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THE CHINA MAIL SEPTEMBER 30, 1999

Fage

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE WHITEAWAY'S BEDDING SPECIALISTS. BRIGADE: POSITION

OF GOVERNMENT

Sir, In view of statements which, Hong Kong, as

doubtless elsewhere,

have appeared recently in certain the Government has a deep interest in local newspapers suggesting that the welfare of its own Brigade com- Government statement regarding the plement but bears no responsibility affairs of the Hong Kong Branch of for and ́exercises no control over its the St. John Ambulance Association administration: the fact that many of and Brigade is expectable, I am direct- the officers of the Hong Kong Branch, ed by His Excellency the Governor to including the Governor, are Govern- make the following observations, ment officials in no, way alters that.

3. A statement by Government re-

2. St. John Ambulance Association | position, and. Brigade, throughout the world is directed from St. John's Gate, London, |garding St. John affairs would be an through its local organization. In unwarrantable derogation of the authority of the Venerable Order and the fact that none has appeared should cause no surprise to any person who is well informed upon the constitution of the Order.

SECRET DEFENCE DEVICES

the

and

For a long time Britain was world pioneer in the practical appli- cation of scientific knowledge technique in industry, and British in- ventions helped to change the face of the modern world. Then there was a tendency for the nation to rest on its past achievements, and in certain countries it was gleefully anpounced that Britain's day was done and the British people were decadent;

• Developments during the past year or two should help to dispel this dan- gerous illusion. Since Britain enter-

ed the rearmament field her advance

4. No such statement will be made by Government. I am to ask you to be so good as to publish this letter at your early convenience.

I am, Sir, Your obedient servant,

N. L. Smith Colonial Secretary.

refrained [The "China Mail" has from all reference to the controversy concerning the St. John Ambulance Brigade, in the knowledge that un-

necessary. publicity could only aggravate the situation.]

SIMPLIFIED

ENGLISH

In almost every country în

has been phenomenal, not only quan- the world there is a

con-

titatively but qualitatively as well. tinually increasing number The inventive faculties of her scien- of students of the English tists and technicians are as keen and vigorous as ever, and the British language.

It is already the predominating tongue, and from present indications we may assume that it is likely to become the universal language of in- ternational intercourse. It is the language of the Government of more than 600,000,000 persons.

Navy and the Britain Air Force testi- fy to the superb qualities of the men whose business it is to produce new devices to meet new dangers.

The Admiralty recently let it be known that they have a secret appar atus for defeating the submarine per- il, Under ordinary conditions, with

English is not an easy language to this apparatus, British warships can much misuse and to misconceptions learn, and its difficulties subject it to hunt out and make certain of finding as to the meaning of many of its words enemy submarines. The chance of and phrases. To simplify and to make the submarine surviving has been re-it easier to learn many systems have duced by thirty per cent during the last six months."

me-

- EMBARRASSING RAPIDITY

The British Air Ministry scientists produce one invention after another with astonishing and indeed embar rassing-rapidity, for It is almost Im- possible to standardise any system of defence in detail. Production thods "must be kept fluid so as to be able to incorporate into our system each new device as it materialises." In the recent large-scale air exercises some marvellous machines took part; but impressive as these machines were, there are still better ones now ready for action should the need arise.

LABOUR'S PEACE MANIFESTO

been devised by enthusiasts and ex- perts. One of these systems, Basic English, has been widely adopted; but Basic English has not been free from criticism. Some. authorities have praised it highly; others have. hotly condemned it.

GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE In order to arrive at some definite conclusion on the matter, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister, has appointed a committee of experts to examine methods of teaching-simpli- ned English to persons who do speak various methods now available will be the language. The relative merits of assessed by the committee and recom- mendations will be made.

Such recommendations will be ex- tremely useful to the British Council, the semi-official organisation concerned with establishing cultural contacts with other countries...

STUDENTS ABROAD. Among its other activities the Bri- tish Council has helped to establish British Institutes abroad. Such an in- stitute recently founded in Athens was originally planned to accommo- date 400 students.

On the opening day it was besieged A special brand of tissue paper, so by 8,000 students clamouring for ad- thin that it can be screwed into a mission; and enlargement was arrang tiny ball or slipped into a letter or the ed. In Bucharest the British institute leaves of a books, is being used by the has 2,000 students. And as all these underground left-wing movement in students are keen to master the En- Germany to circulate the British Naglish language, a simplified system of tional Council of Labour's 'Peace teaching will be invaluable, both to Manifesto..

the Council and to the students them- selves,

In this "form- the: manifesto weighs lem than a milligram, although, it is emily read and measures 81⁄2 by 10% inthats The paper is so fine that, it is completely transparent.

The Management of the Hong Kong Hotel regrets to advise the withdraw- al for the time being of the Ormonde The manifesto, a message from Bri-Sisters owing to the indisposition of tish to Garman workers, says among one of the Artistes. They will not other things, "What sheer madness it feature to-night but it is hoped at a would be for us to set about the later date to announce their re-ap- beastly business of killing each other.pearance.

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