[

THE HONGKONG, TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1950.

Trouble knocks again

(THIS TIME A MISSING PLANE STARTED IT)

for

GERMJAY Besila

IWEKA.-

sometimes pay them a visit.

They feel they deserve this if! only because Dornhem, the island of the first flying bomb, gavo England the news of this new Hitler weapon ten months before tho frst crossed the

Channel

The people on Bomb Island fear that the Russians will stay on, Bornholm. Or that in the event of an East-West war they POLAND would fall into Russian hands.

A

Bomb Island

ROENNE, Bornholm, HE Islanders of Born-

holm, the Malta of the

Baltic, are preparing for a new Soviet invasion their fourth taste of the Russians in five years. And they don't like the iden.

The Americans -- searching for the missing Privateer plane shot down by the Russians are responsible, unwittingly, for the new scare

not

So Bornholm people are to be blamed for worrying.

It began when the US. airmen set up their base in Copenhagen, with permission.

The

A

Russions made swift re- ply. Square-faced Soviet Minis- fer Plakhine in Copenhagen de- manded the right to set up base on Bornholm to salvage a Suviel trawler, the Mirage- perhaps a good name for - on a Bornholm widch led up cliff last February

211

Blandy the Russians ray the salvage operation will take least a month. But the Born- holmers feel it may fatte much langer.

YE

DEFENCELESS

TET there is nothing for the Russiang to se, on Bornholm which they have not seen nl-

ready.

For Bornholm can be described

S

a Malin

of the Baltic only

BAN

London Express Service, ^

by

SELKIRK PANTON

4

GESTURE

Y

E T. they paint out Bornholm is no nearer

Russian- territory

than was Malta

to Italian bases during the last why.

They think their island could become a fortress again, as their churches once were.

because of its strategic position, and not for its netual defences.

That is another reason why Today the island is as wide open

welcome British defenceless a baby's they would and

naval shipa ng a gesture. They amile.

TASTE NO. 1 of Soviet think it might be a sign that the mrthod came to the Born Ailantle Powers might be think- homers when the war was over ing of defending Bornholm. in Europe for everybody else.

mass-bombed

Russians

It

the

The

After all, Bornholm is part of Denmark.

on Any attack t on May 7 and 8, 1945. the island

very would bring into operation On May there was ttle left of the one-and two- machinery of the Atlantic Pact

of Roenne, the and that might be the beginning storey houseS cupil, and the other overgrown of a Third World War. villages of the island.

But the tough Bornholmers have already rebuilt 10

much.

that today there are hardly any ruins to 32 seen

TASTE NO. 2 was when the Russians landed and sccupied the land-for ten months.

DOUBLE EXPOSURE

DAB and FLOUNDER -by Walter

(London Express Service)

Books and

New

OYA HORACE

DAB

GONDER INITE

THROWER

Odd man out in London's

wartime

underworld

By GEORGE MALCOLM THOMSON

CLOUDS IN THE WIND. By F. L. Green, Michael Joseph. 129. 6d. 528 pages.

L. GREEN specialises in the highest class of

Fin

psychology.

The swiftest

kind of action set off by the coldest analysis.

Each of his novels is an episode in a war of nerves.

Hc is Д master of that favourite modern

theme, the outlaw, the man on the run, the Odd Man Out, in short, who must fear every policeman and can trust no civilian,

The man who is being headed off at every turn and will, in the end, be cornered and crushed by society.

In telling such

a story, in lending it tensile strength, in making its people quiveringly allve in their fears and despera tons, in capping the

Wholn structure with an austere pin- nacle of climax-nobody today

Green.

F. L. GREEN was born at Portsmouth In 1902 and 14 of Irish and Huguenot descent. His first novel, "On The Night Of The Fire,” was Evening Clouds In the Wind" his Standard Book of the Month

and!

In 1939. most ambitious new, loug

In 1944 he wrote novel, picked by the Evening

"Odd Man Out." He lives in Ulster. Sinndard as its Book of the

TASTI. No. 3: The Russians, novel by Graham Greene Month, takes the bunted man as

a shelter during a heavy raid he falls in with Mabs and Patsy:

Frank is on the side of the angels as a good patriot, and on the side of tho deserter.

James Albert and that Symons was the son of a Jewish auc-

became tioneer who

a hotel- keeper and cook.

As a boy he was employed in 'n fur house; welting to his dances, he hinted at this period devils os in his life as if it were a shames

.ful secret. He can trust nobody, yet must

Symons would like to have have friends. And all the time been born somebody different,' common sense tells him that an aristocrat, Inheritor ot "Security" must. be watching Georgian mansion, famous pic- the organisation, waiting to tures, à cholco cellar.

pounce.

M

He set himself to acquire" by his wits what birth had denied to "bulld. his life as on him,

He did, in fact,

architect builds a hour a FLOUNDERING, ropin cellar and learned to talk about

Frank

ot last wines with an intimidating ex that Keefe, realises

the Civil

pertise. He acquired a country Defence doctor. an under house. If he did not have great cover agent of counter-espion-

with

age, that Keefe is giving him pictures, there were always the orders disguised as hints, that musical boxes.

His mind was filled Keefe can save him from the frightful danger he is entangled dazzling day-dreams, some quite meretricious. He enjoyed the risks he could not help taking. the social successes ho could not help seeking.

in

With every cunning touch in his repertory brought into play, Green raises the pace and the

He may have come to like the Suspense of the story until the wine and food of which he was whole edifice of melodrama so eloquent a prophet. crashes.

"Clouds in the Wind" considerable performance

is D in

He had a taste for the flashy, and charlatans, for swindlers like the so-called Baron Corva

reale and power. The huddled (Frederick William Rolfe), atmosphere of total war, as felt disreputable

were

author whom

at the receiving end. The play Symons erected into the object un the exposed nerve. The war of a cult. Maundy Gregory was, for a time, antong his acquain- between corzelence and celf- preservation. The flowering of lances, Symons was Impressed odd personalities, with Green by die fact that Gregory's cuff

balls platinum fudulging his fascination for the Jinks

of covered with diamonds. rich, highly-coloured velns humanity.

He modelled himself on the Above all, the persistent strata young Disraeli, at the grensy one of its main threads. But

of life outside the law,

curls and the waistcoats. Yet, only one.

underneath the froth of his lifo This time Green is working through then he is drawn expedition through the modern ability as well as a real gift for

Gizen, leads a long, eventful there was a stratum of πολλ but

old on a wider canvas than usual the equivocal world

He has Alled in a gallery of Charlie is king.

choos. How brilliantly it is n friendship. shulster us a new novel in hand, Miss Marple,

[characters, humerous,

It is a world where no ques- achieved! With what ability to

The na impression left by this

blography the title of which has not

sympathalie Algernon Blackwood, at 60, and eccentric. The people whom tions are asked, no anawirs need rustain the tension! been decided yet. Nevil is writing the arst instalment of Frank Chester fell in with when be believed and the worst as A. J. A. SYMONS: his written by his brother is that of

autobiography, Entodes deserted and went "untier; sumption is taken for granted. The 45,000 Bornholmers were Shute's new book, A Town his

life and speculations. By ne talents wasted on unworthy Thirly

Nevil, round" in the murky, confused (Peter therefore pleased to see how Like Alice, is due in June Before

Julian Symons. Eyre and April) Thirty years of knocking Britain of the Blitz.

At a dining dub, the Sette of Spottiswoode, about, and being kneeked about

Oad

Volumes,

to he offered ky the U.S. brought search from Heinemann. planes to the Baltic after the

by the world.

friend. forge the name of his Privatzer was

pages. tred ox by the

hiaurice Henty, on a cheque Ropinna.

frying bo turn the Baltic into their ow private sen,, started hangering the Bornhohin fisher- men. Ang ships now found in the "binel-out" area east of the istarul disappear, and are held by the Hussia with the crews for at least a nonth.

UR younger authors are time is not 31. Poirot, gimlet-witted

OUR younger authown benign.

Harriel.

his marriage

where

155. 2N3

CHI

purposes.

Charlie, a romantic, dominat Ing, yet evasive character, rules it by virtue of his money and bis

ability. Taken under 100. Old favourites,

Charlie's wing. Frank is given

• Commenting on Eden Pull-

RANK the Megitimate ron false papers, a new vation hook, HE amazing Mr Symons, which he would then present at pines as they wanged over thenedy, whose famous Con- what RT two of a prosperous bookle and elvey clothes and a driver's job amateur forger, professional Healy's bank. The forgery was

They waved at the American are active. Margaret Ken-

herly ready, Mr Borwood, of

His boyhood has in Civil Defence. a barmaid. stant Nymph appeared in Hutchin om, said: "There must

punter, founder island Guring their search.

of the First executed, presented and paid, They are a chair, unimaging 1924, will

have her new be something unusually pleasant een happy and his youth sue

All this is so much "cover." Edition Club, co-founder of the The wager cost Ifenly a bottle

Food and Wine Society, auther of champagne. tive people, the.e Bornholmers,

a stressful cessful. All but

But cover for what? It is hard of The Quest for Corvu

Symons died in 1941 and is mostly farmers and fishermen tovel, The Feast, published about the life of

noveint Fince so many five st And that ques wrong through to believe that the manufac excellent piece of literary detec buried at Finchingfield. In his who threw out the Sweties 300 by Cassell next week.

Jong Phillpots, "the Thomas

Harriet's friend and ture and sale of cretic photo, tlon), dandy, collector of must- Inst phase, belleving that his years ago, and who island was

Haly of Devon," published his Dora,

Mabs's Superb

on wine; literary career was done, cal boxes, authority

he onec the base for murung|

jest book in 1888; has since Franica mistress. When Dora is graphs-with

model-is the books and about 250 novels

the Nineties, and drowned, swimming with Frank, body as their written

au spoke of taking a knighthood as patient Vings.

cues the accident sole

uf purpose

Charlie's dacious privateer of the seas of if he had been offered one. strange organisation."

extravagant letters--thin

per- "Would Sir James sound well?" in the air ree.ntly.

In a world of half-shadows, sonality of prewar London was Sir Alphonse would certainly halt-hinis, half-explanations, born just 50 years ago:

He wrapped as far as possible a cloak of mydery about his early life and circumstances. He even tried to hide his Christian

A LITTLE HURT

THEIR white, round churches indicate their history. Dur ing the peaceful centuries there churches were useri as churches, but in times of trouble they be rame fortre.MES.

And now they are

pub

World My Wilderness. She

In May will be ished Rose Macaulay's first novel for 10 years. The plays. A now radio play was Harriet

through glasses. The forthcoming novel is The She asks her husband for the has filled the gap by a large waters of Walla. Phillpotts is trul had he killed the girl? Frank worries over the mystery output of other work,* the most retiring. of novelists And Frank cannot tell the truth; until the girl Patsy, in a moment

he wrote in anwar to question he does not know it.

of hysteria, betrays the secret.

· Another lengthening naire: "I am afraid I must stick

Harriet leaves him then, war list of works is Agatha to the rule of a long lifetime and comes; on the eve of being sent Frank has stumbled Into

about Personal

oversens Frank makes a frantir nest of spies. The photographs names. A feeling a Christie's. Murder is say nothing

myself. Only concern of pub-effort to see her

of lovely

he, a commissioned officer, has convey

become already

a deserter. In enemy.

tle hurt with the British. Announced, coming in June lie with author, he thinks, He comes to his senses when parently They feel that an occasional from Collins, is her 50th hould be with their writings, ship of the British Navy-even

London Express Service). one of the Kitle ships-might "whodunit."

Sleuth this

VIGNETTES OF LIFE

aps

Maby contain casual marks which Few were allowed to suspeel information to the that the initials "A.J.A." con- ecaled the names of Alphonse

noL

It 15 doubtful if, even as Sir James. Symons would have fl- ted comfortably into the post-

war seine.

JULIAN SYMONS, London. born author, critic, poel, is 38 years He is married and has one derplater.

old,

-(London Express Service)

"Any Day Is All-Fool's Day"

Bu KEMP STARRETT

THE LAD WHO THOUGHT HE COULD DO AS GOOD A JOB AS

A PLUMBER ANY DAY IN THE WEEK.

...AND

WHAT'S

MORE.

Cle

Lic.

THE ONE WHO ADMITTED HIS RELATIVES COULD BE A BIT SHORT OF PERFECT AND THOUGHT THAT ENDED THE MATTER..

THE ONE WHO THINKS HE'S ONLY, A COUPLE OF POWIDS. OVER-WEIGHT.

COPE, 1150 BY GENTRAL FEATURES ·" CORP. TH-WORLD RIGHTS RESERVED.

THE MAN WHO THOUGHT HE COULD GET RID OF A GENIAL STRANGER. BY BEING POLITE AND PATIENT.

AND THEN THERE'S THE HEIR- APPARENT WHO THINKS ALL THE GIRLS ARE CRAZY ABOUT HIM FOR HIMSELF ALONE.

THE ONE WHO THOUGHT HE COULD MENTION] DIET AND

THEN TALK

ABOUT

SOMETHING

ELSE.

WELL,

YOU ASKED

ME 7

THE ONE WHOSE FRIENDS LED ELM TO THINK HE WAS A GREAT COMED- 'TAN AND COULD KEEP ANY CROWD,

IN STITCHES.

THE DELUDED

LAD VIO BELIEVED IN FREE SPEECH AND GAVE AN HONEST OPINIO [ABOUT HIS WIFE'S NEW SPRUNG,

HAT.

3.26.

ER-

ER.-

!

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