THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, MAY 81,
THE FAILURE OF PLAN B
"E
strange.
At Arst I VERY knock's a his last public concert) of sup- thing
really natural and thought, because I expected it, boost. My friend Flying
authentic-sounding dialogue, that the sound was Chopin. The had given me However, the BBC inanelal Ballade in C sharp minor? Yet, this motto to departmens had been particu- ...I opened the door a shade- Chopin was one aspect. was it possible? write in the fly-leaf of my larly helpful in
Someone was diary for 1941, and he knew They had supplied me with a being jazzed.
chuckling. much inore about the world first-rate and, indeed, celebrated
planist 10 play the
- է,
"Come in, old lad." It was of public reputation than I important Chopin excerpts, Otto
what Mackersen (and here let me Freddle Decker, pulling me in did. "They forget
the reader that though by the elbow. A friend. I You were mentioned for, warn
are" retained, knew his connections with the mention is the thing the characters
names and places, for reasons Chappell's, but I hadn't realised All the same, within five which will appear obvious later, that Freddie, the bright, the start of that I have changed). Mackensen (I homely, was temporary acting days of the year I was involved in a knock which few of the five hundred and forty people concerned have ever for- gotten: and they still re- member that I was the man responsible.
In 1941 the BBC Features then which I Department, to
belonged, was stuffing the alr every week with an endless series
pro- of documentary grammes on the Services (War" Elfort), alternating with poetry programmes and the lives of authors like Cobbett and Keats (Escape
by Stephen Potter
Today the exponent of Gamermanship joins the famous writers who have accepted the challenge to tell a tale which in turn challenges you to decide
DID
IT HAPPEN?
This story COULD have happened and the author might be relating FACT; but he might be weaving a web of. FICTION. Tomorrow you can see if your deduction was right.
English Herit angled on call him), though over 60, could manager for
1
be described as the third best Choph player in Europe.
Drawing ly
Eoolman
"Of course," I said.
be.
8.3
NEW YORK PLAN TO COMBAT TEENAGE CRIME
N
EW
has
By HARRISON HARDING
New York, police telling them their sons CITY have been arrested for beating YORK
up defenceless strollers, or their daughters for prostitution,
amounced £1,250,000 plant
to asking: "Why, why, why?'
halt a wave of juvenile
violence and plunder. And "Frank was
STO
such a good.
other cities in the United boy said Santana's mother. States may sit up and echoing the retrain of all the
parents of teenage gangsters. take". notice.. For Last year one million Ameri çan teenagers brushed with the law.
1
Who is to blame?
The Rev. John Sutherland Bonnell, of Fiih Avenue Presbyterian Church, presented the popular point of view in a home based on a card table, a serman: "You can't build
1
Interest has been focussed on youth crime-misleading by called "juvenile de linquency" by the heart and baby sisters. I say the breaking, pointless murder parents are the delinquents,"
He stared unveilingly while ha continued his extra- ordinary joke.
on a lonely Bronx Street of student William Blanken- ship.
When arrested, Santana, push-
can opener,
a cocktail shaker,
EXCUSE
the
Television comes in for its
In the morning, when I woke up, I felt no remorse. Owing to Plan B. there seemed nothing to kick myself for. No what-a-ed out his chest and said: "You share of the blame. In a recent feel-l-was" agonies. And very can't do this to me. I'm little hangover.
pull round the partition door, The twofold chandeller
Poverty and slums were but now of Mackensen's out
sight. came one again,
Frank ("Tarzan") Santana, favourite excuse for youthful "When can I start?" I said to chandelier, ceiling and all be-
17, leader of the Navajos, one of crime at one time. But ascetic- Freddie. We've got to choose came united in one lazy" grace-
countless armed street gangs looking Jack, Koslow and burly these bits. It's rather compil- ful sway, as soundless as the row, I suppose. I knew exactly which terrorise the reighbour Irving Mittelman who, with Mackensen, after cated, Cues, etc."
swing of the stars, and where to go. The BBC build-hood, faces the electric chair for two younger companions, to smooth. I realised that it was
tured being temporary acting every-
helpless vagrant Into Bre "Come back this evening." I who was going--going quick- ing was only 500 yards away. the killing. thing else in Eastern Command.
would
for report
insensibility before toppling I would return on Sunday
Freddie said. "Everything will ly, and that I must act quick-
He thought Blankenship was him into the and go to sleep in watching.
East Rive to from spending a week in the
I was given, of course, one Then I heard another voice, be all right then. Offp has had 17.
a member of a rival gang, the arown, come, from middle-class the basement. Tunka area of Dorset, making
which to rehearse and deep, foreign, from the, plano. a long journey-and his neuritis,
Golden Guineas, So he murder- familles, recordings for a programme on day in
Not the "Come in, Stephen." It
sight was Absolutely all
This produce my Chopin
ed him in front of his gang. the Royal Armoured Corps to leisurely week of prewar days, beyond belief. Such a greeting evening." dig straight late delicate
On from a great man but one feverish Sunday.
who had dramatisation of the life of Jane
the Saturday, the fatal Saturday never met 'me before. Austen, for sensitive production the seakensen had travelled next Saturday The Services
"Looking forward to your little which for show." Freddie was pulling me programmes I enjoyed: but the down from London to the BBC
aside, while I was staring at anticipation of having to be HQ of my section,
wartime was planted, deeply Mackensen, still at the piano, I superficial about Jane Austen,
ety and dingily. though it would
a thousand miles hadn't imagined anything so prised when Miss. Wetherby, the operation my "Plan B." It is for facetious to say it, drove me to from green grass, as it seemed tiny. His head was round and
smooth like a pebble. He sat "how he was," as passed her. the bottle, did in fact cause me to us, in the Midlands.
was the first In the heart of the dinginess very upright and stared un- That drink, particularly on air-raid nights, more, or
was the
great Belfort Hotel, smilingly, at me. "Is not this known to every business execu- an improvement of Frederic?" tive and star actor in the coun- he said,
and glittering try, compact
strange shapes of among the factory architecture, an island of chromium, though a little cracked and faded by wartime wear and tear: and deep in the heart of the Belfort was Mac-
to
be merely
at any rate ever
Jess scientifically, than before, or ever since.
me one
Escape week MEMBUA
Week One, 1941 was to be for
of the Escape Weeks Subject of the programme: "Chopin in Britain." It was an kensen. awkward theme, with much 100 much death in it, and even the reading of two lives of Chopin a day left me incapable (when it tame, for instance, to the part where the dying Chopin is carried upstairs to perform at
Mackensen was said to be an awkward custorner if he didn't like you. I was apprehensive
I
paused outside the luxury Suite Six. I heard the sound of a piano, but there was some-
Another
"Can you do that to Berth- oven as well?" I said.
"Oh, no, Beethoven would be too stupid. Too disapproving."
and
He stepped playing remained sitting with his arms stretched straight out in front, of him. I thought this was peculiar. He did not move his hand, even when he spoke,
Freddie had still got hold of my arm and gave me a gentle
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"
I hung outside the door minute because Mackensen was bis jazzing again, starting Downstairs I was rather head receptionist, asked me
This real intoxication had happened to me before, and recently. War, etc., no doubt; but it was not good for my job, nor good for anything about me, Above all, I must not let my friends see my condition. Now was my chance to put into
the man who feels himself go- ing yet is still capable. Lime It Plan B was simply this: occurred to me that it might leave, say goodbye, and leave. have been that he had been Leave quickly without rushing. drinking.
But leave. And do not go back.
SUT-
"A this story shows, Gamesmanship is not. Stephen Pattar's only contribution to civilisation, Both 1900, be survived second cları konuri at Oxford to join the 88C in 1933 as a producer.
Other jobs include lecturing, reviewing, e book about Caleridge, and editing
• magazina, He is orried-his wila lacrtist Mary Potter and father of two ions de occomplished club-
· man—the Athenaeum, Saylie, and Garrick-ke it a wakpish raconteur,
Thanks
*
Trouble!
prize-fighter."
SHAME
“He survey at TV shows from 4 puže to 10 p.m. the hours most watched by the young-on four stations in Washington, 20 per- cent of the teleplays concerned crime and violerice. Forty per- cent of the shows aimed at child audiences stressed murder, violence, robbery and hate,
Half awake, I opened my The Federal Bureau of in- script book at random. It was vestigation recently compiled warm in the basement, but the statistics on crime in 1953. The first lines I read turned me as vastness of the problem should cold as ice. I knew it was bad have rocked every parent. But before I knew how bad.
it didn't.
No. 185 Mrs Gaithorne 8.15. Coffee.
4
·No. 183. Admiral and Mrs Haley. 7.0. Full breakfast,
of
This was called "The Shame America." Half of all burglaries were done by boys under 18.
!
Teenagers under 18 made up half of all people caught steal
ng cars.
My scripts were still on that reception desk. What I had taken away was the call book, visitors' book,
Of all the rapes and assaults, and "reception papers of the Belfort Hotel It boys under 18 committed about might have been worse, Five one in seven, · hundred and forty of the 600
Of all drug addicts caught, rooms were occupied that night, one in six were under 21.
than half Being Sunday, less the visitors had trains to catch, No serious family crises were caused, I understand. But 50 wrong pairs of cleaned shoes were delivered, 500 incorrect Those figures are rising with kinds of breakfast, and 450 blood-chilling swiftness,
Anguished parents, who re-
stark calls from
beat.
+1
»
And, worst of all, one in seven of the murders were com- mitted by teenagers under 18 years of age.
"I'm sorry, Eric, I'm afraid I turned up at the Bellort that evening with some Chopin I've got to go." I was speaking scripts and the Ane, big, clearly and quietly. Only with knuckle did I bound producer's copy which I the tip of a liked to carry around for effect, steady myself against a pillar. I still felt the need of bolstering "Goodbye, Miss C." I was myself up with my star per walking well now. "Goodbye," former, I went into the long melancholy Belfort bar for a large gin and French, before
people were called at Wrong going up to Suite Six.
Upstairs, all
One thing, I must go back to irritating and, in about 10 casts, ceive was normal,, Mackensen was
alert, striding Suite Six and collect my Chopin disastrous times. But for masi about. He talked about Chopin, scripts, and my beautiful bounditation the thing was hard to not very originally, but every- luck. I had left them at Recep copy. No-here was a bit of thing had great meaning, com.. tion when I came in. All I had Hours,
to do was go to Reception and rehearsal, although he helped laid on the ring through to Freddie,
all he could when he got there. was
of the srite..
As I spoke clearly, and I do not
a director and eficient think at very much greater organiser I took, I think, a very length than was necessary: distacct knocks; and in spite of "Please tell Signor Mackensen my friend's motto, at least 500 .to of those people remember how happy I have been: how
absolute sorry to and I must leave um- tris day, and with mediately for home. I've just precision, that it was Stephen
10.15 Potter who got time to catch the from Central East Station. We their trouble, will meet in 3A for rehearsal at 9 am sharp."
ing from him.
A table siting-room
| Mackensen fred off his remarks not, I thought, particularly at the,
A jug of →→→
a
carefully
and .I turned gathered up scripts and script- book. "And thank you, most awfully." I leaned over to the girl at the desk. "How helpful all you people have been."
A walter appeared with large water-jug: yet it was net Alled with water but dark red wine. That is what I thought it Brst But no I need not have. bothered to take that drink. It was full of gin and Dubonnet.
This seemed to me extra- ordinary. Yet it was something which must be attempted. One must keep level with one's host,
The fresh air made me sway: even to the extent of drinking a
I leaned in the doorway of the plat of gin and Dubonnet, and show no surprise it, with the Midland Bank across the road. of the black-out I chicken, two ordinary bottles" In spite and one magnum of champagne seemed to see commotion and activity. Were they, missing me? were produced.
Should I go back? Do not go back. Aporter hurried out, joined by a policeman.
After dinner
Mackensen wanted to play. He was expan sive, "You have friends in this hotel? Dowḥ below, in the restaurant?"
"Heaps," I said, at once.
Some
Mackensen himself was two
late
my Tush
was the cause
WORLD COPYRIGHT EKSERVCA.
DID IT REALLY · HAPPEN?
YES
NO
• Put your tick la the space above and keep this panel by you sati) iomorrow ... when the answm will be gleam—with another story in this series by . . .
EDWARD HYAMS
• Did yesterday's stový-The Crocodile and the Camura, `by'· Dal Sirene........ actually happen? The answer) HO.
POCKET CARTOON by OSBERT LANCASTER
In 1962 the train now standing at Platform 6 will be air-conditioned, radar equipped and faster than sound, bus tonight is will be running a leerle behind
time !!!
the
THE EDENS AT NUMBER TEN
"No doubt they would like to Dr
hear Mackenzen play. His name still stands for something. perhaps? Go, collect gather them in,"
I went
of
them,
By J. W. Taylor
Of 100 million comics published here, 20 million are openly concerned with sadism, Crime and horror. The message hidden in the last paragraph, that evil always loses is neatly
The films, while much better than TV. have provided one thing for the teenage criminals -the uniform. Every day, newspapers publish pictures of bands of toughs rounded up for crimes ranging from window.. breaking to murder.
Invariably, the youths are wearing black leather jackets, blue jeans and gym shoes, the Marion uniform that Brando wore as the unthinking_ tough of the dim The Wud One.
same
IDEAS
Here is what a young boy in trouble wrote for a social worker:
*Movies bas
always excitea me and I think I used to do my wrong things from them. 'I had a sepfather and he was always strict with me and disliked me a whole lot. I started running away and stealing for food and money.
"I got ideas from television, movies, radio, crime comics mind” newspapers. I would like to be put in a foster home. My life is halt
bad, mostly bad, good and balt can't blame my mother. She has gotten divorced from my father be cause he was an alcoholic."
"Teenagers of today are not the same as their fathers," said the report of a Senate investi- gating commitce which spent months touring the country. They are not just youns blow- off excess energy and sow- ing wild oats. Their harvest is bitter.
NOW
they joyride in siblen
benzedrine
drink beer and
Partly to blame are pubs and stores that sell liquor to minors,
motels along
and
suburban.
roads which don't care who they take in as long as the customer can pay an
Youths of today were better educated and more sophisticated
than their parents, said the Senate report, but that didn't mean any better judgment.
QUESTION
The question "who is to blame. for youth crime and how do we tlonal Controversy
say
the
and those who advocate.. a vast guidance programme
TheTHE restaurant was a bit empty THE Prime Minister and politics, so Ramsay drew up than Ramsay MacDonald, for as stop has touched off
Lady Eden, now resident a list of 200 books for a she left she sighed a regret at ranges between those who because it was getting laat No. 10 Downing Street, fresh,
Josing their lovely home." library 80 that When Winston This was going to be awk Britain's most famous Premiers of "varying mental hem baryton moved in childs are the rod and spoil ward. Then suddenly I saw address known throughout types" could find "good not to confine their living space "If a million persons: an old friend, Walt Hooper, in the world, have yet to learn companionship when they to the flat" the Attlees used down with cholera cane The unpretentious black. front pubile would be aghast said a small party. It was like whether or not they like this chanced to have a little time
door belles the considerable size Herbert Brownell, chief of the coming safe to port. I salled in. remarkable old house that off.".
of No. 10, with its 60 rooms, U.S. Justice
Department. Ju
somebody I really knew, almost
I said, "you must has been the home of Prime Today this house, where there "sric."
Mackensen, Mackensen. The great Mackensen. He wants to time. play.
and he wants an
belp' me. I am the guest of Ministers since Disraelis have been deaths but no births, which serve as a medley of venile delinquency is far worse
has been greatly changed from Minister's private apartments the one which Asquith found.
Prime Minister Ramsay with only wooden tubs in which There is a private branch telesaile the headlines zuid
FOR THRILLS, WH
phone exchange operated by PED GIRLS TWO MacDonald made it clear his bath. It has been modernised Post once telephonists. A team THRILL KILLINGS CLIMAX What now?" said Eric, that neither he nor his Of
audience."
"Come right up,” 1. said.
of picked doorkeepers "man" PARK ORGIES
and has thermostatically / con- 01136
"He's pretty ancient Can he family liked the place, trolled temperature in the main the famous front door 24 hours VENILES ARRESTEDIN
a day. In
In addition there is a GANG WAR YOUTH
still strike the note in theThere is nothing homely rooms. middle in about No. 10, he once com
CON damestic stant,
aff, provided by the FESSES GIRL KILLING AND Ministry of Works, who leave RAFE TEENAGERS HELD but few worries for a Prime IN SCHOOL FILLAGE
for TEENAGE
·MOB, RIPS Minister's will be no need for SUBWAY BOY DEAD, FOUR
Wen-to-order-aidally-de-| HIETATE STOLE
Well, the fact is began mented. He found that the Was Eric going to let me down
There are many rooms Minister's too? I stared at the reling only pictures on the walls of
BONDANTE VÃnister: aral-his-wife-Lady- Looking over Eric's head to this house were portraits of scattered throughout the house s keep my expression calm. As 1 Prime Ministers and "other may choose from for living livery of milk! The present CRASH
Whatever the cause, America, started, s chandeller beyond public persons of varying quarters. Prime Minister Attlee standing order has never been slipped apart from itself and reputation and his family made a find at cancelled: Sir Winston and Lady now apparently alerted, has d of the building and Churchill took 12 pints of milk: crusade on its hands. A crusade. became two hose is The house library was lived heres Mrr Attlee seemed a day and this has been kept on to stop tomorrow's criminals
The fact is that my. little bit tight."/
to books
today My restrict
on rather more taken by No 10 since they lett.
the
tog