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HONG KONG DAILY PRESS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1936.
BOOK REVIEWS
EXCELLENT READING
More Simple Science Earth and Man-By E N. du C. An- drade and Jullan Huxley Blackwell, Oxford 8/6. According to the preface:
This volume is in a sense a
the continuation of
previous volume Simple Sclence" the material in it will form part of a series of four separate books adapted for use in schools.
and
The author and publisher are to be congratulated on the result of their joint efforts. Of recent years there have been many attempts to synthesize the somewhat fetitious and vague entity for want of a
better
called term
"general science." Many are frankly text- books for the use of secondary schools, with little or no attempt
LITERARY INTELLIGENCE
When Louis D'Orleans was brutally murdered in Paris ch November 23, 1407, it brought to a close the career of one of the most notable and picturesque of 'me- diaeval figures. Historians as a whole haye been inclined to slur over the importance of Louis- surprisingly so in view of the in-. thuence of his murder over the whole course of English history. John Murray, however, is to issue on the 24th of this month LOUIS D'ORLEANS 1372-1407-a biography of the Duke-and the author. F.D.S. Darwin. gives a vivid pic- ture of a turbulent age with the character of Louis at last shown in its true importance and pers- ・pective.
FIFTY
vice in India, and gives a true pic- Sure
of our early rule in that country. It also brings into relief the utter, self-sacrifice of those kan great men, Lord Dalhousie and Lord Canning, with whom Low was in close contact from 1847 to the end of that terrible period 1857-8.
and
NEW FICTION
"The Dictator
of Death"
by
Frank King, (Jarrolds, London. 7/6) is a seven-and-sixpenny ver- ston of, the old schoolboy tale of
"clate what. Card has done for them. It ends up with the eldest SUR abandoning bis wife and throwing her into Card's care. She manages, however, to alter his en- tire outlook and his entire future.
W.H.C.
and
ers' list is in the form of a com-
the arch-villain who aims at con-
Mr. Crawshay-Williams' pen has trolling the world by some deadly been active for many years over a Sir Frederic Kenyon, formerly scientifle secret. X 36 is a loath- wide range of literature including Director.
Chlef Librarian some disease, infected by the Dic-poems, plays, political problems, of the British Museum, is issuing tator's agents, and arrested only autobiography, travel, war
by an anti-toxin which they alone adventure and, last but not least, his lucidly told STORY OF BIBLE.
possess. This very unsocial con- rather
varnished - than highly with John Murray on 24th Junu- ary. He traces the Bible from its spiracy is opposed by Paul Gren-plata, unadulterated action. His early form as fragments of Papyridon, a charming. Indefatigable latest contribution to the publish-
who calls everybody down" to the recent purchase of detective the Codex Sinaiticus, and gives a "chapple"; and by Tony Welling fascinating and important clap- a young doctor of amazing physi- ter of world history which is not que: he receives a terrife blow on as generally well known as it the head with a poker and passes should be. The illustrations give an hour in complete insensiblilty: a splendid visual picture of the a few hours later he is knocked uriconscious in a car smash: ret sources from which the Bible de-
that same evening we find him scended.
sitting unconcerned in the Troca dero with the beautiful Louise. It is a blood-and-thunder yarn. created in the vivid imagination of a former medical student. G.A.C.
YEARS WITH JOHN A new edition of Sir E. Hilton to rise above the humdrum, tech-COMPANY: From the letters of Young's (Lord Kennet) THE SYS- nical viewpoint of offering a diet General Sir John Low of Clatte. TEM OF NATIONAL FINANCE is sufficiently mixed to provide the Fife. 1822-58, by Ursula Low- to be published on the January 21, work has been student of tender years with an which John Murray will publish! This standard adequate introduction to the per- on January 24th-is the corres- thoroughly revised and brought up plexities of elementary course in
to date. particularly in the chap- the basic natural sciences, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
Few, if any. of these known to the reviewer achieve the degree of unity and continuity found in the volime under review. As express-
pondence of a" most capable soldier-diplomat during his ser-
line" in the preface, something not invariably achieved.
The sub-titie, "Earth and Man,"
Margaret M. Brash, in "Cresset ters that deal with, National Debt Lights" (Jarrolds, London. 7/8
book. Chapter Eight compresses, the history of science into a few vivid pages and manages so well that the reader is left wishing for more.
a
panion novel to "Night in the Hotel wherein he wrote of the "Hotel des Anges et d'Albion." Now, in dozen or so. short stories, he pictures the last month in the history of his hotel on the Riviera and gives a very interest- ing series of sketches of the lives of the inmates as they take their departure. It is a subject most congenial to the author's fancy and he has not failed to provide bis public with a volume which will be found very much to their liking. Hotels all over the world- be they Waldorf-Astories or plain pensions-are very much alike in
respect to the characteristics of
their inmates so that "Hotel Exit”
(Long, London, 7/6) should have a wide appeal.
has presented us with a very in- teresting and attractive story which is most delightfully written and frankly provocative. It is a novel which I am not certain will be liked by those who seek to Justify the right of married wo- Bridegroom; “And now, dear, that men to lead their own lives. The we are married, let us have a clear sum-author sets about to answer this understanding about our affairs, much-discussed question Indirect- | Do you wish to be president or ly but, in doing so, she does not vice-president?" attempt to mince words. John ¦ Card, a solicitor, is guardian the two younger children of his late partner. Carlyon. His task is by no means an easy one for each of the Carlyons are troublesome and pestering and do not appre-
ed in the preface to the earlier, furnishes the key to the thread of volume, "Simple Science," the ap sustaining interest for the subject
The final chapter, "Science and proach is to
matter of "More Simple Science:"" ....a living body of knowledge The .early chapters set forth the General Ideas," serves to which is interwoven into every- earth, its climates, make-up" and marize and unify the whole as thing around us whether ma- history. This is followed by chap-well as to, point the moral of the
ters on the chemistry of life, the tale as the scientist sees it.. chires or manufactured articles. or the play of natural forces, soll, agriculture, the developmen: and the stream, of life. A brief whether the Hte of the fields or the mysteries of the laboratory. and interesting discussion of the One concludes the second volume improvement
things with a sense of satisfaction that furnishes the climax to the main the authors have "hewed to the theme, but does not conclude the
4
£100,000,000 FOR
ROADS
Evidence of a Long Overdue Awakening to the Need for Improvement
All
been glad to hear or read what the Chancellor of the Exchequer, last last Saturday, had to say about the Government's Five-year Plan
motorisis will have
for the road.. At first sight 100,000,000 sounds a great deal of money. On reflection, however,« we realise that this big sum has to be divided by Ave to arrive at the annual expenditure. Now, £20,000,000 is not much more than one-third of the amount be- ing spent each year on our reads: and the natural question is: "Will this £20,000,000 under the Five- year Plan be enough?"
to
The answer, of course, depends upon what exactly are the Gov- ernment's intentions. Are the
£20,000,000 to be in addition the sums already. allocated by the Minister of Transport from the Road Fund, or are they to be granted in the ordinary way for road work generally, including
I1 highway maintenance? the latter, we shall have little for which to be thankful. If the for- mier, where is the money' coming from? It must not be forgotten that road maintenance cannot be neglected, "yet what we need are road improvements and new road construction.
We have reason to belleve that the Five-year Plan envisages im- provement and new construction rather than maintenance, and this suggests that the Plan will actually mean a great deal more money spent on the highways. From what source is it to be de- rived? The Road Fund's present revenue cannot be drawn upon, for an extra £20,000,000 a year, so either the Treasury will have to find the bulk of it, or-and this seems a possible solution-the proceeds of the motor spirit tex will be earmarked, as they should have been from the outset, for the Road Fund. Against this possibil- ity there is the well-known reluc tance of all Chancellors of the earmark any re- Exchequer to venue for a special purpose. It is easier for the head of the Trea- sury to make periodical donations from the national purse than to be obliged to keep his angers of- certain revenue,
ilving
Take The Irish Road
To Anywhere
"The "discovery" of Ireland is proceeding so rapidly that one
must hurry or else it may be ton
rate ever to see that famous and delightful, slow-motion civilisation that has. up to now. stood it ground against all the fake pro- gress-by-speed."
So many authors have recently written fire books about Ire and that the restorer and re-builder soon be in sight. Blarney may
Castle, re-edifled, with a loudspess ker on the eloquent Stone, may be the end of all things when Holly- wood has conquered the world..
That will not happen for a little while yet, however, and Ireland will continue its easy-going pace, even though already there are plenty of high-grade cars to be seen on the roads that have been remade all over the island.
Decidedly a superior book of is kind; excellent reading for the man in the street, and assuredly a volume to be casually left in the manger of mental pabulum for the younger generation-W‚H.T.
MOTOR
TESTING THE GILLET "AUTOMATIC CLUTCH
No Clutch Pedal: Entirely Automatic Operation
Certain modifications were des- cirbed that had taken place in the Gillet servo which automatic- A test ally operates the clutch.
of the device in operation has. been extremely interesting.
at
The experienced driver is first slightly worried by the ab- sence of the cinch pedal, for or the demonstration car no pedal is fitted to the mechanism at all, but he soon becomes accustomed to the machine, and thereafter finds nothing strange in the alter- ation,
1
Bride (sweetly): "Neither. You
of be both, I'll just be the treasurer."
*
"Td like a book."
+
"Yes, ma'am-something light?” "It really doesn't matter. My husband will carry it.”
JOTTINGS
A Five-Year Plan For Scotland
ז.
Captain Eyston Is Winner
Of Segrave Trophy
The Seclush High.ands, during the next five years, are to have 1200 miles of new, or reconstruct- FOR CAR SPEED RECORDS
et, roads.
the sparsely
SET UP LAST YEAR
For some years, popuikled Countles of the North. which contain some of Scotland's most attractive seenɛry, have been
London, Jan. 31. struggling with their depleted fin-
The Segrave Trophy for 1935 ances to open the country up to
has been awarded to Captain G. motor transport. They have ac
E. T. Eyston for his successful at- complished a good deal. The road
tempt on world records, including to John o Groats. for instance, is the hour and 12 and 24 hours at entirely modernised from Brora
Salt Beds, Utah, last September. onwards, and the County of Ross
The trophy, which was institut- and Cromarty have effected consi- derable
ed to preserve the memory of Su Improvements. Further
Henry Begrave, is awarded to the south, there 15 the magnificent new Glencoe Road. and round British subject who, in the judg- about Inverness many improvement of the Awarding Committee."
accomplishes the most outstanding
ments
have been made, both in
the surfacing and reconstruction demonstration of the possibilitiec transport by land, alt. re-
of awkward bends.
The Ministry of Transport co reakse. however, that these m provements are not enough and in
the next five years they are to make grante over £4.000.000 to the Counties of the North of Scat- land and to the various islands, such as the Orkneys. Shetlands and Hebrides. the roads of which need modernisation.
of
water
thic The simple idea behind tribute to Sir Henry Segrave is to stimulate others also to uphold British prestige before the world by demonstrating how the diep ay of courage, Initiative, and. skl can assist in mechanical develop ment.
And what a country for a carl Drive where you will you are hardly ever more than sixty miles from the coast. That is the joy and advantage of the deeply re- cessed coast-line. If you are any- Beyond mil question the where over towards the north. handling of the car is made easier west or south the Atlantic is "Just and needs less effort. When a round the corner. That is some- scar is heing changed the mere thing literally to write home about act of grasping the gear lever on a sultry July day, remember-knob serves to depress a part of ing. perhaps, your mouthful of that knob and 80 electrically dust, In central Europe that other withdraw the clutch, and, similar- summer, and water, scare, either to ly, when the lever has been moved drink or swim ini.
from one slot to another the re- The fact that there are "too easing of the knob automatically
PREVIOUS AWARDS many roads to get anywhere" in re-engages the clutch, so that as Ireland is another of the pleasast tar as the driver is concerned
The object is that there shall be The trophy was first awarded paradoxes, a relic of the days, changing up, to a higher gear is well surfaced two-way roads avalt in 1930 to Wing Commander C. E. when Governments diverted atten- effected without any regard for a{able for all trunk, routes, and one-
Kingsford-Smith. In 1931, it was tion from urgent problems by clutch,
way roads, with ample passing given to Squadron Leader H. J. L cutting Just another road to roundabout. But it certainly will not matter in the end if you lole not matter in the end if you lose your way. You will discover zome "native" who will invent a philo-neutral, accelerate the engine as sophy of life for you while he puts you on the right road.
That is tre best way to see Ire- land, just to take it as it comes.
After all, what really matters is not the source from which the money comes, but the certainty that it will be available, and of the latter, after Mr. Neville there Chamberlain's statement, can be no doubt. Incidentally, an encouraging fact is that grants totalling £11,000,000 for road im- provements and new construction have already been approved since April 5th this year. That is more than four times the figure for the corresponding period in 1934.
If theres no synchromesh me places, on the less important Hinkler, in 1932 to Mrs. "J. A. In planning these new Mollison, in 1933 to Bir. Malcolm chanism, and when double-clus-routes. ching is necessary, all the driver roads it has obviously been rea-Campbell, and in 1934 to Mr. Ken- has to do is to release the gear lized that they will be used largely neth Walter. tever knob when that lever is in by tourists
The Awarding Committee con- and touring motor! buses. A Scottish writer has com-sists of representatives of the mented on the large number of Institution of Automobile Engi- touring buses that he met on some neers, the Institution of Mechan!- of the most obscure of the High-cal Engineers, the Royal Automo- land roads. But it is on these bile Club, the Royal Aero Club, the roads that the finest natura: Royal Aeronautical Society, the scenery is to be found,
Marine Motoring. Association, and the Newspaper Proprietors Asso diation
requisite, and then grasp the gear tever knob for the further move- ment to engage a lower geat there is nothing either strange or dimcult about" that action, which ls unconsciously automatic.
When the car comes to rest in traffic it is a relief not to have to hold the clutch out at all, for the servo motor automatically diseng- ages the clutch and equally auto- matically re-engages it as soon as the throttle la opened' for a re- start.
Should it be necessary ter restart on a hill, all the driver has to remember is to press the gear lever knob after engaging first speed, thus keeping the clutch dis engaged until the engine has been
speeded up enough for the restart with the throttle. Releasing the knob then engages the clutch.
The device, in production, is not expensive, and can be applied to almost any car made, and to cer- Edin cars with the greatest ease Standards and Vauxhalls, for ex- ample. For demonstration pur- poses a Standard. chassis Btted with this device was provided
with a Bowden control for the throttle at he end.of a long wire by means of which control the engine could be accelerated by somente standing at the side of the chassis, and the car in conse- quence made to move forward or stop solely by means of its auto- matte clutch mechanism.
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