THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1937.
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The
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Hongkong Telegraph.
Thursday, OCTOBER 28, 1937.
Twentieth Governor Of Hongkong Hongkong to-day welcomes another Governor and his Lady -Sir Geoffry and Lady North- cote.
They have been sent to this Empire outpost at a time when history is being made around it. The map of Asia, pitted and stained by another ruthless war, may suffer a painful shift- too ing of boundaries, never secure, during Sir Geoffry's stay here. The responsibilities of office which he shoulders when he takes the onth to-day may weigh heavily upon him at some later date, for Hongkong has an important part to play in Far Eastern affairs, and may have a still more exacting one. For one thing, the Governor of this Colony has a task such as British diplomat ja rarely called upon to perform, in the administering of the War Relief Fund at present being raised in Britain to ease the suffering in China.
a
WHO'D be a
CHAMP?
F one could
obtain
the vate of every
by
ambitious youngster in James Butler
English-speaking coun- tries whether he would prefer to be a President, Prime Minister or a world boxing champion, I am certain that an overwhelm- ing majority would declare in favour of ring stardom.
It is no exaggeration to de- clare that big-time boxing is infinitely more international than racing, football, cricket or any other popular pas- time. Thousands of boys have been ardent hero-wor- shippers of an Alex James or a Jack Hobbs. Millions have enthusiastically- discussed the qualities of Joc Louis, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Georges Carpentier or Tommy Farr.
have
Youth and Age always been fascinated with the prowess of a champion puglist. But the real magnet is The Big Purse.
£ £ £
They remember Tunney's stu- pendous share, £247,012, when he defeated Dempsey the second itme
at
Chicago and Dempsey's £117,250-at the rate of £30,000 a minute when he knocked out Lula Angel Firpo, the Italian Spaniard from Buenos Aires. This was the most sensational of alf
Dempsey's fights, when the powerful ex-ball fighter sent the then world champion crashing through the ropes clean out of the ring: Dempsey's £75,000; Carpen Lict's £50,000 for the greatly dis. cussed so-called battle of the cen-
tury at Jersey City in 1021.
It is this fantastic Aght financo that intensifies public interest roore than the actual match Nowadaya match-making is such a commercial art that boxers' managers generally arrange for s percentage of the "gate," car park, bata, programmes. Some of them
have even demanded and received their cash-income tax-freo..
£ £ £.
Because of the enormous sums paid to a few world championa you will frequently hear the inane remark: "I wouldn't mind being knocked out by Louis or Farr for £12.000!" Proving that tho speaker has covetousness, but not
courage.
How many, I wonder, would be ready to take a cheque beforehand
ALL
for £12,000 for an awful hiding such as Dempsey inflicted upon Carpentier; the ruthless ham- mering Mickey Walker dealt to the plucky Scots baltier. Tommy Milligan, at Olympia: the mas- Senegalese whatch the sacring Negro, Battling Bikl, administered to the French Idol, Carpentier, be- fashionable fore thousands of Parinians of both sexes one Sunday afternoon!
Ring romance and ring trage- dles sinik side by side in every championship light. The champion of to-day is the discard of the morrow is a truism of the sport. It is a paraphrase of the age-old tag: "The King is dead; long ve the Ring."
£ £ £
With the exception of perhaps Tunney and Dempsey, most of the former champions are for- getlen some of them broke. While Joe, Louls was defending his title against Farr at Yankee Stadium, New York, the founder,
'big purac shall we say. of the movement. Jack Johnson, so it was stated, was an exhibit in a side show at a nearby amusement park,
Tunney can thank his lucky star that he was given an excellent education. Also he had the un- usual experience for a boxer of obtaining commercial knowledge while employed as a clerk in a store. This proved of incalculable value in the years when he was to become a championship conten- der and champion. When he de- elded to retire for good ho settled up his indebtedness to his agents. His fortune was thus protected from the grafters,
£ £
£
Dempsey has become the most popular fighter in America, but he lacks Tunney's flair for keeping the "dough." Two of his greatest friends told me that the old "Mauler," as he is affectionately called, made over best part of his ring earnings to his former wife, Estelle Taylor, the nim actress..
Dempsey has tow illusions in life. His description of his romantic From Rags carcer is picturesque:
les" and ls more or less to Riches, truc.
A youngster must have remark- able assets if he hopes to reach the top of the boxing world. The hide of a hippopotamus; the diplomacy of a Disraell; the courage of a cougar.
Because there are heartbreaks
1. It is fantastic fight finance that intensifies public interest more than the actual match, says the writer of this highly
topical article, in which he helps to answer the question: "Do Boxers Earn
Their Money?"
Tommy Farr's experience is that of most boxers who have eventually reached big money.
at every corner of a boxer's life. Managerial problems. The risk of accident. The possibility of being blinded. and maybe some per- manent injury.
Jack Petersen has retired with a fortune. He is too wise and care- ful to squander the hard earned money that nearly cost him tho sight of an eye.
Tommy Farr is anything but a free spender-Indicating that he possesses, among other qualities, wisdom. The champion, to make a lot of money, must look after the pennies as well as the pounds. Len Harvey Is another brilliant Britisher who is a comparatively rich man.
L
Gershon Mendeloff, more familiar to readers as Ted (Kd) Lewis, son of a cabinet maker in East London, must have received nearly £200,000 for his many fine frbts in America. He has told me that sometimes he believes It was more.
Ho never kept any records or books to show the aggregate of his carnings. What an extraordinary life story is his. I recall him as a
I WANT IS SERVICE!
I THINK It can be preity well taken The first reason I can fully appre-than the rain-gauge readings of seme
for
granted that
price of the franc concern me no more) ramps nearly every clate. It is common to everyone secluded village. Financial
(whatever they are) and bogus com- human being has a passion for own-and some animals.
|
skinny-built youngster boxing for -purses of icss than half-a-crown, He crashed his way to the top by sheer strength of will as well as physical power.
Had he been able to possess sonic degree of philosophy and thrifti- ness, the Kid would still bo well off.
he spent money VIL... But atmost as Just nd he earned It. What a grand fighter was he at his peak. An example to every boy who starts in the game. Ounce for ounce I regard Lewis as the equal of Jack Dempsey, Mickey Walker, and Jimmy Wide.
£ £ £
Sporting Jewry has reason to be proud of the fighting spirit that -carried -Lewis-to-a-world-cham-
plan's Litle..
Yot. while these champions I have mentioned provoke admira- tion from followers of the fancy, what about the thousands of boxers who haven't anything to ahaw for their herole battles-
ears and broken except thick
повсь?
I meet these pathelle derelicts of the ring hovering about the entrance halls when big fights are being staged. These aro "down and outs mostly because they lack laltiative or hava not been taught some trade or business.
It is a tortuous path to a cham- plon's title, a long way even from serving an apprenticeship among the novices, to becoming a six and ten round preliminary fighter. Every boxer has his tough times, some of them much worse than others.
While war rages near this! Colony His Majesty's repre- sentative must be prepared to use his good offices in other ways than in relieving misery. There is the broad, and to the
ing things and this for one or both But as for the second reason, Tpany flotations make very interest- layman, terrifying problem of of two reasons. There is a very na-confess I have never hud the slightesting reading, but they can never he a diplomacy ever to the fore. tural desire to remove the dread of desire to own things for themselves reality. to me. Generally speaking, in matters actual want, and/or there is a very encumbrances. All I ask is service Trammels of Property have provided thrilling
human desire to own things for the of international significance, sake of owning them. Governor is spared the neces
sity of making a decision. But ring.
The story of East Africa,
alone. I look upon possessions ne everything I want the moment I
I own nothing, but I willingly pay want it.
for the privilege of possessing things, This may seem a pretty tall order, and any rise or fall in their value la and in a way it is; but I have no de- the concern of their owners-who, sire to have a slagle cent behind me incidentally, have all the trouble and in the way of money or property of responsibility of ownership. any kind. What I want is to be able
to earn a sufficient income to pay for
in times of emergency it is the with all its sheer romance and man on the spot who must act, beauty, is also Sir. Geoffry's; very often. It is reassuring to for he literally grew up with the the people of this Colony to country. Sir Geoffry participated Free and Unfettered have for their chief executive in no small way in the building
I pity people of property. Besides
individually with
the use of things as I go through life. the fact that they have so much to loses and no Hittle to gain, they can never alve completo expression to their ties and trammels. Their movements in- I do not want to own a car; I want volve such tremendous uprootings. I have no desire to live in my own sidered" before they make a change. a man of such calibre as Sirp of sound administration into be able to hire one when necessary. There is always so much to be "con- these, until recently, remote house with my own furniture; I pre- There are no restrictions placed fer to rent a furnished house or apart- Geoffry,
parts. He was made Chiefment, and when I tire of it, to be ab- upon my tastes and preferences; I solutely free, unfettered-and to travel through life without luggage. Only 50 years of age, Sir Secretary in Northern Rhodesia, one a complete change in my sure Perfect service need not necessarily Colonial roundings by renting another, or per-pander to whim or funcy-but it does allow full freedom for one's cultural Geoffry has spent thirty-three 1928-1930, and was
development and change of habits. of those years in Colonial Ser-Secretary of the Gold Coast, haps live for a Ume in a hotel.
I have no more wish to Own a
I admit that I may be an extremist, 1930-1934. In 1985 he was
house than to own a public square,| vice, since leaving Oxford. From
made Governor of British although I am perfectly willing to but it must also be admitted that the vast majority of people are slaves to their their possessions, and hence 1904 until 1985 he served in Guiana, with Georgetown his pay for the use of both.
Service, I think, is the substitute environment. Within the limits of Africa, spending most of his
par excellence for property.
my Income, I make a choice of en- picturesque Beat.
vironment, moving about as free Es time in Kenya, formerly the
Acquiring property means acquir-air, and enjoying the good things of Sir Geoffry is Hongkong's
Ing responses and anxiety. fe without the trouble of owning East African Protectorate. That
twentieth Governor. He may means or it means to me that one them.
can't sleep sound of nights. No liable: is what Who's Who saya. But be gratified to know that he files are incurred when you buy ser Own nothing and you that period of East Africa's takes the Colony out of its vice. Stock Exchange quotations world, own something and you own
have never tentuny cold shiver down little else. my back, and fluctuations in the history is among its most stir-"teens."
own the
Rod Handley
:
£ £ £
I have known many lads who battics ...some- on an empty stomach times with only the sustenance of a cup of tea and a slice of bread and butter.
Thoir wages have varied from 38. 6d. to 1 out of the latter. num half-a-crown commission is collected by the manager; a shil- ling or two seconds' money; and fares.
Tommy Farr has a vivid memory of his struggling days and nights, when ho used to fight without a meal; now and again. he was able to Indulge in the luxury of a kippert Farr's experience is that of the majority of boxers who have eventually reached the "big money": there havo naturally been exceptions-Jack Petersen. Len Harvey, Jack Hood and others. Yet, what of the boxero-the countiess legion-who fall in their quest for fame and fortune? They pass down into the corridor which iends to oblivion.... battered and punch drunk.... diallusioned ... unequipped for decent work. Just to join the growing army or unemployables.
-To-day's Thought
to WHEN the pods wil
punish us they answer our -OSCAR WILDE.
prayers.