1955-04-06 — Page 1

THE CHINA MAIL, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, -1955.

Nathaniel Gubbins

W

Although she bever had the until it was Petrol, tank filled empty she was hardly ever left stranded. - Usually the engine died on her when she was op pose a gas staties.

cardigans, older chaps prefer their old tweed-sults patched at with the elbow and cus leather and their old rumpled gey formel trousers they never seem to remove for a sleep in the afterno.

HEN Easter comes I always think of motor Cars be cause it was usually at Easter that my life partner, the. Plucky Little Woman, But on one rainy right the

Among older chaps who bought a new car with the starved engine stopped on a

prefer ald, clothes is your money she had saved out of lonely road Instead of walking.

Uncle Nat. For many years he to, the nearest telephone box to: hard work in Fleet Street.

tweed call for help she stopped a cherished his famous

and Moth's Relish, At that time cars were motor cyclist and explained her

Wacke

Adamel rumpled Frey kright cheap and income tax predicament. This gallant

derisively... called Elephant's laughable. Our last car was of the road solved the problem Legs. Of course, he never wore stolen and wrecked in 1939 petrol into it from his tank and of a shot, siphoning by taking

when he went to town in case one of the smartly dressed by a 17-year-old hooligan transferring it to hers. He mack

directors saw him and fired n who was not smacked cften six journeys in all, hopping on him on the spot.

enough when he was a boy. re foot in the rain, until she had enough fuel to get to the We have not owned since but we have both had ext garage. our driving licences and are wondering if we shall start motoring "again

cor

renewed

It was always my misfor ture to take over the car when Perhaps it would be marar it was just about to break up the truth to say that I am owing to neglect, though I was wondering, because the PLW. eften unlucky with new cars has no doubts about it at all. untouched by the P.L.W. This is partly due to her en-

There was one model which thusiasm for driving and part-literally came to pieces in my ly to her natural optimism and hands. First the radiator fell the luck which usually attends into the road, then the back the activities of optimists.

exle broke, and finally a back wheel snapped off at 50 miles

raced

Ca

For instance, she appeared to believe that as long as you pushed something forward, pulled something backwards, and stopped

on something a 20 en for over with- out petrol, cil, water, or air. I don't hirk

ever knew. what an oil gauge was or what' If you an of dipper was mentioned air pressure in the tyres she would (pink you were a fuss pot.

For m

that

She never understood water evaporated, On one

cecasion when she was driving happily along with the last pint of water steaming out of the radiator and the engine (short of of) on the point of up, a young man drove nadi shouted, "You're hot, you're hot” She called back gaily, "You're not so bad yourself," and drove on, knocking a dent in his wing.

seize her

an hour,

ahead of me, and bumped over a hedge. So if I cannot share P.L.W's enthusiasm perhaps I the

may be excused particularly as she is careless about leaving things in

motor-cars plenies.

I once opened the boot to And it full

of empty milk. buns, bottles, mildewed

and slices of green

bread coated with white fur,

But bo wore them at home in the streets of his OWTI and Httle town, where other elderly chaps go about, like Harlequins their with patches all over jackets and trousers and times wear floppy Christopher Robin tweed hats above round, red faces like Dutch cheeses.

In this select community, which scorns the gaudy new fashions to be seen at gents' outâtters, Moth's Relish and Elephant's Legs. were envied and admired as vintage stuff in a class of their own.

Therefore the chaps will be sorry to hear that Moth's Relish and Elephant's Legs have dis- appeared. Fer some time they their have been missing from

the floor of your Con after usual place

and a Uncle's dressing-room)

all search through

wardrobes has failed to discover them.

It can only be assumed that they the dustbin were thrown into w

in bed when your Uncle was with influenza, or when he was in London wearing his City

Chaps' Fashions slicker suit.

MASTER is also the time

the year when chaps of all of ages appear in new and some times startling clothes.

Although young chaps are un- selfconscious about wearing bright check: shirts and scarves, poison green trousers, puce jackets, and canary yellow

EASTER HOLIDAYS

OUR ESTABLISHMENTS WILL BE CLOSED FOR

EASTER AS FOLLOWS--

GOOD FRIDAY

"EASTER MONDAY

APRIL 8th

APRIL 11th

BUT WILL BE OPEN ON

SATURDAY APRIL 9th AS USUAL

HONGKONG STORE 8.45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

KOWLOON STORE 9 a.m. to 6 p.m..

Whiteaway's

HONGKONG & KOWLOON

•WHITEAWAY, LAIDLAW & CO.LTD▸

have

People kan

lenged

So he has been obliged to buy some new clothes, Although comfortable in them. He mis they fit all right he doesn't feel

the leather patches end

the grease spots and the cosy feer- ing of well-worn tweeds.

In fact, he feels so unhappy in them that he may stay in- doors all over Easter rather than face the contemptuous glances of Harlequin in his coat of many patches ard Christopher Robin in his little boy hat.

Les Miserables

M

Y two invalids, reported last week to be down with 'fu, are now up, tottering about the house on shaky legs and suffer- ing acutely from post-influenza!

de I no longer have to

interrupt

reading my

and scribbling to make tea, cook lunch

and produce endless of orange glasses

juice. the house is engulfed in gloom, with only Lottie the Devil Cat in spirits.

high At this moment I look upon last week

as a comparatively happy time when the invalids were both safely in bed. Now, as I listen to faltering foot- steps I drop everything and walt for the crash that will tell me that one of them has fallen downstairs.

Cat is

pale

and

Of course, the Devil doing her best to cause an ac- cident

these To her ghosts in dressing-gowns slippers are fair game. are weak and helpless and legs are bare. What could be to walt on the bottom stair, greater fun for a Devil Cat than

spring at their. defenceless ankles, nip them viciously, and then take up a strategic position for another attack?

Ratification

'CO ON -

YOU RING!

World Copyright cy arrangement with the Blanchester Quardian

Seven Brides

for Seven Brothers

OUT of a Mid-West American town in 1860 Adum Pontipee

brings a bride, Milly, Brown, to his farm in the hills. But she is appalled to find that his six brothers, also live there, us raucous and reckless, as himself.

What to do 7 Adam decides that his brothers must KIDNAP six girls from the town, with a preacher to marry them. They return with the girls, but forget the preacher..,ás an ecajanche cuts off the farm from the town. Now Milly continues the story

By LEONARD MOSLEY

like

But

says

you said, WAS so mad I could winter have taken a horse Adam; your husband-he

he wen" do it. "He is going up whip to those grinning to the but in the mountains to Pontipee boys. Here were trap there until spring"! six attractive young girls,

So, early next morning, Adam carried off in the middle of took his snowshoes and was off the night by my wild to the mountains. I was like brothers-in-law — and

for the other girls, alone

civilisation until spring. off by the avalanche from winter too....

cut the

And the boys had forgot- ten to bring the parson with them!

11

under the window, 'and

h

PASSPORTS TO NOWHERE

By

David Laidlaw

10 many people nowa- tained able-bodied young men or

the term "White women received necessity

papers. Moreover, any

young men who failed to "volunteer

Russian" has archaic-sound, reminiscent for the Virgin Lands project of the early 1920s and were hounded by the consular stories about Grand Dukes officials, and where they

working for Soviet organisations driving taxis in Paris or Grand Duchesses selling by then the only jobs mest of them could (gut) - they were their tiaras. Yet tens of threatened with dismissal,

thousands of these earliest refugees from Communism

and their descendants

are still alive and far from

Last Party

were

| all of them are of aristocrà- The last party of Virgin Londe "volunteers" left Harbin at the tic origin

end

of August 1954, and the The situation of many of Consulate the announced that them is pitiable. Those who work would be resumed on ap- settled in the Iron Curtain enquiry sheets were issued, but plications for emigration New countries and in China' are still no one was given permission being persecuted 'all over to leave weeks passed, and again, both by the Com- people began to queue regularly

at the Consulate. All the in munist Governments of formation they could get, how- these countries and by the ever, was either the stock reply, local Soviet Consulates. For "Applications are being con-

them ате most of

or the now sidered.""

more bitter Soviet citizens, having been shall not allow you to ruin your negative, "You will not go we

Iured or dragooned into tak- children's future." ing Soviet nationality by a

Finally, on October 18, 1954, Q series of decrees passed by some 400 heads of families, re the Government of the presenting altogether at least USSR during the

1,000 individuals, were sim- years 1941-48

moned to a meeting. At this the consular officials really, showed

а

A vivid and moving account their hand. First tho Vice of the plight of one group of Consul read out an intermin- White Russians is given in able list" of persons who "bad circular issued by the Hongkong applied for permission to depart cffice of the inter-denomina to capitalistic countries" and tional World Council

of whose applications had been Churches, describing the situa- rejected. tion in the Manchurian town of Them he addressed his Harbin, one of the largest audience in the following words; emigre centres in China.

I wish you to understand that there is only one way for Soviet citizens, to follow, and that is the way to their native country.

No Employment

..Please think twice before you come to any sort of decision WHOM YOU ARE." His üsten- and make up your minds WITH

all had not some of them ap- ers, confused and angry, (after

Since the Chinese Communist government "inherited" Manchuria, It has gradually driven the White Russians into a corner by refusing them em- plied to go to Russia and been ployment.

They

have

turned down?) shouted ques savings to fall back upon, so i shouted back:

དོ་ tiene at hbo, Whereupon he

*If you desire.

they cannot get work in

no

only alternative to 403

to go abroad, throw your Soviet

Lion is to ty to go somewhere Passports to the devil and do else. But, as Soviet citizens, whatever you think best. That rifles, your scythes, your guns, they are at the mercy of the

is all" axes any kind of

Soviet Consulate weapon.

which, through Come on, let's go.

their dependence on passports And out of the town towards and other necessary papers, Echo Canyon streamed theholds them in an iron grip. angry fathers and brothers the kidnapped girls, bent rescue and revenge.

of

on

all

Pandemonium

as

Not surprisingly, pandemonium Many of these people have followed. been trying to get out of China ing the words of a man who That circular, quof- for at least 18 months. In

was present at the meeting. August 1953, the Harbin Consums up the dilemma of these sulate issued enquiry sheets to unhappy people follows:

members of the Soviet colony, on which they had to "Now what are we to do? All finished nursing my baby emigrate to a

capitalistic foreign country. and when I looked up. Adam As one might expect,

Relinquish marked most men....

Soviet pass- was there. "Well, what are you people answered affirmatively, considera ion the hostile attitude ports? But how? Taking into "Ibut no permission was forth- staring at?" he asked me. told you I'd be back when the coming. pass was open again."

JUST that morning I had just state whether they wished to those who appited for departure to

At his words, the girls sitting around me suddenly broke the screams. The pass open? That meant that parents were on the way!

And somehow, the girls looked frightened instead of pleased about it! Please

asked: "What have you decided, Adam?"

of the Soviete, It is most likely that will refuse Then in the spring of 1954 to acknowledge surrender of the the campaign for the develop passports; therefore, no altera- ment of the "Virgin Lands" was tien could be made in Chinese launched in the USSR. For residence certificates, failing this the Soviet Union needed as which the Chinese authorities many manual labourers as it will still consider us as Soviet could get, and had no hesita- citizens tion in turning the plight of the

permits," White Russians to their own advantage An announcement

are

-and refuse exit

Caught between the Scylla of

obviously conniving · with

that all Soviet citizens could go the emigres) and the

10 the USSR...

of their own Charybdis

Con- Presumably in despair of ever sulate, the White Russians of being allowed to go anywhere Harbin are in desperate straits. else, about half the calgre The circular ends with the population of 20,000 leapt at this pathetic quotation: "We are they got to the getting afraid: We begin to offer. When Consulate to register, however, have the feeling of being only those whose farailles con- trapped..

"pve told the boys to get the was made in April by the the Chinese authorities (who the chores wagon ready. And I want you Harbin Consulate to the effect the Russians in their treatment THE boys did

around the house; and, in gals, to be ready too. So go When I am not worrying

I'm going to take Oh, they kept saying they between chopping wood, they and pack

stand going wanted to marry the girls. But would

cutside about whether they are

the you back to your families." to fall downstairs I am worry-Low

The girls took one look at could they without a windows and sing....The girls Ing about the fragile creatures parson? No wonder the lads would beckon them to come him, burst into tears, and rush

then ed madly from the room.... cooking lunch for a robust beast were terrified. This was like myself. Has one of them Oregon in 1880, remember, drop buckets of snow on their opened the gas oven and fallen when docent girl had to get heads or thrown nowballs at TOMORROW: The parents head Srst into it? Has the other cut her shaking fingers

her father's permission to go to them, with rocks inside! morning church with a boy, Even preparing vegetables? worse, are they both sobbing quietly in chairs and not cook- ing lunch at all?

But I noticed that when one

Now, they would be living for of the boys got a bruise on his five whole months on the same, head Daisy Mae bad a tear in farm with these, wild boys, And her eye and I had to stop her In the evenings when deeper only me to keep the whole thing sneaking out of the house. depression sets in I look respectable.

through the radio programmes rying to find something fung

and avoiding

all chats about H-bombs

future warfare and

which might drive them

suicide in their present state.

THAT I was determined to do.

I kept them as entertained as I could. "And: "I'm going to have a baby," I told them. The news got them so excited, they even stopped squabbling among themselves.

a

Well, even an Oregon winter But I am sorry to inform radio 1 Icoked at my husband,

One day the comedians that their jokes only Adam, and told him to wipe the comes to an end. reduced Les Miserables to tears.silly grin off his face. "You're sun had warmth in it, the snow. In fact, the more the comedians taking this too hard, Milly," he began to melt; all the boys.

started rushing around in tried, the more Les Miserables said. “Everything will work cried.

out fine. Me and the boys'll get spring,

Lizzy--and suddenly it So, betére I am in tears my-a parson up here some way." self, I go out to the low tavern hoping to meet Eome jelly I was furious. "Do you think down at my Brst-born, a baby chaps. But the jolly chops only these poor girls would talle about income tax, Formosa, your brothers now? How could

the Yellow Peril, the last war, and the war before that..

Koue der

:

When I get back the Devil

Cat is enjoying one of her mad minutes. She is playing the

game,

with

come a-feudin'

+

THE PEOPLE CANNOT DO

WITHOUT NEWSPAPERS

London.

TN 1940 the little boats Raved Britain's army at Dunkirk.. Fifteen

years

By JOHN MCKENNA

Conditions were ripe, for spot of black-marketing. And in several instarices that's just what happened. Coples of, one Scottish

which way to London found they paper Fleet Street loves y

were selling in the West End for two shillings

OITO entarprising shops and on the bookstalls of

was later, the little papers came bold black lettering of the kind

to the rescue of a news

In out of the way newspaper Notting Hila time. In hungry London.

With the entire national suburban stations, the locals" soul hired a a duplicating machine

And on that day I looked

marty

Eiri.

you let them do such a thing? When I think of there poor girls, sick with fright and theft

"

of

7

Press paralysed by a strike turned nationals" sold like and turned out his own newe- *paper complete with newa. electricians anden hot cakes.

flashes! gleaned from radio gineers, the little papers of Probably no other strike. bulletins and all important race Greater London and the since the war and Britain has environs had their field her near the brink of economic

had a few which have brought results and sporting news,

ANSWER GIVEN catastrophe has hit so directly

day,

were

The men who make paper for

noor. She is les from the Then I went in toy He found him up at the cabin order to print national and could they beguile the tedim trying to and storage space forma:

the

the

parents crazed with worry... AT that moment I had a great longing for Adam. But "Adam Pontipee, you and the Adarn was still up in the moun boys will sleep in the bam in tains. And as if sensing my Many of them sacrificed the first few days of the strike strike

the man in the street. For Two other sidelights on the restless children, of going round future at the spouse or home in search of his brother. reserved for local news in quite frankly bewildered. How the national Press, were ranilc

Until spring comes loneliness, Gideon set out on his valuable space normally thousands of the room without touching the the girls. And now get out.":

from the table to the

and told him. dresser: to: a

And of long bus and train journeys the unised surplus; the Fleet achair, from

soothe "Don't believe It," said Adam, international items. chair to the stomach of those terrified, scibing, giris. sill mad with me. "Just one of this they contrived to do to and from the suburbs with Street Branch of well-known one And plan to keep the brothers her tricks to get me back without the enormous re- papers? Who won the 3.307 fifteen percent drop in sales

out their morning and evening tobacconist belpless Miserable to

reported nearly a stomach of the other.

in-law away from them until I be back when the pass the avalanche in Les Miserables, squeak

naked. the through the canyon is open sources of their big brothers want want la ab inside la during the strike period

if the strike caused in- Devil Cat lands on them from could restore them to

prospect of a general election? answered a distance. Before they are in parents,

BLACK HEADLINES,

a question which brysteries 15% that the Devil Cat That night there was a knock were well aware that spring had

certain number of the has been bothering newspaper- Typical of this grand effort principal papers from the big men for years will the radio on the door, and while the girls

Essex weekly provincial cities were finding or ever replace the news- At one cowered back in terror I parents had called together which splashed the latest their way to London. But, be paper? With the radio rummin opened it. Outside was Caleb. the townsfolie "The pass is Churchill resignation report cause of an agreement between care long news bulletins and He looked like a lost sheep, open, they announced. "All across fir front page. What's newspaper proprietars, no more TV operating as usual he ***Milly” he said. "We boys nble-bodied men gather at the more, 13. abandoned its normal than the usual quotas were de- clamour for newspapers

will stay in the burn for the meeting house, Bring your conservative headline type for livered to the capital, creased day by day,

formation", on the Premier's re-i

agony as the full weight of the canyon opened again, and I And I'll stay away till the men in Fleet Street. Aported resignation and the fvenience to millioris f

in the kitchen and Les Miser=

ables, holding their bruised

stomachs and snivelling piti fully,, help each other upstairs to bed.

(World Copyrighk)⠀

their from the town have been and

gone and the shooting's over."

Dow

In the town too by