1940-06-06 — Page 4

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THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 6, 1940.

The Plight of Paula Richards; An Interview At Laichikok

BEHIND THE GRIM WALLS of Laichikok Prison and shar- and uncomfortable journey across the ing a cell with a Chinese woman convict is a young and Pacific in the Plata Maru, fell ill; blood pretty American girl, whose neat summer frock con-poisoning developed and she had to have an operation," which the rest of trasts oddly with the white uniforms of the warders them helped to pay for.

After that, however, their available and prisoners. The Prison authorities have done what they could to make her comfortable, but the fact re-funds ran out, and they all looked around for work. The men became mains that, owing to lack of suitable facilities in Hong odd-job men, since there was nothing Kong, this 22-year old girl-guilty of stowing away else to do, earning a few pesos a month from Manila and landing here without a visa-has had here and there.

Paula got temporary work singing in to be put into the female prison at Laichikok, over-sponsored programmes over the Mani- but the pay was crowded as it is with Chinese female convicts of the 101 la radio-stations,

small and her health was none too varieties to be found in Hong Kong.

good. She was, however, very popu- Some few months ago, the girl passed through Hong Kong on her way to Manila, happy and looking forward to a pleasant few months there before returning here to fly through to Chungking and thence down the Burmah Road into India. Yet when the President Cleveland ar- rived from Manila a day or so ago, she was under lock and key as a stowaway.

The story of how this sad fall from good fortune came about is a compli- cated one and that cannot be given in full detail outside the libel-free confines of a Supreme Court or Police! Simplified, the story is as follows:-

The girl is Paula-Richards; the "Richards" part is not strictly accurate, but it's as good a name as any to have for the time being." A blonde, 5ft. 3in., weight around 105 pounds, she is a vocalist, dancer, pianist and guitarist and, therefore, comes from Hollywood,

needless to say.

A native of Arizona, she first went to New York, where she studied sing- ing and found that she had quite a fine soprano voice. Energetic' and talented, she set out for Hollywood, and was soon appearing with the famous Duncan Sisters in their "Little Show" in 1938 and later with them in the Music Box in San Francisco.

Adventure

Paula decided to come out as well, intending to make a study of music and dancing in the Phillipines, China and India' which might well set her on the road to fame when she got back to the United States. She hoped to be able to support herself in the mean- time by dancing and singing, for, if she was good enough for Hollywood and the Duncan Sisters, she should be good enough for the Far East!

So they set sail from California, and it was not long before they started to They took passage on the Plata Maru, run into adventure with a capital A.

and found that Paula was the only

woman passenger on board-the rest of the passenger list consisted of 100

Nazis.

The Plata. Maru, crossed the Pacific only shortly behind the Asama Maru, but she sailed on a secret course. All

were

arrived in. Hong Kong, they handed over to the police, who prompt- ly charged them with entering the Colony without a valid passport-a charge that always puzzles stowaways who have no intention of getting ashore here, but are put off forcibly by the ship they have boarded.

And so, on Tuesday, Paula and Ed appeared before the Magistrate, who ordered them to be expelled from the Colony and to be detained mean- while as vagrants, since they are, after all, without any money and few be- longings.

Yesterday, a "China Mail" repre- |lar,, and this led to her appearance sentative visited both Ed, at the House at several charity concerts, at which of Detention, and Paula, at Laichikok she gave of her talents free singing Women's Gaol. Both were feeling before 2,000 and more people at a somewhat depressed and wondering what was going to happen next; both time.

representative's shoulders with relief practically, fell on the "China Mail". at the thought that at least someone from the outside world—even if it was only a newspaperman-had come to visit them.

and they looked around for help. The But things could not go on this way, men could find no work in Manila, while Paula's pretty face and figure attracted men of means who were willing to help--but only on terms. That is not a nice thing to say, but it happens to be a fact. Paula was-- and is not that sort of girl.

Appeal For Aid Eventually, they decided to appeal for assistance through the High Com- missioner's office. At one time, they hoped to get away on an American transport. At the last moment, how ever, Paula was informed that they were unable to take her, although

room could be found for the men.

Ed. Williams promptly refused to the other men sailed on alone, in the leave Paula behind, stranded, and so

hope that they could get through to the United States in time to send them out financial help.

Hard Knocks

Ed. first, behind the bars and grills of the House of Detention. Young, fairly well educated, he admitted ` quite frankly that hard knocks meant little to him; if it came to the choice be tween comfort and adventure, it was adventure for him every time. He was obviously the type of young Am- erican who bobs up again no matter how many times Fate deals a blow.

He was, however, very, very wor- ried about Paula and, indeed, most of how to get her out of her predicament his conversation was about her and he did not seem to be worrying much about himself,

And then, out to Laichikok Women's But Paula and Ed were unable to Prison, to see Paula. just sit around and wait for this help. In a thin, summer frock, she pre- She also spent some time doing in-

They got in touch with the High Com-sented an incongrous sight as she sat missioner's office again. An attempt in one of the "reception" rooms and charts and maps and so, on were taken terpretative and exhibition ball-room

was made to ship them on the s.s. Pre-chatted with the "China Mail" re- dancing, both on the stage and in the down, so that none but the captainsident: Cleveland either as destitutes

presentative. Under the circumg- films. Anyone with a good memory and officers knew where the ship was. For as part of the crew. They were not tances, she was quite cheerful-far

She took almost a month to accom- plish a journey which should take no more than 18 days.

for faces and figures may remember her in "Firefly" and "Rose Marie," in both of which she appeared. She was to have had a bigger part in "The Great Victor Herbert," but had to forego this because of illness.

So much for the background of this girl, who comes from a good middle- class family in Arizona.

Only FriendTM

Sailing far off her course to avoid meeting any British warship, she ran into a severe storm, mighty waves sending the ship over at angles of 35 and frequently degrees and more threatening to swamp it. · Food......-ran short and they had to go on rations, while the crew caught rainwater for them to drink.

All in all, it was no plesaure-trip and everyone was glad when they

“Fizzled” Out

Her only friend here is Ed. Williams, who is in his early 20's himself; any one seeing him in the House of De-finally reached Japan. tention would find it hard to believe that at one time he was employed by such people as Mr. William C. Bullitt, the present American Ambassador to Paris, and the late Irving Thalberg, movie director and husband of Norma

Shearer. But that is the way things

work out in this world sometimes.

A few months ago, then, to return to the main story, they met some peo- ple in California who painted a glow- ing picture of the Orlent and some gold mines in Burma and the Phillipine Islands. They told Paula and Ed and some friends who were with them that, if they came out to the East at any · time, they would take care of them.

It is possible that this was just one of those "generous offers" which are not meant to be accepted; be, that as it may, however, Paula and Ed and the two other young men in the party decided to accept the invitation and so they made arrangements, to sail for Manila within a few weeks, bringing with them letters of introduction and 80 on,

Then on down to Manila, where more trouble began, real trouble this time.

The rosy prospects of jobs in gold- mines and so on "Azzled out." Paula, unused to the hardships of the long

allowed on board as part of the crew, and, although the High Commissioner's office does not have funds to pay their passages and some of the crew offered to help out financially, this, too, was forbidden.

But Paula and Ed were almost desperate by this time. They had reason to believe "that" "there"waro Jobs going on board and they figured that, anyway, the President Clave- land was an American ship bound for the United States and, if they "showed thole · willingness to work

their way across, no one would mind. if they stowed away.

Handed Over

more cheerful than the conversation with Ed. would lead one to believe— but it was obvious that she was be- ginning to feel the strain.

only he

She has 'relatives and friends in San Francisco who will be glad to send the passage money if they can be communicated with, she told the "China Mail," She also wanted to send word to her mother by air-mall, but as she is only al- lowed to write on prison note-paper, she has decided not to do so for the moment.

What are her plans? the "China Mail" asked.

"First, I want to get out of here and Once the ship was well under way, back to the States," she smiled. "After they gave themselves up, meeting a that, I'll return to dancing and the third, stowaway, a young Filipino, who movies. And the next time I come out had had the same idea. Paula was to the Far East-if I do-it'll be by promptly confined to quarters, while Clipper! No more ocean trips, if I Ed was put to work. When the ship | can help it!"

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