1950-06-30 — Page 15

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1951.

Front-line wife says: I have no regrets for- 'STOLEN DAYS WITH MY

in

HUSBAND IN KOREA

getting to Korca right away, battle or no battle.

Day after day I sat Marunouchi lounge, not knowing whether my hus- band would show up any and food are cheaper and minute or ever.

better there than at their own hotela.

Several officers from my husband's regiment, who had been on leave, returned right away.

By BENITA LASSETTER

who startled the world by

her "hitch-hiking'

way Seoul-and her soldier husband.

W

to

young words

One night one American took the right out of my mouth. We'd been talking

about

my husband a lot and

said: "Would you like go across to him?"

he to

Here's

my mail, thought, und my chance.

I

big

The American was 13

Korean pilot in

service.

army

mention names. There's an

"No old

saying:

"This time I got off.

I hadn't a clue as to where The plan was for me to walk my husband would be, and with hurriedly to the plane just before the ace and soldiers and air

.It Was All It took off. Actually I just made min everywhere

bewildering.

My felend slammed the door almost in my face, and I had to be hauled in as the plane star red tax-ing.

There was a nice couch to re- lax on, as was Lieut.-General Sir Hornce.Robertson's plane,

'NEARLY DIED'

Of course, I knew a lot of the and many of them Fusillers, have a chleweg. trooped into town to see me and

I like to think they saw in me a picture of their own wives I spotted some herets and and sweethearts in their home- far so far, so terribly. knew them to be British. They land were in a top and by all the away. luck of the gods were from my husband's regiment.

I'd been given the name of Scoul's only hotel, Chosan, and I asked the Tommies if they'd take me there.

On the way I told them my secret. They nearly fell from the

They gave me all sorts of mes- sages to deliver for them. They were full of how they'd licked i the Chinese Communists in the last show.

Well, all good things have to come to an end, After five days my husband thought I had bet "If you know how to get back," No one asked me for any he said, papers on the airfield, Maybe I'd been manifested as a bomb or a spare engine, or something,

I nearly died when I was told it jeep, but wished me good luck. ter be getting back to Japan

WORE PARACHUTE

HEN I flew from They said they would Rome to Tokyo tell him I was waiting for

was his plane, but I didn't I found I on April 19 him in Tokyo. The Glouces You must understand in feel so guilty when

the way to knew that iny ters were almost wiped this story why I can't wasn't going all

Korca in it. husband, Major Matthew out and I knew the Fusi- Lassetter, Royal Northum- liers were alongside them.

■ South I was dropped at berland Fusiliers, was due

Japan air base and told: "You'll I just prayed and prayed, names, no puck drill." Be- have to get Jourself away from field as if I owned It. But my told him it was easy. I just to spend five days "relax

cnuse of possible repercus- here." leave" from Korea, and i

Then one day Matthew sions I'll stick to that. had no thoughts of visiting arrived. He looked terribly him at the front.

tired and thin. He had come right from the battle

I am a terrible air travel-

ler and was sick for most front. We had a wonderful

All day long I haunted the field. spent a night at the women's service mess. DAWN WAIT

of the long journey to live days. They sped like ALAS for my first attempt

Tokyo.

came five minutes. Then

to get to Korea. I kept airfield moment all Service, rendezvous ut the

before dawn but the pilot never turned up. He must have been pulling my leg or got cold feet. I was de- termined by now and began to plan again.

At our last stop, Hong- the kong. I read with misgiv- men's wives dread. My hus ings that the Chinese had band had to return to the started

offensive on front. April 22 and I prayed this would not interfere with Matthew's plans.

Alas for my prayers first news 1 got

when

I saw Matthew of a

dawn and think the idea' of going to Korea came to I me as I watched his plane

I bought a khaki rain

checked in at Marunouchi take-off. By the time I was coat and already had Hotel, which is the leave back in the hotel the idea black beret. Commonwealth certainly was firmly in my

mind.

WAN

hotel for officers, Fusiliers were heavily en- gaged in Korea.

the that

LOOKED TIRED

For the next two weeks

1

A

Well, my break came. friend handed me a piece. of paper which had travel

1 walked away from the air- heart was beating fast and I had iny Angers crossed.

the hotel I was dropped at and the nics Tommles promised to take a message to my hus

and.

friend

had to park myself on an air- feld and hitch-hike. And that's what I did,

I sat around for several hours offer my husband had left me, then I got an American plane that was going all the way to Tokyo. "Couldn't be better,” I sald, as I climbed aboard.

I was away next morning

I was told the front was 20 sitting on lup of a load of bombs and spares in a "Flying Boxcar",

miles away, but I wouldn't have Right away I was dreadfully cared if it had been within walk-

had This time we had to put on There was arranged my hotel accommoda- Mae Wests instead of parachutes. person Indeed. airsick and felt a most miserable ing distance. A

I had hardly had a Of course, I had to be shown,

Malthew Red Cross girl and some soldiers tion, and

Thes' wash before

way and I fell a b foolish. the cargo. squntling on

Leaving my husband and those ware so kind to me. When they standing before me, staring

I just said though he couldn't believe his brave British boys behind was nekcil what I was

Welfare" and left it at that.

one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.

We all had to wear parachutes and I was scares to death. I lost count of lime in the air but was nearly six hours—and Korzu tenked so close to Japan on the map-before the pilot wid we were coming in to land.

I murmured "Thank God." I felt so weak I almost had to be lifted from the plane.

I sat around the Murmou- orders written on it. Cer

to tainly, being a soldier's All around me there was chi Hotel and listened tales of many young of wife it wouldn't have fool- terrife noise as je's took off on

Australian, ed me, I must say.

the fighting missions, I was in cers, British,

the war zone all right. Canadian, and American, who had come to the hotel.

The Marunouchi is the ders, anyhow. No one look- for the ed at my "orders" at all

room 1 eried IN my tiny

myself to sleep that night, If I'd known then that I was to sit and wait for my husband for three weeks favourite hotel would have had a shot at Americana because

My friends said nobody ever looked at travel

drinks events.

or-

The pilot said: "It's all yours now honey. Good luck."..

I thanked him and walked as As I trily and as officially could to the edge of the airfield.

★A NEW BOOK ANSWERS ONE OF THE GREAT RIDDLES OF BRITISH POLITICS★

TN

Why Joe Chamberlain did

not become Premier

By MONTGOMERY HYDE, MP.

the brief blaze of Ed- as Colenial Secretary in

wardian noon, as well Government, the exponent as in the long Victorian area gospel of Empire. twilight which preceded it,

Within # few months

Tory

of a

of

the

the spring of 1903.

These were

the years of "Joe's" supremacy in our domestic, imperial and foreign affairs.

Between 1000 and 1903 Cham- berlain, then in his middle sixties, accomplished much. He presided aver a memorable following Colonial Conference, which he proceeded to formu-

perial Preference.

ate his famous doctrine of Im-

What he wanted to pee was

the most arresting figure Chumberlain's death his trustees began to consider the project of authoritative life of this on the political horizon was unquestionably thut of Mr grea: imperial statesman. They Joseph Chamberlain, the invited Mr Leopold Amery, at

time that

MP tor South "a real council of the Empire," Colonial Secretary.

Birmingham, to undertake

at first advisory in function, but With monocle in eye and task. Mr Amery accepted, but Inter having legislative

powers, orchid in button-hole. "Joe" was his military duties in the First to which all questions of imperial To the man the masses knew, "He World War soon obliged him to interest might be referred.

achieve his aim a revolutionary It was." Mr Churchill has recali relinquish it. ed, "who had solutions for social

change in Britain's fiscal policy was necessary. He made this problems; who was ready advance, sword in hand if need be upon the tues of Britain; and whose accents rang in the ears of all the young peoples of the Empire and lots of young people at

it's heart,"

10

Three

Eventually the late Mr J. L. Garvin, edlior of The Observer, became the biographer. volumes duly made their appear unco from his pen. the third volume bringing the story to the But Mr close of the year 1900. Garvin never told the last and. In some ways, the most interest- ing phase of that story, since death supervened in 1947.

CHAMBERLAIN

Monocle and orchid,

eyes.

DIDN'T. ARGUE

дк

Hyou get here? You must go

said: "How on earth did

back at once."

the rules,

Ave

That's

0

Soon after taking off I was airslek again and wishing I were dead. I crawled into my bed at the Marunouchi Hotel of

four one morning a very tired

but a very happy girl.

But believe me, we did not

I have no regrets for what I Everyone I met on my argue for long. Of course, he did. was thrilled to blis to see me, adventure was so terribly kind though cross with me for break- and helpful that it brings tears ing all

to my eyes to think of it. soldier for you,

The Americans particularly days were

They were were most helpful. among the applest of my life. real knights, helping a lady in You know how the English like distress. All I hope is no one walking. Maithew and 1 walked gets into trouble through hand in hand all around Seoul adventure, and the outlying villages.

The ncz

my

And finally-no one can tell Everything except the country- me gentlemen prefer blondes, side. was in ruins. But all the I'm a bruncita. rice flelds were a lovely green

World Copyright Reserved}

and spring flowers were out.

We got a lot of curious locks and-from Americans-quite a few whistles.

I had discarded my raincoat and wore a bright red skirt, and white blouse.

The war might have been a million miles away. or Just around-the-corner... Neither of us cared. Everyone seemed to accept my presence In Seoul. I was asked no questions. I saw lots of military police, but they only smiled,

ON MY SIDE

AFTER two days we moved to

an officer's billet. Word had got around that a British officer's wife had turned up in Korea, and I honestly think the whole British brigade was on my side. Of course, they thought I was there with VIP. permission or something.

I did not visit my husband's

mess, near Seoul, for obvious reasons, but the Eighth Hussars gave me a great, welcome.

clear at the opening of the Im. Amery indicates in his book. He was not popular in Palace ciroles, perial Conference of Colonial where the republican views of

"Our first Premiers In 1902.

"Benita, old girl, if your hus- object," he said on that occasion, his carly days had never been

band gets cold feet, come and is free trade within the Empire" forgotten,

At heart the "ruling families" stay with us," they told me, Oh, in the country-the Salisburys, they were such nice chaps. Balfours and Devonshires-liked | I'd like to say here how proud The Con- I was to be among British troops It was during this period, in him little better. the summer of 1902, that Lord servative dichards, represented in Korea. It was the first time

the Chancellor of the sale beo: and shoe manufacturer, - The Chamberlain trustees had Salisbury resigned his scals of by was born in 1836 in Camberwell to lock round for another blo- office as Prime Minister. Some Exchequer, Sir Michael Hicks-in my life I had been in a real

thought people

that

Radical into Tory

Chamberlain, son of a whole-

Grove, where a wall-plaque now

records the event. He died rapher.

Distrusted him

war zone.

King Beach, distrusted his "materia- By a curious twist of Edward VII would send for Mr Lism Finally the high priests -- In 1914 in Birmingham, of which fate the task from which Mn Chamberlain to succeed him, in of the Treasury, the permanent

three times Leopold Amery had withdrawn Chan

In

10 Mr Balfour.

omelais, disliked his plane for no doubt that the King was assiduous in spreading the legend

city he had been

more than 30 years earlier, prefering as he did, there is public expenditure, and mayor, where he had made a Kortume in busineda before he devolved upon his son, Mr Jullan

40, and where he had Amery, MP, anjoyed happy family life with In his book, just published, in

"khaki" election, at the end of and

was

view of Chamberlain's following both inside

WATC

constitutionally correct, although that he was "unsound." when it's. three successive wives, Austen he carries the story on from the outside the House of Com- ship, Chamberlain remains, as

and Neville were his sons,

But, if he missed the Premier-

In his time Chamberlain was 1900 to the conclusion of Clam mons, it would not have been Mr Churchill said of him half by turns a Radical, a municipal berlain's South African visit in constitutionally

and social reformer, pioneer of 'popular education, the enfant

* The Life of Josephi Chamber-

terrible of Gladstone's Cabinets, fain, Vol. IV, 1001-1903, by Julian Liberal-Unionist rebel, and then, Aniery (Macmillan, 30.),

NANCY

Just a Vagabond Lover

AUNT FRITZI--- DON'T YOU JUST

HATE FUSSY DRESSERS ?

FOLKS WHO ARE ALWAYS PRIMPING AND PREENING ~~~ TRYING TO BE DUDES

UH HUH

UH

HUH

wrang for the Royal summons to have been despatched to "Jos."

But there were other factors at work against him,

I'M GLAD

YOU FEEL THAT WAY

Mr

a century ago, "incomparably the most live, sparkiing, Insur gent, compulsive Ogure in British cffers" of his age.

-(London Express Barvica)

By Ernie Bushmiller

I INVITED THAT POOR MAN FOR DINNER

say