Coca-Cola
Shanghai Situation Critical
Shanghal, July 17.-Rice prices rose more than 30 percent in two days as the price and food situation in Shanghai neared a crisis,
The TICW price is 00.000 Communist lollars for a 103 pound bag, Simultaneously, the oficiais exchango yate increased from
1,050 for 1,850 to US dollar.
מתם
to
This offeint rate remained far behind the price of rice, which wages are pegged. When the Communist dollar was 1,000 to one a month ago, rice was selling for 11,000 Communist collars.
The causes are numerous, in- cluding the Nationalist blockade, disrupted communications, Roads and crop losses.
In the part, such price jumpa were Partly combatted by dumping ECA rice at fixed prizes.
Now there is no ECA rice.
It appears that a vast number of rlee-eating Chinese are going to have to start eating some thing cise. The Communists are shipping, hundreds of tons of soya beans to this region from the North.
CANNOT WORK Magic
The pro-Communist paper, Sin Wan Jih Pao, said Shanghai
For the Penprieine of
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,
For and on behalf of
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, LTD.,/
The
S
Today's weather. Light or moderate Southerly winds. Fair. Noon Observatione; · Haromotrio pressure, 1910.8 mbu, 29.83 in. Temperature, 88 deg. F. Dew point, 78 deg. F. Relailve humi» dity, 01%. Wind direction, BE. Wind fores, 4 kugla,
High waler: 4 ft, 7 fm, at 2.33 p.m. Low water; 2. It, 5 in. at 3.50 p.m.
Thongkong Telegraph
VOL. IV NO. 167
PACIFIC UNION TALKS
At least eight' Asian na- tlons are expected to take pari in a conference soon for the purpose of forming an anti-Communist Tacile Union. following the Chiang-Quirino talka Ja Baguio.
The talls are kely to lake place before the end of August. Exploratory moves are 'at present being Inflated.
part
Countries likely to take are Chlum, Korea, Philippines, Indo China, Thailand, Indonesia, India and Pakistan. Australla and New Zealand may also sond representatives to. the conference.
This, according to a re- Bable
source close to Chinese high government circles, la the substance of what Chiang Kai-shek told Nationalist. leaders in Canton last week.
AUSTRALIAN STRIKE
POSSIBLE BREAK
IN SIGHT
MONDAY, JULY 18, 1949.
Two Troopships Bring Garrison Reinforcements
16 FORMER
HONGKONG
POW RETURN
Sixteen soldiers who were takon prisoner by the Japanese
in Hongkong and who spent nearly four years in concentration camp in Japan returned to the Colony today as part of Army reinforcements that arrived this morning in two troop- ships.
•
The men are all members | Field" "Ambulance
other
of the 1st Battalion, Middle-units as well as Service families sex Regiment, which was
stationed here at the time
and naval personnel.
The Dand the 1st Battalion, Royal Leicestershire Regiment,
of the Japanese attack. was present at the wharf to The Battalion, arrived by the cheer up the arrivals with lively troopship Dunern, which thed up music. at the Taikoo Sugar Relnery
While the Dunera was empty- wharf. North Point. residents must "be pallent, Sydney, July 17.-Premier | embarkation,
On dising herself, a second troopship the while the difculties of floods
Middlesex tied up at No. 5 Kowloon Whart. and Nationalist blockade Are Joseph Chifley called upon went to Lyemut Barracks,
She was the Empire Trooper, being overcome."
Australia's 21,000 striking The former POW are: Colour which brought about 2,000 men Admitting that the situation coal miners tonight not to St W. Ure, Drum Major C. The main contingent was the was "deult," it declared, "thely themselves with the
Haldford. Cp1 4 Hymas, 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sulher- revolution cannot work magic,"
FA Walden,
Bdsm land Highlanders. They brought but "pessimism is unnecessary" worldwide Communist move. F. Hazelwood, Cpl Here, their Pipe Band with it came
Since employers say they mont "seeking to destroy F.
Cpl Mitchell-Gears, Other units which came by cannot possibly raise payrolls to the democratic way of life." Cpl Birdsey. Major 11. March, Pt this ship included 23rd Field C. W. Hanshaw, L/Cpl Wins- Regiment RA and 0 Royal broadcast borough, Sgt Burrell, Pte Ayl- Army Medical Corps unit which It's nation-wide from Canberra
the ward, L/Cp1 P. Walker came as
and is taking over the Mallida Hos paralysing stoppage entered its Major (Q) P. Newman.
pital. fourth week. Premler Chifley said the strikers could not have selected a worse time to tie up the nation's economic lite. said that Britain and the Briush Commonwealth were encoun- lering enough economic clifeul- to com- es without strikes pileata the problem.
floods
meet the rice price jumps, efforts ure being made to shift wages from a rice basis to some other Index tystein.
Meanwhile, the Yangtse River
critlea!. remaln
The crest has not yet renched the lower valley. Reports said the entire elty of Wuhu, 250 miles
flooded, upstream, was
and people were sleeping with water under their beds.Associated Press.
RED DRIVE ON CHANGSHA
He
It seemed that some hopeful 9gns of a settlement
were in sight. The first possible break in the strike came from Collie coal- fekis on the western tip of Aus- Iralla, where a small group of Canton, July 17 The Na-miners decided to resume work. Keelist-military-news-agency on Monday and refer their. reported Loday
Coal that strong claims to the Lucal Communist forces har started a ference Board. The miners' re- drive apparently aimed towards turn will enable 10,000 Changsha, central China strong ployed persons in the Perth area hold 400 miles North of Canton to resume work. -Associated Press.
EDITORIAL
(Continued on Page 5)
Re
In addition to the 1st Middle- sex, the Dunern also brought contingents of Royal Engineers, while the men disembarked.
The Band of the 1st Battalion, The Buffs, played on the wharf
Togliatti Defies Excommunication Order By Vatican
RAIN WETS PARCHED EUROPE
London, July 17-Rain
fell over most of parched Western Europe today, and in northern Sweden snow broke a month-long heat wave.
Reuter cables from Europe's capitals reported as follows:
The Hague: Temperatures dropped sharply as rain fell over Holland.
Stockholm: Snow fell in northern 'Sweden, sweeping In an Arctic winxi, while showery cold weather spread Boutirward.
оть
Paris. Sudden downpours of rain swept over central France, driving run-bathers to shelter. In Parla the temperature was 77 degrees Fahrenheit at mid- afternoon.
Berlin: Rain dropped tempera- tures from 80 Fahrenheit to 75.2 Fahrenheit.
Dine
At the
For
P.G
Reservations
Price 20 Cents
Tel: 27880
Jubilee Reservoir Overflowing
Here is a fine picture taken on Saturday at Shingmun, showing Jubilee Reservoir, whose water level was low two months ago, full to over flowing. Picture was taken with a small camera by an amateur, Mr J. H. France.
PHILIPPINES
ABOLISHES DIVORCE
Dock Strikers
Trafalgar
Pack Square
London, July 17-Ton thousand people packed Trafalgar Square this afternoon to hear protest speeches at a mass meeting of dockers, involved in the London docks dispute,
Mr E. Thomas, of the men's Led by the London Pipe | Band and with trade union "Lock-Out Committee of Ave, said that they wore all anxious banners waving, about 1,700 to work but would not work of the 14,638 men in the dis- "black" ships and were defer- pute, which led to Govern-mined to carry on the struggle "no matter what the sacrinco Germany-Rainfall-so-far this Manila, Jaly-18--Divorcement emergency.menaures, month has been only a tenth
Frankfurt: Violent thunder- storms broke over Western
Rome, July 17.-The Italian Communist of normal for the 31-day period, will be absolutely abolished marched in procession to tha!
arcas.
Square.
14
Criticising the British Labour Government, he said that the in the Philippines in 1950. unem leader, Palmiro Togliatti, today publicly defied the More storms are forecast.
Striking Canadian stamen men had no desire to be out of Roman Catholic Church and said the weapon of ex- little rain, but thunder showers code, enacted at the recent Argomont-the
Copenhagen: Denmark had a The new Philippine civil
from the Beaverbras and work, but might be tumed to
two communication will never destroy Communism.
Canadian an "angry and ugly mood." were forecast for southern session of Congress, does ships" which tho dockers re-
There were no incidents to- to unlond-took part in day in the docks, which wora..... Togliatti charged the Rome: Haly's grape crop at away with divorce. It be fuse
the march, carrying posters. a Sunday deserted look. Church with using powers one time the most promising comes effective one year
Mr John Platte-Mills, In- Nearly 7,000 troops, sollors dragged "from the darkest of the postwar period was re-after official publication, dependent Labour Member of and alimen-1,000 more than
ported wilting 14 ages of human history.**
continued
drought which is expected shortly. Parliament, told tho meeting: Saturday-were, however, pre- over. the country. "All these
Government paring to begin work tomorrow. Even under the existing laws, challenge tho powers will not
Rome itself
cooled succeed at all," he told a chear-
20 winds divorce In the Philippines with not wanting to solve this morning at the docks, where 91 ing crowd of some 2,500 Com- from 05 degrees to 88.
pushed the
thermometer down predominantly Catholic country dispute. Even I could setile it chips are now idle and seven
10 minutes. - extremely difficult. The in munist followers packed into n
ate under-manned. Britain London: In
the Rome theatre,
only grounds are adultery on great issues at stake." weather Whe showery with the part of the wife or con- Togliatti, Moscow-trained thunderstorms over most of the cubinage on the part of the hus- leader of Italy's nearly 2,000,- south. Between 8 am and dusk band. And the guilty spouse
London had about 000 party members, was the
an inch of must be imprisoned before the first important Communist. Ica-
rain, Sudden, heavy showers divorce may be granted.
The new code allows legal.
and separation both of body property, on grounds of adultery but neither concubinage, spouse may remarry. The new code also provides for legal separation when tries to kill the other.
An Indefensible Strike THE London dock strike drags on. Not for the first time, the London dockers are showing themselves to be criminolly irresponsible. Coming now, when Britain faces a stern battle for economic survival, and on such a flimsy pretext, their stoppage is indefensible. Once again they are using their key position in Britain's supply lifeline in an attempt to gain their point-a point which can by no stretch of the imagination be said to concern Britain or the rights of British workers. Their case rests on a squabble between two Canadian maritime unions, the Communist-Inspired Canadian Sea- men's Union, and the Canadian section of the Seafarers' International. Union, which is resolutely anti-Communist, and belongs to the American Federation of Labour. Tho dispute began with a break-down of wago talks between the Seamen's Union and the Canadian ship-owners. The Sea- 'farers International approached the employers and offered to man their ships. Thereupon the Seamen's Union called a strike, not only at home but in ships in foreign ports. Canadipri dockers refused their support, continued to load, and unload ships, and the strike in Canada soon collapsed. Scaforers'. International crews were flows out to foreign parts to 'take' over Canadian ships affected. The * Seamen's Union countered with an appeal, For the support of local workers in those *ports at which Canadian ships were fled "up." The appeal was most successful in Britain. The dispute is purely domestic,
·and after consideration of the motives of both sides, the International Transport Workers' Federation and the British Transport:and General Workers' Union fdecided that there was no case for out- aidė intervention or support. That the
canvassing of the Seamen's Union bore auch fruit in Britain points to one of two things: either the British dockers have been duped, or they are deliberately tolerating political exploitation by Com. munist
the ngitators. The timing of
Britain's stoppage, coinciding with economic crisis, would suggest the laiter, The ostensible
reason for the London
www
strike was the employers' refusal, last* month, to engage dockers for newly. arrived ships while two Canadian ships remained unmanned. These tactica had previously been used at Avonmouth, and had had the same result, but the dockera there have since resumed work. Liverpool was also affected, but there, too, the men have seen reason. The continued stop- page at London has resulted in the proclamation of a state of emergency, and troops are at work on the docks trying to keep the ships moving, The right to strike is a hard-won privilege of Labour, but it must not be abused at -a -time like this. The dockers have in the past had plenty of reason to use this right legitimately; before the war, when they worked for three days each week, spent the other three on the dole, 'con- ditions were bad. But during the wat they Won many concessions, and frequently earned fabulous wages. They still enjoy much better pay than most British working men; their job is less arduous and unpleasant thon' many; and they have a greater degree of security under new regulations than has'
over
been thought possible. These benefits are not begrudged them, but they musty be made to realise that such, frivolous and dangerous strikes as the present oné. 'will not be tolerated.
der, to react publicly to the Alled gutters to kerb levels.—
historic der.
excommunication
05-
Shouts of "We do not cure" greeted Togliatt's reference to the excommunfenlor
order against militant Communiste announced last Wednesday. - Associated Press.
tion."
1920
Reuter.
VILLAGES
ENGULFED
BY LAVA
or
опо
spouse
Foreign divorces obtained by couples married: in the Philip pines are not recognised Philippine, courts.
ligious groups-United Press.
by
TIGHT-ROPERS?
Rome, July 17-Pope Pius XII toki Berlin Catholles in a
Dr
former Jorge Bocoba, special German-language broad-
associate Justice of the Supreme cast tonight that Statea
Court and. for 17 years dean of "not based on faith in God" were
Santa Cruz, Dela Palma, the Univerzity of the Philip "necessarily destined to destruce Canary Islands, July 17 pines Law College, called the of divorce here a Lava began pouring from backward step." He was chair-
abolition Speaking of "Apocalyptic the fifth crater of Mount man of the Code Commission horrors" suffered by the people Pelada volcano today, spread-which prepared the now com- of Berlin since he had last beening fire and destruction pilation of civil laws for enact
ment. able to address them (he was along its march to the sea. Papal Nuncio in Berlin from
Several legislators ngrood Experts predicted, however, with 1930), the Pope declared,
Bocaba but the "no full "Lot ur rejoice, that there is that the volcano now in
divorce” - zectian passed Con- soon be sub-gress under pressure from ro an opportunity today to express eruption, will our thanks for the faith and siding. Rove, the #beadfastnesz – and Four other craters, all of pallencé, with which you ro
which are 50 yards in diame mained true, under superhuman ter, erupted a fortnight, ago. dificulties, to God and bla Volunteer firefighters roturn- Word, to Christ and his Churching to this island's captint from DEATH CRASH the scene said that three moun- "Your future is still velled. tain villages are already com- Vienna, July 17-Thousands But rediso that it is in the pletely engulfed by lava and of spectators wa Ught-rope hands of God and put your others have been partially des- walken, and his 16-year-old faith Armly in him."
troyed. Almost all vegetation daughter, crush to their death The speech, which lasted eight has boon burned from the en-from a rope stretched 120 "tent minutes, was heard by: 30,000 fire southem, half of the island. above the Danube Canal In Roman Catholles from Bertin Standing upright is difficult Vienna tonight.. and the Soviet Zone, assembled at times because of continuous For the past month Josef in the amphitheatre near the earth shocks.
Elsemann had given a nightly. Berlin Olymple Stadium, in, the
Except for light from the performance. always adding British sector, ma
faming volcano, the fire-aghters some new turn to his spectacular Among the quirie of Berlin, are working almost in darkaren repertoire each evening. To- the Pope said, one thing re- to stem forest fires, becauan of night he was
carrying his mained-God and the belief in heavy clouds of smoke and | daughter, across the wire on his God
powdered rock hiding the sun-shoulders when he lost his foot- (Continued on Page 5) Associated Finer.
ing and foll-Reuter,
on earth.
མ་
Thero
(Continued on Page 8).
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