A TALE OF
THE CHINA MAIL, WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1957.
POOR PLANNING
by A. N. Parker
but production was started.
(The By this time, however,
dc.
ELECTRIC generators b is wat ronson, witch the reader in mand for tune was veereasing
in
the present situation Czechoslovakia and also in Eastern Germany. The shortage of bulbs is equally bad in other Soviet bloc countries. But it is especially striking in countries like Czechoslovakia and Eastern Germany which manu- facture power station equip ment, much of which goes to the Soviet Union, und which is also being offered to the countries of Africa and Asia.
that
restrictions
OR
not told, was that the govern- because the ment seeded the foreign ex- domestic uso of electricity were change, previously spent on the being relaxed Moreover, the import of these materials, for extra accommodation made other purposes, diotated by the available through the conver- requirements of the economic sion of existing houses and the planners in Moscow).
buliding of new ones, added to the demand.
At first, electric bulb produc- tion developed very favourably and there was no shortage, the
In 1955, the Ministry paper maintained. But the fact Trade, which had just endorsed that the volume
of production the reduction of output, called central for it bo doubled: and this
year rebled.
in-
was ordered by the planning.nuthorities in Prague, who were content to issue structions rather than try to assess future demands, contain ed the seed of future shortages.
BULBS
The
With the existing machinery, the factory was unable to meet the demand.
of
Prace maintains that imports could not meet Czechoslovak necdia. It obviously refers to "A shortage of bulbs at a
the supply position within the time when the regimes are This is what happened. Soviet bloc, which is very tight claiming
Stale trading organisation found clectricity that it was acermulating more many factories are, so organised everywhere. In Western Europe, supplies for domestic con- bulbs than t could scil, be that they can easily expand pro- sumers are at long last im- cause the use of electrielly
in duelion wo
meet additional de- proving
reflects
severely mand. But nekler Czechoslova- faulty fale and houses was planning and a complete lack restricted and the quailty of the kin nor any other country
bulbs was poor. Obviously. If the Soviet bloc could purchase of awareness on the part of consumption of electricity is re- the large quantites required, the planning authorities of stricted, people will 1:01 buy because the necessary foreign the market requirements."
exchange or the right kind of This is not the view of
counter-deliveries would not be available. Western enn.mentator, bui Prace, the organ of the Cze choslovak trade union organisa. tion. As usual, when pubile dis- content about shortages becomes very outspoken, the authorities have thought it advisable open the safety valve by pub- lishing an article which at- tempts to explain the situation.
BULBS
A
of
to
which
inore bulls than they can use. Even if they could afford it, they might not feel inclined to keep a reserve of bulbs they know do not last,
Whon the planners became accumulation of aware of the
large stocks, they ordered, with the support of the Ministry of Trade, that output should be cut by 50 percent.
BULBS
However, there is one point mado by the writer with which everyone will agree. The short- rg, he says, would nevir Engineering, which is responsi- Trade and the
The Ministry of Precision have occurred If the Ministry of State Planning bie for production, opposed this Commission had known the measure, but without success. market well. They would then Having reduced output, the have been aware that mere planners then proceeded to deal houses were being built, with empacity.
more electric appliances sold and more electricity, consumed, sequently more bulbs would be and con-
needed.
In the past, the reader was Lull in a recent race article, Czechoslovakia used to manu- They stopped all production in facture bulbs under licence from one of the two existing ae- materials purchased abroad. tories, and dismantled. the
This arrangernent was discon machinery fur use as spare In Eastern Germany too, out- killed i 1948 and
domestic paris in the other factory.
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One O'Clock jump
THE
put of electrle bulbs was dras- tically reduced because
the
authorities thought
they
had
too many in stock.
A now factory is lo opened in Czechoslovakia in the autumn and it is hoped that this
TITLED
be
may alleviate the shortage.
The writer in Prace says that the trouble need never havo happened, and a great deal of money would have been saved, if the planners had not been so extraordinarily shurt-sighted.
THAT
FRENCH-AMERICAN WAY
S
Paris.
UPPOSE "te piknique" you planned for 1 weekend" were washed out by the weather-what could you do then to shake off "les blues"?
Easy. You could go to "le
By WILLIAM MOHENY
Calc
owners in the world's greatest brandy producing coun-
y con saw another trend erme, and is, the favourite "ob Whisky, especially Scotch, be- drink.".
1
Today France consumes 1,200,- 000 bottles of Scotch a year- more than double what they drank ten years ago.
And "coco-cola" swept
"A
World Copyright by arrangement with the Manchester Guardian
Chapter 4
A YEAR LATER
That Secret Speech
J. E. M. ARDEN
Although the prosent Saviot loaders hoped to banofit from a few general revelations about Stalin's reign of torror, they soon to be so committed to the sumo type of rule that it is impossible to fool they really intend to roform their system of Government.
la just over a year since it became known that Khrushchev hud made a long speech attacking and exposing Stalin. The speech had an explosive effect. In Poland it has been publicly stated that distribution of the speech in the Warsaw Communist organisation was the koy step in the coming to power of the anti-Stalinist Gomulka group who now rule." In Hungary its influence was equally potent. And throughout the world it destroyed Communism's moral authority,
So in recent months Khrush- But this man, a member of the chev and his colleagues have Central Committee and, more been in awkward position. It portantly, the head of Stalin's had proved difficult for them to personal secretariat, disappeared manage the Communist world immediately after Stalin's death when they were suli held and nothing has since been responsible for Stalin's narrow beard of him, brutality, and yet lacked his authority.
as an
But the attempt to disavow him | restuted in oven great diffleulura, Do now they are making every cfort to put Humpty Dump together arm. "Anti-Stautusen”
kus ben condemned attempt to sow discord Stalin has agum been described as "a great Communist, and Khrush chev has enthusiastically pro- claimed himseu a disciple of the
(deud dictator.
When it comes to the anti- Stalin Communists of the thirties, no rehabilitations at all have yet taken place. Yet Khrushchev Bid that "there was often no them. And when he dealt with Bufficient reason" for shooting
the murder ( 1934) of Kirov, he implied strongly that Stail, or at least the NKVD, was responsible for the murder.
against Zinoviev and Kamenev Yet this was the main charge
at their trial in 1930. Khrushchev picanised
nost careful
the of
matter.
But even now it is admitted, if examination" rather unwillingly, that cermin Nothing has yet emerged,
errors
resulted from Stalin's "cuit of personality” And the crimes listed in the Secret Speech havo not been proclaimtxt 10 have been good deeds aller all.
The promise
Again, Khrushchev complaina that Stalin's removal of Andre- yev from the Politburo was "one of the most unbridled acta u wilfulness". Yet Andreyev has not been re-elected.
Denunciation of Stalin's faults, followed by failure 10 correct them such is the pattern in most matters, Until the whole truth
about Stalin's rule is
Thus it is interesting now to re-roud the speech. Fur Khush- chev promised at the tune,, wat, "the evil caused by acts violating published it will be impossible revolutionary Socialist legaly to feel that the Kremlin rulers which have accumulated during Intend lo reform. And lite a long time us the result of the has been done. negative influence of the cult of the maividual has to be con- pietely corrected". By now, une would have imagined, some of the actual evit menwoned in the speech could have been set right,
It would no doubt be pre mature to expect Voreanilov to have yet fulfilled Khrushchev's suggestion that he should "find the necessary courage" and write the truth about Stalin in The main question, as Khrush- connection with the Civil War. chev puts it, is the restoration But there are no signs that he ot iegulay", One would expect this to mean at last that trinis would have been held at persons who have been accused of trummis in connection with butin's lerror,
In general, the whole question of history books and text books remains in the air. There have
MAD scuffle" is on was easy to understand whon
has even started, apt description of you remember that many of the the early days of that first gether for years, since the days musicians had been playing_to- Basie band. At one point, or The Blue Devils, It the band folded altogether, nothing unusual for after tenor sax star Lester produce new arrangements and Young quit to join Fletcher even now tunes during a session. Henderson. But Basie-thon
29 was determined to make good. And he did. It was only a lucky break he need- et
Was
them 10
New Every Night
A member of the band at that time, Buster Smith, who was playing clarinet and alto, The band had a tremendous recalls: "One thing that knocked rhythm section. With Walter everybody out about that band Page anchoring the section with was that we played things his solid bass, Fredale Green different every night. comping on guitar, and Jo Jencs drumming, Basic had found his icteal combination.
I
"They would hear us play " tunc one night and the next night we might play the same
snackbar" of your choice, younger set in a similar manner, band, and before long the front tube entirely different."
drink a "coca" and play "les tilts" (pinball machine) or, of course, there is always "le striptease," or movies described as "le sexy".
And there you have a measure of the Anglicisms-or, любе generally, Americanisms that steadily Infiltrating the French language and the French way of life.
are
France has given the United States plenty; explorers, mission- aries, a helping hand in the re- volutionary war, painting, music, high fashion and, if you care, six-day bleycie races.
Lester Young rejoined the the
line was matching the fantastic crive of the rhythm men. The band was walling.
At the same time it gave u decisive thrashing to Com- munist-inspired campaign against
it.,
With the treet, American words crept into the French vocabulery and not only the words.
came
מ
One of the tunes which always comes to mind when people talk of Busle is "One O'Clock Jump.” Jimmy
Buster remembers the birth of Bushing
that number well, about a year after the forma- tion of the band. He later wan "Basic always liked to four world-wide acclamation for his around in différent keys each blues shouting with Basie, and night, One night he was playing Even that dwindling American many eday still recognise him along in F-that's his favourite art at stripleare crossed the Es one of the greatest of the key then he looks the modula- jazz singers. He had a power-on Db He looked at me and ful scmetimes grating voice said, Set something, Prof so ar.d
ocean-where, incidentally, it has been refined with a delicate French taich.
LE CATCH
-
penny fighters
19
now ple
of
Basketball France's most popular games. the arm from American interest Boxing received a new shot in and American purses
But the traffic hasn't gone all one-way. In fact, the Impact of The Americco American culture ca France has been
influence has powerful In the field of reached the point where re- sport solute nationalists and stout purists are weeping openly,
They still preter the hour lunch to a self-service line; two Debussy to rock 'n' roll; quiet cafe discussions over Pemod to shouts over the sounds of clang. ing pinball machines, raucous throughout France, where it is Juke boxes and the tinkle of called "catch" and considered an Bourbon and Scotch 001 the entertainment more than a sport. rocks;
The Americanisation" wave $ 9.50 rolls on and it is nowhere near
its crest. 18.00
18.00 AFTERMATH 25,00
8.50
a huge sense of swing I started playing that saxophone which coupled beautifully with rift. the sound of the band. The re- unlon was happy one.
Breakfast Dance
crew
"Hot Lips Page set something for the brass, and pretty soon we had it going. We played it for about 30 minutes and the crowd liked it. So we played it again next night.
The Count's
became very popular first around the "It got its name because of a Kansus Chy area, owing largely broadenst one night down
breakfast dance to
sessions Little Rock. We had it on the which before long were being programme. but the name we broadcast Wrestling, as American knows morning between 7 and 9.
Monday had on li was one you couldn't Every
The broadcast use on the air, *tremendously popular
lasted until 1 o'clock, so Basle "At those dances were white
Suggested wo call 11 "One and coloured musicians," says. O'Clock Jump." Beste. "That incant -Trouble. Cortain groups of people begaЛt Buster claims it for his tune,
11,
13
"At Paris, le catch has become
a refuge for former champion to protest. But the authorities but only wrote one part of boxers, спо paper recently commented. It is not a sport, out that
found a way out. They pointed That was the sux part for Jack
those but a circus.”
present were Washington, because, explaina
"the entertainers. This was near the Buster,
fourth barmony truth, for almost every table off was hard to hear." the dance floor could be counted
But the last minute "Justice of war triumphs" victories of the "good
man" over "bad" are televisxi
End
25.00
It began with World War II to millions of spectators, just as 35.00 when General George Patton's in the United States.
7.50 army wheeled across occupied American time and labour 7.50 France.
savera (LING aveeping the coun- Today children on beaches try. paddle surplus le rafts; motor- Yesterday's 5.00 cyclists
Brasserie has don surplus battle become today's "Snack Bar" or 10.00 dress" for protection aminst white
chrome **Self- 4.50 tain
and cold; French "Jaws Service." And both are crowd- 1.00 munch chewing gum (now made ed at noon and supper hour with and sold in France under the Frenchman who have decided a 3.00
hame Hollywood chewing gum); choop half-hour lunch leaves 1.50 and underworld figures often them with an hour and halt 1.50 pack "calts."
froo me for shopping, walking, .30 American salesmen moved in or errands.
hot on the hools of the army. Į
Time-payments .30
Pinball machkies began to ring production, chiefly. barrowed 30 formerly quiet cafes and from the United States, havo 2.00 aludents spent their codice revolutionised the Consumer 12.00 money, and more, on "les tilts." market,
and
mass-
Ever the poorest students of Frenchmen spent Fr 00,000,- English added two neon-lit 000,000 ($104,286,714) on electric household appliances in 1954.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, LTD.phrases to their "okay.
HONGKONG
"It more D to compete in a Two your later they shelled KOWLOON rame of dili" and "trois millions out Fr 121,000,000,000 ($245,734,-
special when lit,”
285)---Ubod Press,
on to produce someone to umusu the guest!"
Was
The sessions
After Buster and Hot Lips had left the band, the number York recorded in New were tremend- under Basic's Пате The ously popular. The outstand-in arrangement was Inter written feature of the band was
the out by trumpeter Buck Clayton. spontaneous and relaxed jazz it produced. The utter relaxation met Buster and said,
Some time after that, Basle
"'I don't'
01 The Kodes, Torture of
Who
For instance Karushenev teus us been so many changes of view. Vestgive juage" in the last year that the writers supervised Inu do not know what is wanted of two members at the them. Politburo, Kossur and Chupar.
The serious textbook of the The evidence on this was a- kurushchev
history of our Party," which urged, has not party already available a year emerged. The ideal solution
go, but there has been no an-
would be to publish in full all Bouncera of any trial of this
the many trial transcripts "vue percon with the brain of a
and bird and morally completely Committee which have no longer terror avcisions of the Central aogenerate." There are no doubt y possible security uncler accomplices
Stalin seance. still alive. And in the cake of people who have simply dis- appeared, one would think that revolutionary legality would re- quire either their trial or an an- nouncement of their fate.
Oc
Inadequate
signi-
For example Khrushchev re- fers to two Central Committee resolutions in November, 1951, What, for instance, happened and March, 1952, on an alleged to Poskrebyshev? Khrushchev (but spurious) anti-Soviet_plot mentioned him in passing as by leading
Georgian Com- Stalin's "oyal sword-bearer" (at munists, These have not been which
the Congress is said to made available to Soviet research have given way to "laughter"), workers. Nor have the "parti
carly denied, fegal proceed- ings" in the Bertya Сабо. Karishchev stated that "during all the years of the Patriotic Wor not a single Central Com- mittee Plenum took place."
want you suing me so I'll give you $5 and we'll drink this afth of gin. Next time Wo record, I'll play any of your funes you want me to." Buster agreed.
Tickets & Tuxedos
one of
But according to the official The Communist Party of the Soviet Union in Resolutions, etc., a plenum took place on January 27, 1044.
This sort of thing casts doubt en every official document, just
Soon after he left the band, John Hammond heard
as the rather vague account 'the broadcast breakfast dance Khrushchev gives of important sessions. He told Benny Good-events like the "Doctore Plot
anan, who listened in, und was are inadequate wild about this new sound in jazz.
in ways which mako it clear that only fuli official
of publication
the relevant material can possibly Benny's at any real
restoration of standards of legality.
Willard Alexander, booker at the time, sald "some thing might be done." A week later, he and Hammond few to Kansas City and handed Basie $1,000 for fores and uniforms for his band.
For the interesting thing about the Secret Speech in that it has the worst of both worlds:
Although it tells criough to So, in the autumn of 1935, the make it clear that horrible crimes band Lett Kansas City for and frame-ups were committed Chicago, and opened at the by Stalin, it does not give Grand Terrace, Thore, the band enough information to make us began to build up a reputation, in the foart sure that the truth and soon became a much sought has yet prevailed, after attraction,
Basle might well have lost heart if he had known he would have his reputation to build all over again in 17 years,
by
Nocl Wain
Little has since been done in the way of really clearing up this horrible back-log or terror and making the fresh start promised last year.
Low dlan
Although the present leaders hoped to beneft from a Konerul revelations and avowals of the old system, they seem to be so committed to the Aame type of rule, pad to have been so involved in the actual crimes, that they cannot make the break. So the spooch remains required reading for anyone' interested in Soviet ambro.
If you have not read it lately, strongly recommend another, look at it now, with the events of the past year and Khrushchova rocent hearty praise of-Stalin in- mind.
1+ GALEN