THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1956.
Continuing 'DEADLINE & DATELINE, the INSIDE STORIES of ROVING REPORTER RENE MacCOLL
T was a lovely April
I
MacARTHUR'S AMAZING
'LAST ACT'
when the nows hit tha
• It was April 1951 headlines President Truman had sacked General day when I flew from
and ordered him home from New York
Douglas MacArthur to
The man who had become a legend in his Tokyo. own lifetime was officially in disgrace.
Washington
the atory broke. I hadn't much it. dwell on chance 10 though, because as usual with the relentless timelag In America-operating time was remarkably scarce.
1.
was around
2
p.m.
IT!
I landed (7 p.m. when London, and I could hear them asking one another where the big MacArthur story was),
As always do the U.S.A., especially when I am going to have to work fast, I talked to everyone i came in contarl with on the MacArthur thing.
I talked to the taxi-mun
barman the
New York:
served me
a dry martint;
MacArthur's career, after the fearful defeat at Ho Bataan, captured the imagination of America. swore to return and, slowly at first, then faster, his armies crashed back across the Pacific to retake the Philippines, solze Okinawa and then polse for the kill. It was vengeance in the classic tradition.
MacArthur,
the man who loved the trappings who believed in power, took over the running Ho become un absoluto-but, of course, of Japan. benevolent dictator.
Then
the como
war in Korea. MacArthur bomb Chinose
Truman wanted
territory. to
A clash was said No.
inevitable.
credentials
one to help
next through the crowds
another session then had
" dev swith
iny typewriter.
il
Who the
ni a
Fina ly the MacArthur plane landed, circled, pered.
Floodlighting taxiect, stomped. bathed i livklly A huge cheer came from the crowd watching MacArthur distance. AN walked stiffly down
stewardess; the Congressman Some in the plane: aling ext the redcap al Washington al-
and thre: taxi-man wh pont: drove me across the Potomac to the National Press Buliding.
nurted dont Lo There Room 1001, the Daily Expres
by our then and was greeted
Sydney Washington ("BR") Smith, and put Birough three to four telephone calls.
one to an English- Americans, กายก
Y good fortune af four men
o feature This time I wrote
11 I and
linded piece.
instruc Western Union with
time any tims to let it roll after midnight. That way Lon. dem would have something to l getting on with early next day while I was grappling with the running story.
hit dublous that
runnin:
But looked handling tout story. MacArthur, we were told, would head a processin throug the streets go to City Hall fo
of spreches brief exchange
then drive
to the airport
take off for Washington,
and
the ramp went and saluted as the band into is suff. That was the las 1 mament of seemlineas,
The photographers went surg- ing into the fray. They shouted beseechingly yelled
Or
<*(322) - mands. "Hey, General!" "No, "Generul this way. General!"
"Kneel down --tute again!"
touching the earth. and General" Spread
your Arms!" "Cover your face with big "The great your hand!" smile!" "No - this General!"
א!
Pandemonium
The problem was to write our stories of the next day's doings Jockeyed and then Aing ourselves on
und
way.
of
Bear All walked Washington-bound flights IT honour whe one of the most
informatively, tensely. ingly,
Jer 2.55-7.65 Then a quick flip through Washington evening papers.
reveal- London! the
I started to
write at
3.08.
It loked
1 was all away at 3.31.
it
according
was all right,
Next day I caught the plane for Surs Francisco, where Mac- Arthur was due to arrive
for
he first touchdown on Ameri- can soll after all those years.
I got in around 7am. after
of anc
those uncomfortable nights in airplane scots,
story
I checked in at the Fairmont, and zot a "sliuationer" off for the early edition.
Francisco
San
one
has only with It: thing wrong
is an eight-hour limeiag with London and that is really frightening. It means that by the time you are finishing your breakfast, they are starting
the copy look around for
MacArthur Fleet Street,
due in Intish that evening.
to in
waa
I went over to the City Hall
for my temporary passes
and
Western and informed us that Union had set up a temporary Press room for us at the DIT- pont, but the snag was that we
very should have
Intle time between our arrival at the air- port and our taking-off for Washington. The only
thing to dash the for it was to try
to story of during the drive the field.
Three minutes later. MacArthur's operch was over. Then the action started.
Read this sobering report from an experienced reporter in Moscow. Blanks indicate the sixe of censorship cuts.
Page
WHAT IS THE BOOTH'S
MAN IN MOSCOW SAYING NOW?
block
ROM my
By SYDNEY SMITH
Moscow asked to give two weeks' notied the windows of and suffer at the worst a trial
by fellow-workers. hotel room 1 can
And then the Kremlin en- 800 a squat, sinister nounced the demobilisation of
of
the closing of polished red 1,200,000 men,
many military schools, the moth- granite in Red Square, balling of 375 navy ships and Moscow,
where, aide by offered to go even further if the darkness except West would do the same, for dim, red spotlights--lio
side in
A
the Maker and the Intor ND what * does อย Master of Russia,
mean? Well-this
Thirty-four years have Tok changed tho wry little half- smile on the face of Lenin.
Three years have not changed
House of Lords
this
IMPORTED FRO
In the three intervening years
the grim, bitter, and sardonic the leaders of Russia have found expression on the fleshy, heavy that jowlexk pock-marked face of his with them: companion mode
Joseph Stalin.
the Russian people pre that the Russian people bove, as of old, a nationalistic pride--they Gre chauvinists that
find they
and
All the new decrees, and the
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They look like tomb mates. From my same themselves proportionately room at night, when the turrets much better off than before the and gilded towers of the pink revolution that they are happy stone-walled Kremlin become a in their present position part of the blackaca, the great desperately proud of it.
luminated red stars on their
in ones inevitably to come, are not spires seem to hang alone
primarily actions by the now the Moscow sky.
They, like the tomb, are vastly boys they are secondary to the impressive. The tomb and the discovery that the Soviet peoples and stars are symbols of something and their allies, 13 nations, 900
WC wuni to
the million-strong, are to be trusted, know has
That Was been Anally
a secret that the menace of Russia
polloc obscured under burted in that red granite tomb secret
It means that the new All those flm renes you've replaced by the Russian New Stain
leaders of Russia believe their seen of hurtling cars and whiz-Look?
people no longer need to zing police motor-bikes with
driven but will follow fredy sters going all-out came true.
where they are led. NUMBER of vastly astonish- Heached by the general our
Rugala ing things are noopen motorcade hh 60 miles an hour
peace But she equally is certain Russia now almost Lore
every day. We flagyed. and never along the broad cement boule-Anyone who interprets them as the she could fight and win.
This
freeing of the vard
the cops on their motor-a softening or weakening of the
or the Russian people though s a drumbeat Party rules or doctrino, bilten
support of long, long way behind what wo Hongkong Birds (Herklots! wooing of popular escort.
call freedom--means that their one Russian rulers, is the new
Coronation Clory loaders can count on them 1 shuffled some copy-paper hundred percent wrong.
Since The ou to my knee and started
Party march if ever they are told it is twentieth
still-partially remarkable to protect their write, praying that the Western Congres Union man would be able
decrees have been passed by ne rebuilt homes. decipher my longhand craw).
Supreme
The major
glving
155
to
to
NOW the P.R.O. begins to tip NOW
the full extent of his markable hand. We see of Dets MacArthur, whose plane off for Washington.
Then we are taken ove where there stands
sume
שיאת
to
be
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undoubtedly wants
Enjoyable Cookery
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This is Hong Kong
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ever
in widely
published orders ever been
US And on that strength she all Russian newspapers it has in all
laaniching totally into an inter-
Ton Points About Pearls Points on Judging jade Outline Relief Map of Chins
1.50
1.50
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QIC
ot
Asia S.E. Alla On Sale At
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Soviet.
are these:
to
NO
to the tomb one Conform, the Kremlin the answers Over Moscou world-wide Informative und
Is this that Russia under the dinoctive service, success0€
speli of the now Pax Atomica, international revolutionary with a reer people than the Comintern. was dissolved in the before, is stronger than she has middle of April.
been decreed that summary national and economic war.. which can win a lot more than
atomie wreclonge the and vanquished,
of victor
than ever
M
HONGKONG
KOWLOON
to trials
ended: righte charter search and arvest by the secret piane. Ours. And no ordinary palice have been chopped off plane. I is A
defence lawyers must be present
The tomb is deader, but the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, LTD. ume a brand-new type and not at interrogations
Trials from now on must be Red Star brighter, chaos yet in regular service,
before. instead of
(COPYRIGHT) comen held in open court for victory. The Presently the P.RO.
over for a talk, and I ask him summary secret police courts. 10 inspection of the guard
be All civil and criminal, as well how long after MacArthur turns 1 calculates we shall reach Wash-as treasonable, notions must be amazing knockabout
ington.
tried openly under the judicial have witcased.
"Well, I'll let you into a little system perfectly sound one---- The unruly mob of camera- secret," he replies. "We figure men fought its way down the to arrive in Washington ahead ime just ahead of MacArthur, of him." stumbling backwards, knocking "But he lett half an into
one another and occasion- before we did, and he's in a fast
MacArthur ally falling over.
army plane."
fix when
I
time to go to the capital the morning after that, MacArthur was to address joint session of Congress.
impossible almost
al to existing brut schedules.
Anally John O'Donnell, of the New York
t<> > Daily News, advised me and see an official of American Airlines at the hotel.
This turned out wu be genial chief P.R.O, of the corn. party, and over a drink from th well-stocked
bar in
his room
WBS
he assured me that there nothing in the world to worry about. Have another drink. Have a
He waved his cigar. hand loe a magielon.
hour
was forced to proveed al a "It doesn't matter. We'll be
there first." most unmilltary guit
But he maintained his dignity ind poise very well in the cir- cumstances. He seemed unaware of the uproar.
Next morning The proces- pro- sion through the strecta duced another wild orgy.
we could Just ahead of us see MacArthur's car being con- when stantly slowed up or stopped by Freddie Cook, then New the jostling crowds.
Darkness bad fallen
1
York correspondent of the Evening Standard And reached the airport by taxi. A and of reporters huge crowd alnost as many photographers
A had gathered.
guard honour was drown up.
of
Finally we reached City Hall with more massed citizens, and the mayor started a speech of welcome.
from appeared,
The PRO magician the day before now
Things are cleared up when the pilot explains over thre intercom, that we are softing up a record for a
flight non-stop between San Francisco Washington.
A very bugs out herb
Orders have guno
out from the Kremlin that Soviet M.Pa--- members of the Supreme Soviet to return - now compelled to their constitueneles to find out what their electors think at least twice a year. This never hap pened before.
Usually it worked the other round--they went to Moscow
to vote unani-
and A cheer gota umously in the pate cream
Assem- and another toast down.
white-and-gold-domed We did reach Washington
Mac-ly building inside the Kremlin about 40 mimtes before Arthur, and we were all in the Press gallery of the Congress to "Old listen to him make his Soldiers never die
"speech. (COPYRIGHT)
and way
NEXT SATURDAY: The Duchess of Windsor Ballied Me
or
• Thirty million Soviet work- ers were given freedom to choose
their
without quit
jobs becoming official criminals.
Instead of the threat of five years' prison, they were just
THESE FOOLISH THINGS REMIND
ME
it's
S the song BayR,
the little things that mean a lot especially
when one is fresh home
from Hollywood.
Little things like walking
at night, lying down in
one's bath sedlog daylight
to
I
OF THE ASTONISHING U.S.A.
By T. E. B.
CLARKE
THE MAN WHO SCRIPTED "THE LAVENDER HILL MOB" AND "PASSPORT TO PIMLICO".... NOW BACK IN ENGLAND FROM A WRITING TRIP TO HOLLYWOOD
Hills and you're likely Aided a fellow writer.) be arrested as a suspicious character. Nobody else, in the belief of the cops, would
be abroad at that hour. without beneft of wheels.
Dark Bars
of
with their
colloquialism
ing through the main entrance. My cab-driver confirmed it was no illusion. "Every apartment there has He own garage. You drive Into the elevator, shoot yourself up to the floor where you live, zoom down the cor ridor, and bingol---you're
Home →
on
London After which he cut short my I have had some of my best Hollywood, at any rate, relax- parkron
bars gurgles to paint out a mile of ideas while wallowing "In my ing in a bar just isn't a social, equivalents, the snack in a bar.... All these I have bath; but out there it's strictly a habit. A drink there is rather are to use a favourite Hollyrood bydraulically rated during zillion ruth-hours so that four parallel !.sets of traffic lanes may bo missed during the past 10 washing convenience. Ablutions like a bath: the effect is all that wood
'em matters. Put it down and get miles ahead of ours.
into six
this way, weeks.
ore a waste of timo-get
have SOMO Never have I eaten much converted over quick. Hence the popularity tumless, you
reason for wanting an beautiful
sandwiches, (Even two that.....
Astonishing peoplet
And, Take
shower, ("I take two good a midnight stroll of the
though brown bread, as. wo in Hollywood or Beverly showers a day, but I haven't other.
One evening I was idly hav- know it, doen't appear to exist basically, such charming people. had a bath in 10 years," Con-
oh Why
why, do they try so couple Ing drinks with a
across the Atlantic.)
kid the world they're third compatriots. When the
Then, of course, the Ameri- hard to
hecis? man dutifully stood his round,
cons acore notably in their.
The
Alm, the Americon Drive custom, the According to our
parking arrangements.
American barman astonished us by in up to restourant or race track American novel, the
first impact001 quiring: What are you guya and a "ear valet" takes over at himself
the seem constantly determined to As fer those dark, dark bars—I celebrating?"
the entrance. A word to fool I
spared need sunglasses now Bull, to good to be
doorman when you are ready give a fales Impression of the later, national character, which I that diamal, uncivillaed There's also the chance that when I walk into my "local"
cky'
to leave and, a minute
found everywhere to be's blend you might be knocked down by Entering a Hollywood bar, one time, please," And it's good your car is awaiting you
of kindliness, courtesy, and "Moving house" in looks instinctively for anus to be scryed with ice in ahouse.
sympathetic understanding California doesn't mean simply borette to guide one to a stool, drink unless you order other
So Charming! neath its hard-boiled veneer, tho alitting of furniture, but the to cinema-like is the gloom. In wise. In the first pub, where I
**Thank you," says the Eng- of the callie place and towing
and and several places, when I picked up
lithman-far too often; its content to other spot; an my Pcheque, the barman flasher Bakga for ice on my
Not only is it perfectly normal Immediately the brashness is activity restricted to the small
dine out and with the bull-end of a screw to
then ano a gone. You're welcome!!. hours because travelling hot a torch to show me
movie without, leaving the cat, Because I came to learn that are apt to cause traffic hold-ups. This country" Ameri- driver.
there? Looks but in Chicago ona, even finds they are no more catch-phrase, Bathy?
to imagine can cynic explained, is run by The food over the Hollywood was, the home of the and for the middle-aged woman. lovely it all too often one them driving up to a 30th-floor those are the words that ring
the ubiquitoun doop apartment where oppos Joudest in my ears when super-tub, yet neither, here nor Our buca enture, she looks no, finda,
har removed half- Low Passing a vart block of flats think on my U.S.A.wip. anywhere alse in amorten, did I je glamorous than any starlet.". Frenze
rolaus there; I was a little, atsaken, to And a bath if, which I could Et in fairness to Bro, tele; But it the best
1/2 hwilk add that in ranta ere giappointing by.com- ́ave a long while Cadillac 1014- fully extend ny modnet Usi, Bin) Amurlon /
1.
your
rotein
it, was,resenfáilly hack-..
what I ed off a Jarde, unsavoury
b-
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