1955-02-26 — Page 6

The Yorkshire "Lawrence"

U

*

By J. W. TAYLOR

brave man.

Hin

JP l' Yorkshire, amid all torture went on. Still no sig

murmur from a very the recently revived and not a

Then they used a controversy concerning blg gun to fire near to him until Lawrence of Arabia, they're h cars and nose blod, talking alnut that other anger nails were torn out and with hot irona. the he was burnt legendury igure of

Still they could not break kim desert - Walter Greenway, town.

**i „wrence, the Yorkshire

Finally the Turks were con- who fornook a life of crime

vincest of his aunocence of apping to live in the desert as an and

talk, tuo, prayed for forgiveness for thus Arab. There is of putting back into print forturing a man already afflicted the two books written about and treated him kindly, him

40 years

ago, telling way Anally got back to with valuable British lines most vividly the strange formation story of this exiled York.

of his

denfress

Permanent injury

arm

by

They

Green- the

In-

to Green-

the

THE CHINA MAIL SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26,

JULIÁN SYMONS introduces a new series about people who have gambled with fortune:" SIX PLAYED WITH FIRE. First, the man who

became the idol of the miners... A. J. Cook.

TN 1926 the most-loved and the most-execrated man

in Britain was n golden-haired, youthful-looking orator, a man whose blue eyes were oddly innocent behind their horn rims. His name was Arthur James Cook, and he was the Secretary of the Miners' Fedora- tion.

He was the central figure in the bitterest social struggle that took place between the wars, a struggle which caused a State of Emergency to be maintained in the country for seven months.

For good, sold householders Cook was the reddest possible symbol of Red revolution. From the time he became the Miners' Secretary in 1824 he delighted in outraging the respectable. He said that he was proud to be a follower of Lenin. He said that he was one of the Big Five in labour politics, and that he would be more Important yet. Sie William

r

Joy non-Hicks, Uhe Home Secretary, issued a solemn warning that Cook intended destroy the British Empire. Cook was delighted. What an Empire," he said on the platform, "I say to hell with such Emplie."

The miner tollsed him, was a leader spring from them- shireman whose exploits way's health, however, had been setves, a man who really knew

about practical forture, something any caused courage equalled in

hardships, He hal thing occurring during both Gangrene in his injured fingers miner's

underground in South led to the amputation of his left worked

becoming World War.

When sufletent strength Wales for 21 years. In the winter of 1915, the had returned to him he disap-converted in the process from a

Court pered to rejoin his Arab wite Bapist lay prencher 10 then Sheffield Police

Are is there children. Missionary. Mr Robert Holmes, Greenway's only friend, began to receive the first of

markable

series

lefters

Meanwhile,

there had been

news of bun at Sheffield for long time. but finally Mr of re- Himes revelyal from which were to be the lust Waiter

Mesopotamik, hurriedly Getaway was

scribbled in pencil on scraps of paper. letters that later provided Holmes with the main ingredients of his markable

biography

Walter Greenway.

't- of

111

נוד

They

story tobl 21 strange Greenway, whose parvets lived เ Ownlo near Duneuster, spoke several languages. Atte

painter 11 working

a clerk pristes, he bernie Shemeid, but try the time he was 29 he wis well on the Prime Soon he bad the record of nine convictions for burglary When arrested. for years. ho always made a pretence of being deat and dumb.

roud.

Torture By Turks

The Sheffield court missioner finally helped him to join the ship

<rew of

A

bouzent

the

to write

Jettors

Faithful Wife

and

L

They were wropped in gruss told leaf specimens atid how, still weak from his treat-

Greenway ment by the Turks,

bis slowly

mode his way Arabic home to And it had been destroyed and all his possessiLUTIA He became very ui una

Hi den.

there there wund AIS

unconscious and in a fever by his faithful wir, who had been searchingg long and for for her missing hus band. She marsex him back to something like health, and soon was off more desert neid other excapades for the British

he

cialist rutor.

50-

In private life he was boister- ous but gentle, it man who had On the way with children

In platform he was a ger. speeches of blistering power he

The coal owners.

The

Altucked Government, other labour He had a brilliant gift Ileaders

a talent for coining of mintiery, phrasen, and a power of rousing

natural to enthustasin

time revivalist preacher.

(2014-

a the gramophone of the meu! represent," he said, and they layed the time he played

ALL ALONE

COOK'S

THING

THE GREAT

GAMBLERS

ABOVE: Harbert

FRIEND

Smith, the miners' president, He thought the strike would end

in a few weeks

AND

. and in victory.

the

'FOE

end of the General

Strike.

union

at

The other

went

back

The

to work miners

stayed out. to settle their dispute with the owners,

on

WIN

more

BELOW: The Young Emest Berin. He detested Cook.

✩ Ilis slogans split a nation, he was the tiger with the goldén tongue

His position was not helped rumours that by the constant

For he was in Moscow's pay. their

reasons the Rus slang contributed towards the miners' strike fund, but

At the beginning of the stop- the Miners' and page Cook, president Herbert Smith, never doubted that if the miners held out for a few weeks they would

demands. But Cook gain their

the

strike went on for month after was not in anybody's puy. He was a political adventurer eager month, with no giving way for power, whose only weapons either side.

per-

were a golden tongue, a sonality Of impulsive charm- and the trust placed in him by the miners.

ARREST HIM

of

THE

Cook was a great colner slogans, and he began the cam- paign with some slogans which adopted. were enthusiastically "Not a penny off the pay; not a second on the day," Wits the

most famous of them.

He rejected the

on

ARTHUR JAMES COOK they sent him á gan.

offered, and tried to induce the owners to meet them. This idea obtained no support from Bald- win, and it was dropped.

These deliberate do-nothing tactics were effective. The drift back to work began again in the Midlands, and quickly -in- creased.

it In a last attempt to stop Cook and Smith organised a "Council of War" of MPs and officials to tour disaffected areas. Cook's own speeches were those of an angry and desperate man

wont He accused thoga who

back to work of accepting bries, and said: "They have sold their souls and their children." But neither speecher nor platform tears and breakdowns had much effect.

The touring speakers bocama known throughout the country

üg

"Cook's Circus," and their proceedings took on a farcical ospect When a meeting of the Council of War was arranged in the Blackboy Hotel at Notting- ham, a party of 40 young local business men planned to kidnap Cook, carry him to the market. with place, and tie him there

the Union Jack round his waist. The attempt failed, and, in fact, for excited

sympathy Cook; but sympathy was no use

some

now. The drift back to work had become a flood.

vuried

Im- The stoppage ended in se com- Thomas, agreed to handle

triumph for Baldwin's ported coal in longe quantities, plete This made the strike much less policy. The terms on which the from any- miners returned effective, and more than

almost⚫ thing else inflamed tempers on district to district, but

everywhere they had to Recepâ either side.

longer hours and often a slight reduction in wages. The fruit of THE miners sul-

Ho the strike was a bitterness and tho among fened two heavy sparking point for trouble.

dozen letters a week sense of betrayal first received

be miners which lingers stili. threatening his life, which the

read out effectively on plat- in forms. He also showed on the 1 platform the revolver with six

The

blows, wis when

Government, spite of

their

Cook, as always, Was the

auggestion ranged the partially. bullets which had, been sent to

on

the

side

him, with the message: "Shoot

by passing the yourself."

that hours might be lengthened of the owners by

"Eight Eight Hours Bill, which made in a hours?

furlous speech:

the grass with sickness.

As

country,

an

the

meetings in

FORGOTTEN

HAD Cook's

BUC-

rumble creded he would have bocora tha influential most

Agure among Bri- Lish labour leaders.

Ho

tha

over

As his speeches became more If grass is growing on legal provision for the proposed avery pft, we will never consent extra hour. Baldwin confidently nearly revolutionary he was for

that this would end bidden to address to any lengthening of the work- expected

the dispute, and it might have South Wales and Stafford- ing day."

He made this speech at Rad- done so but for Cook. In War- shire. Questions were asked in 1 failed, and he was forgotten

as to why he was even in his own lifetime. Secretary of Once he figured ina daring ex-

In essence the dispute

stock and collapsed at the end wickshire and Nottinghamshire Parliament

arrested. The answer, remained plant, He planted time bombs simple. The owners wanted the

of it, falling off the platform to me trickled back to work, but not

attack of his visits to the areas brought which was not given at the time, Miners' Federation for the five to blow up enemy ammunition miners to accept a reduction of the

them out again.

was that the Government had years he had left to live, but

Influence The bombs were Ger-

Wages or an increase dumps.

toured the ho

no intention of letting Cook play exerted little tu intended

seven hour underground work-

polley When he made sugges KD-mude.

maklog two or more niners refused,

He coined a new slogan: "Back the role of martyr. the holds ing day, The

collapses

long they were almost moderate atalun placed by Arabs in

speeches daily, these

The hand of Prime Minister and concllfatory and, were British ships when coaling. The Government offered a sub-

became frequent He appeared, to work we go on an

and hoarse, haggard

to quo.

Stanley Baldwin guided Columbo, Except for reports of Greenway, the one time burgtor, sidy for Ure mines with

the hardly ever accepted. On the reduction of wages

platform

the tiger was tame. ship, nothing stole

and the bombs

turned iminelate having deserted

address three large meetings in

Retention of the status quo masterly inactivity of the Gov- for

earning everrybody

the A. J. Cook ended his life having Greenway of

fur them on the enemy.

Clydebank and Glasgow, and to Was heard

the same rates of pay and hours ernment in dealing with than 45, a week.

the saddest fate that his than suffered meet

deputations The Mr Holmes

More clearly BOveral

of work that they had before strike, several years. began

the Crst to nyelve

Soon, however,

The odds were against

what Cabinet, Baldwin realised that, can befall a rebel. He had be- personal Cook

workers, all in one day.

the General Strike-wha Jimmy

Im come respectable. from Mess- began to fail.

detosted by was political He Greenway's letters

asket for. It was with a steady supply of miners After this he collapsed com-

WORLD COPYRIGHT RESERVED, Jented 11

What story was received in Shemaid popularity

leader of the railway of the Thomas,

that ported coal available, the strike Greenway was working for the from a British

imedical offic, future on the that an Arab miners' struggle. He knew the workers, and by Ernest Bevin of pletely and had to rest, reviving more apparent each week British by living as a Bedouin who reported

When he the transport workers. On the again to answer accusations by the owners and the Government was certain to fail, Arab, widering between the women had brought her English risks he was taking.

of the General Council of the TUC he Jimmy Thomas and others that had no intention of letting them

get t Even he had betrayed the miners by Drst became Secretary sho was

frlend Turkish and British lines and husband,

here Miners' Federation be had pro- had hardly

His sup-

the hospital, where

to devoted, to the

The by the Turks to be a believed

second blow Was

the deaf-mute.

he had died sortly afterwards.jected a grand alliance with the within his own Miners Federa- rofusing to negotiate. transport, railway and tion there was a party prepared porters said that he

of miners came when the raway wife was heart road

Government's greatest trade union leader the the Greenway'é Ieller told Another

accept

the century.

men, much influenced by Jimmy tragle suffering he was to bear broken at his tragic death and other unions.

eventually taken away by was of his war-shortened 11fc. The her father, a Bedouin shelk.

Pokalu.

[

with such furtitude for the rest

Turks

to

his health The end of thu

whoi

his slaked

1}s and

success

He had said that it would be fatol for the miners to act alone.

had become suspicious

Mr Robert Holmes, who later Now they were acting alone -- about him and had him arrested.

their spokesman. two books from these and he was wrote

hold the They fired rifles close to his cars letters and some research on the He proclaimed: " to see if he showed any signs of strange life of the criminal hemost important position in being able to hear Greenway hnd befrænder, died only four country today," and in a sense

he was right. showed no signs of hearing. The years ago.

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"ROVAL" BUTCH

the

to

terms.

Σ

him.

of

the

+

of

tho

um-

At one point Winston Chur-

NEXT SATURDAY chill, then Chancellor Exchequer, met Cook and Smith The man who went on trial in Downing Street, was

pressed by the concessions they with a revolver in his pocket.

Have You Ever Seen A Tummy Dancing?

"H

in

+

his body remains motionless. Com The Emir now clapped experiences

So much for the primitive Damascus. strangest

furnishings, on hands and we moved structure. The

back, pletely motionless,TVORKO ngainat One of the dancers now takas. AVE you ever seen thirty years of travel,

the other hand, were dazzling in forming a semi-circlo

фор forward, while the* Tummy As the

the

luxury. station-wagon their

There were the mud and dung wall, while a

four young boys cleared away others form a chorus behind Dance 7," asked broached the top of a small luxurious divans, priceless car-

pets and gold embroidered, the debris of the meal. At the her. Faster and faster sound the Emir.

hill, I looked down upon cushions. There were riches piled same time four wizened old the truths and the violins what, at first sight, seemed

upon riches.

men entered, each carrying his wail and shriek.

Enticing yet denying -: the We were sitting in the a collection of half eggshells

tumimies' acemi Lunch consisted of two 48- Arab "muste" f the form of

violin... or

tom-tom style mobile, sensial famous marble hall of the standing on end. This, the four old lambs, roasted whole,

alive. No longer a part of the Orient Hotel, Damascus. We Emir assured me, was Delr- over a wood fire, sweet potatoes machines

body, they expromed, the whole Now for the dancing --- and gamut of love, Glanging round had finished the innumer- el-Aadass,, which his family and "yards" of native bread.

the tummy dancers that few at my Arab friends, I noticed able dishes of a typical Arab had literally owned for Ten of the "eldery" had been people really believer exist.

their perspiring faces, open dinner and washed down nearly five hundred years.

mouths and clenched hands, the

Just when it seems the whole meal

several with

As we entered the one main

world is filled with shrieking, crowd of glasses of arak, the native street of the village,

armi-naked chlidren, and twenty drink.

of the male "elders" came for ward to greet us. I noticed there were no women among the onlookers.

"

Roasted Lambs

bla

It

Six Beauties

invited and the twelve of us circle in sat on cushions in a

Blx the centre of the "room." women had been preparing our meal, and when it was ready, Softly, softly the "drums waing music and I can sou nothing but turning, twisting brought it to the door but no start up - gerrily, gontly, the tummies, the Emir claps ka When I replied: "No" to

further. Two of the youngest "violins Join them, Suddenly, hands and there is a sudden men then carried it to the walt the sunshine streaming through silence like the moment after a his question, the Emir (local

out bomb burst. • Then the dancers ing circle of men, and placed the open door is blocked Province Commander) took

Into the room drift six of the collapse on the Boor, sobbing it in their midst.

most beautiful Syrian girls. I breathlessly and stretching out a giant puff from his hookah, stared meditatively at the

All of which is explained by have yet soon in this strange stinky finds to catch the shower

country, After many fraternal greetings the fact that women

Their young of silver coins that their patrons in this wild little bubbles of air which

tho between

Emir and rose to the surface of the followers (and cordial hand part of the world are regarded tests are covered with small disdainfully throw down

silver and gold shields, and A dew hours later. Lwas back strange as to inferior to men that the from their hips swing fine in my hotel. I thought of the glass bowl, and suggested I shakes

have con gossamer sidris.

dancers and listened to the be ready at 6 a.m. the next "Ingilz"), we were escorted to Emir would never

any of his

Without moving shoulders or music of “Don

and tis the largest of the "half egg-sidered allowing

teet -- not morning.

shells" the Emir's country re- four wives to dine with him.

inchi the young bodies begin often as if the ever-inysterious sidence.

The tiny lambe had. I was and, for the re- This "residenco"

now swaying. To and fro, alde to passions of the East were, some- turned out

cut into reasonably small sito, in unison with the pagan how silming in my own blood, mainder of my life, the to be a mud and cow-dung

music I thought of the mid walls, tho now the eighteen feet portions, and we set to with the music. But

In village of Deir el-Aadass, structure, about

quicloris, the drums tako on cully implementa

4. rising crowondo of sizinge music high, the same diameter at the nearly one hundred miles base and tapering to a point. A the world-fingers and thumbe more imperative beat and, un- and the tumany-dancers, danc-

dancing. south of Damascus, off the small opening at the top allowed There followed mighty belching beleving yet, I see the sternachs ing.

the dancers move slowly macadam road leading

from a charcoal (a polite sign at enjoyment) of to the smoke

aris - round" portéesly; Jordan, will rest in my other source of light or air was chore announced the end

brazier to escape. The only from all the gucets, and this round.

of clearly-just their stomache-

the remainder while the bizarre meal, one of the the, low narrow door. memory na

with

bo

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

THE CABLE --BROKE

MANDRAKE~* "WE'RE FALLING!

THE CABLE SNAPPEDE

OR ONE OF THEM

CUT IT!

boor

oldeet

IMPOSSIBLE! BUT I PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY? WE'LL RELEASE BALLAST AND FLOAT BACK UP.

a fraction of an Blx. Slock Alo

of the

By Leo Falk and Phil Dayis

NO,THORNS WE MUST SEE THIS THROUGH. I'M CONVINCED WE'RE FACING ONE OF THE STRANGEST ADVENTURES MANS

EVER HAD ON THIS EARTHE

TALK

ABOUT

MAGIC

More

Charles Anderson

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