ANNIVERSARY STORY
Reichstag
Fire-
THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1958,
from spreading to all parts of the building, but the Chamber itself was completely gutted.
Leaders of the Nazi Party who rushed to the scene apoke angrily of "this Communist out- rago". Hier declared that the fire, was "a sign from Heaven to show what" wo should have como to, if these gentry: had gained power. Now we shall see where the danger en... The German people con assured that I shall savo from this dangor"".
roert
Hermann Goering, President
of the Reichstag, lost no time
in secking out the "criminals".
ON the cold, dark evening, to the Police station with hits in to rearly 3,000, CA
the
of February
captive, Turliament historic
While 'the arrest was being Chamber in Berlin, the made, more Bremen had poured the building and Fire Reichstag, was gutted by into
Captain Klotz relied the firo.
Session Churber at 0.24. A Hitler and his ruthless great blast of hent sent him National-Socialists, on the reeling back. He could hardly threshold of power, were see the benches through a thick
hi ze Hastily, the Kuscous determined 10 sway
called for reinforcements, clectorate at all costs.
udenburg was still head of the State but the techslag elections were to be held
on March 6.
1
Floter, n philossophy student, was on his way to his lodgings from Berlin University when he skirted the black bulk of the Reiclistag building at about o'clock. Turning right at the south-west corner, he hurried along the glistening pavement,
thuly
with encrusted
now show.
Looking up, he was startled
to see the dim figure of a man, waving a burning object, on outside the first floor balcony
the large window to the right
of the central portal.
Running excitedly towards
the far end of the darkened
building, the studert told
he
9.27, the moment of the Dutchins capture, are Cases ignited. A slow mufled ex- plosion shattered the glass dome above the Chamber and a sheet of flame shot upwards into the open air. Smoke and sparks poured out over the Konigsplatz and the Tiergarten. Heavy brick walls prevented the
fire
П
of
arresting Cun
during munista
night terror, Next day, Hitler pro- vailed on Hladenburg to sign o decree "for the protection of the nation from the Communist menace".
Vital
a
RS
WILFRED FIENBURGH, M.P., journalist and wit, wrote this-his last article-just before the car crash which caused his death
Are we really fair
I
HAVE reached an understanding with horses. I will guarantee to any horse- that I will not climb on its back providing the horse agrees not to climb on mine,
This makes things equal between us and satisfactory to all parties. It saves the horse the trouble of knocking me off and saves me a couple of weeks in bed.
Soon, the prisons were packed with dazed suspects and con
camps Wire centration tablished to accommodate the
In principle. though, and overflow.
"documentary Evidence" of nallen-wide from a safe distance, I am Communist insurrection was devoted to horses. So when "found" but never published.
I was invited to watch When, on March 23, 1933, the
Tibereita, D Grand Na- Relchstag passed a Bill making Hiller the virtual Dictator of tional favourite, in training, Germany, the 81 Communists I accepted on condition that who had won seats at the elec. I was insured against being tons could not vote, They bitten kicked, leaned were all in prison.
ngainst, ог attacked by horse fleas.
WALL ST. BLUES
policeman what he had seen. | UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE U.S. REACHES 4,500,000
The constable seemed unable to
group the situation
and Fiter BUT
was far too hungry to argue.
He went home to supper.
Meanwhile, another passer-by
had also seen the prowler on the
9.50 pm.
vanished.
n
for
I need not have worried. For Tiberetta, I found, was a whimsical mare with a placid eye.
When I met her she was patiently trying to sit on her manger. She was find- ing it rather difficult be cause she is as big as the side of a bus and the manger measured 2ft. by 1ft. Gin.
with
to our horses?
She played... with my waistcoat buttons
and ghost town which had been lost
to the world for 1,000 years,
wienerschnitzel
sauerkraut. THE AMERICAN HEART IS STILL BEATING
STRONGLY
New York.
UNITED STATES unem-
"Have faith in America. Don't sell America short. There's not going to be a depression,"
sound.
from-
DON IDDON
ominous.
nes
wad
"I think," I said, "she is pretending to be a hen."
"That's just her sense of humour," said her owner.
Next Tiberetta pretend
"Massive shoulders," he said. "Enormous teeth," I murmured, and stepped farther back.
It is not for me to tell the trainer of a horse ke Tiberelta, who came third in last year's National, how to sol about his work. But as I watched the
So I N
When we were told that to reach Peirs we would have to ride Arab Legion stallions for 50 miles across the desert I let it be known that for me, Petra could stay lost for another 1,000
cars,...
When I had stopped trembling I found myself on a horse. And I discovered that it was quite casy really.
The other is a foal from a couple of our farm horses, We keep them together for com pany."
Jike
Millhand
M.P.
soldier
humorist
THE M.P.
WHO LAUGHED AT HIMSELF
By IAN AITKEN
WILFRED FIENBURGH,
Socialist M.P. for North Islington, who died recently was a politician of energy, ability and con- viction.
But, through his writings, be was perhaps even better knowa ns a humorist,
Ile laughed and laughed uproariously at almost every- thing. Most of all at himself. Not long ago he wrote an anticle called, "If the Sputnike hits anyone it will be me."
And in it said, "I must, I think, be Recident prone. have just listed the accidents in my 38 years. It is a grim and aistressing list......'
Tragically, there was just ono more to be added.
His sense of humour was often his worst enemy. Many of its critics accepted his portrait of himself as a cynical, swashbuckling politician.
They were wrong. He WHA sensitive, sympathetic, hard- working: a devoted constituency, M.P.
Once wounded Fienburgh (pronounced Feen- borough) grew up in Bradford, a Yorkshire millworker's son.
He began work at 10 a toillhand. But a year later ho learned his Left Wing politics the hard way as one army of unemployed.
In 1939
of tho
"I can see the difference," I said. I tapped one of them on "This one has the back end. splendid hocks,"
The trainer nodded.
he joined another "And massive shoulders," he Army as a reman in the
{fe Brigade. nodded again.
A year later he was commis-
He "Looks
emerged, a good hard stoned. horse," I added knowledgeably, wounded, from the The horse knew the way and "Should do well over the general staff major.
His political career began~ ast as
union official. But I let the reina dangle on his
"Yes," said the trainer. "As | zoon
head of the he was neck,
said, "no "Look," I
long as the plough does not got Secialist Party's research office. hands."
in the way. That's the young And in 1051 he became an M.P. In 1955 he accepted, a big new cart horse you are stroking."
jeb as political adviser to the Granada TV organisation,
nerded no help from me, so jumps." No jumping
balcony and informed a police- ployment figures show sergeant, Buwert. It was then the huge total of 4,494,000 It was then that they saw u - increase of 1,120,000 flickering light moving
from unemployed in a month, and but the heart of America is still window to window
of the the highest total since 1941. The figure of unemploymented that my handkerchief horses their training I ground Boor. Following
along, the light
These are the grim facts which, It is generally conceded,
was a carrot and ate half of noticed that they did not prac- will reach 5,000,000 within the Thaler another passer-by yelled behind President Eisen- next few weeks, is
When she started to Use jumping. it. to the sergeant to shoot it the hover's words of strength But it must be remembered that play he loves me, he loves fourth window. Buwer. fired
confidence for the America has a labour force of his revolver and the light an
67,000,000
me not," with my waistcoat and nearly he said, in nation when
Britain's biggest un-
buttona I was suddenly Women. Inside the building, Serano-effect:
employment gure during the afraid she was going to witz, f house. Inspector, and
depression WGS moro than
pretend to be a kitten and 2,000,000, Junior offleer
had been
but America's Learching
In-
11,000,000 and more.
climb on to my lap. possible condlaries in the maze of rooms
Eisenhower, in what his pull-terminated the interview, around tbe Sussion Chamber.
Ucal opponents describe as a Constable Porschel, also on the
crisis in emergency statement, prowl. met Sertnowltz just
said: "From the bost advice i outside the Cimber. They
can get and, on my own study looked in ut 9.22, scarcely a
of the facts regularly placed be- minute after Latelt. another
fore me, I believe that we have to an officer. hnd scen only
America worried
the had most of our bad news on two or three small fires.
current recession was spoilt the unemployment front. I am Now, there
30 Lo were
40
convinced that we are not fac- slightly By the fact that Mr Leparate fires and the benches
prolonged downswing lo Eisenhower and his wife prompting burning ftercely.
ly went
for yet another scivity. Every indication is that two men rushed through an Holiday trip to Georgia-this March will commence to see the start of a pick-up, provided we uvenue of fomes into an ante-time for ten days. room, Bismarck Hall.
There are no breadlines in apply ourselves with conildence There
In the New York State at the moment.
to the job ahead." crouching shadows, was a perspiring man,
but there are long lines outside clad only In trousers and form
Government the
assistance shoes. He made no effort to offres, and they get longer, escape and responded at once
Senator Gore, of Tennessee, to Poeschel's order "Hands up!" declares flatly that, breadlines
were
The
Going up
E psychological lif
his statement gave
olf
over
it will
which
ecme
The excitable Scranewitz structure torming all over his State.
I don't thinic the man with his fist while the constable pinioned his arms and down to soup kitchens and
In searched him.
his hip-hunger marches. There's a good a Dulch pocket was
Passport deal of calamity-howling and bearing the name, Marinus Van panic talk in this election year.
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TR-74
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THIS IS A PORTABLE RECEIVING SET ON ONLY FOUR TORCH LIGHT BATTERIES IN USE
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5. Mik
Closing down
is unfortunate that the Presidents advisers have
sach little skill with words. A phrase such as "*March will cummenco to see the start of" is confusing to a harassed publie and poor comfort to the jobless. The Stock Market has been
months. pessimistic for
Wall Streat is full of woe.
Signs of the slump are evident all over the country. There were more bankruptcies last year than ever before in America's history.
Motor-car sales are down
drastically. I've been shopping
for a new car this week as my old one has done 65,000 miles. Car salesmen were all very frank. "This is the time to buy. You'll never get a bigger allow- ance on your old car and we are willing to alash prices on any model you want," they said.
The President's $2,000,000,000 construction programme, help to beat the slide. The money will be spent on enlarging, re- placing, and completing more tban 14,500 post office buildings. No one will grumble about
4
The trouble with big pots such eg these is that they are almost as lethal when playful as when actively hostile.
I learned to ride on a horse called Rox, who subsequently He was all right went poity. when I started with him, but efler a few weeks she begun to wear a puzzled frown whenever I mounted.
and
He was too old and dignifled to make a violent protest, so he would sway backwards forwards, moaning softly. Then he would le down and try to roll over with me underneath.
Her points
NTOW
one thing I do know Now
about the National is that horses are expected to jump. So I would have thought that they would spend their days leaping about, starting off with a few bounds over a canal and ending with a hop or two over
haystack.
to the trainer:
I put this "When do they practise fump- ing," I asked.
"They don't," he said. "Never?" I sald.
"Practically never," he said. "We teach them how to jump when they are young and from then on they just jump. They don't need practice."
is
Then before
us appeared a
60
Her humour
small crack in the earth. I hardly noticed it. I was confident that I was lighting a cigarette at the time. Suddenly
do you can't really tell after the stalifon left the ground without warning and the desert all. Horses are pretty much flushed by a long way below me, I grabbed at bits of horse but It was too late the desert rose and hit me in several places.
1 picked myself up and shook the sand out of my eara.
Hi3
once wer as
But then he threw up most of money-making activities and went back to the hard but satisfying toll of resarch work alike... a head, a fail, and in the East End of London. leg nt cach corner. Stili I hova faith in Tiberetta and I hope she wing the National. She has
hocks. She splendid
shoulders. And
mussive
has a sense of humour.
And that was how he died, He was returning to his farm- Hemstead, to house at Hemol has his young wife and four child. Saturday ofler a heavy Blieren.
In studying housing moming East London,
"So sorry," sald the Arab
And thinking of the jumps in Legion oficer gally. "I should the Grand National I reckon have warned you that Mustapita sac needs it.
is
A
Most natural jumper, horses would have walked over that lay erect in the earth. But no: nur Mustapha. He just Now this struck me as being loves to jump,"
monstrous deception. Look
at it this way. Here is a horse
"If Mustapha is such a clever setting out one ine day with a jumper," I said bitterly, "ho man on
back, For weeks may now take a running jump he has not practised jumping. at himself. From now on I ride Then suddenly he finds Becher's & camel,” Brook in front of him.
this Despite all
I
Bm still by horses, and AT first I thought this was
At this stage the really smart fascinated Just a little joke, this famous horse would say, "I was not after an hot with Tiberotta, I equine sense of humour. But when he tried to brush me of prepared for this. It was not reckoned myself a pretty sharp to walk with a slight roll like against low slung branches In the contract. I will not jump Judge of horse fesh. I began it. I will get down on my
and I grounded cowboy, realised he was playing a knees and curl underneath.”
chewed a
straw as we strolled across a paddock to interview a couple of foals,
subtler gune. He was prefend-
ing not to ke me, and, I feel the horse would be on actually, he was becoming quite a gond thing here. I put the convincing.
case again to the trainer.
"Don't worry," he said. "It the horse Is Jumper he'll Jump."
But the mare
Tiberetta was all coy friendliness as her owner went over her points.
They galloped towards us, and desperately I prayed that their brakes were in good working order. They stopped with inches to
out spare. I came
"One of them 13 very
"Splendid hoeks," he said. I I realised in a flash that gingerly from behind a tree.
was right, Once I was nodded, not daring to tell him he that to me a hock is something will
that comes from a long, slender Jordan and we were invited to Promising," said the trainer.
Laken liberally visit
sums
| th project, 13 the United States post office is extremely Inemcient. by British standards. And they won't complain shout similar or bigger being spent if it halls the slump. Cabinet members have failed to stress that the Government's programme to spend more than $80,000,000,000 in cold cash this your is almost
guarantee gainst a real depression,
President Eisenhower pro- mises action. I think it rather sigalficant that he will be the guest in Georgin of Mr George Humphrey, the former Secretary of the Treasury, who once said that unless firm.measures icken thero could be "depression that would make your hair curl"
are
1
bottle and
on a parliamentary delegation to
11
place called Petro, a
“And the other?” I asked,
His ear swerved and hit a lump standard. He never open. ed his eyes again.
ROUND-UP
BERLIN
TOP secret order issued
members
A military intelligence organisation lays down tt Gemarang
rules:
1. They will not visit publie houses, drinking halls, places of entertainment of restaurants in groups or parties;
2. As a matter of principle, they will refrain from gelting drunk in public;
3. In the event of their violating these rules the senior officer present will be held responsible for all consequences, He will also be responsible for ensuring that no matters connected with the service are discussed in public.
According to the news magazine Der Spiegel, these orders follow a somewhat wiconventional party attended by West German intelligence staff men in a Cologne night spot called "Hamburg Ahol
It is said that the porty-goers heatedly debated certain personnel changes in the upper ranks of their office while pouring down a good measure of strong drink.
They drank so much and quarrelled so loudly that the peoplo at other tables overheard fascinating details concerning "sources", "shadows", "safe houses", and much else concerning the secret service.
Der Spiegel reports that the debate ended in a drunken fight.
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"1 simply spread a rumour that our bell ringers were going to try to beat those Leicester marathon bell ringers'