THE CHINA MAIL, MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1956.
I WON'T BE TOO POPULAR FOR SAYING THIS:
CHARITY IS A RACKET
T
BY FREDERICK ELLIS
London Into the Lord Mayor of London's
HERE was a time not
far back when British girl embarking on a career in ballet was. advised to adopt a foreign, particularly Russian, sounding name,
British conductors and composers and artists could starve in garrels while London audiences flocked to soak in overseas culture.
Now, with the rest of Britain, I am horrified by the butchery and savageTY curved out Hungary.
And the nation's sympathy roused for those who suffered in the bloodbath of Budapest. With the rich generoally for which Bellain is renowned times of adversity offers of help and succour pour
in
t
meal.
fell a warmth about the
swint reaction of the British people to the toll of disaster.
Then I remembered standing outside South underground station
Wimbledon in July, trying well flags to raise money for research into mental illness, In two hours a miser- able 17s. 11d. clattered into my in. And nine out of 10 rushed by, heads well down.
who And those mainly on the wrong ride of 45, Thot day in London we raised 1,000-odd-lo be used to find out why half the hospital beds
gave were
Britain are led by suffer- er from mental illness.
Then 1 remmbeered the
the h wealthy residents of Coombe Hill district of Malden, Surrey.
BANNED
Particularly for the children, THERE was a plan to take 80
Homes are offered for the Hun garian orphans,
Money
JR
POCKET CARTOON
by OSBERT LANCASTER
mentally handicapped
kids
out of dingy church hills with- but playgrounds into a spackenta old house standing unused Coombe But.
The
parents
were
1
ther children £1 last would get a better chance in this grim world.
But the redents of Commit Hall rose up in arms and the children, British children, were banned fream the slopes of tlas green hill.
And these mite. Avere - deigned buck to the unsavoury conditions that they had suffer- ext for the past eight years for their limited trainin17.
that 14 Northern erunel condemn 4 building
unfit for bernial children. And offered it to there real life Peter Puns as a training centre,
MOVING
RECALL the moving series of articles in the Daily Express by Mick Winn about Britain's erfal hospital. They did not make very hapy ending.
mentin se problems
have
Britai
because
an Intimate understanding of them. But
there
many other similar problems.
N
I feel perhaps it takes bombs and blood to stir the conscience of the British people.
Or is it just that the sadness and distress that lies gound the comer is unheard of by the neighbours?
That rising above that sadness and distress is a more peculiar ly British characteristic pride?
That the British would rather suffer than appeal for charity?
"BLACKMAIL
FOR
OR those of us who work in a charitable Held-and de- epite the Welfare State the need for charity is no less than it was find the going harder every year.
Once charity was a git-a spontaneous . A blessing that those who were better off Made to those who did not fare zo well.
Now wealth has been redis- fributed among the many. But the charitable instinct did not go with it.
blackmail people into giving, backed up with high-powered appeals de
Daid partments, run by highly
Now you
offers
must
inust sell people Christ- mas stickers they do not want, but are ashamed to refuse.
You must sell them Christ-
mas cards they would
buy at a store,
You must hold charity
rather
balls
avt sk hotels, sponsored by titled folk. And sell the tickels by bffckmail methods.
And you must sell Christmas draw tickets that no one wants, A RACKET CHARITY ut home has be
come a racket. A highly all organised racket. And we hate it.
But no one hales it more than Chase of us who have to indulge in the rucket as the only way to raise the charity wind.
nel
Yo Unxughout the sweeps a forest fire of burning hol charity for those who have suffered a distant land.
SILES
"Ike's fixed my Anglo-American relationship for keeps if petrol shortage means goodbye Cadillacs."
Want to spend a holiday in Peking?
Shanghai?... Canton?...Nothing doing —unless you are invited Why not?............. You can't get a clear-cut explana- . Normal sightseeing travellers are not permitted .... tion from anyone... But Robin Hutcheon, who was in Canton last week to report on an export exhibition, attempts to provide an answer in this first-hand glimpse of the largest city in Southern China.
COMMUNIST
T
CHINA
BARS TOURISTS
OURISTS, as such, are not admitted to China,
There
are excep tions perhaps, but generally are invited by the Government through one of its many organisations.
Businessmen, journalista,
Rightly did St Paul extol
And you In Fah, Hope, and Charity,
the declare that
of greatert these is charity,
And may 1 add, as I rejoice that succour le swiftly flowing to the Hungarians to their bour MPs and experts in old-age pen-
that und of need.
charity should begin at home?
**Nonsensel Now you right back and tell All Baba that we know he's working for the British intelligence!"
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were told we could take photo-
graphs in the city, but neither of
I had a camera.
We travelled all over the clly by pedicat and bus. People were extremely everywhere
and helpful. Meny courteous mistook us for "Ruskles" or "So Luen Yan" (Soviet people), but those who knew we were "Ying Kwok" (British) treated us with polite- the same courtesy and
experienced ness that I have
hroughout my life in China.
There were poster cartoons in over Conte lampooning Eden The Anglo-British Invasion of the Suez Canal and others sug- gesting that the Chinese people of the would go to the help
necessary, but I Egyptians if
hostile giance throughout my stay.
Sull Chira does not want It could be one good It is difficult getting clear-cut tourists, answers from Chinese officials way of earning foreign currency, on this question but this is the which is said to be badly need- impression I formed after talked. The exchange rate buying
official of the HK$100 to JMP$40.00, and it is ing to a senior China Travel Service, which is expensive for a foreigner to live responsible for all internal travel in Canton. arrangements and hotel accom→ modation.
But if I wanted to spend my holidays in Peking or go touring around the country with no other pretext then to see the sights i would not be admitted,
Hesitant reply
WHY are "tourists" not od
mitted? The reply to this question was hesitant. He smiled self- consciously when he said: "The tourist may come for some other purpose than touring." But after a short visit to Canton last week I cannot believe that fear spies is the only or even
China
emain
reason
closed to holiday-makers.
never
zow а
is
The official fear of spies en-
A bridge that evokes memorias for many on old China resident -- the "British" bridge over the Shakeo Creek linking Shameen island and Canton,
at
tering the country in the guise the milways on the internal central restaurant sem. One its paint work was well Andah-
other many
parts of the private drawing room. Servants either the first or one of the first country. Not so much trains or were
efficient and courteous, to be made, at the Exhibition. planes though judging from the Again, no dips. If you gave them From the outside it looked a crowded Shanghai Express any it was returned.
creditable piece of workmanship. Canton station I doubt whether Food is quite
Euro-ed; had I been told I, was made pean meals which were not ex- in England I would have been citing, but you would have to proud of it.
of tourists may be valid, but I do not bellevo that suspicion alone is the reason for this barrier.
271
pleasure-bent
airlines could cope with a large additional tourist traffic,
com- Very few cars were on the have fastidious tastes to
Trains tend to be slow. The Taim- The authorities may feel that roads. Taxis were mostly British plain, Tables were not particu- diesels running between
are much influx of free-spending, care imported in the last few larly clean although clean linen shatsui and Lowu
served ot every faster, but I believe express trains running north to Shang- holiday-makers months from Hongkong, There napkins wore would be bad for the morale of were not many. There were a few meal
Chinese restaurants are less hal and Peking maka consider- the people, who live by our Russian cars and a few Ameri-
and dress can ones but none that I saw clean though meals are on par ably better speeds,
with those I have had in standards austerely
later than 1950 models, And simply in blue denim.
Hongkong.
The city is not
very clean. Streets, particularly back streets,
of
the
By ROBIN HUTCHEON
ကိုကို
On my first day in Canton a colleague and I were called into
the local Foreign Affairs De-
For an
There Is possibly another taxis were expensive. partment and asked to explain reason which I do not think has eight-minute tripno farther than
are
are
New building
are grubby. Main roads doused with water twice daily THE old Canton must go be-
fore the new one can come,” and pavements are cleaned by
one ahopkeepers. Main roads our escort Mr Yuan sald brightly lit at nights, alde streets- day, Canton is an old city. Much new building is going on but it are poorly 1
And Lord Attico was wrong will be years before it becomes about flies. There are none in a modern city by Western standards. Outside the central
our reasons for visling the city. anything to do with the effect from Central District to Cause Hongkong at this time of yearly area on the Bund, Canton is
as we had earlier We said,
tourists may have on the local stated in a letter to the Secret-population, but is concerned ary of the Export Commodities more with the state the country Exhibition, that we wanted to is in.
the fare was the way Bay, equivalent of about HK$10.
The bus fleet consisted of a dew converted Dodge trucks and some new Czech-made single-
to This deckers—enough
week-day traffic but totally in- adequate on Sunday, Camon's public holiday.
report on the Exhibition. also Officials stress they are just to see the sights of Canton. But beginning to reconstruct. that was really incidental and point is always hammered home, ff-we had time.
"You won't find us perfect. Fleaso criticise us. We have a lot to do."
Yawning gaps
handle
had but Canton
them-and mosquitoes and people are ex- like Wanchal or, as a Hongkong horted to use swatters.
triend observed, like Macao on a bigger scale. Shomeen is an exception, but it looks faded and rather pathetic today.
L
Hard and soft
in
and present
In time it 400 will coma for reconstruction. the train service, between Mr Chen, the young, quietly-
The shortages, the grubbiness, Shumchua and Canton is any the uncorrected were
failures of Bus and pedicab fares spoken Foreign Affairs official, replied through an interpreter
very cheap. Not all pedicabs are gulde, railways are fairly clean China's Orst revolution all this state-owned, that we were most welcome to
but private ones and very efficient. There are no is probably the side the Chineso conform to regulations. There classes out hard and soft seals-- do not want tourists used to see Canton. He asked which paris of the city we planned to
Aro fixed fares and no tips. soft ones 75 percent dearer Western luxuries to see. If this is the attitude it is based on a visit. We handed him a tourist
of the modern We travelled on soft seats one misconception map provided by the Exhibition VERYWHERE the aim is to And there were no rackets on than hard ones.
Sunday, when you had to wait get the country into a more up to an hour to get transport, way and so-called hard ones on European tourist, who is essen and indicated a few of the re-
ordered and developed state. "You form up in queues. at the way back, But the hard tially sympathetic and tolerant commended landmarks.
"Quite all
right," carne the awning gaps between supply and pedicab stations there is no scats, though springtess, were and out to experience
demand have to be bridged the halling in the streets.
Geather covered, and as we had, than view the past needed reporters people's needs and the country's
for reconstruction, the certificate for our work which needs vic and Ave-year plans There is a shortage of trucks, a carriage to ourselves, wo pre- of a vo
to roadjust: China is now making heavy duty ferned it to the soft sent coach
Exhibition 'shoprąd, flat & much should have been issued in have to be altered
regularly, has been gecomplishing « in five Felding, but since we did not the lopsided balance. And open lorries at its Changchun motor on the down trip.
and know of this.requirement, the door tourism does not figure in works but it will be a long lime Coach floors
before supply catches up with swept and mopped, but then years Industrially Canton Foreign Affairs Office any of these prioritics. ・・・
Meanwhile," teams of they need to be, One Chinese culturally. The Chinese I met in Canton neden 60 years old, mother took her child from her. provided temporary, ones. Wo never had to use
them are extremely self-conscious.
carts around the breast and hold it over the floor
fortunately it only urinated orce.
They apologise for deficiencies drag heavy
streets of Canton. and shortcomings. Canton they
although she eat five yards from know, ia
is anything but a show
an empty lavatory. place, Shanghai and Peking, yes, but not the southern gateway to Chime
"Perfect 'host
что
New hotel
are
Hawking and spitting bad though many use spittoons
Farther north
ties which have known the FARTHER aorth," areas, and
which are everywhere. The pity" "liberators”, longer, are said to
wro: Train
I wanted to go, but he was intend," "coupling conchas for: Adoquate when big exhibitions/Feres, 'ars, not expensive but I am in no position to judre this:-
You come back to Canton again in a year or two or thro and you will rechanger in tomorrow!! Lido Int charges e between that have already been
WE had an English-speaking - WE
And coming from Hongkong, escort, Mr. Y., H. Yunus, to it is drab and poor and an HOTEL, commodation is is that many more, do not show greater improvement But
wherever we despite the omalai accompany, us
are held in the city. Officials device charges stmit hick-Foreign visions to tickets from Howloon to Canton ed chiefly as a guide at the Ex Canton, however, is the most the Exhibition are being wagger coat about HKBS but porterage hibition
Aflan and European kill & now hotel is gols up at service charges bring the bill up
the east end of the Bund it to about HK436 one w write about some of the genial commilon. When the businessnery, and the Exch found that Beatrice Greaves of is the central point of lute the South China Morning Post Foreign visitors are, whi spoke Cantonese fluently and around, the city in taxie RA mado a good, fist at Mandaring comfortable hotels and adeat be left us to do, shopping and restaurants for the sightseeing on out, OWIA Paty Borides he was buay
MHe was a perfect hort and a Bott point of entry for ved; ao: that there are rooms for long distanco, phone, colis and, the Travel. Servico; official" Basd:
but
running
Rooke ne 12:It will be about eighteen M. Canton are, thinite that the sightsósing
What hotels there are about:
ntän, old one, hear
"drawn by engines trade by the of tourist would g028) Jou Locomotive Company this time balancey to
tine these were ralles of crebrier and malce
fokalist Fallway Bereidma CHINE basid outline the new Dabbateigr wodałownykight":
+