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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.
SPARTON RADIO
*Rabiel Riobare Hare"
Sparton Model 16AW.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1932.
DAY BY DAY ARE
HOWEVER RICH OR ELEVATED, A NAMELESS SOMETHING IS ALWAYS
WANTING TO OUR IMPERFECT FOR.
sure ofther to the direct vote of the people or to the verdict of a second election-the Government of the day having the choice bo- tween the alternatives. Such a Chamber might be Instituted' by direct popular election, although the multiplicity of elections might | TUNE-Horace. not be good for domocracy, and it would be difficult to reconcile a directly-elected House to a Aub- ordinate position. Thus the Iden
A dance for Service men will be was advanced by Professor Hobbed in the west lounge of the Euro- house that, as an alternative, the pean Y.M.C.A., Kowloon, at 9 p.m.
to-night. Chamber might be elected 'on a
***
The P. and O. Ms. Kidderpore, from Shanghal, is due here at noon to
morrow.
WE LOSING OUR LAUGHTER?
By "SENTINEL”.
A PHILOSOPHIC, STUDENT of
the other day that Englishmen are
human nature assured ma phlous and unphiaidious congra-
tulation"? losing the faculty of humour. Wo
"It has come to this," complain- no longer produce original jesta ed the philosopher I have been or appreciate them, he instated, quoting, "that we must now de- and what Hobbes called the "sud pend on America for a supply of don glory" of laughter is far less original humour." Cortainly the frequent than it was twenty or American humorist has added to even ten years ago. With the ox- the gafety of this nation in the proportional system by the House The Peninsula Hotel advertises coption of Mr. Wodehouse, who is further and nearer past.
Mark of Commons itself, its members re-that as the sixth floor is being renerely the literary equivalent of Twain, for example, belongs as taining their seats for two Parlia-served for St. Andrew's Ball on a knock-about low comedian with much to us as to his compatriota. November 25, the usual dinner dance some knowledge of English and The only time I ever met him, on ments. To bridge over the will not take place.
| American alang (his criticism, not one of his infrequent visits to this change, half of the Chamber for
mino) we have not given the Eng-country, he confessed to feeling the existing Parliament might, it was suggested, be elected by the existing House of Lords, and their representatives rotiring at the end of Parliament would leave the next House of Commons, and
then
the
of
be-
every future House, with one-half A deluxe Multi-Wave Receiver of the Chamber to elect. The In SPARTON cabinet of striking merit of this scheme was that beauty. At a turn of the Band the Second Chamber would Selector and Control Knob, this reflect in equal proportions marvellous instrument is Instant-existing and the last House ly adapted for either the long Commons, and the balance wave or the world spanning short wave reception as desired. Atween parties should therefore be powerful 12 tube Superhetero- fairly held. Such an Upper House dyne with Automatic Volume would have ample power of secur Control, Tone and Static Control, Phono Pick-up
ing reasonable amendments to Jack, Band Selector Switch, and all the finest measures which came before it, SPARTON features.
and would most likely be careful Height 44 inches. Width 26 to exercise moderation in press- inches. Depth 12 inches.
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Dis.ributors THE HONGkong hoteL GARAGE.
The
Hongkong Telegraph.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1932.
HOUSE OF LORDS
REFORM
When we come down to bed- rock, however, these matters of
form are of secondary importance. As Professor Hobson himself has we need in these expressed it, matters less of the fanaties of sectarianism and more of the
unifying mind. Our reformers must learn to rely less on the ad- vertising value of immedinte success, and more on the deeper but less striking changes of practice or of feeling, to think loss of catching votes and more
ra. Theodore Roosevelt, Senior, lish-speaking world a master of a little depressed, owing to "sec- will join her son, Governor General merriment for a whole generation. Ing too much damp scenery." But Theodore Roosevelt, in Manila on There have been no successors to he became liveller in the course January 2, 1933. In a cable received Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll of conversation, and quoted an by the Governor General he is ad and W. S. Glibert, who were the amusing remark by his wife vised that his mother is sailing from descendants of Mother Goose, and, (which I have clean forgotten) Seattle on December 10.
like her, could create elemental adding: 'And I don't suppose sho nonsense-the real nonsense which has made half-a-dozen jokes In A wedding of interest to the Chi- resembles, musle in that It has no her whole life." Being married nese community was solemnised at the meaning outside itself.
to a world's jester must make for seriousness. Union Church, Kowloon, an Satur day afternoon, when Mr. Paul Au and
*
Miss Moo Yin Pang were married by; It is true that little volumes of
C. G. Leland, the inventor of the Rev. Dr. E. L. Allan. The bride-humorous verso often appear as United States, where he has been for fiera of Bir. Punch's School, who "Barty" where? groom recently returned from the Christmas approached. The vorai-Hans Breitmann and his immortal several years.
may perhaps be described as Sir De gompany fighted mit dable- Owen Seaman's pupils, are always
lega His Excellency the Chancellor will
Till de constable made 'om stop preside at the next congregation of virtuost in their way. But, avon the Hongkong University, which will with the help of clever illustra- was another benefactor to all those elleit those loud for whom, to adapt Blake's famous be held at 5 pm, on Monday, January tors, do they
1933. His Excellency has very gusts of laughter which purge the line, a laugh is an intellectual kindly agreed to preside at the open-mind of melancholy? As for the thing. i would not advocate a ing ceremony of the Fung Ping Shan comic rhymes for children, which Tariff on foreign-made, humour Library at 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday, are prepared for the Christmas which would exclude the joyous trado in gift-books, they never jestings of such American exports, December 14, 1932.
seem to catch on In the nursery-even though it might improve the Tho speaker at the Rotary Club except as materials for building financial status of Stephen Lea- Mark Twain's tiffin to-morrow will be Rotarian palaces or prisons for the family cock, manifestly Walter Brown, M.A., BSc., who will eat.
Auccessor, and other Canadian speak on "A Trip to Samoa." After
humorists.
.
•
a full discussion at the last meeting They never attain the popularity it was decided by majority vote to of Mother Goose'a "Barber, bar-
Besides, Canada has held her hold future meetings in Gloucester
of original Building, beginning with Tuesday, ber, shave a nig," or her lament-own as a purveyor November 22. A mollon was carried able legend of Dr. Foster's journey. humour ever since Judge Halibur declamation that a letter be And for children of all ages, from ton ercated "Sam Slick" with his addressed to Messrs. Lane, Crawford eight to eighty, the cunningly-wooden nutmegs, now universally Ltd., thanking them for the excellent wrought light verse of to-day is accepted as the typical Yankee service they had rendered to the Club never as mirth-provoking as Lear's inventor of "notions" made to sell. since its formation.
Old 'Man of Thermopylae who And in the late WAH, Drummond, never did anything properly, or who caused the French habitant The health bulletin for Eastern the proposal of Gilbert's Captain to tell us all about himself in his ports for the week ended November Reece to the little old mother of own quaint broken English, she 12, shows the following cases of his Bosun:
has given us something more than infectious diseases and deaths there-
And does it want a wedding an "opposite number" to Leland- frem-Plague, Beirut 2. Caes. Ian-
ring? goon one case, Colombo 2 cases, one death. Cholera, Bombay one Case
death,
(I hover look at the accompany-naturally out of the kindly soil, cases 3 deaths.
cases ging picture without emitting aflike a tree blossoming to fruition. deaths. Daghdad 3 cases, Basrah 29 sudden hoot of laughter) or any There is a line in his description cases 13 deaths, Bombay 12 cases 3 of Lewis Carroll's essays in word-of the sudden arrival of spring deaths. Calcutta 10-cases & deaths, creation, which is the very essence in the Laurentian land: Madras 28 cases 13 deaths, Nagapa- of nonsense verse.
Smalls, Calcutta 28
tam ons death, Rangoon one case, Tuticorin 3 cases one death, Salgon
It was a tempting ickle sing..
• *
one of those rare humorists, in truth, who seem to have grown up
And everyting crazy all over de place, which is always running in no caso one death, and Canton 13humorists was Edward Lear, and of winter are about to depart.
The greatest of these three good-my mind, when the dark dank days
cases,
•
"Hard
of convincing opinion. We need a fuller co-operation among those of genuine democratic' feeling, by whatever name they are labelled, and more agreement as to the order of reform. Given thin, there is every reason to hope and be-
I was surprised to find him left: love that English constitutional
out of "Great Victorians," though Nor would I exclude by means Although not a burning quen-changes can be devised along lines Then he turned to England, famous plebrows as well as the no-brows facal Cerberus would find them well aware that the modern stee- of ad valorem import duties (our tion at the moment, House of adapted to the real needs of the 18 a country which has given do not care for his staff. Though difficult indeed to compute) such Lords reform is destined to re- times, whatever they may be.
asylum to political exiles. The he did not hit upon the portman- recently-published provocations to ceive considerable attention in
Labour government was in power, teau iden (that was Lewis Carroll's laughter from the United States the relatively near future, Al-
But Mr. Clynes, refused to let discovery) he is unrivalled an a as "The Specialist" and
ward-juggler. He was the equal Lines." Ogden Nash, the author though figuring in party pro- A Man Without a Country.
Trotsky go to England. Recently of Byron and Browning in the of the last-named book, is one of grammes for some years past, the The march of the years and the his health became so bad that in making of triple rhymes, as in the the few vesifiers with the issue has remained largely dor-growth of the Bolshevist move-
desperation he applied to the gov-
following example:
common sense required for, writing There was an old Lady of Win-real nonsense. I find his delf- mant, due in great
toment from a radical theory to
ernment of Czecho-Slovakia for
chelsea
berately false rhymes as amusing recognisable form of government,
Who said, If you needle or pin at times as Lear's. Thus in his
shall see.
"Hymn to the Sun and. Myself," have not lessened foreign fears of.
His trick of coupling a serious the young man who is celebrating the once-dynamic man who, with Lenin, ruled Russia after the Re-Trotsky hnd almost given up in de word with an absurd Invention, as his arrival at the age of 274 and volution. The recent action of pair. he suddenly found that affects me as would the sight of privileged to be alive and do some in "quite galoobious and genteel," congratulating himself on being Czecho-Slovakin in refusing admit-Denmark was prepared to have an Archbishop entering the House of the work of the world from nine tance to Trotsky added yet another him as a temporary guest and of Lords with a green toy-balloon to five, is glad to think he has been to the list of countries that have There must be a moral in his story would ever have thought of ending his girl and so has succeeded in And who but he naturaller and naturaller" with he sailed last week for Marsellies, on a string. barred him and made him famous
a complimentary letter with the remaining a "careless baturaler." as the modern counterpart of
"ombliterous" phrases: "YoursIt recalls the pleasing popular "The Man Without a Country." Since Stalin made himself the un- contested master of Russia, Trot-
measure
matters of greater urgency and moment demanding consideration. In any event, the problem has not dominated politica since the powers of the Upper Chamber were considerably restricted and modified by the Parliament Act of 1911 to anything like the extent that it did before the passing of that enactment. Even se, it has long been felt that the Parliament Act by no means represented the sky has been living in exile in the full extent to which reform_was
the dull Prinkipo Islands near called for, and the position has Istanbul. Stalin'a agents, after thus been left in a rather unsatie- having taken Trotsky into exile) factory state. Not only have in a remote village in Turkestan, Liberals and Labourites kept instill considered him dangerous so mind the need of further overhaul, they gave him further marching but the Conservatives also have orders In 1929 and Mustapha realised that the time must come Kemal allowed him to live in Prin- when further changes will have to kipo. He at once set about trying be made. Hence the recent
to get permission to live olno- where. First he applied to Ger- many. The once-arrogant head of the Red Army applied in most humble terms. He guaranteed he would live in complete isolation outside of Berlin, would in no ease present himself at public meetings, and in his writings would conform strictly to the re- It is interesting now to recall | gulations of German laws on the some ideas which were advanced | subject. The governmental ofl- several years ago by Professor L. cials said they did not think Trot- T. Hobhouse, in his work
sky was so sick that he needed "Liberalism," as
Germán to the wisest
doctors and German Norway. There was a big debate watera. Trotsky then applied to
in the Dict. The head of the police expressed gravo fears that Trotsky might be assassinated. Norway refected him. He turned
re-
commendations by a body of Con- servative Peers and Commoners which aim at a cutting down of the numerical strength of the Second Chamber, a recognition of the elective principle. and the possible admission of lady mem-
bera.
lines on which to proceed with
reform of the House of Lords,
These onvisaged as a real need an impartial Second Chamber dis- tinctly subordinate to the House
of Commons, Incapable of touch to France. The French govern- Ing finance and therefore of over- throwing a Ministry, but able to socare the submission of a mea.
ment said the expulsion order, whereby he had been sent out of France, was still on the books.
permission to take the waters at Pistyan Spa in Slovakia. The Czech
cabinet finally refused and when
somewhere,
"Patience, dear! Let's wa it until the game begins."
un-
song. in which they all cried "Warrior" and "Freda," and is perhaps a subtle skit on our sloven- ly habits of slurred speech,
He sometimes produces spoof aphorisms such as:
A good way to forget to-day's
sorrows
Is by, thinking hard about to-
morrow's and:
A girl whose lips are covered
with paint
Has an advantage with mo ́over-
one whose ain't
(which is true, unfortunately) jand:
Among the anthropophagi People's friends are people's
sarcophagi..
It is all nonsense, with at times common-
a little favouring of sense, and if you do not love the nonsensical, you will not even smile at it.
* * *
It may be true, however, that we are not losing our faculty of humour but developing a more subtle senso of what is worth Iaughing at Sich is the conten- tion of some colebrated authorities on the theatro and the cinema whom I have been consulting over the telephone. They are all con- vinced that the British public is too fastidious nowadays to be amused at the "crude comedy" of Maria Lloyd, or even of that much more ample personality, Bossie Bellwood, who could hold the big- gest audience in the hollow of her hand. The Lion Comique" of the old days, I am also assured, would be far too leonine for the variaties of to-day. I used to say the same sort of thing thirty years ago, to
(Continued on Page 9.)”