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THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JUNE 2,
MY REMINISCENCES - BY AN
THE subject of this talk was chosen by your President, Wilfred Pennell. He said that the Old China -- Hand was a rapidly-disappearing species, and seemed to imply that before the last should vanish, the younger generation – repro- sented by you gentlemen! -- might like to hear something of what we enjoyed, and what we hail to contend with, In bygone days in China.
I
My sojourn in China extended over the years 1919 to 1952 - about 33 years and during that comparatively short time I doubt ff any country. in the world changed so rapidly or dramatically,
to redeem the coupon, and get
In those days the price of a
Always Out
OLD CHINA HAND
WE pablish below a transcript of the notes of a talk given-
recently by Mr W. Gomersall to the Rotary Club of Hongkong. It is a talk which will interest many old China hands in Hongkong today who were not - present at the luncheon and who were able to read only
a brief report of the talk in the local Press,
Mr Gomersall speaks with authority and charm of his life in China, and particularly Shanghai before the war-Ed, China Moil.
the,inte T.K. Yung as outstand- Ing. He was the Chief, Share.... Holder and Controller of seven or ht flour mills, and nine. cotton. mille,
Lotally ανότ 100,000-spindies, thousands of loons, and severni
power plants. The entire textilo Industry of Hongkong, compris -ing 17-mills, only regates 1580,000 spindies. This T. X. Ying Individually controlled an Industry about 40 per cent larger then the entire textile industry of Hongkong, which is Hong- kong's largest Joustry;
Yet he never seemned busy or worried. He never scomod to hold conferences, or do any desk work. He was a most unassum-
One Saturday our Chinese to the various cities along the extending his rule oven to the ing man, but there was never manager invited him to lunch, Shanghal-Nariking Railway, and three North Eastern Provinces. and the whole staff was ex- to Tientsin, Peking Thingtao, And to some extent the longan more decisive. pected to turn up to make a Mukden, Harbin in the North; withed-for unication
seemed
massive impression. It was also to Hankow and Chungking possible. But it was several years Retrospect
In the West.
1
before business, Improved. There
the pute,
my
.an
The first thing that wiruck to buy her own personal be mo on arriving in Bhanghai longings, was the standard of living of On the other hand; an active the European rosičenia.--- Chinese merchant was always going out, often attending two Everything Was Incredibly or three "diriners in one night. cheap, and on a salary of $500 a This was made possible by the month you could literally live convention that a guest could like a lord. It cost $32 a month, leave a party after the sharks all in, to keep a pony, and the ans had been herved. mafoo would bring the pony to your door each day. Servants' wages were from $15 to $21 'a month. In North China It was even cheaper.
For
instance, the
One thing that made life try- terribly hot day in August." Tientsin
The Journeys by railway were was a bad setback in the carly One day I walked into his Club used to issue books of ing was the extraordinary lack
We arrived at our host's house nearly always unpleasant, the 30's due to the flooding of the office. He was standing In the
Yangtze,-posibly coupons for rickshaw rides, each of punctuality which prevalled around 1 o'clock, and there we trains often crowded and un-
the worst (General Office chatting to the coupon having a value of about amongst the whole population. ant, that hot Saturday afternoon, comfortable, and neatly always floods in China's history.
dealers, a habit of his. I pro- It possibly areDe from the awaiting tho A cents, and you seldom gave the
guests' ∙arrival, late. In fact for long periods I recall that in 1927 at the duced a telegram from oventually took place railway travel was puller more than one ticket. And offcial custom that the more which
chancy very time that Chiang Kai-shek pocket and said, through
telegram It that wasn't bad business. You never know when was making his victorious sweep interpreter, that the he had to go back to the Club Important the offein) the longer about 4.19.
he could keep people waiting enough, our Chinese menger the express train might be held northwards, I had been spend gave a price of £8,000 for the Whatever the cause the custom asked him if he would like a up for some Warlord to phes, or ing about three weeks la Twinan motore e ped enquired for his money.
"Settled." was universal. If naked to at pipe of opium before taking because of a breakdown of the the capital of Shantung Pro- tend a meeting at 3 o'clock, it wich, and he said he would. locomotive; often the main lines vince. I was there trying to That was the only word he slo in the Club was 13 cenia became a nice calculation to de-o off they went upstairs to would be cut, arising from some settle a very troublesoma cis- sald. He gave his usual short
cide what time to show up. You spoke oplum, keeping us walt- cly commoilon between
One of our young men smile, and off he weal Foot-Binding would give 'careful considération ing another
there hall hour. The Warlord of one province and the had bech
fow weeks From the time we entered to to the habits, and reputation of only person who sat down to next.
carlier, and had given great the time we left was less than the other people who would at- that late lunch completely happy On the other hand, travel offence to our clients, in a very 00 seconds. On another occasion It was a heady sort of fe for tend and you might decide to and unconcerned was our dis-
* he had decided-on' an extensión ling westwards to lankow unexpected manner. a young man, just out from get there by A-from then on tinguished visitor from Loyang.
for one of his mills; He want meant › travelling by steamer Home, and many fell victims to warda, people could drift in and
ed prompt action as usual, so in up the Yanatze River, and its allurehients, either by getting the meeting might start at 4.30.
order to save time we took our usually that was shiver delight, chronically in debt, and being
contract to him written in Eng- In fact, the journey on 'tho He happened to be an on-lish only. Generally we trans- sent back home, or else by being. 1 could mention "an interest-
lower Yangtze from Shanghel to thusiastic student of Chinese,lated sur contracts, because he laid prematurely in the hg example of this habit. A Bubbling Well Road Cemetery.
and had He rewarded us by giving us. Hankow;
the middle the Mandarin dialect. friend of mine, Dr. Wilkinson; the order. We signed a contract Yangtze, from Hankew to Ichang, just learned that the Chinese I suggested that he Thould al „could 'not read or speak Eriglish. If ever you look
walk an-American missionary, livad.
then he went and finally on the upper river, word for a robber or a bandit his son to explain what was in through that Cemetery Lot in Soochow at the time the with him, and would see on a lot of the railway was Inaugurated
be back to Loyang to remit the or gorge section from Iching to was "tu fei." Now robbers and
the English contract, But we never Chungking might be described bandits were very common in "It' doesn't matter," he said. tombstones such inscription tween Shanghal and Nanking, bargain money.
An- as one of the most fascinating China in these days. So he was "You won't cheat me" clita "Hero tes Bill passing through Boschow. I got the bargain money.
quite delighted to know the Interminable journeys in the world. Smith, aged 33 yeare" etc. caused a great sensation in the other of those
Chinese word for them. It oodm ** The contract was for £60,000, 30 Proaldent Wilfred 1043
whole countryside, and was the quarrels broke out between Wu
ed to roll To-lin, right when he said there are topic of conversation wherever Pel-fu nnd Chang
off his tongue vers and that was in 1930. The eastly.
equivalent "value today would not many "Old China Hands" you went. Dr Wilkinson met an Warlord of Manchuria, Wu Pel-
During his negotiations in be something liko £300,000, 11 left. I' a great wonder old Chineso
friend, and asked fu was defeated and retired to
Tsinan, the argument became was like giving us blank on the Yangte there are any.
him what ho thought of this monastery
strine beaten, anh "speaking chaque for that amount. That Gorger. the
and In the 1920's
habit of extraordinary innovation.
in English di dire «interpreter, excptimal kina di trust, ho said that the ellents were on such a scale, "is or foot-binding had not completely
acting like "ta fel." "Tu Yet" typically Chinese. came out in Chloese, and, of course, the clients understood
tans broke down,
Needless to say the negotia- later to patch up the
I went up broken rétations. It was a tiresome Job. But I took the opportunity to Ho Insisted on punctuality, 1
Ag The Yangtze a mighty visit Taishon, the facred. Moun- had occasion to meet him river, romanco attaching to it tin, and Chi-Fu, Confucius soveral times. He would send from its very size. In prewar birthplace.
dled out, especially in the coun try. As that bad habit, which crippled and incapacitated the mothers of the country, wust given up, a new generation of children grow up, bigger in You physique and stronger. could see that take place before your eyes.
Then the women were always secluded and stayed at home. I recall a good friend of mine whose wedding I attended.
The Railway
An Exception
.
The onder WOW never con summated, and our labours were wasted,
then on
In Tsinan
The scenery in the garges is beyond description: In 1918 the only transport on the upper Yangize was by junit. The in- surance rate was 25 per cent, which meant there was only one There was one man, however, chance in four of your cargo reaching its destination. In the The Chinese renileman who was always punctual, who early 20's specially designed Tavely shook his head. "It's stood out as a shining excep- steamers made the voyage, and no food," he is went to on to the rest, and that, was thereafter it was comparatively the station the other day to the managing director of the cafe, but still exciting.
go to Bhanghai, and was only
30 minutes late, and the train had gone!" He expected the train would wait for him.
Tientsin-Pukow Railway,
me a cable to Shanghai, "Can days steamers of 10,000 tons
The me
itude was a bli far-fetched.
Travel
110ft.
I recall another example of you come to Tientsin to meet sailed from Liverpool to Hon- About a year later, although this lack of punctuality,
at my office at 10 a.m. kow which la 600 miles from the it was not etiquette to speak story also Illustrates how tough on
As it took two days mouth. At Chungking the differ- of a man's wife, I enquired competition was. A buyer to go from Shanghai to Tientsin ence between high water and about her. "How's your arrived in Shanghal from Lo- thought at first that such exact- low water is something like wife?" I asked him, "Hé, all yang in Honan Province, where right" was the reply. I said the famous Marshal Wu Pel-fu that I had not seen her since was Governor or Warlord. He
During most of the years of the day of wedding. "No" he was commissioned to buy a com-
my sojourn in Chinu wè ali said, "he stay homeride, look plote flour mill plant. At that
lved Ülke Mr. Macawber, wilt- ace baby". But, I esld, what time I worked for Jardines, and
ing for something to turn up. happens when she wants to we ware keen after that bust-
from 1919 to 1927 the country buy something for herself. ness. We were disconcerted at
was hailed by petty civil war "I buy for he was the reply, the beginning by our chief com-
boween Warlords of the respec- tive provinces. Imagine a modern wile sub- petitor stealing a march on us. missively sitting at home, whilst Their compradore took a room her lord and master goes out in the hotel next to the im-
not portant visitor, so overy night of the week.
But he really meant it. As the clock struck 10 he would enter the office where we were to meet, and every time
met him I found t
Finally, in 1927, Chiang Kai- .equally exact.
shek swept northwards from Speaking of travelling. I had 'Canton and overthrew all the allowing his wife to go out even literally near him night and day, to travel extensively, especially Warlords, one after the other,
:
One man
to be
I
died-and
and the
world went to war
were those who said the Archduke Francis Ferdinand--heir THERE
to the Austrian throne before the 1914 war-was mentally unbalanced.
By many people he was regarded as a menace. He had a disconcerting habit, for instance, of picking up a gun and blazing away haphazardly at anything within range.
Jife...
a
Soon they were to have word an excuse for military :iction,
The Archduke La
ground-end bis the
exploded absence, had been "fried by under the following car. the society. A mentemos !of Two men were slightly hurt death had been jussed...and and the procession came to the members were sworn to falt! There was a cursory to altent the exooition when vestigation. Cabrinovic, who andzpórtualty presented it had made no attempt to escape
anyway, was, arrested.
The angry Archduke bellow. ed to the mayor: "This is, an outrage"--but the procession continued,
*self.
Respect
A Personality
was
Reminiscence is an account or narrative of what is re- membered, Narrative, how- eber humble, history. History is philosophy teaching
Judged by. by experience. that standard my narrative pery unprofitable. It doesn't teach much.
We might perhaps Icarn something by imitating the un- ruffled calm and courtesy of a man like T. K. Yung. To him we might apply that saying of Schuller, that he' was "iko" "a My years in China crested star, nasting and unresting" in me a profound respect for or the Managing Director of the Chinese merthants. If con- Tientsin Pakow Hallway, is on- ditions were hard for the other..good example,-a man of foreigner, they were raucheminent position, who could harder for the Chinese. One have kept people walling as long marvelledas, their: Innale as he pleased, but who refused integrity, and longimess of to conform to the usual easy Abre; at their setute moves, pattern, and, all alone, tried to sad imperturbable character, teach that puncttiality is the If the "market went against politeness of libgs. Cheza there was bo pants: they..calmly. held on to their slooks for JOACH
I met some interesting per- monalities. Among them I regard
Anyhow, profitable or other- wise, I have enjoyed talking to you, and I thank you for your patienterand kindness in listening to me.
this revolver and fired twice, tilcir weapons And Princip with (shaking handa nd the said his nerve had almost given 'powerless Archduko,
way and that he had been on The first bullet ripped open the point of withdrawing 'from the Archduke's Jugular vein "the plot. ... and blood poured from the "They were all given heavy
the prison sentences. gash. The second struck
Princip, the duchost in the stomach,
Garansin, -- and Cabrinovic, the bomb thrower, were both minors and could not be executed.
"IT'S NOTHING" But not feeling the pain, stro. stornation when she saw the Jurned to her husband in con-
blood on his face.
So in June, 1914, just 45 Aboard the train the electric less.
used in the Royal Compart- years ago, when he gloomily lights falled and candies forecast his own doom, no. ments. It's like a lomb, isn't one in his native Austria It?" the morose Ferdinand re- took very much notice of marked to his secretary.
But tho Archduke'a - Lore him.
bodings seemed quite, without But that same month, on foundation when he paid his June 28, 1014, in the gay Bos- first state visit to the Boshlan nion holiday town of Sarajevo, city on June 28.
As Pordinand drove through anassasan's bullet cut shori hig THE BLACK HAND Sarajerg, the pollen car in ad- streets, lata wance and two others in the sassination was the state pace, the procession of reas the would bring some peber-explained
Through the culminating crisis of a series of four cars wended its way to the tuck in their positions. In tense
"There were dix of "them incidents Town Hall, to the sentifubinatie international
facod; which, that same year, plunged and constant chours of the thou- alldellow, plypply the world into the Great War. sands who thronged las route, Kendudel youths strategically Yet, despite its curious con- But one spectator who was slton in the most notessibile sequences, the killing of Franels Belther aniling nor chooring is stage on the royal to the Ferdinand on that brilliantly
certatu. Serblan omeer, Appel Quay
In his agony the Archduke bunny Sunday had all the Colonel Dragan Dindirlovic Ozi one ade of the roadway
culled out to his dead. Wife'. makings of a third-rate melo-Cole, powerful math with there were houses, on the other according to schedule, and after Helpers hurried to the stricken urged hypnotic personality and an low-enbankingnt. Here the a ceremony at the Town Hall pair but Ferdinand
suspicious-looking Black the four cars made their way them weakly away.. Insatiable, love of danger and
Hand members all known back along the Appél Quay. All the trimmings -nooded for intrigue.
In helty whore secret socio- anarchists-waited without in- Fa cheap theatrical thriller were
thero,ceret societies, ... fles thrived, the Colonel war terference, v the Black Hand Gang, plots, the head of the roost powerful and counterplots. Leven the and the most fadrockton Black - his 'uniforint, ent next to his at- atractiva wife, Calling bénignly suspicious-looking · "conspirators Hand.
drama.
SECRET SOCIETIES
M.
six
The Archduke, rusplendent In
folly the police decided there was no need for any further precautions. They discounted the possibility of another at- tempt on their royal' quest': Ilfe. So the programma continued
("What's happened to you?“ she cried in alarm, Then she alid slowly from the seat of the car dead.
They were bach gaoled for 20 serve his time. Cabrinovic diet years. * Hit: neither lived sta
in 1910, Princip followed h „iwo years later,
It was Tomcially stated that their deaths were due to chest trouble.
ATHEN WAR:
But Col Dimitrievs, leader of the Black Hand, did not cacape with much a light sentence.
“It is nothma,” he whi. He was later executed a WRONG TURNING"
A month after the incident, pered softly,-Opfy and over The police car which had again he repeated sales and because of 11, Austria de boon protoctin's the Archduke nothing." Ten minutes later Clared war on Serbia, A few Téd_the_proopanfoni. But it took be died with the words still days later, sparked off by these * wrong turning shd:wae Lost, on la low, que tot besides, the world was engul
may ng ta the First World Ward The Archduke orderede his...ASANY
without murmur of protest, jBut if security probautiota, driver to contibus, without the escort, along the pre-arranged and with alfable on his lips, had been a little more sirlet, I rosite.
Princip the killer was arrested. is almost certain that Archduke Halfway along the Appel. The remaining four of the six Francis Ferdinand would... giebsted, the dring Quay the Royal car wet own conmiratory who Hood have died at Sarajevo.
me the bomb sat, down; for wn' atraption and the route were rounded up with. And partup there would
youth din 'n staw - Chainutos. All worn i have, beeg, 30% First pro hwards wrought to trincham War, no. (Treaty of
We four mod who took no wead no. Second WoĨA WA 15) cinty touF D5000, AWAY,wi nativo" part in the link muid eliberat
Bile the Terstroni atepped 10-year-ati podielka "Cabel-
on street corners with bombs This society aimed, so it said, 1 the crowds who cheered him roady to throw to further, national loyalty, and on his way.
The Archduke's visit to Saramado, a practice of holding Jevo had been arranged in Auri sobret "trfala" of:alyana ""Qui=; Etelä a long time before, but widered an enemy of the gauge, Francis Ferdinand was nať ñpp- The Borba, hated ither! As sy about the trip gekriena who stood in the War of
Aa Bag Jstopped" on la tho their nationa) sutnikygg
2- Jiwking with his wife, on the triana.comelnood (hint: Bezkalkjh evening at Jane La Arcbylake, dependence inspired
another Y
irons, ie, cheek GAYTUL PHONE,
Grafwan Wilson