THE CHINA MAIL, FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1959.
THERE'S HK$4,800 A MONTH
FOR MEN WHO SEEK
WEALTH IN THE SAHARA...
FOR
Hassi Messaoud.
hundreds of miles on all sides stretch the burning sands of the Sahara. Not a tree, not a blade of grass anywhere, This must he one of the most desolate places on earth.
I am half way between the desert oases of Touggourt and Fort Flatters. It is nearly 125 in the shade. And here, in this sen of sand, in this God-forsaken desert, a story is unfolding that is going to change the life of Europe. At least that's what the French say.
For the French own these sands. And beneath them they have struck oil. In Algiers, nearly 400 miles to the North, I won told: "There kan been. mathing life this since the Americans opened the Middle West. It is the pioneer. Ing story of the century."
I believe they ure right.
Four thousand young men are working day and night, to ing this falulonis wealth. Many of Bir have the ntr of visionaries
Bonewth ane at this moment are some of the world's largest tererves of oil, Hassi Messaoud has the eighth largest Dil potential in the world And it is only one of many oil fiebis Trently discovered att over the Sahara.
Rich pool
A pipeline is being built the Mediterranean coast. September the mit will start flow.
111
in
10
·
Within 18 months ali of France's il nruds will be Supplied by the Sahara-after that Europe will dip Inte this nch post in a land that Fur eruluries was though! 1 ustless,
The destiny of France will be settled by the tough young
Has Frenchmen here in Messaoud battling against the Fantacle heat of the dryert.
**You have to br yung k work out
Here," sudd Pierre Desforges, who has been with the project since it started two "Even the head of years ago The oilfield is only 34.
"Only two secta apo there was wahing. Just an ancient water-well that was a stopping» place for caravatis,"
The old well is SUN There, near the collection af huts that is the exmpany's camp. On the baked while wails around it are seratched the names of thirsty Legionsaires who passed this (The Sahara way years ago, was not entirely explored and the Arul tribus noljubdued till the 1930's)
[POCKET ĆARTOON
by OSBERT LANCASTER
London Express Bervice,
HỒNG KONG
•
But standing at the well nee the camp, now you can growing larger every day, the derricks where new wells are being built, and the pipe-1[nes criss-crossing the sand.
There re two camps, OMI and MDI, run by different oil companies. 1 am in MDI.
There is not much comfort or
inxury Za Hassi Messaoud. Bedrooms are in raised caravan- like huts cavered with matting To keys of the glare of the sun.
On every desk, CITE every ruble there is a bofile of water, Rembat the continuni dryness and thirst. At the long tables in the messes there are bottles of salt tablets which counteract the heavy loss of sweet.
1
SPAIN
Algiers:
ALGERIA
Touggourt
Colomb. Bechar Ghardala
SAHARA
Tindouf
SAOURA
Rossi Massacud FL. Flatters DASES
Tamaprasact
BRIAN GARDNER reports
on
the now Saharu, the wilderness that was once a grave for travellers and explorers, where men now work in 125 degrees in the shade to produce the oil that is hidden there,
afternoon-the tormac is able to mett!
Blair took me out to ser ond of the new wells, which is now producing oil, We went across the sand in a truck with spare cat of water, and shovels in case we got stuck. Before we left, the bonnet nad wheels were sprayed with water.
Beside the well, about half bu hour's sand slithering drive young French oilmaa away, it was crouched In a tent, gasping over a task of cold fea,
"Just think," he said. they kind of person you would
this pluce Satura; nu women employees have met ti
Prats usta tunk! have been ti
Visionaries
It is a man's world in
in
T20:0
I felt nearer dead than alive, anyway. Blair had passed two rigid physical tusis before coming
The Sabara, I
of the oil companies are allowed. There are no amusements apart drad one. From an open-air cinema and the well-patroulsed bars. Every- one works incredibly hard almost impossible conditions.
With the sun beating down hadn't.
a cloudless sky. all day from
We went back across the In shorts, szúndals men work
ittle Foreign (hoes are impossible, because desert, past a
that Legion forl
the French
of the sand which gets in every have built to protect their thing) and enormous cowboy siy Interest hats.
are
some
non-
There Frenchimon here. Among them
Bob Blair, is 31-year-old Ulsterian. I met him in
4:1
une was
of the camp bars when I downing a quart of lend orange squash.
"They
"It's rough," he saith, ane to pay the highest salaries b the business outside America to get us."
Blair is paid about HK$4,000 a month. And be carne every penny of it in sweat and toil.
With its walls, and the lone
This was typical of the sort of excitement that, is always present.
At dinner 1 was given a six- course meal in the "officers' ves," Even in the middle of the wilderness Frenchinen know how to eat.
Twenty of us sat down at one table, including the young head of the cup. Rough jokes Bloated about with the wine and the cognae. Someone produced gramophone. A few minutes of relaxation-then back to work,
Incredible!
1
Blair and an American vil expert, Bown but especially from Texas to solve a drilling problem, took me to the only nightclub for 400 miles.
This was Baltvier's, a kind of hole in the sand roofed will
matting,
An incredible pluce- two benches, a trestle table, a portable radio, ond bottles feed beer.
of
A German girl, the only woman in Hössi Messaoud, serves behind the bar. She works at wint must be one of kentoy at the sale. i looks the toughes! Vatero in Afrika. ..like something out of Bean M. Bouvier does not have much
Geste. Overhead the Tricolor of
nightclub now, But Butters lazily in the occasional he is in at the beginning breeza that is like a gasp from One day he may be a million- a suddenly opened furnacere, door,
}
In the camp we went straight
to the bar, where a good sile
In fred drinks was taking place,
"With the
Matural gas TIN hare discovered in another part of the desert, France will soon become the third enCTU 10- time for ducer
in the world, after anything else but work. Even America and Ituasi." salt after dinner I go back to my young Frenchman.
Mer."
"There's not much
A handful
Canadians, of Americans and Britons have got cought up in the visionary uspeets of this place as much as the Frenchmen. They know they are ploneers; that they are In at the beginning of an extra- ordinary adventurą,
Blair keeps
his
A THOUGH there is no
support
NO EGRATION
vickien
NO
LITTLE ROCK GOVERNOR FAUBUS
"Message from Mr. K, boss, he wants to come and visit our model schools
London Express Sercier,
Whether you're drunk
or just difficult, Moscow
Moscow.
JOHN JEFFERIS, a cops are the best
25-year-old engineer
from London, has just been fined £11 in a Mos- cow traffic court.
Je was driving a car which knocked down and broke both legs of an elderly Russian near Gorki Park.
The remarkable thing is that there have not been many more neidents involving tourists who, like Jefferis, have gone driving holiday in Russia.
(
As we left Bouvier's, with its Moscow k crammed with radio music from Algiers, the foreign cars and they are lined barmaid was dancing with the up in ranks outside the Intarkt
o from Texas.
hotels. We drove back past the fam-
in the world!
by
CHRISTOPHER DOBSON
THE ONLY WERTERN CORRESPONDENT OF A NATIONAL NEWSPAPER REGIDENT IN RUBBIA,
ing Jets where waste gas ja This accident is the first of burned off, lighting up the night | which i have heard. But inevit- One thing is certain. Nobody heavy bill for his night's bord sky.
ably there will be more.
In will be able to skip town with- and lodging. Work starts in the desert atevitably there will also be
AB cut paying his hule bin 6.00 1.m.
There are wells to tourists picked up for druzken- tourists here have be drilled. Ronds to be buillness, black-market currency their room and Pipes to be lald. There is an- deals, and sundry other crimes they arrive, other tough day ahend,
in the Soviet calendar.
NEWS FROM
By Peter Burgoyne
concrete evidence to the view, the wife feeling is rife in London Algiers, But because of the that Mr Selwyn Lloyd will, conditions he gets one week in four off and, like everyone else, geis flows out to Algiers.
in the not so distant future. hand over the reins of the
Foreign Office to a success.
HOT.
for th
BRITAIN
effect which is heightened by their scarlet tunics and towering hourskin caps. They are very, very "U."
That's the build-up. Now for the incredible truth
All supplies are brought in by plane and huge desert trucks (the bonnets are about nine feet
Tall bow the most heavily the high). Planes cannot use
post hat airstrip between 11 and 5 in thepped man
been present Colonial Secretary Alon Lennox-Boyd. The klea that he would take over the The Scols Guards are con- Foreign Office quickened recent sidering appointing a publicity ly when he xotched rumoura agent for Uns regiment in a bid that he planned to relire from to spur recruitment. politics. It was said then-ansi
JAPAN
SHUI CHEUNG. PEARL CO.,
bi usually sound quarters-that I can just hear the Bilmps
oge military glory seems to have last much of its old magnetism, and the unvarnished fact is that recruliment is suffering.
regulations is almost certain to commit some sort of traffic offence. After seven months here I am still baffled by somo of the regulations.
There are some streets where you can only turn right on
where roud light, and others you have to get two green lights showing before you
turn
Jeft.
con
In court
L
to
However,
you don't have Drunks rarely appear in court. to pay for board before But what does happen is that an worry too much about it. When Russlan bobby finds that he habitunt drunk is enstigated in has whistled down a foreigner the wall newspaper at his factory who doesn't understand what ho But what will happen to those or office.
is waying he usually throws up tourists who do break the law?
Currency uffences depend his hands in mock horror and The Russians have made it quite largely on the amount involved, waves one on with, a grin. clear that they will go through If it only a small amount. £10 the normal processes of the
or so, then the likely course will
Accidents are a very different
Soviet counts just as "Nina of be for the money to be caufis matter. The police cease to be
the five hats" was dealt with under our own bows.
In some
cated and the ironiens kicked easygoing then and the situa
tion becomes very legal and straight out of the country.
very formul.
the Russian wayn
But any large-scale trafficking Jaws are more lenient
than would certainly involve a heavy fours, in others harsher. I ind it difficult to
prison sentence. sympathette. For, according to
bc
A tourist who goes out on the
n Scots Guards spokesman, re-binge would run little danger be of "appearing in court on #1 prosperity has drunk-and-disorderly change.
cruitment has gone down case national gone up.
Long Summer
summer
Wis. Day after day gene
Patience
Fines
ho If a tourist stands tril
SI will find himself in court room facing a judge and two assesSOTE.
The judge is a State official, but the assessors, like our jurors, eat come from any profesalon. There will be wooden benches However, not many people are going to get involved in black- for the pubile and a picture of market money deals.. Just like Lenin hanging over the judge's
dais. everywhere else, traffic offer.ces
far will
out-numberny really criminal behaviour.
Despite the drive to curb this drunkenness, Russians are very
with in drunk. Most The Rudan traffic policeman policemen do nothing about D is the most patient, gentle, long sunshine and soaring tem-roveller unless he is completely suffering copper I have met any- peratures, Shirt-sleeved incapable or making a nuisance where in the world. policemen on point duty, for himself. Jinen jackets in the Stock
he had made up his mind to sputtering in their clubs: "Da Exchange, shirtless specta drunk is hauled away to quit the House of Commons but mult, str, just like a bunch of had been persuaded to stay on confounded television comics for at Lords, by the prospect of brevining ..." Foreign Secretary,
.
at a
The man on trial usually Elts on the front row of benches and large gives his evidence lectern. On his left is for his defence lawyer, and the right there is another desk
drsk
on
for the proseclating counsel and expert witnesses.
The defence lawyer
the court and painted by
Both motorists and pedes Then a lorry is called and the trians argue with him in a way. a which would certainly lead any
cos nothing. cooling-off station," where he Briton or American to court in
I sat during the trial of a o given
His double-quick time.
tnxi-driver who had knocked When you have committert an down and broken the hip of t offence he will blow his whistle midle-aged woman. It was all In the morning he is awakened to stop you, then approach and strict, air, and legal, and very with a cup of milk and a very salute. The salute is universal similar to our own magistrates'
even taxi-drivers get 11.
And on Waterloo Bridge on clothes 2 cold room. You might think that 300 recent hot day I saw a parked him and cleaned.
are taken away from
Now the word is circulating years of milltary glory would be police car containing three that the uble Minister of publicity enough for the regi- policemen solemnly licking leed Labour, Mr. Iain Macicod, la in ment. But In this unromantic follies..........
the running for Mr. Selwyn Lloyd's job. And this view las
THE ONLY SPECIAL PEARL ORNAMENTS been given impetus by the coin-
STORE IN HONG KONG
·ORDERS FOR EXPORT ACCEPTED
WELCOME TO ALL THE LOVERS
OF PEARL ORNAMENTS
at
Man Yes Building, 1st Floor,
Room 120-122 ·
Tol. No. 31640-20379
eldence of the Foreign Secretary and the Minister of Labour holidaying at S'Agary on the Costa Brava.
Incredible, Sir!
To
appreciate
Just Fancy That!
Colombo. EYLON'S bachelor Education Minis the C
ter, Mr Wijayananda Dahanayake, enormity of what I am has decided to pay parents an allowance about to reveal you have to of eight shillings if they send know the awe with which children to school. the Brigade of Guarda in held in Britain.
their
Education is free In Ceylon from kindergarten to university and midday Το confuse them with meals too are provided. But the Govern ordinary. soldiers Lo near sacrilege. They are the elite ofment has found that 500,000 children do the British Army, strapping not attend schools because of their
specimens parents" poverty, physical afficered by the sprigs of im-
young
The allowance of eight shillings will peccable old farmliler, As the grandions of the Queen they are be paid to parents whose monthly income appropriately Olympian, an is less than £7; Local authorities will bo
*
K
Thon comIS the discussion about the offence. Each pollee- man curries a ticket punch. he docides an offence has been committed he clips the driver's ilcence.
buen
courts.
Fairness
Evidence was taken from on eye-witness and experts, Tho opposing lawyers argued thetr When the licence has
cases. The driver gave avidenco an his own behalf. Evidence of asked to assist by providing free books clipped three times it is taken
his character and good driving for children in their areas.
away and tho driver is issued a class two loence. If that gols record was given and the Judgo and his restars--one of them clipped three lines it, too," is London.
taken away and he gets a class woman-rellred to consider three licence, And it that gets their verdict.
When this came it wits tough, CRICKETERS having a drink after a three little holds punched in it
thunderstorm had stopped play at the driver doesn't drive ang but fair. The driver would have to pay 10 per cent hla salary Instow, Devon, looked out of the pavilion more.
for a year, deducted Bike PAYE window--and nearly dropped their The policeman can also levy from his wage packet. glasses,
Anca the spot.
The cam of any Briton in to trouble here will, of course, bo anfteen-rouble incs (say £1 Advancing across the ground was
H.) are quite common The watched by the consul's depart- army of baby toads--thousands of them. driver gets the receipt and off ment of the British Embassy
Then the sun came out and dried the ho
от But
one point he nood have no worry, In a cre of this pitch. The toads rotreated to a nearby cene.
cort he will be treated with the marsh. Play-between North Devon and
Any tourist driving here who most scrupulous fairness. the Free Foresters—was 'resumed. . haan's midied the Rusoden treffte will be'as just as 'Bow Street,
on
Ten or
Kattered with his govo