1939-05-31 — Page 3

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THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 31, 1939.

ry, Supreme Cock!

On

Currency Smuggling Is

How Refugees Recover Their Hidden Savin

Fortunes Carried Past Customs In Diplomatic Bags!

A

Arising out of the refugee problem, currency smuggling on a gigantic scale is taking place in Europe.

Foreign diplomatic representatives and mes- sengers are engaged in this new international in- dustry which is being operated on behalf of those who have had to leave their former homelands.

Owing to rigid currency restrictions, refugees from such countries as Germany and Czecho- Slovakia can bring with them only a nominal amount of money in liquid cash or bonds.

In many instances, the maximum | racial or political reasons. allowed is fantastic in its inade- quacy.

Faced with this position the re- fugee prefers to have such money as he can realise with a friend, rather than have it used by the Government which has contrived to break up his home, happiness. family and business.

HIS PROBLEM His problem then is to get it out. Having obtained a permit to stay in Britain, for example, his next move will be to get in touch with one of a group of agents who are known to be interested.

The agent usually requires of the refugee a security which will be equivalent to some 20 per cent. of the amount involved,

Now the agent instructs a go- between who in many cases is, a person entitled to travel on a diplo matic passport.

IMMUNE FROM CUSTOMS The messenger, immune from Customs search, can carry the money in his diplomatic bag.

But his headache is to convince the refugee's friend and trustee in the home country that he is there by the refugee's wish and is not just a Government agent or a plain confidence trickster.

Arrangements to overcome this difficulty vary. All smack of a Phillips Oppenheim thriller.

One colourful device is for the refugee to inform his friend that a messenger will be bringing a torn half of a currency note. At the same time he sends the other half, and if the pieces fit, there enough,

Or it may be by an sounding letter talking body who will collect the the third shelf.

Many of these are established business men, who are reluctant to close down, and are endeavouring to build up a balance in a land of asylum should the blow fall.

To do this they are exporting vast quantities of goods for Bri- tish, American, and French pur-

SPY PAPERS

Placards telling Germans how, to catch spies have been posted up all över Berlin. This "code" for all Germans is given:—–

"I know it is my duty to dê- nounce even members of my own family.

"I will let nobody quiz me. "I will never try to catch a spy lone-handed

"I will gain time by harmless conversation, and then inform my superior employer or the police."

The notice explains that spies are not solely interested in the armed forces, but in all organisa- tions serving defence.

"There is no hope for those who fall into the spy's net," concludes the notice."Whoever fails to de- nounce a spy or traitor is punish- able even. by death."

COOPERATION

BETWEEN CHINA AND LEAGUE

GENEVA, TO-DAY. MR. NEVILLE MACKENZIE,

EDUCATION IN

BRITAIN

London, Tu-day.

The Annual Report of the Board of Education for 1938 contains evidence of continued progress.

Altogether, 1,983 school build- ings condemned as falling short of modern standards have now either been closed or the defects have been remedied.

The number of pupils in grant aided secondary schools reached the total of 470,003, over eighty per cent. of new entrants during the year coming direct from ele- mentary schools.

Nearly sixty per cent, of en- trants were admitted free.

NUTRITION

In nutrition there have been im- portant developments, and the Board is at present surveying the adequacy of the provision of free meals and milk in necessitous

cases.

The number of elementary school children receiving free meals was 614,806, and 97 million bottles of

chase. Their own Government in- BRITISH LEAGUE OFFICIAL milk were distributed free.

WHO HAS JUST RETURNED FROM CHUNGKING, STATED THE YESTERDAY six

PLAN OF COLLABORATION

sists that credit facilities for the goods supplied must not exceed a certain fixed term

of, say, months.

At the end of the credit period | BETWEEN for each consignment the authori-

THAT

THE LEAGUE AND CHINA, FOR WHICH THE

For 360 scholarships for higher education awarded last year there were 6,245 candidates. British Wireless.

POLICE MERGER

ties want to know whether payment ASSEMBLY VOTED 2,000,000 POLICE

has been made. It is a serious of- fence to risk default.

The merchant's hope is that, should he suddenly become a fugi- tive, he will be able to come to his debtor country and collect outstand- ing debts.

SWISS FRANCS LAST SEP- TEMBER, IS NOW IN FULL SWING.

at

Plague and cholera experts present are working in north, west and central China.

At the request of the Chinese But by that time a Nazi official, Government, many doctors and en- the or his counterpart in other coun-gineers have concentrated on tries, will have taken over the firm, Burma' road, which passes through and a legal squabble as to rightful malaria infected areas, to endeav- ownership of the debts may follow. our to make the road usable even Some idea of the proportions of during the bad season in June and the problem can be guaged from a November. Reuter. recent statement by Lord Winter- ton, chairman of the Evian Com- mittee, that from Greater German territory we have in Britain now some 25,000 refugees.

QUEEN MARY

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

The former

Paris, To-day. Rumanian Foreign according

Minister, M. Titulescu,

London, To-day. Queen Mary, it was is proof Marlborough House yesterday, is Monaco and has sent for his furni-

to a report from Monte Carlo, has stated at bought a villa in the Dukedom of

continuing to make good progress. ture from Rumania. Having given innocuous- No further official reports will be up all ideas of returning home, M. of some-issued for the time being. Bri- Titulescu will reside permanently books on tish Wireless.

The refugee, having obtained his money, is confronted by the snag that little dealing in restricted for- .eign currencies goes through official exchanges because of suspicion on the part of the authorities..

Both agent and refugee can change their money on the Black Bourse where, however, rates are far lower in terms of sterling, dol- lars, or francs.

LIVELY TRAFFIC Turnover in Reichsmark notes

has been heavy recently, and for these the chief market is Paris. There is also a lively traffic in Ita-

in Monaco.-Trans-Ocean.

Ming The Panda To Take Part In Children's Zoo

LONDON, MAY: 16.

WHEN THE ZOO OPENS ITS PETS CORNER (OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS THE CHILDREN'S ZOO) NEXT MONDAY IT WILL HAVE TWO OUTSTANDING ATTRACTIONS.

One will be Ming, the young Giant they would like because of the wall of lian, Czech, Japanese and Hun-Panda, who is to be at home for a grown-ups who stand around Ming's garian notes, Czech crown notes are short period each day to give the present cage for long periods, relatively weakest.

There are also thousands of pep-

ple in countries like Yugo Poland, and Hungary who

not yet refugees are in daily

of confiscation of property.

children

chance ing it at close quarters.

Bee-

Ming will spend part of the day in the children's Zoo and part of

Pretoria, To-day. Incorporation of the South-West South African Police in the African Police from June 1 is an nounced in a proclamation issued Reuter. yesterday.

P

THE UNFORGETTABLE DRAMA OF A PRIEST WHO GAMBLED “LIFE'S WORK

THE REGENERATION OF A BOY !

HIS ON

TWO GRAND STARS. WILL STORM YOUR HEARTI

Hailed as the

Captains Courageous"

of 19381

SPENCER

TRACY ROONEY BOYBAN

EYHOLDE Tourop

SATURDAY

QUEEN'S

the day in a new homes circular ALHAMBRA

At present too many of them do cage which has been fashioned from

see the Giant Panda as well as the old bandstand.