Page
THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, JULY
1957.
DARK MO CEGOS LAP ON GARILING STORY
I
BEHIND
THE
MASK
• Tile lo the story of Ma graciest nama trasla okomplon ever. A change story, in parti, a harsh story. A story that săpe vil the making mach at Wimbledon med chews the hate that takes a gyeng konale player te the top. 215 a shey wilek you #3 sat soully heyrt.
by MAUREEN CONNOLLY
N many ways this
is a strange story story not
always easy to tell, be- cause it is not easy to plumb the depths of a troubled soul.
I have always believed great- ness on a tennis court was my dealnya dark destiny al times, where the tennis court become my secret jungle and I a lonely, fear-stricken hunter,
My hour
I WAS
a strange
girl
armed with hate, fear, and a
racket
golden
For me, looking back on that
Give 'em hell, Mo! shouted
the
airman
brief span of stür-rising, stor- In America the gallery cheered
crossed lennie years, there
is
one great dramatic moment When I knew this was my hour, this was my time to become a champion,
It was not the stuff of which headlines are made, but my heart knows a total stranger me into the world's propelled championship at the age of 17.
My doubts
HAD come to London from America for the first time in 1952, a
sun-tanned teenager, holder of the Amerlean title, but still unproved in the eyes of the tennis world, secrelly turmented by self-doubts,
More than anything else I wanted to see Wimbledon, that sleeping kingdom which comes alive for two weeks each year: Here was the realm of my hopes, my fears, my dreams
for me, but here there seemed valy hosility. I become certain they belleved everything erifical written about me. Their reaction szemed incredible in innd where tennis flourishes as in no other, where the spectator really understands the fine points of the game.
D
Of course, I could understand why the crowd wanted Susan to win why she deserved to be the heroine, But I could not east myself as the villain.
score
we
NOMORE.
a hush, when, suddenly picro- Ing the silence, a young volco rang out clear and bold:" "Glye 'em hell, Mot
I slood stunned, paused, looked and saw a US Air Force boy. His fore was shining and glowing with friendliness. I did not know him. mei him.
I have never
But truly,
in that second was lifted to the heights by a stranger. I smiled and whisper-
da fervent "Thank you."
Confidence surged through me, a new vitality lifted me
powered Savage determination me.
/
I looked across the court at Susan and knew I would wish.
My victory
The Salem Set
PRINCE CHARLES'S TRAINING AND THE FACTOR THE PUBLIC KNOWS LITTLE ABOUT
From Germany
a seed takes new
root...And now?
by DONALD EDGAR
---
WAS waiting in the "Fourier's Room" at Gordonstoun, for the head raaster, Mr Henry Brereton, I wanted to assess the influcrive Lof Salem, the mother school in South Germany, on this, a school which has in turn great influence on the husband of the Queen,
The room was austere. But then, having seen the spartan sur- roundings of Salem I expected nothing else.
There was a picture of Kurt Hahn, the Founder, who, before the First World War, had come from Germany to study at Oxford and had, in his vacations, walked over this magnificent Morayshire country- side.
There was a picture of Prince Max of Baden, the Kaiser's last Chancellor, whom Hahn had served he secretary.
The other picture on the wall shows the Duke of Edinburgh, in his robes, as Chancellor of the con- University of Edinburgh,
IL Was
ferring the honorary degree of Prince Max who
Doctor of Laws on its old listened to Hahn's Ideas education and, in the hope that school-master and mentor Kurt a better and more efficient class Hahn. of rulers could be produced than Oi course. those who had lost the war for Prince Philip was inevitable. He that picture of
Germany, modo Avalloble
Is the most famous, the most large part of his castle of Salem. Influential of all who have been produced by Salem and Gordons- tour,
There was a picture of Prince Louis of Battenberg, In British USAN was the enemy. She naval uniform, He was an ao-
Just before the war he was blocked my way. I hated her.miral who, because of his Ge "The Guardian” at Gordons. I would move in for the kill. man connections, was forced
toun-yes, The nothing. ished.
I lost the second set 7-5. The
does
the not reflect mastery Susan held, As changed courts she was in com- plete. command, walking easily and gracefully to the umpire's chair,
My prayer
that reflect confidence.
palns of fibrositis were out of the Service at the out- My exhaustion van-break of the 1914-18 war,
1
But in the battle with Sugan there was a touch of magle that touched the crowd.
If my knight in the grandstand W 18
allon soll, so, too, was 1. Only victory could bring the conquest I sought. I took WITH tennis players there are the game, the set, 7-5, and the We There is nothing like it in all bow one atands, even the way itself.
things, mannerisms, match-later the championship the world of linnis, It stands one muy
towel-off after a set alone, unmatched in tradition of selling, truly Olymplc, with breathtaking grandeur, As long as I live, each year the sleep Ing kingdom comes alive, 1 shall be there in spirit savouring the glory, tasting the heartbreak.
Now comes the sledge-hammer I had broken series of events, with my conch, Elcanor (Teach Tennant, who made me a cham-
I stopped, e.ouched on my haunches, my head bowed on my racket trying to capture a
Their cheets for my errors moment's resi. The contrast stopped. They could have been between us was striking. I was aware of the tremendous uphill spiritually bankrupt physically struggle I faced, exhausted, so weary I wondered how long I could go on.
But none realized more clearly
than 1 that mental pain can be Just, as we started the third far greater than physical pain. pion, taught me all the tennis set Susan looked across the 1 had experienced both to the 1 know, manipulated my mind and body with only one goal court, and I can
even now that flash of con- #dence. She served
to win.
•
Our 'quarrel was bitter, leave begun. ing scars which have never Jealed.
remember hilf.
The rout
After she won her service 1 felt as if I were on the way certain, discredited, unpopular, measured and found wanting on the biggest tennis battlefield of all.
I was attacked in the London cut, defeal Presa.
My hate
would bo
bet to
(World. Copyright)
Tomorrow: That Wimbledon
When we changed courts I walked by the players' section, row WAS going through an attack building a hope in my mind, I
of fibrosis. A section of but.ressing it with prayers, both Press and players believed Eleanor. Tennant the fibrosits to be fictional, an there! She had
Nu Condensed from her own excuse conceived in advance to matter how stormy our quar- book, "Forchand Drivo," cushion defcal.
els had been, she would aut published by Macgibbon and leave me to face this crisis was on the edge of an alone.
Ken, 161. I emotional collapse,
I
I had managed to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon. got them on a path paved by my opponents' errors, certainly cot by my dazzling tennis,
Across the court stood Susan Partridge, a beautiful English girl, a fine player.
My fear
SOUGHT that flashing look
of meburagement, that mag- ing extension of power which Bowed from her. I needed a miracle to win, and only Teach could manufacture my miracles. But as my eyes ranged the The fear of losing rows of faces I know my well- and inspiration Wik always before the hand-maiden spring
gono. I saw my mother, and her
I hated her. It was a cold, controlled hatred part of my strategy
of my strategy--was lacking,
aho smiled, then shook
Eleonor Tennant believed I hond slightly, reading my mind. should beat Susan, love and Now I was, utterly alone,
love.
afrald, with a rising fear; for I had
met Susan the year the first time in a major match before at East Hampton, New I felt hopelessly adrift, York, and beaten her B-d. 8-6. As we played, the crowd The scores had been close, I triplod, fervour mounted, the thought, only because I had been kill was close. The pet became having an off-day, Never have 4-5 in Susan's favour, the gamu I been more wrong, never have I underrated a girl so much.
My mistakes
score 15-30, She was within two polats of winning the match. I served a fault, I double- faulted she would have match point.
For, the first and only time in
with a nunca which threatened Wimbledon, and on this hot, to choice me, I managed scan- humid afternoon, the, crowd how to get my servo, in, but, worked to a crescendo of partie, moro remarkable stul, I won the Banship The first set was shot point, bringing the score with durors, I won 0-3.
30-30,
A low mera rose 'trum the 15. In's the, sobond 'sot Busan, WAN
superb. My confidence, cracked gallery. The crowd had ogger-
anticipated Suman's got Hala and rising fear were not y
TENSION mounts steadily at my career I became almost, ill
The lecturer
PRINCE Louis's personality has had great Influence on Kurt Hahn. And, the prince's son, Lord Mountbatten, hos al- ways taken an interest In the
school One of its training
vessel is called Prince Louis,
Lord Mountbatten has lectur-
""
nt Salem, the head boy is called "The Guar- dian," the term used by Plato, who has so deeply Influenced Hahn, for his ruling elite,
with the
Head master Brereton is a stocky, middle-aged man grizzled hair cut short in German style,
the
He readily explained Gordonstoun system. In its broad outline it is almilar to that of Salem, but slightly less aux.ere
As at Salern the organisation I run on the principles Jaid down by Plato in his scheme to produce a ruling class,
After
Д
"The Guardian" comme "The Helpers,** then the "Colour Bearers," who wear patch on their pullovers. Then the "Colour-Bearer Candidates," The evening uniform Is awarded to a new boy
only when he has been pulling his weight."
The book
whether
UNDER
THE
GAZE OF THE GUARDIAN' THE dining tabls at Gordonstoun is ansters. It is a severe atmosphere, where discipline is all. And on the wall is a symbol of achievement: an ex-Guardian (head boy). Prince Philip, ; a portrait by Edward Halliday.
AND OVER THE WATER FOLLOWING tho Salem model, train- ing at Gordonstoun is vigorous... this is the water jump.
This is his "conscience book," The Idea of the system, is, na at Salem, to make the boy control hlumeckt.
2
parents' own assessment. There is a fixed fee of £40 a term.. In addition
any- parents pay thing between £120 and £81 a
term.
Buckingham Palace to see:. something could be done for the man training their sons.
Friends ...
HAIN found induential friends here who helped him to found a school. It was "a noble Scottish lady" who offered him the
great rambling house of Gordonstoun.
There were soon English, ond · Scottish pupils. There was SOON a group of young Germans from Salem
Among them was the
young Prince Philip.
One of Hahn's principal aides, Dr Erich Meissner, was got out of Germany. He is now philo- sopher and warden of Gordong- toun,"
He recently wrote a book, "The Boy and His Needs." Sir Eric James, that distinguished high master of Manchester Grammar School, described It es "turgid, pretentious, and rambling."
For a time during the war the school, because of a German connections, come under a cloud. The highest fee is, therefore, There were people here who £100 a term£498 a year, The did not realise that Hahn saw. lowest £101 a term-2303 a in the Nazis the destruction of year, But anyone wishing to pay the hopes of the leader-class- Jess than £120 a term or £378 he was creating ever having a A year has to put his case to chance to exercise its power.. the school
"You would be surprised," Mr Brereton told me, "how mony parents assess themselves for the highest figure." pupils como "from the pluto- eratle class," as Mr Brereton
that Gordonstoun had been said. "Only the plutocratie class back after the war to And could afford the fees." There is
The HE
A fire
school was evacuated to Wales But it
Punishments, announced with the crime on the notice board, ATER he is given a "Trafu are extra chores, early morning
ing Plan" book in which FT. or extra classwork.
also a fair sprinkling of the gutted by fire, he must nole down
Boys may be beaten, but, se aristocracy. he has done all the things I gathered, for offences against ed since the Second World War demanded of him his rum
the spirit, not against the laws, at Salem, Through his influence before breakfast,
two of the institution. In the Navy he has given great washes, his two cold shower", assistance to the searfaring side not eating between meals, and of Gordonstoun.
Bo on.
NO FLOWERS BY REQUEST
to
DESTALINISATION
"enough, alerted eerving; ting match paint. But now
dosibleauite.The crows was too tired to care, too acarred
cheered bach, 'cum 2
This wik anava, more AORT»'
from the emotional' inibes' to foe) one Inove sling.
The crowd ioaned forward, the
OH, NO MAO !"
his
The fees, as in Germany, are graduated
Hitler's days
according to the TN addition
Liber
como
Great benefactors were, 2000 found. M, Anton Berse, that strange Middle Eard merchant prince, who founded the new St Anthony's College at Oxford, was among the greatest. His the Governing
a few scholarships widow is on are given to boys of poorer Body.
Among the original Governors families who have shown the
who helped found the school bort of quallikes Gordonstoun were the late Archbishop of wants qualities of leadership. Canterbury, the controversial
But, as at Salem, there is n
drive to have boys from abroad Pr William Temple.
On the present counchi is the boys of influential familles Duke of Hamilton, who is who will one day play, on im- related to some of the German. portant part in their countries, princely houses.
Gordonstoun has spread like It is, in fact, a most·älstin- Salem. And there are plans for
here, there, and Buished body.
CANA HATUA An appeal for
And yet....and yot....I A cannot help confesting to powerful quarter of a million pounds has worries about this been supported by the Duke of International organisation. Edinburgh.
I sum up:
Now I want to tell you a little about the way Gordonstoun was founded and the men and Iwomen who have supported it,
By the time the Nazis came into power in 1833 Salem School, founded by Hahn after the First Squaro" a curious building World War, had become a great built by a previous owner to
| SUCCESS. · ́
T Gordonstoun there is a building called The Rosini
lcoep out the Devil, to whom hu But Hahn did not, could not, had sold his soul, "l compromise with the Nazis.
He did not succoed. Plato was inspired to write. And though am not accul- his Ideal "Republic, with its ing the Salem · Hystem. plans of education of The Babolism yet Guardiana" at a time when So I went on to Kliactivar Athens, his city, and a demo- what the cracy, had lost to Sparta.
founded to Creggo is: Ulog
Plato and seen a feeble demo- school" founded, horgolyák owini cracy degenerate into a tyranny to, that beautiful apð, "pula of ill-educated demagogues," woman Queen Frederika, who i». To Hahn this was what had related for the Duke of Edinj happened to Germany when burell
Hitler appeared, He swamp And then, I wiht to try to mum ariksted..zhat was in 1933, thun fust what≥1. think Wire Baiem
But on the representations of system staying lela do ta there the then Brillih. Prams inlater, wealthy, indust Már Hamery MacDonald, he wan allowed to come to England, 15! MANIYO, no, doubt, that, the
Germen relations of the Exitlen: Bayak Faizilly had: sogrosched