THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 9, 1940
Potted-Best-Seller Serial: Ninth Day
THE HOPKINS MANUSCRIPT
By R. C. SHERRIFF
Who Wrote "Journey's
"Journey's End"
The fallen moon brought vast wealth
tired.
"It is vitally important that every citizen shall understand the crisis in which the British Empire stands to- day.
"The moon's position in the Atlantic Ocean has blocked our sea routes and isolated the British it
Isles from its Colonies and Dominions. Without a corridor to the ocean we shall be
in oil and metals to
But the world. brought the senseless misery of war, for human nature is un- changeable.
dependent upon bringing our vital supplies through the lands of foreign- ers who can cut them off and starve us at their will.
"Before the moon's wealth was known to Europe, no nation raised ob- jection to our corridor; all recognised it as our life-line, and agreed to make it British territory. But new leaders have risen abroad, who crave for the lion's share of the new
I was bewildered by the news; num- bed by a fear out of all proportion to the meagre and casually delivered un- nouncement, but from my bewilder-wealth. They deny our right to a cor- ment rose one dreadful conviction: "It has come-it has come knew that it would come!"
to
I
My memory rushed back the party at Dr. Cranley's house three months ago-to Major Jagger. I saw if it it all once more as vividly as had happened an hour ago and yet I had striven with all my might to of thoughts drown it in reassuring future happiness. I knew now what, despite myself, I had striven to ridi- cule. I knew that every word that Major Jagger had said that night was true. desperately true
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scen
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to
ridor: they reject our guarantee give them freedom to cross it, on the grounds that we might fortify it and one day claim the whole moon as our own.
"An enemy airplane scattered pamphlets.、、、
ad. they were dressed to the people of Britain
States from 'The Confederated of Europe.'"
'i
cle. There were hunger and misery: insistent calls for men,
"The Confederated States" swept our army from the Corridor,
Britain faced defeat.
and
that
"Britain stands to-day at its great- est crisis: either we must submit to the greed of others, or we must stand firm and assert ourselves, if necessary, by force of arms. No citizen of this
But by Christmas we learned hesitate in
the Confederation had collapsed. The proud, free country will
the moon. leaders of it had come within grasp- his choice; any sacrifice is better than about their "rights" upon
I and my Ministers are All they desired was leave to rebuilding distance of the wealth upon the servitude. working day and night in our search their houses, to grow their corn and moon, but as they streched forth for an honourable and peaceful solu- to graze their cattle, to feed their pigs clasp it they began to
we do so in the know- and to sit in the evening sunlight | other's hands away. They began to
All ledge that every man and woman of when the day's work was done.
argue about their rights once more: the will support us Britain
will that they desired was peace, and the they began to fight. By June give their lives, if need be, in dignity of quietness.
fighting had spread through the limbs sacred cause of freedom
of Europe like disease through a weak, resistless body.
tion:
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the
through I should have
the veiled references in broadcast speeches: the hurried comings and goings of Ministers to The Hague the urgent meetings of the Cabinet, I have written nothing in these past always ending with: "Negotiations are three days. I have been ill with some proceeding well." "There is no ques- kind of fever that must have come to tion of serious disagreement." "Theme from the stagnant mists that rise of St. matters involved are naturally very from the undrained marshes complicated and need further discus-James's Park. sion." Always the note at the end: "All is well-all is well!"
Deep within me I had known the truth: in the depths of the night" I had known it.
"This is the National Station. The Prime Minister."
I had not heard John Rawlings speak before.
The last pages of my story will be a desperate race-a desperate struggle against a weakness that consumes me day by day. I am writing with my vacuum flask beside me. page is finished I roll it and place it end in the flask. Should I feel the suddenly upon me, my last act will be to seal my flask in order that pos- terity may receive at least the pages that I completed up to the moment of my collapse.
But their
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"leaders"
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knock
· to each
in central Europe demanded free and uninter- Autumn came once more, and with the territories it the day I dreaded. Robin came to rupted approach to
claimed upon the which they had
me as I was closing the hatches of there moon, for as Robin once pointed out my chicken houses. He stood to me, central Europe was cut off for a little while, talking of casual by the territories between them and things. Then he turned his head the moon lands.
away with a characteristic little move- in One evening, early in July, a gleam ment that always betrayed him of hope emerged. John Rawlings, our embarrassment. Premier-the sole surviving statesman."I don't know what you'll... think,
the Uncle-but I've got to go," As each of the "old school"-spoke over
he said. for a com- radio again. He announced that he "I wrote last month.
The was proposing a sweeping new Plan mission in the Infantry Army. to all nations concerned. To end the reply came this afternoon."
that drift towards war he proposed
I held the thin, shabby strip of every nation should give up all in- paper in my hand. "Robin Parker: and its appointed lieutenant-the 14th Ex- dividual claim to the moon wealth; that the moon should bepeditionary Battalion." explored and its wealth exploited by
I began,, but he a Permanent International the
Commis- stopped me with a weary, impatient sion; that the wealth be pooled and gesture of his hand.
"I know.
what divided among nations in fair propor-
I know exactly tion with their needs and population. you're going to say. We agreed that There was a week of silence, and war was insane-wicked-that our job then came the news that every "lead- was to stay here. It isn't like
that er" in Europe had rejected the plan any more. It may, sound silly and as "humillating.".
and sentimental, but I still be- Rawlings's Government fell—Major | lleve terribly that we are the people Jagger became Prime Minister.
who must get this beastly thing put
us
The new Parliament had voted him Premier as a result of some good work he had done in organising the City of Oxford as the provisional seat of gov- On the morning after the Premier's ernment.
told But while John Rawlings speech the newspapers proved himself an excellent adminis- whole fantastic, pitiful story.
The dispute over the "British cor- trator it was whispered that he was a weak negotiator and no match for the ridor" emerged now as a mere side- problems that greedy opportunists who seized power issue to the chaotic abroad directly the wealth of the were tearing Europe to pieces. moon became known. And now his The poor, bewildered people of the voice came to us, thin and desperately nations knew little and cared less
FUR COATS, JACKETS,
CAPES & SILVER FOXES
AFTERNOON and EVENING GOWNS
KNITTED WOOLLEN SUITS and SLACKS
at
The Most Reasonable Prices in Town !
Mrs. Willy
Room 103, First Floor, Bank of East Asia Bldg., 10, Des Voeux Road, Cili
"Robin!
Two days later we heard that fight- | right." ing had broken out in Normandy, upon Many a time I have regretted my the north-eastern fringes of the moon." | passionate outburst. I was not angry
The war was on.
with Robin: I. was furious at the senseless folly of it all: furious at the impotent devilishness of it.
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Military historians, in daya to come, may be able to give sense and "You're a fooll" I shouted. "A logic to that tangled fruitless war. senseless young fool! D'you realise The news we received was heavily that the only way to save a few censored. We were told of "magnifi- shreds of humanity upon earth is for cent victories" and "astonishing pro-people like us to stand firm and carry gress."
on! D'you think you'll save womèn But that was in the summer time. and children from starvation by go- It was clear that Jagger had taken | ing off and playing soldiers with a Europe by surprise and carried all lot of other fools!" " before him in the opening campaign. I stopped. I was exhausted. I sob-
But one morning in the autumn an bed for breath. enemy airplane scattered pamphlets Robin sighed and smiled rather over the district, and a copy came
He
to our house. *
|-down in our garden. It was addressed walked bay look my arm and we
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to "The People of Britain” by Thé It was in the week after Christmas Confederated States of Europe.” It-on New Year's Eve--when Pat said told us not to lose hope, because, the “good-bye").to me, too. Confederated States had allied togeth- er in order to destroy Jagger and re- lease the British people from the toils of a mad usurper who was leading us to destructioname
Throughout that winter our fragile civilisation clung together by a
An urgent call had been made for girls prepared to serve as nurses with the Expeditionary Force in Europe. Heavy fighting all that winter had made the seed a desperate one, and Pat was going with her friend Joan (Continued on Pago-15).
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