Tuesday,
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
December 12, 1939.
OUR TOMMIES IN MAGINOT
Charitable Work Praised
By H. E. The Governor
Reference to the plight of the poor.
It has not been an easy time or by in the Colony and the study decreasejany means tree from anxiety. Only of their average Income during the month or two before our last annual past eight years. was made at the
Annual Meeting of the Suciety. for, meeting Canton fell: all through this the Protection of Children, held at year hostilities have continued
in
the Helena May Institute yesterday. China and since September 3 Great
Britain also has been at war.
1100 Sr Robert Kotewall The
Another matter for anxiety was the thr, presided. and is Excellency Governor and Lady Martheote wernevitable rise in the cost of imported
the | foodstuffs owing
wor in Europe, but I am happy to say that worry on that score at least would seem now to be unnecessary.
among these present.
Sir Robert und In tu-day's agenda 1 have allotted to myself the most congenial duty of all-int off thanking the benefactors of thei
The year has ended with a debit! Society. First and foremost unong balance of $766, gure the small- these are H. Excellency the Governors of which i regard as anmazing and Lady Nurtheate, who, in spite and a most wonderful token of the of the strain and stress of pressing support which the Society is accorded and exacting occupations, have con- by the public. The amount of trived to find time to attend all our defeit is st inore remarkable when annual meetings, and to give every encouragement and help.
the
sone remember that this has been a Year at considerable development. that we have dealt with more new You may have noticed that in the cases than ever before and that we Annual Report, there is no mention have embarked on a new phase of of the work of the Chairman of the the Soelety's work in the running of Executive Commitler. the Hon. Clubs for young chlidren of the two Secretury and the Hon. Treasurer. Kowloon centres-an afternoon club These officers hold three of the four for girls and closer and increased co- "key" positions in the Suviety, the operation with the Boys and Giris' fourth being the important offer of Clubs Association. Hon. Director, which is at the pre- sent moment vocaut. When I tell you they were primarily responsible for the compilation of the Annual Report, you will understand the rea-. son for the omission,
An Ideal. Chairman
New Centre Opening.
an area where it is very badly We are also opening a new centre
needed this month,
By the kindness of Mr. S. V. Boxer, I have been furnished with a chart
The Chairman of the Executive showing the average income of ench Committee is His Hannur Str Atholl of the families with which we have MacGregor. Sir Atholl is an ideal deal, the number of new cases dealt chairman. He presides over us with The chart covers the period from with each year and the expenditure, dignity and good humour, tuet and 1032 to the end of this year, and patience. During a year of heavy white expenditure over those eight and increasing public and social duties Sir Atholl gave hiroself to the years has increased only from $21,000 Society without sint, and his relin-o very little more than $25,000 this quishment of the chairmanship will year, while the figure for new cares ben serious loss. Fortunately his in the past twelve months is $2,808 wise counsel rid able guidance will more than three times as many as st be available to us.
in the Arst of the year shown on the chart.
The office of Hon. Secretary to the| Society is no sinecure.
Before I clare, I want to say how It entails aį tremendous amount of work, bul very indebted I have been throughout fortunately we have in Mrs. Crozier the year to our Hon. Sreretary, Mrs. "one" who" Is"more than equal to It: Crosion,-our-Treasurer-Mr. Mckeller- Our Hon. Treasurer, Mr. MacKellar, and the ladies on the Women's Auxi- ably assisted by Me. Kwok Chan, has liary than whom no better committee rendered yeoman service to the So- von exist anywhere! (Applause). ciety.
Ollicers Re-efected
..
Shortly after their arrival in the Colony, two and a half years to, i
The Hon. Mr. W, N. Thomas Tam which Was Me, mal Mrs. Caine breame members seconded the motion
eurried unanimously.
en
of this Society, and had ever since, until they left Hongkong, identified On the propusal of the Hon. Sir themselves closely with our work. Henry Pollock, sceonded by Mr. A. The Society is much the poorer by el Areal, the Vice-Presidents. Hon. their parture.
| Vice-Presidents, members of the Gen- eral and Executive Committees and Another helper we have feat is Drother officers of last year and Hunter who, I understand, may not j return to Hongkong. She has placed toned in the report were re-elected. designated us under a deep debt of gratitude not The Hon. Mr. Tam wag
Chairman of the Executive Com- only by her whole-iworted co-opera- tion as Media Onker in charge of mittee. the Violet 'eel Infant Welfare Centre, but also by her valuable advice as a member of the Executive Committee,
On previous occasions I have had
Proposing a vote of thanks to His Excellency and Lady Northentec, the Hon. Mr. M. E. Lo, said the very deep Interest which they had taken in the affairs of the Society had always been 7 great encouragement und
the pleasure of giving expression to inspiradon to all the workers. our profound appreciation of the wonderful help we have received] from the Women's Auxiliary. Year after year these ladies have been the mainstay of our financial fabric, being
Governor's Praiso
HE. The Governor said; It is only natural, I think, that all human
responsible for about 30 per cent.beings should take a deep interest in
of our total annual revenue.
Mr. de Martin's Services
or
.. where the pun protrudes
its deadly snout."
Atushrooms, as they call the cupolas of observation posts""
Here tots an electrte tret which draws trucks of ammuni- tion and supplies, and carries passengers,"
After lunch there mean. songs.... They all had that terrific rhythmic emphasis which the French can pire to chorus
songs,"
the room from which the Artillery Ofccr... directs his fire tollhoul ever sacing his objective."
LINE FORT
FOOD, BEDS, WINE ARE ALL RIGHT'
I
WAS introduced to the Maginot Line. That is the
· inevitable beginning of all stories about the French Army.
I think it also is the beginning of the end of the war. For, unless a miraculous earthquake rips it to pieces, the Muginot Line will be impregnable.
Belts of barbed wire and asparagus," as the French call the steel anti-tank stockades,
FOUGHT
give a vague hint of its war power WITH BARE
Mushrooms," as they call the cupolas of observation posts; sug- gest nothing of Its subterranean ininensity.
You begla to grasp something of the extent of the technical marvels of these fortifications only when you have entered a passage the size of a London underground station.
VANISHING FLOOR
It is briliantly it. I passed across a arction of steel flooring which, in the in- credible event of the enemy penetrating so far can be stid out of sight, leaving what seems to be a bottomless plt.
These waan door swung buck is thick the side of a warship. There waLS 12 CIN I descended slowly into the interior of France.
Here was an electric train which draws trucks of ammunition and supplies, and carries passengers. It moved on with a rattling over points ducking thrath reliway, passing mysterious rooms, and pulling up at last close to the officers' mess.
War,
It was in this room that the war began to take shape, not madly and tragically. but in the sentimental fashion which anyone who knew the last war will re- member, a lusty mixture of comradeship and aong addressed to that winsome eleton. Marlemolcelle trom Armen- ¡ieres.
SINGING MAJOR
|
庭
HANDS
From DAVID SCOTT
FRANCE.
A COMPANY of French light cavalry, fighting sometimes with their bare fists or any odd wea- pon they could find, hold off their German attackers for a day and finally retired to order with few losses.
Their story was told to me to-day during a tour of an Army sector,
It happened in a woui, on a bill, when French outposts were fighting rearguard netions cover the with- drawal of the main body of French troops to their lines of defence.
The wouth was previously held by un Infantry battalion, but when this was withdrawn, the High Command, not wishing to sacrice more troops than they could help, sent up a single mounted company to cover the with- drawal.
Wrestled With Enemy When dawn broke next day, Ger- man shells came over, followed by trench-mortar bombs, and finally hy Ja long burst of machine-gun fire.
The French lay low, held their fire . After lunch there were songs. The and watched the German Infantry major commanding the fort sang one.lms the long slope of a hill. the chief artillery officer sang another, the doctor another.
They all had that terrific rhythmic mphasis which the French can give to chorum nougs, particularly "Lisetto" what a girl she was1-and Zoom. Zoom, Zoom "--what a girl she was, tool
On one wall hting a pieture of yet an- ther girl. It had taken the fancy of the ngineer officer, and it certainly drew the
A whistle blew and the Germans raced for the wood, attacking the waiting Finch from all sides,
Some Germans fell to point-blank shots; others were killed by hastily- thrown hand-grenades.
But it was with sticks and stones. with bleeding knickles and good French bont-leather, by hitting and by wrestling with the wild spirit of Thus Inspired, the engineer officer had desperate, yet courageous, men that signed very moders bar and the the handful of French soldiers re- rtlery ofeer had provided a statuettepelled this attack and another and of yet another girl as its culminating Enjother--and stayed in that woud —corattasi
Then
Blue': I West to that other war, hunting until their mission was accomplished. throupit a bobet of memories. Speeches retiented to their own lines.
unter cover of night they
the major tours to the Britich names end the French armies and the toast to ize ans and the President of the roach Repable. And then I proceeded a come down to-perhaps it would be more accurate to say go into-earth.
UNSEEN TARGET
I was shown the room from which the Artillery Ofwer, who is many yards underground beneath steel and con- arele. tliteets 1s Are without ever eln his objective. This business
scientifically planned that would take a fien to hop through the opening left by his shells.
15 50
I went up in the lift and peered through a hole in the wall where the gan protrudes ila deadly endist.
I saw a beatiful felt of fire, as the
Flood Defence
The sector of the Maghol Line 1 saw to-day has a form of defence generally associated with the Flan- | ders baitlefieldis.a
In addition to the usual miles and miles of anti-tank guns, spites and barbed wire and the formidable ar- ray of huge concrete blockhouses anul frowning casemates, it is covered by extensive floods.
Famous Voices Evacuated
artillery officer remarked, and it extendedHOUSANDS of priceless gramo-
for milles. It is crossed and criss-crossed
from the sides and from other forta.
I would as soon attempt to attack a inob of armour-plated prehistoric mon- sters single-handed.
Up on the surface of the riddled earth were half-a-dozen British soldiers, who had been given the hospitality of the fort, with their particular pieces of tech- nical apparatus.
**VERY YOUNG"
They looked very young, One who said he was 10 had an engag ing shyness. He said that the whe for they were on French rations-woe all right, but it took a bit of getting t:ser to. He thought the coften all right, but he missed his tea, and ho thought his sleeping quarters were all right: they were lovely and warm. Which they ould be, as the Maginot Line is een- trally heated
His mother will be glad to know he is feeling fine, if she can bring herself still to believe in small mercles,
A French soldier whom I passed and
the work of the Society which is cle- signed to help those who are most helpless and the most in need of help. 1 note the number of children As I have said, the ofice of Hon
under your care has in- Director is at present vacant. About coming three years ago the Society had the creased and also the new experiment good fortune of securing the services of children's clubs, I hope that ex- of Mr. G. P. de Martin for this imperiment will prosper to such an ex- portant once, and he filled it with lent that the whole of this town will singular success and distinction.. In someday be covered with a network wherever they are April last he left for a well-earned of such clubs
are going to take their places. The holiday, and on his return a few needed, (Applause).
fact that the Society has something weeka ngo he informed us to our I am also glad to note of the close like $050 less in cash than it had a profound regret, that he was unable|laison between the clubs which this year ago is a
a matter for very serious to resume office.
Society has begun and those which consideration. I do hope that the elo- 1 must not forget the good work are under the care of the Boys and quent appeal which Sir Atholl Mac- Gregor has voleed will succeed in of the Branch Hon. Secretaries, Mr.Girls' Clubs Association. I am not drawing much larger sums from the found a small mercy in a rabbit, which L. D. Sktuner, Mrs. R. C. Benvan, quite sure whether this Society
that Association takes within its public next year. After all, the total Mr. W. A. Jones and Mrs. Pearson Grant, or of that of the Hon. Secro-scope the club which I visited some amount is not very great when you tary for the Creche, Mrs. W. Park. 18 months ago in Connaught Road-consider the wealth of this town. To them I express very warm thanks the one which Mrs. Calne started- "The figures in the report aro but It it is anything like that I warm extremely interesting, though I It is impossible for me to mention congratulate the Society on having am rather puzzled by them I do not
slarted it. The Social Welfare Coun.li everyone by name, and I hope, there have these clubs closely under uner say they are incorrect but statistics their are very dangerous things. Who- fore, that I may be forgiven if 1 thank eye, and the other day I was study-ever drew the graph and collectively, as I do now, the splendid In an interesting plan of a building, the figures has done a band of workers who have given so
public service much of themselves
the Society part of which was to give accomoda- to the Colony in drawing attention to tality I may have fell. It sounded quite
lion to a club of this kind. I was a state of affairs in which average with the sole thought of alleviating struck principally by the cheapness incomes of families with which the and of the building and the small cost of Society is concerned have dropped so running such an Institution; I think alarmingly. It is certainly a decline it is an encouraging feature for the into which anyone holding a respon future."
vible position should look, as I pro- A lecture, The Law of Maritime pose doing as Governor." (Applause). Capture, will be given by Mr. John The meeting concluded with votes Whyait on Wednesday, December 13,
for their help.
and bettering the lot of poor
suffering children. (Applause),
►
An Anxious Time
Sir Atholl MacGregor said: I am glad to have this opportunity by
ly
Matter of Concern
compiled
he had caught with a long stick and con- siderable cunning, thus proving himself a specialist like all the inhabitants of the Maginot Line.
And then, from the hazy distance, camo a crash, na if a giant across the frontler had slammed a door. it was repeated at casual intervals. The first German shelling I have heard during this war.
It flleked away any sort of sentimen-
mad
UNIVERSITY LECTURE
moving the adoption of the Report "I am sorry that the Society has and the Accounts included therein lost so many valuable helpers in the of thanks to Messrs. Percy Smith, at 8.30 p.m. in the Hongkong Univer and to give a very short account of course of the year but I feel con- Seth and Fleming, Hon. Auditors. alty Union Assembly Room. All in my stewardship during the past year.ndent that the younger generation the Press and the President,
terested are welcome.
phone records of the voices of the ex-Kaiser, Florence Nightingale, Gladstone, Edison and other notabl- lities have been moved by the B.B.C. to a place of safety."
Broadcasting House has bulit up the finest gramophone record library in the world. More than 60,000 discs und many thousands of cylinders, steel tape and Alm records are in the colicetion.
Herr The
Among the most used of contem porary records just now are Hitler's broadcast speeches. B.B.C. owns a complete set of them. One of the most historic records which has been moved to safety is the original of King Edward's nbálcu tion broadcast,
COMING to the
KING'S
The World Renowned Violinist
SAMUEL GOLDWYN==Z
Jasoka HEIFETZ THEY SHALL HAVE MUSIC!
BELIAŠID THIN UNITED AISEE
WATCH FOR THE OPENING DATE
ခ
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"I take that one," who nuke.
"Only the one, mudam?? Inquired the useistant. "OI Courset How many husbands dne ye think I've got?"
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