selling
The panel
The Gubbins: No, unless it's for
and trying out new
and PLWK Mr. Leslie Burchett, De
Bacchiar de Contrower. She says: "I enjoy'
long and bitter experience of Government, abruruncer
3.00 the panel
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, LTD.
"HONGKONG,
KOWLOON
the question
can make girls, cheeks reduced? PANEMA And red pose).
How there is a Gene lews about, that
The panel think this year
recipes and also making up my OWL They don't all harm out warga Gubbins I wonder if her
father laughs, thinka, Vi
of the Flectricity Authority a tattooist of the Waterloo if ink Income tax will be right, but just laugh.
road, the does not believe of electricity inill be reduced. Even clear, power could generate it for panel." nothing. The panel thinica lok That If the cost of electricity the reference to to. Ted noses « FLAW.
tous A, deliberate and uncall, National Union ed-for comment on the panel's keepers it was n
rodaged the Authority will make up for it, by charging
tea-time Albert the Robot Columnist clanked in to help ithvað bundle of newspapers
Albert. EasyBack
* In hót-Aignale per and
When I met your fust You were lying on-a
bench and
and I saw your
Thor
Grubbing
That will do
Gubbins
baeid: that, iSEU
World Copyright),
mandi
Bars, from, the end artii, 1949) Giến
Viqually in a state of civil
personal
the sit
But
the army, Caned up
VERGE OF WAR
ad, polities
here
in 1951) his Gren Bally Basty could no miro
Betape, up 114 of 2567 eats.
He refused to deal with coalitions, and tha succeeding governments were on the verge of facing
another civil war when the elections of 1952 put Papagos in office and saved the day.
It was just before the election that American Ambassador John Purifoy created a scandal, by announcing: " believe it would be a good thing for Greece to
have a new general election as „as possible! That woută produce a new-)
-government bet
ter equipped and better able to deal with the problems facing the country
He was taken to pean that Papagos would have American
"and"". American, Wald. support "And that, probably went a "long way toward winning-the-elec tion
It is Boubtful whether any American diplomat would dare to play the same card" nor