How
"Coca Cola
VOL. V NO. 292
HONGKONG TELEGRAFE For and on behalf of SOUTH CHINA MUN
Way The
Hongkong Telegraph
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19,
1950.
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FATE OF CROWDED HONGKONG American Assessment Of Trade Ban: "Future Pretty Grim
COMMENT
Hanoi Threat
The decision of the French
administration to evacuate all non- combatants from
the
“Economic Semi-Paralysis: Semblance Of Stability"
FROM FREDERICK COOK
New York, Dec. 18.
The fate of more than 2,000,000 people living in northern areas of Indo- crowded Hongkong rests to a large extent today in the hands China need not be
who, grasping a interpreted
of a 49-year-old American civil servant simple as alarmism. It has many of bulging briefcase, rides to his work in Washington every the hallmarks of good morning before 8 o'clock in a crowded suburban bus.
Slender, bespectacled John Burton, father of three into a major battleground small children, is a typical hardworking bureaucrat. He lives to get as many helpless in a remodelled farmhouse which his wife redecorated her- civilians out of it as they self to save money.
commonsense. The Hanoi
area is rapidly developing
and the French are wise
can.
In spite of the fact that
more than 150,000 French
..
He gets to his £3,700 a year job a few minutes.
before his secretary every morning and is often Italian Lire still there at 8 o'clock at night.
troops are bogged down in
In his hands is the ponderous machinery Indo-China by the feud with the Vietminhese, not which, as one American Government spokesman even with the aid of the put it to me, "will decide whether Hongkong shall Vietnam forces is there be allowed to continue under minimum economic sufficient manpower to patrol the Chinese Com- standards or will be reduced to austerity."
In either case, he added, "the future for the Colony looks pretty grim.”
Slumps
Rome, Dec. 18. The Italian lire dropped heavily today in terms of gold dollars and sterling in a new wave of war fear provoked by
America's state of emergency and. the Russian warning against German rearmament.
A parallel fall was recorded on the free markets in Rome,
Not At All Promising
London, Dec. 18.
Mr Kenneth Younger, Bri- tain's delegate in the United Nations General Assembly, said today that Communist China's attitude on Korea "is not at all promising."
However, he added, upon his arrival here by air from New York, "one must not rule out the possibility” that the Chinese Comniu- nists may yet change their minds.-United Press.
FRENCH
FORCES ON THE ALERT
Hanoi, Dec.-18. French forces and police throughout the Tonking delta Northern Indo-China area in were put on the alert today against Vietminh attacks to- morrow, the anniversary of the uprising in 1946.
General De Lattre de Tas- signy, newly appointed French Commander in Indo-China,
is due at Hanoi tomorrow on his first inspection tour of the theatened province.
A spokesman said that a north-west of Hanoi had been French post only about 20 miles
attacked.
munist border or to halt the pressure in the frontier zones. It may be
Mr Burton, is head of the ex-so forth, and especially any necessary, therefore, to
port control division of Washing- and all goods for re-export. abandon a substantial part ton's vast sprawling Department The new ruling calls for an of the Red River valley of Commerce. He is the man export licence for every com-Milan, Genoa and Turin, and the delta to set up a who runs the complicated licens-modity shipped to Hongkong by
The committee In Rome the free price of French aircraft bombed sup- ing system which has sprung US exporters. stronger . line farther
dollar jumped from 704 ply centres and Vietminh camps into being as a major factor of must decide what goods are to the south... This manoeuvre life and death importance to be approved and also in what lire on Friday to 740 today and throughout the area, the spokes-
exceptions may the pound sterling from 1,750 man added. could be seriously ham- millions in the Far East since circumstances
A road convoy travelling from the US on Dec. 3 imposed its be allowed. For instance, though to 1,800 lire. and
Saigon to Loc Ninh, about 70 pered if
drastic new export regulations rubber tyres are high
A month ago today a dollar miles to the north, was am- children were left behind. embargoing all shipments which barred list a few badly-needed The situation in Indo-China "might get into Communist bus tyres might be approved fetched 670 lire and the pound bushed on Saturday. Four lor-
"for use on the streets of Hong-sterling 1,700.-Reuter.
ries were lost. - parallels that in Korea, hands."
Under this regulation Hong-kong only," prior to last June, closely kong looks like being the hardest It was pointed out at the De-
of partment enough that there is hit. ample reason for appre "We are not trying to put Washington that the regulation hension. The Communist-Hongkong out of business." said does not mean that everything will necessarily be banned for Government official.. **We
"That de- directed Vietminhese a forces have been streng-Colony and we shall most cer-
recognise her as a British Crown shipment to China,
pends," said an official, "entirely on how the situation with China thened by large cadres tainly try and work this thing
women
on the.
Commerce in
perhaps
"
develops. The way things look that have been trained out with as little hardship as now, together with pressure of and re-equipped in China. possible." But others were much public opinion, it will
pessimistic about the come
to that. Families with The Vietminh army is. no more.
future of the Colony.
boys fighting in Korea have been longer a group of
POLICY DECISIONS letting their Congressmen know "nationalist" guerillas
Since the embargo went into how they feel about us supply- French **im- fighting
effect an inter-departmental ing any goods whatever to a perialism." It is a striking committee made up of represen-country shooting at their sons.
American exports to China force that can be com- tatives of the Departments of have been falling at a tremen-
Defence and manded by the Com-State, Commerce.
dous rate even before the out- Agriculture have been in almost break of war in Korea. Imports munist over-all leadership continual session working out from China have not changed to move for the domina-policy details of what can and much. Ninety per cent of tion of the whole of what cannot be done in the way
bristles of shipments to Hongkong and come from China, This coun- Indo-China.
been getting China from the US. Their formal try has also decision is expected to be an- tungsten, tin, tung oil, wool, nounced soon after final approval tea and spices.. by the Secretary of Commerce,
Moreover, it can be backed up, just as the North Koreans were supported, by a very large Chinese Communist
Mr Charles Sawyer.
that army
The spokesman, who con-
America's
hog
still
export
DEPT. SWAMPED
for Applications can intervene if the Viet-firmed that the decision would licences are swamping the De-
mean for Hongkong, the choice partment of
minh force cannot win between minimum economic none will be.
Commerce. And issued until the com-
out on its own.
standards or prompt reduction the inter-departmental
defined the for-mittee rules on major polley The French, therefore, must to austerity,
of economic Meanwhile US exporters are study every defensive mer as a "state
semi-paralysis with a bare biting their fingernails. Many
: have goods already on the possibility. The terrain of
semblence of stability." Annam gives hold a
them an Austerity standards, he said, docks ready for loading. One said he had would guarantee only enough malt exporter
docks opportunity to position south of the Red food and clothing needed from cases of hops on
America: to ensure a health Fat Seattle and even River that is topographi-minimum,
look for, another cally strong. Indo-China, Hongkong, he said, was as cause hey were packed to the like Korea, has its waist.sured of her "essential require special requirements of a Arm "These would be met. in Hongkong. We have appiled And it is there that the ments."
But definitely out were such for a licence and now all we real decision will be "powder pun items" as fountain can do is hope
(Continued on Page & Col. 3) pens, pencils, typewriters and
reached.
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