1939-04-01 — Page 9

THE CHINA MAIL APRIL 1, 1989-

JAPANESE SEIZURE OF SPRATTLEY ISLANDS

France Contends Group Are French Possession

Cavalier Action

In Middle Of Negotiations

Paris, To-day.

Japan's brusque action in taking over the Spratt- ley Islands, off the coast of Indo-China, is re- garded here as surprising, to say the least. France holds that the group is a French possession since they were physically occupied by the French and notice of occupation given to the Powers.

France's ownership was recently] challenged by Japan, and in the middle of negotiations over the islands comes yesterday's com- munique issued in what is felt here to be a cavalier manner.

ÚS. INTEREST

NAZIS ACTIVE IN PATAGONIA

"Buenos Aires, To-day.

It is learned that the Argen- tine President is ordering an in- vestigation into press allegations of Nazi activities in Patagonia..

It had previously been report- ed that inhabitanta of the island had been approached by Nazi agents to secede to Germany.— Reuter..

Made Fortunes For Other People

WRONG MAN FINED - C.I.D. MEMORIES

The days when 100 prisoners were dealt with before lunch in Tower Bridge Police Court, and the wrong man was fined for an offence were recalled by Divisional Defectivo Inspector William Wheatley, of Southwark Division of the Metropolitan Police, who has retired.

He told me that it was not uncom- mon for officers to hand over their drunken prisoners to other officers who were attending the court with prisoners. on other charges.

"I remember one case," he said, “of a Chinese who had been dealt with by the Court, and by a mistake walked out without paying his dues. He was not missed for some time, and when an- other Chinese was seen some distance away he was brought back and had to pay the fine, in spite of his objections.

On his 102nd birthday, just cele-[ It was by a lucky accident that brated, the oldest man in Lon-Mr. Harris discovered the secret don, Mr. William Henry Harris, of the tinsel garlands that are of Algernon-road, Lewisham, told now used all over the world to was induced to grant him bail. Fortun

At the same

time there is no question of going to war over the group, fate of which will be decid- ed eventually by treaty.

of how he invented tinsel more decorate Christmas trees. than 60 years ago.

In Washington yesterday, Mr. Cordell Hull, the American Secre- tary of State, said he was giving fall attention to despatches relat ing to Japan's assumption of juris- diction over the islands.

?

He had not yet received any formal notification from the Japan- ese Government. Reuter.

JAPAN'S EXCUSE

The Sprattley Islands, also known as the Storm Islands, are roughly halfway between Indo-China and British North Borneo.

The Japanese

excuse for the seizure is that the islands have long been without claimants and that occupation has become necessary to protect Japanese subjects who have been engaged in work on the islands.

CRIPPS THREAT

TO ATTLEE

Sir Stafford Cripp's Popular

"On another occasion a notorious pickpocket escaped from the Court, and to save the officer the Magistrato

ately after a time he turned up.

Commended by Judges

career

He was the inventor, too, of á He noticed a strand of silk

for use in thread with bright shavings of cially for C.I.D. officers, and my time "The police force is a fine life, espe- flexible throat tube

metal attached to it. As it hap-in it has been very happy. It is full diphtheria.

He himself made the throat pened, the "master" was at that of excitement and thrills occasionally.. tube supplied to the German Em-time very anxious to produce a It is a remarkable fact that C.ID. officers- seldom carry truncheons, and peror, Frederick III, father of thread which sparkled.

yet are rarely assaulted." the ex-Kaiser, when he was dy-

In the course of his

Mc As soon as Mr. Harris showed ing of cancer of the throat the trouble that Hitler fears." him the silk thread with its shay-Wheatley has received 30 commenda- tions from Judges and. Magistrates for Mr. Harris has made fortunes inge, he was ordered: "Go, and his smart work in arresting murders, for other people by his inventions, make half a dozen samples." blackmailers, shopbreakers and receiv but has not himself benefited.

ers. He holds the unique distinction of holding two discharge parchments from the Force, as he resigned in Jan- uary, 1916, to join the Royal Naval Air Service, and was given his discharge papers.

"My inventions were made dur- ing working hours, in the mas- ter's time," he said: "They were part of my job.”

Lucky Accident

All German Now Before long the mill had two or three hundred operatives at work making tinsel.-

The Germans sent over to England a trial shipload of rival

The "master" was the owner tinsel. of a silk mill in Lewisham, where Mr. Harris worked for 50 years, as chief engineer.'

HUNT WENT TO DOGS

"It was no good," Mr. Harris said, but to-day tinsel garlands all come from Germany and Czechoslovakia.

The old silk mili în Lewisham where Mr. Harris worked closed long ago, and the building itself has now been pulled down.

He joined up again the day after he was demobilised, and has now served 27 years in the Force.

The idea of becoming a policeman was put into his head by his father, who served in the Thames Division for a short time. "Big Bill" came to Lon- don on holiday to see King George V.'s Corponation in 1911, and bought a re-

turn ticket.

City Lost Him

So impressed was he by the good- humoured London “bobbies" 'that he applied to join the City of London Police, but they were too busy with Coronation arrangements, and so lost a first-class man-hunter.

Front candidates will oppose Mr. A fox and a hare crossed paths Attlee, Mr. Herbert Morrison as they raced across Leicester- Mr. Harris began his working

His application to Scotland Yard was and other Labour leaders at the shire acres. Behind Reynard life in an engineering firm. Sent accepted, and he still treasures the re next General Election unless the thundered the Quorn Hunt, the to the Lewisham, silk mill to do turn half of his ticket to Northumber Labour Party call off their heresy hounds eager for the prey, the a job, he so impressed his em-land. All he had with him at the time.

was his Gladstone bag, complete with hunt against MPs who support riders at full gallop..

ployer that he was asked to stay tooth brush, but it will cost him $30 to Cripps.

Behind the hare came the and did for 50 years.

return and take his home with him, A split Labour vote in their Thorpe Satchville Beagles. Sud- constituencies might unseat many denly there was chaos in a broad- of the Front Bench Labour men. meadow. The two packs had "Nearly a hundred local Socialist collided. And into the confusion parties have already told Trans-piled, the followers, on horse and port House that they disapprove foot.

of Sir Stafford's expulsion from the Party,

EXHIBITION

Artistic Photo-Portraiture, Josepho Studios of Shanghai. JACOBEAN ROOM HONG KONG HOTEL Opening 10 am: March 29: For Ten Days Only

Admission Free

Foxhounds and beagles found they liked each other's company. They scampered off together in search of sport.

Horsemen rounded the dogs up and strove to separate one breed from the other.

But some wily beagles slipped through the cordon,・・ måde off across country. They had learn- ed much from the foxhounds in their brief encounter. «

For half-an-hour they were lost. Then at Eye Kettleby, away, they were seen streamis úcross country. Before went the fax.

S.P.C. ANNUAL BALL

CABARET AND BRIDGE

Under the distinguished patronage His Excellency the Governor, Sir Geoffry Northcote, Kt., K.C.M.G. will be hekl af

PENINSULA HOTEL

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FRIDAY 14th April, 1939, at 9.30 p.m. Tickets ($4.00 each. Including supper) àre; obtainable

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