Page
BERLIN: THE HAPPIEST TOWN IN EUROPE.
BOOM IN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE.
THE OLD IMPERIAL GLORY DISCARDED.
BY SIR JOHN FOSTER FRASER. }.....
Paris, Rome, Vienas, Budapest, Warsaw, Brussels, Bertin, and of course, London, rities of the war: I have lived in all of them during the last year. The only one which bas an expansive contented smile is Berlin.
Berlin to-day constantly reminds me of a great American town flush ed with post-war prosperity.
eyes and healthy complexion of the English girl
THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, SATURDAY, JULY 23rd, 1927,
COAL THE FUEL OF THE FUTURE.
NATIONS AT LAW:
HOW THE WORLD COURT OPERATES.
DISPUTES THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED WAR.
AMERICA'S OIL.
THOUSANDS FACE RUIN.
OVER-PRODUCTION'S RESULT,
BIG PROGRAMME
NOT BEATEN BY OIL at THE QUEEN'S
CHEAPER PRODUCTION
WANTED.
NEW YORK. Much has been written of the
The Brat real world court in his-
rightful damage wrought by the tory-the permanent Court of a great foods in the Mississippi supplanted by oil as the fuel of the A firm belief that coal will not be ternational Justice-has now open-Valley, but comparatively little at future, together with a hint to the ed a new session at The Hague. tention has been called to another portunities, were leading features of Great Powers and small each re-
mining industry to seize their op presented by counsel, appear na great deluge, not of rater but of the presidential address developed parties in the world court just as oil, which threatens the seventh recently by Viscoun: Edeam to the Individuals sue and are sued in the largest industry in Everybody who has been away civil courts of each country. Dis States, and which will most likely at their annual meeting at the Hotel the United Society of British Gas Industries from Germany for a few years and
putes which in other days might leave a heavy amear now returns is astonished at the have led to diplomatic ruptures or bright face of American prosperity.
across the Cecil in London. change. Get together a bunch of even war are settled by the judges Unless something is done, and done who believe that coal will take the "I am one of those," he said, French, English, German, and according to international law, and soon, to stem the flood of oil pro place of oil in all forms of targe American young women of today unsuccessful uations can be conduction, only the strongest oil in is carriage and dress you will not demned in damages and ordered to tercets will survive. Over-produc interests of this country, the ap
power plant now using oil. The il be able to tell t'other from which, pay the costs.
tion looms as an ominous cloud parent significance of oil as a factor I was here last August, and I am danhs her face and the German girl the court will have to decide this industries, but in the petroleum of the motor-car industry have re
except that the American girl over-
One of the principal cases which over American prosperity in many in national defence, and the growth here again this May. Apparently does not use vermilion lipstick session is the Lotus case, in which field it has been aggravated and sulted in an unjustifiable belief that there is plenty of money. panies are paying good dividends education within the next month kish Governments.
Com though she will during her swift the parties are the French and Tar- emphasised by the science of the age of coal is past and that oil Unemployment is decreasing. Duror two.
The dispute chemistry, the rapid growth of im- alone must be the fuel of the future. ing three weeks I have seen not one
arises out of the collision on August proved machinery, the quick évolu- I do not believe that real facts down-at-heal individual. Berlinora cialities, and we
These, if you like, ara superfiend, 1928, between the Turkish tion of drilling methods, and final- justify such boast they have none of the ugly warned not to form conclusions vessel Lotus. The Turks arrested the lucky prospector, or "wild-
conclusion in the are constantly steamer Bo: Fourt. and the French ly by the gaiden returns awaiting least." slums which disfigure parts of from surface appearances. True. the officer of the watch aboard the catter," whose diamond-pointed oil was some two and a half times London. Within
The prescut cost per therm of years the working classes of Ger-Arst reveal themselves.
two But it is on the surface & people Lotus, holding him responsible for drill strikes into a gusher." The more than the cost of a therm in maay have deposited close a mans are not a guy lot, though decide among ather things whether have a financial backing of any Heat was the foundation on which The Ger the collision, and the court must fact that the "wildcatter" must coal, and was likely to be increased. £200,000,000 in their saving banks they are trying to make out they or not this arrest was lawful.
Everybody is well dressed. There are the bright young people of
thing from two to twenty thousand the coal, gas, and electrical indus. are no ragged ex-soldiers, showing Europe and the naughtiest; and if calendar the parties are the German as contrasted with the pick-and-him impossible to suppose that elec In another case on the court pounds before he can sink his well; tries were built, and it appeared to their medals, organs and whining for charity: stout wads of dollars, want to have and Polish Governments, and the for gold, does not safeguard the supplying heating for domestic pur
twirling barrel- tourists, especially Americans with
shovel equipment of the prospector tricity could ever supplant gas in subject matter of the lawsuit is an indemnity amounting to about 100,000,000 gold marks (£5,000,000),
the last
conditions, people whose all vanish- ed in the wild inflation period of five years ago, I know; but they are in the backwaters of society, and Berlin seems to have forgotten them.
་་
place they should strike for. O my desk is a pile of propaganda pamphlets of the gushing "Come to Germany
sort.
No doubt Germans thinks about the war, but the big crowd is not worrying about it. They have their war films with patriotic captions which rouse cheering, but there is none of the flap-doodie which characterises some, war films from Hollywood.
A City Rejuvenated. - Come straight from Paris to Berlin, and you are startled. You exchange the shabbiness of, the Paris boulevards for the bright, bustling rejuvenation of Berlin. Enormous sums, are spent on re- No Anti-English Feeling. construction, rebuilding, improv.
I have not once been conscious ing roads, erecting now works, pro- of any ill-feeling toward the Eng riding magnificent railwaylish. There has never been a look stations, and putting officials into or a word said to indicate bitter.
smarter uniforms,
suburbs.
of 'artisans'
ness-indeed, whilst I have heard
-President's £8,000 a Year. The Court has eleven regular judges and four deputy judges, each of a different nationality, each judge being elected for nine years The British representative is Lord Finlay, a former Attorney-General and Lord Chancellor. The salary
pre-
over-production, but rather en "hances it." When a "' strike "
made the wild-catter
17 must pro duce to the maximum, and cannot afford, as the gold prospector of times gone by, to take his time in working his claim.
More Oil Than Can Be Used. America of to-day is producing
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tance to go before they could take up commercially any of the low- temperature carbonisation of coal processes on which experiments success. If & market for the main. were being conducted with some product of these processes could not be maintained the low-temperature Process at once became unecono- mical
sibility of a method of turning coa! Neither did he yet see the pos into liquid fuel at a cheap cost. Ex- periments with this process, known as hydrogenation, showed that only) a few British coals yield as much as 50 per cent. of their weight as oil, and, in addition, the east of hydrogen and of the process itself were so great as to discount any hope at present of its becoming com
mercially prostable. It was cheaper
As a
coalowner he would say to the em ployees of the industry," Enough of these foolish squabbles. What gain
and
of the President of the Court is 78,000,000 barrels of forty-two gal £3,000 a year tax free, and his collo capacity each month, or at the leagues' salaries vary from £3,000 rate of 900.000,000 barrels a year
a quarter of a million more barrels to £4,000 a year. The President is appointed by the Court for three that can possibly be used. In the years, the office being held a pre- now pool of considerable propor circumstances, the discovery of any sent by M. Heber (Switzerland). Property value slumped during the English offensively criticised by
The court's first decision, which tions, such as the Seminole pool, in has been styled "The first judicial Oklahoma, recently, adds fuel to those Eightmare times of inflation, so speculators to-day may be said some of our former Allies, I have verdict by the world," was given in the cames, and helps to sweep pro to be rolling, in money. But dur- heard nothing in Germany but ap Germany the defendant, and the August, 1922 The parties were:
duction still farther beyond maxi. mum consumption requirements. preciation of how Britain" played ing readjustment the Berlin au- the game? and regret it should Allies the plaintiffs no longer fac With the discovery of the first thorities slapped something like
gusher" of the Seminole, wild to make fuel oil synthetically than Afty per cent tax on house pro- go to war with each other.
ever have been necessary for us to 15 at another in battle but across
the legal forum. It was alleged cotters swarmed into the field, and to hydrogenate coal perty, and with the money so ac
sunk their wells almost as closely The future appeared to hold thousands
Facts are lacta, and Germany i, that Germany in March of the dwellings have hem erected in the not growling like a beaten dog lick Tious year had refused to allow the Jogether as the tree trunks in a greater possibilities for the partial
ing its sores. The people are not
British steamer Wimbledon, with forest. Oik has been taken from and the complete gasification of the ground there in a veritable coal. Cheap coal was the vital Even in the poorest homes you to make the best of things Whilst munitions for Poland from France food, piling up still greater and necessity for this country.
they are fond of dwelling upon.
to sail through the Kiel Canal in will find a plano, said a German their culture--especially in regard contravention of the Treaty of Ver- unwieldy surpluses so that prices lady the other day during her to drama and music-their main sailles. Germany lost her case and have fallen precipitately, until to patriotic enthusiasm to show me sentiment is materialistic work was condemned in damages of day they are actually below pro- the German working man is better hard, and make money, and in the £1,708, each side being ordered to
duction costs. off than the Londoner. One is
pay its coats. constantly coming across German slack hours drink and be merry. opinion that the British working tell how Germany scientificially, in In a subsequent, letter I hope to man-is inclined to be-lary-Ger mans laughingly boggle over pro-
its laboratories, is strenuously there is to-day in Germany nouncing ca canny, but say they striving by synthetic production to ravenous desire for money making do not practise it themselves. I am
recover the commercial ground she and to have a good time. sure they do not.
lost through the war. Meanwhile, enhanced output, reorganisation to "Doing Themselves Very Well"
reduce overhead charges, fever for Imposing buildings are piling up efficiency, are carrying Germany to in the main thoroughfares. The prosperity-and nobody is more throng of women in the shopping conscious of that than the Germans centre is as great as can be en- themselves. I fad little concern in countered in Oxford Street on a politics-much less than ons would Berlin has the gather from reading the news finest restaurants in Europe, hund papers. Though there is a royalist reds of them, and they are all party, it is insignificant. The Re- crowded with genial people doing public is well, founded. When in themselves very well. Last sum conversation I have hinted that mar, when I called attention to maybe William 11. will be recalled, this, German friends said, "Ah, the answer" has invariably been, most of these are British and Never, never; never can we take American tourists." There are no back a man who ran away from British tourists in Berlin just now, his country in its darkest hour."
Whea the House reassembled and most of the Americans are
"Dead and Damned.""
after the Whitsuntide recess, there horn-spectacled Semitic gentlemen
The old imperial glory has gone. engaged in the cinema business,
The operations of the wild-catter was a sparis number of M.P. are admittedly necessary, despite present. and make the Adlon their head-The venerable and honoured Mar
the evils which accompany them. shal Hindenburg, President of the quarters.
Mr. Amery, replying to L.- It is the Germans who are spend. Republic, sits in his house on the
Were it not for his bold gambling Comdr. Kenworthy, said drillings Wilhelmstrasse smoking black Americanism, the Slogan. ⠀ many of America's richest oil lands for oil had actually taken place in There is no crush at London rail cigars, and his visitors drive up
On the other hand, there has ap. would never have been discovered. Irak. He was not in a position to way stations on a Sunday morn- ia taxi- be without challenge from peared a fightiness quite alien to A few years ago his "wildest activi give details of the operations of ing anything like the mob of Ber- the couple of palicemen at the the old Berlin life. Journals with ties could have done no injury, the individual oil companica. "In liners making for the country sides. Nobody ever wears, any of the sort of questionable jokes and because the market could have a replying to a previous question on thought it should be noted railway the orders bestowed during im- pictures one used only to find on reams could visualise. To-day, companies had not started drilling sorbed more oil than his fondest May 18th, he stated that petroleum travelling in Germany is much perial days; the medals now covet Parisian bookstalls are much in cheaper than at home. I have cd are those granted for athletics. eridense, and some of the entertain- thanks largely to engineering and operations until April 5th, and
it is a different matter. under spent some days at the popular Titles are officially unrecognised, ments are of a sort which would chemistry, i
those circumstances any resort, week-days as well as Sun- but a republican Minister offers no not be permitted in any city out Less than seventy years ago the statement would be premature.
Lt. Comdr. objection if addressed seYourside New York, Americanisation pioneer well was only caft. deep, days, and the impression one gets Excellency." As far as I
Kenworthy
asked is that everybody is prosperou
сад is the slogan. American methods, The deepest producing well in the whether the Colonial Secretary was All places of amusement gather the only people who stand mass production, skyscrapers, and world to-day goes down to nearly not in a position to give informa
A quite un-Tentonic
7,800ft in Califomis, and it tion as to how many holes were crammed. There are lots of night on their dignity are restaurant
poppiness shows of the cabaret sort. Last waiters. If you call Kellner," are the characteristics of Ger- possible through: modern engineer being drilled? August the closing time of the nobody heeds you; but if you ad-many's capital
ing methods to reach depths of Mr. Amery replied that there "Ober Kell- restaurants and beer gardens was dress an underling as
Germany owes a good deal to the 10,000ft Formerly, natural gas was no administrative reason why 1a.m. But that was too soon for her," he will respond; and the pro- United States. When, after the and oil could be brought to the private companies operating in Berliner enjoying himself. per way to address the real head hectic months of inflation, Ger surface just so long as the natural Irak should keep him informed of Now they are allowed to remain waiter is Herr Obert To save many steadied its currency and was gas pressure continued to drive the their drilling operations.
Lt. Comdr. The other early-waiters from the indignity of takin need of working capital it was oil out of the sand. When the gas open till 3 a.m.
Kenworthy asked dawn, when returning
warm afternoon.
ink.
the
0.15
is there in them for how much loss and It Thousands of Wells.
was the business of the coal industry Undoubtedly the wild-catter and as a whole to take itself to task his determination to make hay and ask itself how: could cheapen while the sun shines is partly to production and yet pay the miner blame. His excuse is that the odds the best possible wage. Many against his striking oil are five to collieries were out of date, and Whilst the sons of former well-one, and that when he "clicks should close down if the workers known families, who would proba- he must cash-in. Last year nearly could be absorbed. The remedy bly have been haughty Army off-3,000 of the 30,000 wells drilled here would appear to be amalgamation,
were cers, have to take what they can
dry, and many of those and the next ten years would wit fad, such as taxi-driving, I dis actually ending in oil sands" ness many advances in this respect. cern fervour amongst the working produced less than enough to pay The Duke of Sutherland is the clasacs, not only to jump from for their drilling. Then, again, new president of the Society.- being ordinary employees and to gil pools have an uncanny way of Manchester Guardian, put their brains to the test in com that a pool giving several hundred running away" ovemight, 30 mercial competition, but amongst the young fellows to improve their barrels daily may suddenly education. I un rather ignorant not count his profits, even after & lar success by improved dry; the operator therefore, does of what the young artisan in Eng-promising atrika, until his oil is in land is doing by way of prepara- the barrel, and you may preach MR. AMERY UNABLE TO GIVE tion; but here in Berlin I find the black in the face, but he will con werkstudent working to maka tinue to pump to capacity to get money so that he can complete his his oil above ground. education at the university. Col lege courses for men and women of the working classes are numerously ambitious young attended by people.
Deapest Well 7,600 Feet.
run
ນ
MINISTER AND OIL IN IRAK.
DETAILS OF DRILLINGS.,
making a to my hotel in tips, 10 per cent, is added on the Wall Street money-men who had all escaped even pumping was whether it was not à fact that one of it with all bills. There are excellent taxis gave a helping hand. I learn that of no avail. The introduction of of the reasons why we had taken with a sixpenny-minmum, and the within the last three years some sir pressure to take the place of such an interest in that country literary friends the Pitty taxi-driver in Berlin never expects thing not far short of £400,000,000 gas as medium, to force the oil was that we were told there wa
a tip revcaling a different men his bean lent to stimulate Ger- to flow rejuvenated thousands of a great oilfield ? * - tality from, the taxi-men in another many's energy. Confidence was old wells and added proportionate No answer was returned. capital I know.......
well placed, for with hard work ly to the ever-increasing anmal A New Aristocracy.
the German works hard and plays production. hard-and practically no strikes, it
www.
CHARLIE CHAPLIN
in
A Reissue of his Famous Comedy,
SHOULDER ARMS
ART ACORD
in
Fifty Minutes of Thrills
THE TERROR
V
also
By Request
at all Performances
TRUMPETER ALFRED GREEN
CORNET SOLOIST
WORLD
THOMAS MEIGHAN
in
TONGUES of FLAME
STAR
THE WRONG
MR. WRIGHT
ANCHOR BRAND
ROPE. *THE CORDAGE YOU CAN TRUST.”
PURE MANILA
MARINE KOPE
TRANSMISSION
OF
POWER BOPE
VABLE LAID
LAWEERS
ESTABLISHED 1854
YNCHAUSTI
ROPE
FACTORY
MANILA
"BOPES OF ALL
SIZES FOR ALL,
PURPOSES
MADE FROM·
PURE MANILA
HEMP
MANUFACTUR.
ED BY THE
W WELL
DRILLING
CABLES
MOST MODERN
-MACHINERY
STOCKS ON HAND OF ALL BIZES ENQUIRIES SOLICITED,
FACTORIES ——MANILA PL HONG KONG OFFICE:
KING'S MUILDING. TELEPHONE: Onwrkan · · 8155,
“J-PANS” AT THE THEATRE | PETROL PRICES REDUCED.
ROYAL.
ANOTHER. CAPITAL ENTER- TAINMENT.
Miss V. Capell's concert party
The local-price of gasoline of all brands has been reduced by 81.05 per unit of ten gallons. This Platz was a lively as Piccadilly Circus at midnight,
brings the retail price of spirit In former days the bearing of
down from 90 cents per gallon to German military officers was an
the J-Fans supported by the 60 cents per gallon. Over pro attraction when one took a stroll on the broad-pavements of Untei den Linden. Now they have com-
Chemistry has contributed to the Also the prospector is far from con band of the 1st Bn. Omeronians, duction in the United States is be -We refer to the social changes the fe no exaggeration to say that some great oil food by extracting from vinced that he is to blame for flood provided a capital entertainment lieved to be the reason for the war effected in England. They are thing near a boom in enterprise crude petroleum by-products in ing the market, and accuses the at the Theatre Royal last night. pletely disappeared into clerk more remarkable in Germany. A is now in swing. Important men, ever-increasing quantities. Instead
duction. The retail prices of
barbers, or to hazard commercial being-that of wealth. jobs, to become chauffeurs, to be new aristocracy, has sprung to like bankers and great indus of four gallons of petrol being a giant companies and their price!
The folk
cutting ware Leading oil com- The performance opened with Shell Motor Spirit, for instance,
are now na nader:Per case (con-- who lost their all-and it is to be to inquiring foreigners like myself barrel of crude oil, sem 1909, four-sincere efforts to dam the food, but band, conducted by M. Horace E. time (without asse) 87.90; par im-
trialists-especially when speaking tained from forty-two-gallon
panies, it is believed, are making several pleasing slections by the taining two tins) 87.35; per two Fraulein Transformed. The transformation which any Germany passed through was not everybody else is buoyantly options to produce less and to thoat and State anti-trust laws, followed by rousing community
remembered that the worst time oop to the cautious note: button-gallons are, secured today.
movement to control prices discerning eye most notes is in re during the war but in the year timistic.
The obvious remedy for over-pro- they face severe penalties under the Dowell, LR.A.M. and these were perial gallon in bulk 80. gard to the women. We must ceasr immediately following the wax So there has been a, dramatic form an economic policy which will and they must exercise extreme choruses of song making jokes about bullyhipped, are living with relatives or by sub change in Berlin, and even in the stabilise prices and automatí-
In number of songs and dances P. Gittens, Glendinning; Mr. ill-dressed frauleins. In less than letting portions of their houses.
CAR Cter imran khow some two years, since money seems to Bome impoverished families live on Psychology of Berliners. If Ger cally regulate the supply to meet
in production, but it may the "J-Fans" gave a really good C. D. Lake, A. W. Ramsey, T. V. The many is pour it seems to have the demand. have become plentiful, the Ger-renta so obtained. But much more plenty of money to spend on and is a difficult person to curb, howed deluge. In that event economic party consisted of Misses V Arnold, H Glover, G. Bond
wild-catter" well be a slight halt before a renew entertainment to a full house. The Harmon, F. Penfester, G. man woman has grown slim. She than in England-where we are in Berlin. It de not all borrowed ever, and, after all the country laws will eventually correct the Capell, P. Capelli E. Rose, B. carries herself as well as the Ameri- constantly proclaiming that finan from America. I know of no other must depend upon his operations situation, although only at the ex-Walker, C. Xavier Schierhorst, cert, arranged by Mr. A. Hari I
There was another excellent con- girl; she has appropriated the cially we are going to the depot capital in Europe where there as for the discovery of new pools, pouse of stark ruin for all but the D. Capell, M. Gittens, B. Wong ton given at the Cheer 0o vogue of Paris; she has the bright" (Continuca on niezi Column.), such evidence of general well-being. (Continued on next Columin.) -strongest.
Wontinued at foot of next column)YM
life
in any