1934-12-20 — Page 8

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THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1934

'CONCERNING

CHRISTMAS

PRESENTS'

J

Every year we make good resolutions about our X'MAS

SHOPPING. Most years we fail lamentably to fulfil

them, and what should, and could be made a pleasure,

becomes a frantic rush. Tired out and worried, we buy

something at random, and are aften more disappointed

with it than the anlucky recipient. To avoid this dis-

appointment and while our selection is still variable,

we ADVISE

SHOPPING EARLY

AT

Whiteaways

WHITE AWAY LAIDLAW & CO LTD.

OPEN UNTIL 6 O'CLOCK ́EVERY EVENING.

The China Mail

Faster Air Mails

HERE, THERE

end

EVERYWHERE.

HE BAVED ROCKEFELLER

"Dr." Ivy Lee, who has died in New York at the age of 57, was one of the founders of modern publicity..

In the autumn of 1913 there oc- curred the six-months' strike of the miners of the Rockefeller-controlled Colorado Fuel and Iron Company.

FACTORS THAT MAKE

A BEST-SELLER

SALES CAN NEVER BE THE

ONLY CRITERION

*

FAVOURITES OFTEN FAIL

(By Cecil Hunt)

London. 1 imaginé Lucas Malet's "Richard BEST-SELLER is one of the Calmedy" will endure much longer

The strike anded in a pitched A wonders of the world; its readers' memories than in pub-

the lishers' lists. Hornung, of “Ama- taur Cracksman" fame, is dated,

battle between the miners and the formula almost as elusive as militiy which is known in American elixir of life itself. history as the "Massacre of Picking winners on the course but, A. E. W. Mason, O. Henry, and Ludlow." .

is child's play compared with fore-P. G. Wodehouse, are still top-

There was great public indigna- casting best-sellers. The favourites liners. tion with the Rockefellers. For invariably fail; often they do not One phenomenal seller Mr. days on end miners' sympathisers, even start. Outsiders make in- Flower rightly mentions is "The dressed in black and led by Mcredible paces-and such out Dop Doctor." It was a Boer War Upton Sinclair, paraded up and siders!

story which brought the author.

*

down before the Standard Oil offices) Some years ago a reputable firm "Richard Dehan," a letter from In New York.

decided that in this publishing and subsequent friendship with, gamble there must be a system Lady Baden-Powell. She wrote |"POISON-IVY"

somewhere. They set out deliber-first congratulating the author on Mr. J. D. Rockefeller sent for Mr.ately to find the four best selling her deep insight into "B.-P's" Ivy Lee, then a minor Press agent, authors of the day. They had character. The auther had never

Mr. Lee's taak was to rehabilitate;

their most popular works analysed even met him!

the Rockefellers in the eyes of the by experts, who sifted out all the Feuchtwanger's Success American public. He succeeded, ingredients that had achieved suc-

As Miss "Clo" Graves, of course, and from that moment never looked, cess.

she was already well known, and I. back.

They pooled the four results and remember sitting in her Sussex re-

Sales

Was

He assumed the title of Public commissioned a competent novelist treat where birds flew in and out of to write a book which embodied all her room, and hearing of how, a Relations Counsellor. It was по vain boast. He would have adorn-! these apparent asserts. He did it week after the book was published, ed the American diplomatie service.!

well; the firm were delighted. They she was chatting with a fribnaly His ramifications extended over advertised the born best-seller ex-bookseller who admired her work. the whole world. At a time when tensively. It

a complete In reply to her inquiry as to the Bolshevista were hated by the "flop."

whether anything was selling, the American public he nearly pulled!

can never be the only man replied: "Only "The Dop off the post of Public Relations criterion. There is always the Doctorby some-interloper!" Counsellor to the Soviet Govern- psychological aspect, the effect the

Skipping a few years, could any the two books be more eantrasting than tinent, with cheap fuel supply ment. Through his son he estab-book has upon the masses,

place it wins in people's lives and Anita Loog's "Gentlemen Prefer and no other Governments to lished contact with the Nazis. negotiate with, or the Dutch ser- Jealous journalists christened him conversation.

Blondes," A. S. M. Hutchinson's "If. "Polson-Ivy."

Nowadays, whan authors are no Winter. Comes," and Feuchtwanger's Ilong Kong, Thursday, Dec. 20, 1934, vices with a straight run and no

longer called to start with the "Jew Suss?" The latter is more obligations to contributing Governments to consider, is un-1

best-sellers from £20 interesting to the publisher. I be Your Daily Smile!

copyright of

as Charlotte M. Yonge did with lieve it subscribed only a few dozen fair on the British service. The

"The Heir of Redclyffe"-it is pos- copies in this country. Subscrip Egyptian, Indian, Malayan, and Maid: "Yes, ma'am. I went to the sible roughly to link that definite tions are pre-publication orders by Australian Governments must all dance and became engaged to a win- One of the features of the cen-co-operate with the British dow-cleaner."

mass impression with a certain the trade. Mistress: "What is his name?" tenary, air race was the demons authorities to enable smooth and

sales figure-say, 100,000.

After all, why should "Jew Suse" Rheumatism, asthma, sciatica, ration by the Dutch service with express running on payable loads begin straight off asking personal Maid: "I don't know. One can't

sell? It was by a German practical- Best Of A Century lumbago, insect bites; sores, head-

their new American Douglas to be established on the England-questions like that."

one mightly unknown in this country, and aches, coughs, colds, chilblains.machine of what fast air mails Australia route. There is quite

Some best-sellers,

both author and book had au piles, sprains and dislocations.

say, are predestined. The mean in the northern hemis- as active à demand in England Nervous l'assenger-"Ob, I've pulled hor's fame or the unpremeditated difficult to pronounce. These small phere. British designers took for, a speeding up of the the communication cord by mistake.

What shall I do? I'll be find. £6" topicality, of the theme ensures points have considerable bearing the race with the astonishing service. The British service has Aberdoniun--"Give me, £S and Comets fresh from the work-jaimed at safety and regularity have a fit."

I'll attention. Others fall flat from upon the paychology of selling. It the press and suddenly leap to was incredibly long, foreign in set- as for shop, built

સ more rather than top speed, and what!

ting, and it looked beavy and for- strenuous Schneider Cup con- is equally important, the British While on holiday they called on an

huge sales several months after. text. From the Comet racer the Government has required that friend of their parents.

But these recognisable influences bidding. The trade was right in De Havilland firm now proposes the contractors should, through thake you tieing signs of unsuccesses of a century, and it is no right in discerning an eminently "Make yourself at home, dears," said do not account for a tithe of the being scared of it; the public was to produce a fast freighter of a period of diminishing annual easiness on the part of the visitors. "I doubt the very eccentricity of the worthy best-seller. the standards modernly evolved subsidy, prepare to carry onjam at home myself, and I really wish in the United States. But the without subsidy after a fixed you were."

records that has prompted Mr.

"All Quiet on the Western Front" Deamond Flower to collect for the performance of the Douglas with date. But so rapid has been mail cargo and passengers was development of speed, and size of

A little boy was saying his prayers in National Book Council data con-made most modern records look as noteworthy an event as the air-carriera that this agreement very low voice,

cerning the best-sellers of the last childish, but I doubt its endurance "I can't hear you, dear," his mother

beyond the Great War generations. actual winning of the race. That now seems likely to require dras-whispered.

century. feat has stirred public demand tic review. If greatly increased! "I wasn't talking to you," said the for a shortening of the England-speed is to be Inslated upon, it youngster. Australia air mail contract time must be paid for. Last year the Federal Govern- It has been calculated in Eng- ment was proposing a 95-110 mile land that in 1933 91.52 tons of an hour service from Singapore outward mail went to Egypt by

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*

*

*

Personal Pars

Post-War Records

nomes

His findings must give some mist is possible that the moving hu giving. They accuse us of per-manity of Deeping's "Sorrell and ferences we would gladly forget: Son.", equally a "timely" novel, will At times they flatter us with most outlast it.

excellent judgment, and at others "All Quiet apart, Priestley's they suggest we are fickle to the "Good Companions" holds most post- to the Australian terminal-surface carrier and 3.8 tons by children left the Colony by the a..that at

Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Arndt and point of craziness. They imply war records, but I would give the Fortunately, representations pre-air; to South Africa, 227.68 tons Patroclus yesterday.

one time we want sickly greater. "expectation of life" to hig vailed to make worth while coby surface and 5.2 tons by air;

sentiment, at another political English Journey." operation of established interests, to India, 805:8 tons and 22.3 tons;

satire; now sex, now spiritual Clearly best-seller ability is as English and Australian, which and to Australia, 312.5 tona by Balders were among the passengers honestly, how few bestsellers sur-synonymous with it. There are Captain and Mrs. J. C. Mepics. They reveal, if we look elusive as genius, but by no means could give assurance of better suface. transport. performance that the Govern show also that, if all first-class left here yesterday.

Figures on board the s.s. Patrocius, which vive the test of time.

many books even the broadest brow ment envisaged. The contracted outward mail from England were

Let us examine some of his later would be glad to forget, but book schedule, is for a 12 days' ser-despatched by air, the weekly

selections. "Little Lord Fauntle-buyers have had their triumphs. Surgeon - Lieutenant-Commander roy, arst published in America, is Any nation that can make "The vice, London to Brisbane-eight amount carried to Egypt would L. M. Hughes left the Colony yes-prominent peried novel with a Bridge of San Luis Rey 'a best- days London to Singapore, and by 19 tons. Six tons of that would terday by the s.s. Patroclus. four days Singapore to Brisbane, be local and for South Africa, 18 We understand that the Federal tons would go on to India, and

the 8.8.

LOCAL NEWS BREVITIES

vengeance, and how few could seller is an asset to literature. But name the author nowadays? Mrs. by the same tokens it is com Government is now concerned to seven, tons of that on to Sing-der and Mrs. H. Twomey left the mere" sold 10,000 a month for would "make a book" without a Paymaster - Lieutenant Comman Humphry Ward's "Robert Elles-pletely incomprehensible. Still, who know whether Imperial Airways pore for the Straits and Austra Colony yesterday by and the British Post Office can-lia. The air mail cargo would

many moons. Jerome, when he risk? Not publishers, surely, nor not speed up the journey over the diminish from Egypt outwards,

Patroclus.

wrote "Three Men is. a Boat." was even real authors. To them it is the former section.

The passenger traffic, however,

The Rev. Wong Chung Hul, best name of all in the book shops

described as having perhaps the precious life-blood of the game. There has been no announce-might show a surprising. varia- ment yet on two vital points tion from the mail traffic. These pastor of the Chinese Methodist after Shakespeare's. which affect speeding up on the difficulties may be in part sur Church, was among the passengers latter section of the route. One mounted by duplication of the on board the s.s. President Cleve is the cutting out of a vast num-service-making it bi-weekly land, which salled for Shanghai on

Tueaday. ber of small stopping places, instead of weekly. But develop specified for on the stage from ments are leading to a revision Darwin to Charleville. The of a scheme based on carriage of

Mr. W. C. Gomeratali, director of other is the direct delivery of only surcharged mails, and on the Metropolitan Land Company, mails to Sydney by the inter-carrying passengers and mails Limited, left the Colony by the sa national mail-carrier, instead of Logother. Government expense President Cleveland on Tuesday. by rail from a back-country ter-in subsidies would include still a

ou

་

1934's Top Liners

a

"The mystery of a Hansom Cab," phenomenal detective seller,

The Vehicle Ferry will be main first published in Australia is tained up till 2 a.m. on December 24, 80on followed by the evergreen 26, and 31. Sherlock Holmes. So far the per-

centage of real survival is not con- The a.s. Bendoran is due here on siderable. I cannot imagine that or about January 2 from the United Sarah Grand's "Heavenly Twins"Kingdom.

still sells in quantity. Meredith

De at the time a publisher's reader, One case of diphtheria and two advised its rejection, ple cases of enteric fever were, reported From that to the "Sorrows of In the Colony for the 24 hours Satan" by Marie Corelli is a far ended Tuesday. ery, but in between is placed-fj

minal (upon which the Govern-subsidy to mail steamers, for Mr. C. C. Stark, the local ment still insists) or by auxiliary other reasons as well as the ser- ager of the Lubricating Oil aeroplane. If the Federaljvice of transporting. second-class partment of the Socony-Vacuum Government wants a day or two mails. If all first-class mail is Corporation, returned to the Co- cut off the London-Singapore to be carried by air at the pre lony by the R. M. S. Empress of stage of eight days, is there not sent postage rate, what addi- Russia this morning. equally something to be said for tional subaldy will be required?

volume of enduring fame. Kiplinga A religious drama, "The Glad- reduction of the four days (an If by charging a higher rate Mr. R. R. Roxburgh, the managing elusiveness about this selection:tivity of Christ, was presented to a "Jungle Book." Not much con- dening Light," portraying the Na- amendment already secured from increased mail subsidy can be representative for China of Messrs. an original six) from Singapore avoided, will the users of the Thornycroft, and Coy, arrived in and the addition of Barrie, du large and appreciative gathering at to Brisbane possibly five days mail consent to the extra charge Hong Kong this morning by the clarifies the issue.

Maurier, and Hall Caine' scarcely St. John's Cathedral yesterday. to Sydney 7 On both sections on all lettera because sent com-R.M.S. Empress of Russia. the answer from the carriers is pulsorily by air? Passenger

Victoria Cross must be mention-Charged with possessing 908 po

the same speed can be had if traffle by air ought, of course, to Mr. S. IA Boas, A.CA FSA Aed. Over 5,000,000 copies of her pit lottery tickets in Queen's Road, the Government by subsidy, or Pay for itself, but here again of Percy Smith, Seth and Fleming, Anna Lombard have been sold. West, Wong Kwai-ching, a widow the users by direct payment, or mileage fares cannot be expected returned this morning by the R.M.8.

was fined $250, In default three the Post Office by sacrificing to be as attractive as those in Empress of Russia.

Editor of the Hong Kong Telegraph, months hard labour, when she ap- revenue, will pay for speed. To the United States, from which

was presented with a gift yesterday paared before Mr. E. 1, Wynne-Jones

demand what American services the latest big express carriers As a mark of appreciation from to commemorate his ailver wedding at the Central Magistracy this can supply across their own con have come.

his colleagues, Mr. A. Hicks the anniversary.

morning,