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-TODAY'S WEATHEN: Mod crate South or BW winds, fresh Mi timas,-- Waáthey changeablo "with sunta passing showers. Noon Observations:: Barometric pressure, 2030.4 29.73 in. Temperature, 829 deg. F. Dew point. 18 dér. Relatie humidity, 84 Wind dir ection, 851 Wind force, 18 knots
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Hongkong Telegraph
VOL. IV NO. 119
MONDAY, MAY 23, 1949.
FIGHTING CONFINED TO
Western Powers To Suggest Agenda For Talks On Germany
Paris. May. 22-The three Western Foreign Ministers may take the initiative in proposing the agenda for the "Big Four" Con- ference on Germany. A usually reliable source 'said today that this ivas one of the many points on which Mr Ernest Bevin, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Dean Acheson, the U.S. Secre- tary of State, and M. Robert Schuman, the French Foreign Minister, have worked out a common attitude in their meetings at the .French Foreign Office yesterday and today.
Subjects which the Western powers would suggest for discussion with the Soviet Foreign Minister, M. Andrei Vyshinsky, would include, the source added:
Agreement
The political and econo- | the Council.' which was set up inle problems Involved in the under the Potsdam unity of Germany.
of 1945. This will be the first meeting for Mr Acheson and M. Schuman and the first at which M. Vyshinsky will be the chief Soviet delegate.
to accept the Inclusion of the
DIFFERENT SITUATION
War Criminals
Escape
Landsberg. Germany, May 22. — The United
States Army authorities
revealed today that two Germans convicted of war crimes committed at the notorious Dachau and- Buchenwald concentration temps escaped from Lands. berk Prisati
да
Alois
ser-
ving s
silfe term for war crimes committed while on the staff at Dachau, and Werner Greuness, serving 20 years for crimes com- mmitted да
Assistant physlelan at Buchenwald.
Unlied Press.
011
Death For
S'hai Dollar
Dealers
2.--The Berlin currency problem and other economic consequences of the lifting of
Shanghai, May 22.--Six the blockade.
silver dollar dealers were 3. The peace treaty
with
executed at three different The last meeting of the Coun- Germany.
The Western Foreign Mints-cli, which ended in December, places downtown on Satur tera,
suggested, 1947, after three weeks of ner- day while big crowds gaped, this SOUTCO
monious discussions London. would also urge.M. Vyshinsky
was attended by Mr Bevin, M. They were charged with disturbing the financial Georges Bidault, for France, Mr Austrian peace treaty on the
George
Communist Marshall, for the United market under ogenrin,
States, and M. Vyacheslav orders. Three received MINIMUM CONDITIONS Molotov, for Russia.
bullets in the back of the When they assemble to-head from police guns at morrow, the four Foreign Minis- the intersection ters will face a very different situation from that which con- Road and Avenue Edward fronted their predecessors in | 7th, one of the most densely London....
populated districts in the city. Nanking Road and the last fell on Avenue Joffre in the centre of Frenchtown,
They would also make ac- ceptance of the Bonn Constitu- tion for the whole of Germany and very adequate guarantees for genuine democratic freedom In the Soviet Zong the minimum .conditions for bringing the Eastern Zone
into а united Germany.
The "Big Four" will meet in Marble
Roso
of Tibet
Two more were shot on
"Düring the Interval the post- tion in Germany and the overall relationship of the
Westam powers and the Soviet Union changed: The riad radically Western powers have consolidate End of
The public execution spots ed- the first their position in Europe. The
were deliberately chosen to im battle for European recovery press the public on how order fought under the guidance the Organisation for European, was maintained and to have » other money restraining effect Eco Economic Co-operation,
dealers, turned favourably for the It evidently served its pur- Western powers.
pose for today the black market
ra
their
has
the
in the West Palaco Paris tomorrow in major attempt to solve the der man problem on a four-power brais since the abortive London Conference of December, 1947.
After today's meeting of the three Western Foreign Minis- ters, which lasted nearly 90 minutes, Mr. Michael McDermott, the State Department Press Officer, said: "They have been talking on the German problem for some time and they all know now exactly what they want to do." He added that they table, tomorrow, they will be dizzy whirl. In iwo weeks, were ready for the opening in a far stronger position than nearly 40 money Session tomorrow.
criminals they were at the Moscow Con-dinary Of the four Foreign Ministers ference early in 18-17 and at the Communist agents have fallen
the firing meeting tomorrow, Mr Bavin is London Conference at the end before n veteran of former meetings of of the year-Router.
EDITORIAL
On the political front, the silver dollar exchange rate Western powers have dropped from Saturday's GY70,- strengthened
posliion 000,000 to GY40,000,000 and the through the North Atlantic sly talking of the money Pact and the establishment of char
changers was hard to find. But the Council of Europe.
Thus, when they face then a day or two they will ap
pear again as they always have and Inflation will con
continue its
Russians across the conference
United Press.
Artificial Devaluation
HOWEVER temporary It may prove to be, the devaluation of the Hongkong dollar resulting from last week's activities on the part of speculators and panicky opportunists, is a disquieting event, and could be advanced as a powerful" argu- ment ngainst continuation of the gold irading restrictions recently foxposed at the behest of the Internatlorial Monetary Fund. The pundits-were convluced from the start that the restrictions were bound to have an adverse effect
upon the Hongkong dollar and commodity prices and what has followed their imposition goes a long way toward proving those convictions. Even the Financial Times has found itself constrained to comment in deprecating tones on the sharp decline of the Hongkong dollar, especially in its relation · to the “hard” currencies, and 'reaches the conclusion that it has been. fundamentally brought about by the sealing off of the free. gold trading there have market. Nevertheless,
been other contributing factors: one has been Д sudden return of big denominational Hongkong bank notes 'from the interior whose owners, suddenly, 1 panic-stricken about the stability of the local dollar, have clamoured for conver- nion" of their holdings vinto gold, notes, Jewellery and precious stories, And while thesa, transactions were not sufficient in to võluma:” tó' rock to the foundations the stability of the Hongkong dollar, they succeeded in undermining to some degree
• Conidence... in the Colony's currency. Moreover, the availability of the United States "greenbacks”: last week, fadicated only too cliarly that there was a willings... hers on the part of interested parties to contribute. 10, the artificial, · but un- fortunkts devaldailon of our dollar. It),
„før, example, that: US; notes
dealers, or and alleged squads.
were flown into Hongkong, and that it was possible, nt certain places, to get American-denomination. travellers' cheques changed into these notes less discount, which, in turn were unloaded on to the "free" market for handsome profits in Hongkong dollars. The paying travellers out of "greenhucks" for cheques, if not strictly illegal (and t Is of interest to observe that these have printed on them the cheques declaration that they are convertible in the currency of the country in which they are cashed) was, to say the least, not particularly moral. The wholesalo "un- loading of Hongkong dollars in exchange: for U.S. currency and "solid" assets also had the effect of 'driving up commodity prices, In some lines as much as 100 per- cent, but overall ah average of 30-per- cont quite the mast disastrous effect of these, manipulations, and one which must ̧ give Government serious cause to think. At this time, more probably than any other since the Liberation, Il- is' impera-
POOTUNG
FURTHER FIRES BREAK OUT
Situation Called "Desperate
Shanghai, May 22.-The Pootung sector, directly opposite the desolate Bund, appeared to be the only scene of fighting this morning, when mortar and small arms fire could be dis- tinctly heard coming from that direction,
The nearest Red forces are placed at no -more than one and a half miles from Shang-
hai's economic and financial nerve centre.
Several fires are still raging in Pootung- some of them a few days old and some others which have just started.
Quiet prevailed on other fronts in the immediate vicinity of Shanghai including Lunghua Airport where three Chinese com- mercial planes landed yesterday afternoon without the benefit of Control Tower service.
The machines are believed to have come from the Chinese Air Force airfield at Klangwan on the other side of the city. Kiangwan is now the most active of Shanghai's àirports Atha tactical airfield with adequate refuelling and service teams on hand it enables fighters and bombers to mount scores of missions every 24 hours.
Official Statement On H.K. Defences
Plans had been prepared for use, if necessary, of troops in support of the police forces in case of civil disturbance in Hongkong or tha New Territories, ↑ spokesman of the Defence Secretariat said officially here today, according to a report Issued by the local office of Reuter's news agency,
to
The spokesman declined comment on an internal threat to the colony, if any existed, nor to make any
the
But- these missions have Blackened off somewhat recently compared with the earlier days of the Battle of Snahghat
The
closeness of Nationalist and Communist lines
the and
consequent confused.front equires 400- mile an hour Mosquitoes and Mustangs to come down for some pin-pointing work.
The overcast weather which
..
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CAT NURSES SQIRRELS Tornadoes
Gypsy, a black mother cat belonging to Mr and Mrs Preston Underwood of Nevada City, Calif., has been taking care of the two baby grey squirrels since they were born on Easter morning, the same day the cat's kittens were born. The squirrels were found alongside their dead mother by the Under- wood children. The baby squirrels were placed in with the litter of kittens. Nature and Gypsy did the rest-AP Picture.
West Berlin Police
Show How
It Should Be Done
Clear Station Of Strikers
"Berlin, May 22 British-controlled West German police tonight marched into Berlin's big Charlottenburg Station, cleared out clash-/ ing strikers and Soviet-controlled railway police, and occupied it.
At 9 p.m. West Berlin police were in complete control of the Station, with strikers and railroad police re-assembling at a distance on both sides.
Bring Death To 43 People
Chicago, May 22.-At least 48 persons were counted dead today and nearly 400 injured in broad. aldo-tornadoes-and-high- winds that tore through towns in four mid-Western States, wrocking homes.
Tho authorities in BOMU stricken cities feared the death tall would go higher after the rescue parties had completed. their search through the litter of torn wires, uprooted, trees,
and cars
flattened mashed
homes.
In addition, scores of people. were injured and sent to bos- pital, some in critical condition. Property damage is expected to run into millions of dollars.
At least five twisters and high winds smashed through nearly a score of towns and farming communities in Missouri, south- eastern Iowa, Illinois and
tern Indiana. The storma climaxed a week of devastating twisters, foods and windstorms in the Southwest and Midwest". that had claimed 19 other: Elves. RIVER TOWN HIT
States Weather The United Bureau here said the storm system that produced the latest tornadoes bad moved eastward Into Ohio and West Virgin but had lost much of its tensity,
Giradeau, Missouri,n old
ssissippi River town, took the hardest blow with 20 known dead and some 230 injured: The Red Cross Bald 1fbellaved: the death toll there might reach.25 as Its rescue workers moved through the
rubble of 100 433 wrecked homes.
Mayor Walter Ford estimated that 500 families were homeless Fifty-four at Cape Girardeau. Injured remained in the hospit and Mr Ford said, some cases were critical and might die.
Two National Guard com pantes patrolled. the devastated
Cape
areas at
The key station had changed forms after a bloody struggle, hands several times during the the police recaptured part of second day of the anti-Com-the station with the aid of prevent looting. munist railroad men's strike to reinforcements rushed along the
Girardeau to
Elsewhere in the tornado des- has been provalent here for the enforce demands that the track from the Soviet sector. -truction areas violent thunder- past few days also contributed |Soviet railroad authorities: But soon afterwarde a strong storms and hailstorns lashed dis- to the reduction In air should pay them in Western detachinent. of
what
Instead of Eastern marks..
Anolber
Western sector | tricts and high winds niso caused operations.
damages. Twelve-storage tanka.. Officially and from
Dr Ferdinand Friedensburg, police,-armed-with-pistols-and-
batons, entered the station and of the Standard Oil Company of could be seen of strafings and "Western" Deputy Mayor of cleared the platforms,
Indiana went up in a mass of offcially pro- PLATFORMS CAPTURED
flames at Wood River, Illinois, bombings, no Chinese Air Force Berlin, tonlight
River scross the Mississipp! ΟΣ Communist planes have been shot down by tested to the three-Power Allled
- large, group fire Kommandatura against the use strikers anti-aircraft
from St. Louis-United Press. at the by Soviet-controlled although
same time much dlak has been of firear
police
stormed the pintion from the on West sector reported in the north Pookups Tallway, pol area. Mention was made a few
opposite direction. After a battie rallway days ago of four Chinese
stations. Air Firing by railway police had they succeeded in driving the TITO TO TELL
railroad police 'deatchment trom Force planes suffering damago | already®
caused
number of the platforms. from Communist anti-aircraft casualties among West, sector
One machines force-landed on its strikers, he said.
of the damaged
The strikers, armed with clubE inhabitants, some of them non-and stones, were accompanied belly and was totally wrecked.
by several
hundredelvilian CONSTANT MOVEMENTS
sympathizers.
fre.
notice.
*
comparison with fallst pulling out from the city with strikersuring fighting seen being: led away by Wost
the situation in Mainya.
this
[despite persistent
day, the Soulette 11 rali- after the first shots were fired.
been asked a week ago by Rau- routine and it is the sight of railroad leasedion ;
rumours.
(Continued an Page 5)
Sudden Strike Paralyses
THE WORLD
while attacking.
Railways
In
North-Eastern Region Of Britain
SHOTS WOUND 12
Belgrade, May 22-Marshal Tite is expected to make an West Berlin headquarters an- A number of railroad pouce important speech this, week on There are indications that ke
shots, wounding Lunghua, operations at Kiang-nounced that during a series of fred
somo Yugoslav plans for trading with After the platform the west, as well as denouncing wan may be suspended at short clashes 12 strikers and citizens strikers.
were wounded by shota.
had been captured by the crowd, attacks by Russia and her But there are no reliable Twenty-eight railroad polleo three railroad policemen were satellites upon Yugoslavia.
Responsible diplomatic indications of a general Nation-were
estor constables whe and to-sc.
arrived sources
here.
the expressed ID reports
opinion, that those two themes road headquarters
Shortly after the strikers had will be the basis for Marshal Movements of West sector, police posted ou captured the effect. In
station Large Tito's speech which may come an effort to clarify the troops, sometimes several batido S-Bahu (olevated railroad) railroad reinforcements arrived on May 25, differences of opinion about the tallons at a time, from
her stations locally rector of Shanghal to another
tonight reported the along the track from the Soviet Marshal and abroad, the spokeman had morto not bonghans lily arrest of 10 civilians and 31 sector. After prolonged, scull-Russu uso egaalauza, of whom ing they managed to recapture is expected to reaffirm his ter for the
part of the Government's these which give rise to, fresh were later
platforms,
loyalty to the Communist, causo analysis of the threat
at Char Fighting flared to the
| Six Soviet officers watched and to deplore pressure from colony, if one existed.
Nevertheless, lottenburg tonight when rail- the fight from a distance, but the USSR which has "capped military- observere bro agreed
the fulfilment of common ob situation is road police aired on advancing did not interfero. At the same time, the spokes that the military
strikers. Driven from the plat-
jectives."-Associated - Prozs.” man was asked If it were true desperate, to say the least.
Woosung remains the key to that additional military units
last route out to sea, no, were shortly to be sent to the the
Whangpoo but New
that longer through".. and. Territories
the narrowing area, operational patrols in tile border through area were about to bo started, west of the River leading, to He replied that "some changes the Yangtéo bank "north","of"] in the present distribution of Woosung. froops are being made in order NO IMPORTANT CHANGE to fit in reinforcements. These
Shanghal, May 23-The battle London, May 22-Pas- London, termini trains for the been locked out because they around beleaguered senger railway traffic in North-East were leaving on had refused to work the
schedule, although passengers tivo,
Montreal City organised
Shanghal shifted slightly back Britain's North-Eastern To were warned that they might Tha statement sald. The men to cause the nes minimum
dislocation of the civil authorities, and the civilian and forth, during the past 2gion was practically at a not get through, Men who willingly accepted: employs.
hours, but showed no important as a whole. population, as a
change up to this morning with standstill today as the re The Avonmouth dockers ment, and actually commenced tive for the Authorities to see that living regards the question about all perimeters sul holding firm sult of a 24-hour token strike, which was caused by the the discharge of the Montreal
patrols, the answer is no,"
Canadian' Seamen's City were forced to stop under: worldwide. costs are kept within reasonable bounds.. I Though the Army is always pro. and the Nationalists, counter- Į strika by engine drivers and Union stoppage; spread to Brli-a definita threat by their mates"
attacking across the river in firemen
today. About 150 of the 600 that work on all vessels would tho Pootung area.
Long-distance drivers and | Bristal dockers attended a mass stop if the discharge continued/"
A total of 17. ships A night Defence Headquarters
on this route decided meeting of the Avonimith disclosed that biller at night to strike every strikers and then decided on a affected at. Avonmouth, and was continuing in two Sunday, perfoning today as a sympathetic stoppage tomorrow four others now at Bristol will mputer 450 Bristol men will be affected presentative tomorrow. The The spokesman said that no or three; sectors in Pootung protest against the Introduction
*** of a duties”. scheme which be informed. of the decision strikers sont official decisión had, yet been with tha focal paint. at would force them
spend when they report for work tow to address & meeting at Bootle, miles northeast, made about the construction of Kaochlao, 12
the Mersey port adjoining viously, with relists taking over the New Territories. The mat-masted most of their strength, during, the journeys, the men The 1,200 Avonmouth, dockers Uona are to be sent to other
able to return home to wll not return to work because
poris from the northern extremity of,
tha that lies opposite Footung
An Avonmouth : dockers". The strength of the, Air Force
| The headquarters of the being penalized for refusing to In the colony was one fighter Woosung forts. North-Eastern Region of the work the 14145-ion Canadian elegetettonight-urgóð. Livers equadron of Spitores, onė Kanchise and Wooking are Ralkwaya 1 reported today, that Vessel brontreal City, one of the bool dockers "LO CAITY general reconnalisance squadron the most, strategio, areas for they had managed to get Bun-ships involved: in the Canadian your work normáity, of Sunderland sying boats and the defence of Shingal, for as day newspa through to Seaman's Union depute, 9 do anything now because. ore af observation, post flight of tongary her, we held by their destinations atmost every e Port of Bilite plbyers you lake drastiation Auster planos)JAAN
Nationalist if troop the city where. „Aboutaŭ,000; mencare | Amsociation tonight" denied that will be ainking: un,” (Coniloved on Pako 8)"
(Continued, an
F150 FREINSANDÁL USUBOK Avonmouth màn: had dortoira - Tes
be, which, in duo
moves aro
adininistra
al-
pared and ready to support the police at short notice should it be necessary go
i
... KÁM TIN 'AIRSTRIP
inue made puble this [iremen
G F krautarse at krefrip-at-Kam-Tin, in where the defenders.apparently fights, sway from hima. Pro mOTTOWARDS Moot, tonight and deputa~;
terwes sull ·undier'; considera- | Kaochlao is about · · four miles wera atingidesign 39.they allege that;150; of; them, SEO, SIZOVANOMA
Seasonal ductuations in prices there must course, compensato themselves: but enforced increases which represent a reaction to currency, and other forms of speculation aro a“ burden 'which the community should not have to carry. Stability of our currency is the cornerstone of" "Hongkong's" econòmiu success, and if that stability is being Jeopardised by artificial manipulation, the Authorities must take whatever action is necessary to correct the situation, even if that involves 'dispensing, with restrictions which have been imposed in consequence of third party influence, is
Aut
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