6
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1947.
Did
they crash the barrier of sound?
1
By CHAPMAN PINCHER
FF the Scilly Isles on But an airplane carrying pas- October 8 Government sengers or, freight must remain scientists launched a robot level in flight. Wing's make aircraft in an attempt to make this possible. it fly faster than sound travels that is, faster than 650 to 750 m.p.b.
The £20,000 robot was deli- berately nose-dived into the sea at the end of its flight. Twenty- three more
be destroyed may before these £500,000 desta are finished.
This is no neademic experi- ment. The object of the tests is to provide new facts which will make it possible for Britain to take the lead in flying civil
niraft at 1,000 m.p.h..
The difficulty
are
flying THESE robots
labratories which in the few moments of their active life should solve one of the greatest flying riddles,
Since V2s arrived at 3,000 m.ph.. what is the difficulty of airplane travel at less than third of this speed?
FL
When a plane travels at speeds up to 650 m.p.h. the air hi front flows in definite smooth lines over the wing surfaces. The wings seem to send signals to the air which warm it of their approach. This gives the air time to make up its mind whe ther it will Now under or over the wings.
BT-
The air flow
UT-und this is the problem --around the speed of sound this system brenks down. The air in front of the plane geis no time to make up its mind. The wings and nose are upon it while it is still turbu lent.
This diffenty occurs only be- wera 650 and 750 m.p.h.--the
called
transonic
speeds.
BIG 5 INNER CABIHET
GOVT. CHANGES
#
and in case there's any more Talk about. my being just a good committee-man...
What
I did
Insonry Shimwell
TOUGH LAMB
Cripps &
Co.
(Copurlakt in Aft Countried
WE ARE CHALLENGING FATE
By Candidus”
NOTICED a Frenchman with tears in his eyes
on Tuesday evening. It was Trafalgar Day, and His Majesty's Royal Marines staged a cere- monial pageant on the Hongkong Cricket Club ground,
The splendid bearing of the Marines, tho precision of movement and the stirring music, ending with "The Day Thou gavest Lord is ended," must have awakened emotion in many a heart.
As an anti-climax, I met the same French- man later in the evening in the alcoholic pseudo- warmth of a cocktail party!
I ventured to ask him what he thought of the Trafalgar Day ceremony. Perhaps I lacked tact, but I am glad I asked him, nevertheless.
"What is the matter with England?" he asked. "You have given away many of your warships to other countries, including Russia, and you are now destroying most of your re- maining fleet-throwing away the greatest influence for international good and your own protection! You have just honoured your great
POLITICAL NEWSFRONT by W. J. BROWN, MP
rock the "old firms'
HEN 1 was a boy, Board
Schools were much less well provided with sports
and
Nelson, and yet you do not realise that if your country had not provided Nelson with a strong fleet, you would have had no Nelson to honour."
He went on to say: "France will You have read that De Board of Trade, and the other at therreover, Ministry of Fuci. Wilson should de Gaulle has triumphed and will beloved France. well. About Gaitskell I have light on for his
France
risé w!]]
again landing the miners is not Yes,
Do but what is England doing?" an aendemie jesti,
you remember the French at Verdun
to when they sold
the German hordes: "You shall not pass?"
Morrison has a seiback as a new group
Mr No-Baker will be botter em- ployed as Secretary for Common wealth Helations than at the compa wins power in the Government
Job ratively routine departmental When the speed becomes super-[equipment than they have since
Ministry, ut the Air Attlee remains ‘precariously poised'.
he has had
ASI strolled hoeward, I thought sonic-more than 750 m.p.h. become.
which now
goes to Arthur Hender- AS
of the days of Ramsay Mac- becomes smooth It is this:
zon, who will be competent but un- All projectiles the air flow
One summer, our class master
In a struggle of "each man "Bill Smiff's" A lot of the wanted to set us going at
for spring. That good, warm-hearted Danak, and later Baldwin. Disarm which till now have flown faster again.
be was the slogan, and at that time our to a very in- hanself and devil lake the Hyndman, George Buchanan, should than sound-V2s, bullets, and
bat?" have been refusing to "come most neither Hynd, Wilmot
In Seumalists believe the air turbulence cricket. "Who's got a
effective minimum,
1937 we nor in his right place at the Ministry of Navy was reduced shells have been wingless. It at transonte speeds would cause he asked. Bill Smith had a bat. ut" and give up their bats, little Joe Westwood carried heavy Pension.
could not even have defended our- or enough outside does not matter if a bullet- ordenes aimlane to stall and crash."Who's got a ball?" Tom Cat The support of onlookers at the cough guns
By relaying by radio the details of Its
selves, and If Germany had acted shaped projectile twists.
bucking to escape supersession, ball. "Who's termole had a
sidelines has been invoked in
then, the memory of Nelson today accuracy is increased If it does wings and fuselage during flight, the gut some
stumps?" One boy
No gate-crashers
would be but a bitter one. had two and another four. And favour of their view, The job
Some time ago, I read in a Home so the equipment was muster of the master has been a very
strong Int the appointments to junior nuwspaper that the Eritish Govern– ed.
difficult one.
Some of the "Bill SHINWELL'S backing was
under 21 That afternoon the master Smiff's" have gone. Others still But since we cannot have Ministers oween the trade unionists and the the bullding of a ne
enough to secure his retention posts a balance has been preserved ment had decided to proceed with Millions of pounds led us out on to the field and stick to their bats. Yet others appointed from outside by Mr Ar- "intellectuals," George Brown and river-t forget the naine of the river
has Gordon-Walker are both good trader the place.
were to be spent at a moment when hur Horner and Mr Malfat, be gone from the mines to a post the union types, George Brown particu- the country is wondering where do
un larly so. tenure of which is notoriously certain, the War Office, where what- ever he does will be wrong.
NO.
presure and temperature on their
cobots should provide the answer.
By BASIL CARDEW
UNLOADING THE JET... Span 8 feet: Length 11 feet.
'I saw a trail of smoke
then she vanished'
Teile puzzled its hist
back
"I cannot say whether it did reach
to the airfield st St Eyal,, North 760 mjih,, though the dive Inust
Comwall, after making the have helped its speed along." world's first attempt to break
through the dreaded barrier of ar 'I can't tell
encountered at the speed of-sound,
Squadron-Leader Now. Mr Keth Butler, who was
watching from his single-seat
have had their its changed but stay in the team. Play has been held up for quite a while.
Of those who have gone, Green- And will be smili
mourned the must. Always understanding, always helpful, a devoted
worker for the party over many years, he is deeply entrenched in his party's affections.
George Strauss's business standing is gel, and he may do well in that "business" Ministry, the Ministry of Supply.
Ins
against alontic
got the game going. Then, all being in order, he relaxed, and
find money for essentials. Scrap the strolled over to the edge of the
appointment of Navy is the ery of those who control I applaud the field to talk to a friend.
After a time
Rees-Williams as Under-Secretary the nation's destiny. Scrap that sure there was up-
He knows the Em-shield in the time of trouble, and to Aneurin Bevan and Strachey stay, for the Colonies, rour on the field, and a
is hell with tradition! both, I imagine, slightly chastened. pire from practical experience, boy came running to the mas
level-headed and hard-working, and
Possibly the atomic bomb has some ter. "Please. sir." said he,
The "Left" has not done well in will bring constructive passion to caring on the subject, but do not "Bill Smiff's
forget that the huge phantom fleet out!" "Oh, in-
these changes. None of the promi- tus job. nent critics has gute-crashed to office.
Assembled at Bikini suffered rela- deed," said the master.
the But
damage It is characteristic of him that, in There are quite a number of "fel- James Callaghan deserves promo- tively molerate
have please. sir, Bill Smiff won't order not to prejudice the future of low-travellers') 111 the
Parlia- tion, but personally I would said rome out!"
not specially built the boy. his son Anthony, Arthur Greenwood mentary Labour Party, but they are sent him to the Treasury rather anatomie test, and those ships were.
Transport. "What? Why won't be come deelined a peerage, which, when he not to be allowed on the Cabinet to the Ministry of
knows laxation and the Civil Service Pergy- asked the master. dies, would have involved, the boy's bus.
bail out?" "Please, sir," replied the boy, translation to the Lords.
In the past it has been possible to Treasury-very well. Fm not E says it's 'is but?"
classify appointees as "Bevin men" that he knows and "Morrison men." the new Transport. Master's voice
st there are signs that we must add
new category "Cripps men." URING the last few weeks
Cripps Ands himself at the head the same kind of thing ap-
a few months ago, muy weil ask: "If of a team of some academic listine pears to have been going on at Cabinol levels.
DU
Bellenger falls victim to the tug- of war about the size of the Armed Forces and the muddle about con- scription.
Lord Inman, made a Minister only.
In
↑ was so soon to be done for. I than which Includes young Mr Wil- son and Mr Gaitskell, the one at the wonder what I was begun for."
"We like living in Britain
ވ
At the end of that determined hike wrung from London the we hud choice of two furnished flats, at £3 10s. each.
vital
woncerns
to
the
sure
anything about THE vulnerability
of the British Isles the thousands of miles of sea-routes which must be protected, makes it suicidal to crap the Navy. One thinks of the Ship of State now wallowing in dangercus waters, and
Mr King's appointment to the junker past at the Ministry of Town and Country Planning is the reward of solve loyalty rather than of in-the passengers rapidly losing faith Eplied performance.***
the commander und umeers of-that-
made have Mrship.
Already they thechanges in their complement
of
ob-
the appointment Younger to the junior post at Home Office I heartily approve. This viously because of their own dissatis-
fine liberal mind, faction. Moreover, they are new youngster has a
Labour their work, and yet appear to ignore and if he makes na good a Minister as his father, the late Lord the advice of veterans whose only. Younger, made a Tory Chief Whip, unxiety is to ensure that a proper he will do well. In Chuter Ede he and safe course is set. To take ever will find a splendid mentor.
the slightest risk especially in the moment of crisis, is surely challeng- ing fate.
Strained relations
No. 1 was
Douglas Hunt, dark-haired 20-
the year-old test pilot from Fain about 2,000 yards from the Mosquito,
about 2,600 was sink to starboard WHEN my wife and I look racket prices (what do borough, whose Mosquito released
our chance to come to 1947 growers get?); and we Don't from, its belly the Vickers model
"When the rocket motor started up Britain from New Zealand our Queue-except at the cinema. airplane which made the attempt. it sent out a ball of grey smoke, and friends shook their heads snd-
Those who would place all we bold' You know, New Zealand has
We chose one that had a small summarise; (1) Age-grouping dear In Jeopardy cannot be con- No. 2 was his 30-year-old passenger when I saw the smoke streak grow
I thought it had exploded. Tiwas only ly.
had rationing of some things garden plot. Now I have my own of Cabinet-slightly younger, (2) demned loo strongly. Can we not and scientist observer, Mr Gerild
They looked mournfully at since 1940, so we just plan seedlings planted out in a 58. allot- Political complexion-about the discover a De Gaulle in our time of Lachee Bayne, who pressed the line that I knew my well-fed waistline and her our meals here as we did there; ment nearby. For some weeks we same; no marked change. (3) Per-need? The very words in that
had carried on. switch that sent the 900lb. test air-
peaches-and-cream complexion, craft on its way at height of Coven miles above the Scilly Isles. keel. I saw it for only 20 seconds and soul-destroying queues, and have eaten in restaurants on the that est 111⁄2d. each as plants, and son loses some power; Cripps gains Marines struck a note an appre "The aircraft never flew on a level murmuring darkly about rations and we can count the times we have betaling home-grown lettuces ronal position of Ministers-Morri-beautiful hymn played by the Royal we have all the vegetables we want lat, and takes a bit stride towards hensive note in the light of the fingers of one hand.
the Premiership. (4) The Prime present
attllude of the promised to send
Minister remains us frequent
precariously Government: "The Day Thou The. food parcels. We felt like mis-
poised upon the "fill and incensed gavest. Lord is ended." May it never "I simly cannot tell you whether it sionaries to,
say, darkest
theory, and I think she may be points of mighty opposites." (5) Re-be the day 'as represented in our did what was expected of it or
centuries of Independence! whether It just carried down into the
right, that many housewives queuelations between Ministers-awful. Africa, Fea."
by habit rather than necessity, that they could avoid it with a little more planning and thoughtfulness. . . .
No. 3 was Mr Keith Butler, 24. before it disappeared into the 10,000-
year-old ex-R.A.F. pílot, whose
Meteor had its camera guns trained on the miniature jet plane,
Not quite.
each
perience, could only way that barrier-breaking aircraft did not
quite according to plan.
it. cloud,
And the third man, Squadron-
see what
©
on
for
coming on.
queues? My wife has
to
DAVID LANGDON CARTOON
what
grows.
One day we just THE flat?
boiled over at paying £4 4s. for one furnished room and WHY were they puzzled?. Because
for the gas Lender Hunt, was just as uncertain. BUT here in London. four gas rings. man, relating his
He told me: "I was so busy with my the ship, we are quite happy, 3 for Kensington. I put
months, after stepping off ring, £1. for the room and "Many women arrive at the coun-
ter," she says, "and then begin the controls I just couldn'l
marshal their vague Ideas Of ly happened to it."
living comfortably on the con- a stout pair of shoes and they want. While they are wasting The Boffins are generally tents of the pay envelope; we two solid days tramped South- me the queue grows and optimistic. They have great Listen, first, to Mr Lodhoe Bayne, tidence in
con-have a self-contained flat. the West London, looking at shop But men seem to know what they the model, which WOR
local want, get it and are away." who saw
of the aircraft's designed by most
Mr B. N. Wallis, of rations are ample, we just don't window ads, and every anties:---
Vickers-Armstrong.
bother to buy luxury food at newspaper I could find. "When we had reached 30,400 feet and were travelling. at nbout 400 m.ph. I pressed the switch and the winged rocket fell anty from our Mosquito,
"It began to glide as we anticipated.
directly below.
BY THE WAY by Beachcomber
the
MI"How do
else could I have meant?" Nohat
negotiations
EAR SL.
can
Now she chooses small shops and goes along at times which she has discovered are not so busy. Her shopkeepers seem to have themselves organised, too, with suitable goods already weighed out and packeted. I think she smiles at them and pollte, and we don't seem to miss out on anything other, people .can get.
1s
Somehow, I don't think she'll be Joining the Housewives' League,
Atter 15 seconds I noticed the rocket N order to be prepared for the Esham. "I think I'd better see her Otto Filth motor start up according to plan. time when the size of Eng-sto
Arst. To give her a general idea of This produced quite a trail of smoke
"I promised her I'd look Din naming n choreographer Ollo from the back. Then the model ish newspapers will be still in this aftornoon," said Mince, seemed to drop It's starboard wing. It further reduced (unless they Are you going?" "Are you?" asked "She asked me, too." said Egham,
Filth I presume Benchcomber In- rocked slightly.......
promise not to criticise the Mince, "Well, n-no. I rather
tends another of his cheap and think "Theri it continued for
shallow Jibes of the art of ballet, HAVING solved what that League a few Government), I am experiment not. Are you?" "I might," said Mince. of which he is so manlicy might call the "problem of exis- seconds and the starboard wing went Ing with a very small type which "We haven't got very the yet, maid
"Oh, 1.might look in," said
Ignorant,
Even If Filth were thetence, we find time for enjoying life that down vertically but came back again.Is almost invisible.
name of anyone connected with as well. Long ago we found many" sald mean?"
bis The model was flying nose down and
ballet, it would prove nothing. the Londoner does not know mean with
Greater London-and the "bobby" is The pose of being a lowbrow fell away
replied Mince,
be carried too far. I suspect that not infallible, either-so we bought thin wild mountaineer who holes two second-hand bicycles and some else, of course," said Egham
art co fiercely is really a mild and large-scale maps. harmless resident of Surbiton, wha on edge. They darted glances at each ollier, and neither of them sald a
lectures to the local literary society and collects modern pictures. word about the dady-unti Epham asked casually, "What do you think My correspondent is hereby In-earth intimate friendship with the of hor?" Who
asked Mince.
vited to the Surbiton Town Hall beautiful Isle of Wight on a week-
end cycling hollday. "Dingi-Poor," "Oh, I haven't had for my next lecture-Strindberg:
This month we're lending a hand timo to think about her: This draft the Man. Afterwards, vodka at or the land for a week-it'll be no you think," said Mince, "that of the proposed agreement, you No. 8, and a view of my cat Croce, sacrifice. I ought to see her alone, to put kriow-" "Your hideous liar," Bald and my two water colours by the figures before her?" No," replied Egham under his breath.
Mosquito.
Sve
peevish-
I calculate that by cutting out all Vic
punctuation 1 can
nine and Güvenpeace a week in dollar ex- *It disappeared into cloud, having penditure, while at the same time ly. Both men's nerves seemed to be lost 28,000 feet of altitude, still nose-bringing myself into line with the diving with its right wing down. The "advanced" school of poets, to whom cloud was at 10,000 feet above the comma is a reactionary symbol, sea, about one mile west of St. Mary's and a full stop mere Fascist tyranny in the Sellies. I watched the test plano for about 45 seconds.
‘Tibetan Moonflower' (VI.)
"It was to have been airbome for
20 seconds before the automaatle crash"
goar was 'Umed to dive it into the
Schmach.
Now we can explore at leisure. this inexhaustible city without worrying a soul-and we formed a down-to-
Ralph Clayton |
"YAH, WINDY 11. Oh, I BEG your pardon, listoners, 145′′
British