Page
P.A.P.'s one aim:
to merge with Malaya
Gold TUNG
Our Correspondent in Malaya
Kuala Lumpur.
THE CHINA MAIL, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1959.
The first time he has put down his
real feelings in any newspaper ཀ WILL NEVER
GROUP CAPTAIN PETER TOWNSEND has had many thousands of words written. about him....yet he re- mains an enigmatic figure. Now, for the first time in a personal portrait for a news- papor, he talks to JOHN CRUESEMANN and tells of his life and his future.....
I
LIKE a simple life. But it is very difficult to lead one when you are made to feel so terribly conscious of yourself.
I am only complicated when life becomes complicated.
There is a great deal of mis- conceived oplulory about me.
SETTLE IN
ENGLAND AGAIN'
suffocated in work I lived in; I
both good and bad. So many and
by Peter Townsend
THE leftist Peoples' Action Party is going all out on what not to do, bet tie do intensely crashed beneath the the case in that we in these there so luke it o
as
to make Singapore people as possible in the shortest time with just one thought in mind--to become the twelfth state of the Federation of Malaya.
The government has already started classes for people from all walks of life to learn Malay. The lest adult classes started n week ago, and 13,000 started off with
Education Minister's the alm of 100.000 when enough School teachers
found. children are also learning more
and about Malaya
being taught to have a completely Malayan outlook, imununed to comununal sentiments,
это
are
out
The government has hil at the English-educated elite, who they claim have been "de- vitalised, almost emasculated as a result of deculturisation,"
They hope to make Malay the medium of Instruction
in-
stitutions ol, learning, the of the administration
language and Judiciary.
Now, talks between Singapore and the Federation on #scal, in- dustrial and trade policies are to be held here.
Thers talks will also FOVIT other pan-Malayan subjects such as immigration, posts, telecom- munications and income tax.
The trade talks will alm al securing an integrated commun market policy and a pan> Malayan industrial development prox.amme in which there will be no duplication or overlapping All these things are being done to facilitate a merger in the future.
The Federation can do with out Smgepare as its world part It would be un inconventence in the beginning for The -Federation but after Port Swel-
fully deve loped on the west coast of the Malayan peninsula, Singapore would be non-essential.
tenham had been
Future
That is why Singapore, whose whole future is tied up with the Federation, is going all out to WINK 17:0 Alliance Government here that Singapore state is just as much Malay as the rest of the peninsula.
shaping of the future destinies of the island.
The main reason, apart from the PAP being o leftist party, is the upset of the racial balance between the Mainys and Chinese if Singapore becomes the twelfth state of the Federation.
In Malaya, according to the last census, the Malays out number the Chinese in the pro- 3.1 to 2.3 million. portion of
estimated one There are an million Chinese against 150,000 Malays in Singapore today.
Racial
and One can't make long pontifeat weight of public statements once one is caught up
the little bellove that I have made a for- the outside, We are occured
also felt tube. This is far from being of hypocrisy and
ROCINS main, whe- opinion. I far as to say I have we or not, there De are some grounds for this view. wanted to forget myself in find-years worked harder than i like ing contact with a world which fore, and if anything earned We simply hate to glye offence. in a controversy. being in a running fight-and didn't know me, by travelling less,
We say things with the best 1 wanted to get the dust of I cannot afford to live in quite often it has been mo who the world in my hair and up my
luxury, tras done the running.
Neither would I enjoy of intentions rather than face I could not bear to stay it if i could do so. If anyone disagreeable, even dangerous, imagine I revel in publicity, nose. But in fact there is nothing I in the atmosphere of unreality mentions a night club to me, my facts. We are constantly being
in which I hnd existed.
natural instinct is to shrink surprised at the way things turn back. What I enjoy doing to to out. And when we change our dine quietly and talk. I enjoy minds, We get caught off our good talk. And I like people to guard. make me laugh.
can do about it.
People
Of course one makes terrible mistakes. I have believed things to be true at the time. Then I have found that those things no longer necessarily have the game Time choeges situn- validity. tons.
Serious
Luxury? No
For me boredom is one of the things I fear most. Once I am bored I get frightened and feel the lack of any attachment or anchor.
Making the Journey round the world in an open Rover car, not, mark you, in artificial comfort.
1
I have no intention of ever settling in England
again cannot say that I ever feel home- sick.
Dreams
1
So many Englishmen seem lo, be psychologically young, almost' innocent. We lack imagination about the things under our notes, but we love to dream of distant things, which is one of the rea- sons, I suppose, why we write
Few Englishmen seem to make
women-as women. Tinti a
All kinds of things have been
I was able to see that there rald about me, one of the least
were masKSON of people who true being that I am n light didn't give two hoots as to who creature. People who really was. This was an exhilara- know me find this expecially ing; berating experience. od ns they oflen say I take Now I feel I have got things couldn't be anything else. Yet an effort to really understand things too seriously. And they more into focus. Serious things are right. of
interest me. Like maiding docu- mentary travel films; and like against
writing a travel book, "Earth, My Friend," which I have just com pleted. I enjoy writing, hard as it is, because it makes me feel 1 ar nehleving something. I
A union of the two status would swell the number Chinese to 3.3 million 3.2 million Malays.
The Malays' fear of being swamped in the land of their birth by other races, especially the Chinese, has al- It is for ways been strong. this reason that the Alliance government hero has adopted Islam and Malay sa the ns- flonal religion and languagO of the country with special! privileges made to enfeguard Malay rights and interests. Singapore's cugerness merge with the Federation also siems from economic grounds, Trade is Singapore's lifeblood; and much of the new state's prosperity lies in the
role it plays ne the "clearing house" for both The Federation's export and import trade.
There is considerable feeling here 111 B merger between Malayn and Singapore is inevit- able
because both territories have too much in ceramen, and the division itself is only man- inade.
But even then with the emergence of the PAP in Singa- pore, the Federation has derid- ed to adopt a "wait and see" policy.
With Malaya now engaged in the all-cut annihilation of the Communist terrorists, the emer- gence of the leftist PAP has made the Federation even more determined to resist the merger with Singapore,
There is a for possibility that if Singapore lusen patience traiting for Malaya to make up tis mind, she may merge with Indonesia ire that country's formed by a democratic Social-
But the PAP has been at great pains to explain to the Federa- tion that the guvernment Is
plan for a Greater Indonesia. This dream also includes the Federation.
ist party and not Communist even though the party has some extreme leftist members.
England is of course one of some of the most glorious poetry the most beautiful countries in In the world. the world, But to me it is more an idea. I am English and there are some things in England which create in me a feeling of impatience. Above all that air of slient disapproval, as opposed to downright criticism, which can be so chilling.
Naturally many of the articles and even books written about me have disturbed me, particu- larly as some of the books pur- port to be inspired by me. But In this welter of intense pub- city there is precious little I can do, hard as I try, to after things.
When I rellred from the There are some people, even a For six years now I have ob- RAF. In 1956 I felt squeezed member of my own family, who staved my countrymen
I think many Englishmen feel this irritation, and it in one of the factors which pushes them clean out to the four corners of the
like spoed toe because there is something straight about it.
and
earth.
Paris
I was quite honestly terrified. Yet the girls who mureed us were wonderful. They carried on re- gardless. Writing like that was more trightening than fighting in the air.
O! All the many countries which I have seen, it, is France I like the bost, 14 Francć
where I think i would like to
settle out day. For me, France is breathlessly lovely. Above ell I love the French for their ispontanelly, and their zest for
living.
And now.、、 The desire to share, and more especially to give, is perhaps than in otrenger women men; but in both it is a bask instinct, which I hard to deny. can be
And I am no home.
More than this I no exception.
not may, simply because quite truly I know nothing of what
would find
One's company
the future holds for both immediate cr distant.
Now, al 44. after my service mistake a Frenchman would be with the RAF, after travelling incapable of making.
all over the world and getting
Personally I And it easier to get on with women than with
men, and particularly with older women. Women have a way of comprehending suffering belter than men do, although men feel suffering so much more acutely.
During the War when I was from in hospital and we were raided
Malraux, the rebel,
gets an appeal he
A
cannot ignore
Paris.
POIGNANT personal drama faces famous 58-year-old French novelist, Andre Malraux, who is Minister for Culture in the present govern.
Of the parties in the Federa- ment and, in addition, General de Gaulle's closest intellectual companion.
Federation.
the
The politienl
Reason
why Singapore is clamuuring to be lon parliament, only the "adopted" os Malaya's twelfth Malayan Socialist Party mem→ state is because there is con- bers-eight in the 104-seat siderable feeling in Singapore chamber-fully endorse the idea that a merger offers a short-cut of Singapore merging with to Singapore's full Independence. This feeling is based on the assumption that Britain is in no particular hurry 10 grant chance in the near future is the Singapore full independence as emergence of a Socialist
gov- long as the PAP continues to ernment in Malaya after the play a dominant role in the next elections in five years time.
in
off and it may be that their only
It is a case which would merit an excellent theme
for a play by Malraux's redoubtable political to become a spokesman for his foe, Jean Paul Sartre.
The merger is still a long way The theme of the play would be the case of a novelist whose work continues to make con- verts to Communism long after he had ceased to be one himself, and had become a fiery nationalist instead.
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on
Ever since the 'twenties Mal-
raux has been a major influence International in China, continue
succeeding generations of| Frenchmen and a living legend to sell in tens of thousands.
to most of them.
When Malraux now days, TC-
country," all his work and all his life as a man of action la China, in the Spanish Civil War, rusistance,
and in the French seems to contradict it. 'Responsible'
The other week Malraux was confronted with the full force of the contradiction,
A life-long friend of his, and one of France's most eminent
WHERE EVERY CHILD
WILL GO TO BOARDING
SCHOOL
by CHRISTOPHER DOBSON
THE ONLY RESIDENT RE. PORTER OF A BRITISH NEWSPAPER IN MOSCOW
Moscow.
FLOODLIGHTS light
up a new, five-storey building at the end of the road in which I live in Moscow, and the clan- gour of train and bull- dozer goes on far into the night as workmen rush to finish it.
For this is a priority project: one of Russia's new boarding schools. Khrushchev set the pace in a speech last May: "The time is not far dis- tant," he said, "when all our children will, if their
no grips with really. I know Parents agree, be deep down that it is the serious brought up in boarding things which I want to do the schools," most. Like everybody else, I have to go about my life, and I must carn my own living.
Copyright Beaverbrook Newspapers Ltd. 1959
SIR VICTOR AND WIFE:
MY 60-SECOND SNAP
ADMIRE Sir Victor Sassoon's technique with Interviewers. I saw this 74-
bear-old banker and race- horse owner in Paris with his former nurse, nearly half his age, whom he married re- cently.
Immediately on meeting me, he thrust into my hands
Headline of the In France Soir:
struck.
painters, has told him that his Big money His novels like "Man's Fate," garding the Algerian war, that son, awalling his call up, would
based on his own experience as
"It is not enough for a man to
rather desert than serve in the
an agent of the Communist pick up a rife for him thereby army in Algeria.
CHUCKLES
KISSES for
CHARITY $190,
each!
"Throw him one!"
camera
a superh American of the kind which develops photographs in 60 seconds.
For the remainder of m one-hour meeting with him I took pictures of him and his wife while he took ple- tures of me. I publish the result of the interview.
week dowry is probably a pre-cundi- Moon-ion of divorce,
I shall publish a third instal- ment in this serkul next week.
Absent friend
governces
Barbara Hutton's died In Paris recently and her death resulted in a somewhat singular funeral,
The governess, Mile. Tocquet,
This project is dear to Cum- munism; It leaves both parents free to work and it gives the 00- authorities ever-increasing portunities to train the children
good little Communists.
arc Ordinary schools
being converted into boarding schools. with classrooms rebuilt
10
dormitories. They are open to any pupil.
Politics
' And there are buildings like
the prefabricated
five-storey
school at the end of my road
all over the going up
Union.
The
Soviet
Russlans estimate that by the end of 1905 about 2,500,000 Russian children will be living in harding schools.
What are these schools like? Well,
to an Englishman. they seem to be a mixture of school, technical college, holiday camp. and political contre, spiced with some of the more pagan especia of English public school life,
Fees are graded according to the parents' come and range from 30 to 300 roubles (£1 to 210) a month; the State pro- vides the rest, and it has been estimated that the cost of keep- ing a child at a boarding school is about 800 roubles a month.
(The average wage for the whole of Russia is 800 to 900 roubles B month. Realistic conversion: 28 roubles for £1.)
Discipline
As la
Own
ali Soviet schools political education occupies an important place in the syllabus. Aad, far removed from the old days, the chlidren ure laught ballroom dancing+ de partment, table manners, and the finer points of etiquette.
Some of the schools have their own printing presses and furni- ture-making shops. The work they produce is sold and the money is turned over to the schools.
Dach school has its section of young pioneers, the Comi- youngest branch of the munist Party. And the children run their own government, supervised by grown-ups, through the ploneer branch.
The ploneers can petition The headmaster to expel or punish one of their comrades I ke shows himself unamenable to
Their scholastic discipline is enforced by a system of points, There is no physical punish- ment, no "six of the bes!," Prizes.
To return to the fascinating subject touched on recently, Anguished by the conso- here is Chapter Two of my in- quences of such an action, the vestigations into what would father appealed to Malraux for be the financial
discipline. conséquences help in ensuring that his son of a divorco in the Onassis who was 79, had been with Miss would not be asked to serve in family, Algeria.
Hutton ever since Miss Hutton's The other week I noted the childhood and had lived with certainly that Onassis's father her through all her six mar
And in appealing to Malraux he could not help telling him: "You have some responsibility the wealthiest
in-law Stavros Livanos, probably ringe.
She was a dignised, grey-
of the Grock
in this matter. Your writings owners, would disapprove of
a divorce to an extent which have ahnped this boy's think-
To his Ing."
great credit would bring a virtual boycott of Onassis in Greek shipping and Malraux has responded to the
financial circles. append with warm generosity.
Now For a man of such sharp in ittle deeper. What was Tina propose to probe a tellect, Matraux has always Onarsis's dowry when she
own a surprising, almost married?. The schoolboyith, capacity for hero million dollars. worship. Ever since to War
sum of three
haired woman who, without say ing anything. looked her dis approval more and more strongly with each succeeding marriage. In recent months she lived In a suite in the Ritz Hotel, with a companion provided by Misa
moved to a newly-soquired Paris flat.
Hutton after Miss Hutton had
Miss Hutton, now of course
this hero worship has been Livanos was less generous Baroness Von Cramm, could not unswervingly fixed on General with his other son-in-law, Niar- get an sirplane from Milan to do Grulle.
chos, whose wife received only enable her to attend the funeral
The points system is a typical Communist system. Classes not individualsgain points for good work and lose points for bach work. The points tatted up at the end of every year and, the classes that have
taken
до
the
gained 4,000 points or more are
to a holiday camp In the summer and
tho thentre" outings in the winter,
The classes that fall get no holiday camp and no visita to the theatre, A handsome man, Mairoux two million dollars.
She sent a wreath of carnations
Typical punishments are the lives with his third wife, the AB, in fact, the
financial and roses inscribed with the loss of 50 points for peeping widow of a brother killed in a aspect of a possible divorce has words: "To my dear faithful ] out of windows during lessons, Nazi concentration camp, and been under family discussion friend"
five points for jumping on this One touch ut the funeral stair three children in a large house in Paris, the subject of
dowry was most probably raised, intrigued me: among outalde Paris,
The 30th day of every month. Under those sircumstances it present was the representative is n big day in the boarding Ray be assumed that a refund of Cartiers, the jewellers,
school It Is Birthday Day when of tho three milde, dollar -London Express Servtes),
all the children who have had birthdays during the month are: given a party and presents," usually books, by the school. Favourites an presents SARTRE: "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckle-
berry Finn."
It is elegantly furnished in a
modern style and houses a superb art collection and many treasures discovered by Malraux in-bly wanderings liv the Middle and Far East,
Something of a recluse, his
Florence, in talented writer
those
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
only retention is taiking, His MAITRE FLORIOT: JEAN... PAUL eldent child, his daughter "Don't ever count on the "Communism like, but herself. She shares the opinion eternal love of a young men Communist intellectuals are of Malraux the novellat rather of 20. Save that kind of: than Malraux the gatesULES, stuff for the aged.”
Savages.
I cannot help wondering how
character would fire in the school at the etxl of my road.
those two wild, untrammelled
...