1955-04-26 — Page 4

*

TODAY the ninth tale is told

by

"H

Robert Henriques

OW. I hate growing old!" the Naval Captain said. It was his first human remark during the fortnight that we had been together in the Normandy beach- head.

Though he was an amiable man by nature, his professional views and mine were in direct conflict. Somehow they had to be reconciled, for we had been sent to Normandy, at the head of a commission, to report on the inter-Service arrangements for landing on enemy beaches.

' ;

I wanted drastic changes; he wanted none at all. We were no nearer agree- ment than when we had arst arrived; prid every day cur relationship had lost a little more at fis format cordiality, our speech had become more curt, OUT respective views more adamant.

"You're not particularly old," I said. He was 40, two years older than myself. in the summer of 1944.

"Can't we oven agree on the subject

of ages?" he asked. It was his first

smile for several days.

I was nominally the head of the

outfit and I said: "Let's serd the boys

home; let 13

two stay out here and go on the

razzic to-

night. Time's

no object.

He

glocmity:

gaid

So old that I.

N

THE

GIRL

THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, APRIL 2

#26, 1955.

IN THE CAR

A very smell woman-la very large, pujamas .

dream was too pleasant to

be

unkindly broken.

stantly asleep. In the morning my "daily Woman" had not

come by nine o'clock when woke up. So I made tea and took a cup to my guest's door. I called and knocked in vain.

The room was empty, and the

RED OCTOPUS IN MALAYA

By MAURICE MANNING

ап

AKE advice from succeeded in -arousing. ang one who has learned enthusiasm among the popula

In spite of all their talk about a Soo Yoke-koon,

ex- "Races Liberation War.** terrorist in Malaya, who has surrendered to the Govern- 90 percent Chinese in its cam- The MCP, incidentally, is over ment, "and keep as far position, although there are at away as possible from the least as many Malays as Chinese Malayan Communist Party in the Federation of Malaya 'Red Octopus"."

bed made. There was no trace

Sco, one of 210 disilusion- that it had ever been occupied No car was parked in the courted terrorists who gave them- yard.

1

to say nothing of Indians and ober minority races. This alone makes nonsense of the Farty's claim to be engaged in a

national" struggle.

Their Lallure to win such

selves up during 1954, said During the next few days, he became disgusted with after which I had to leave un- the MCP and its hypocri- galling, since for the last three suppert must be particularly expectedly for the United States, tical leaders" because "the and a half years the Communists I made the most extensive in

quiries, working from my own majority of higher-ups with have claimed to be concentrating headquarters outwards to the whom I came in contact on doing, Just this. But it is sufficient to show me that she Commander-in-Chief and back were most unfriendly and hardly surprising in view of

again. Everyone al was quite lovely, that she more

concerned had

their canvassing methods, which had treated the lower ranks with consist chiefly, of exterung food received than matched her voice. "You

message must be exhausted," I said, but from

mebody else, along the contempt. I had no voice or money at gun-point and answered that she was top-level lines of communication in the Party. The MCP does "climinating" anyone who re- she

was that a certain colonel on a secret | not practise what it fuses. strangely not tired, which

job must at all costs be

hurried exactly how I felt myself.

Part

communica-

in the MCP ideology,"

Strangling

After some 50 miles of this exquisite experience we had discovered in conversation that we had never met before and had no mutual friends. This dispelled was one of those rare occasions wouldn't know what to do with stonk of invective. But all he into close arrest was

In my fat at the very top of homeward. But I never a preaches. There is no truth could do was

the by the calculation that no felon when the world was 10 "record

the

there building we scrambled some where not a razzle it I met one."

of the names of these eminent re- of my status could reasonably hete

astonishing" small It was three o'clock

made tea and drank It tiens had started. All that I had place com- eggs, following morning when we re- fugees and to offer them two expect a Commander-in-Chief's posed of coincidental meetings. with brandy. Then she said she learnt from the incident was

the what happened when the a Head minded Survives as an after- blankets apiece and a wooden personal attention or

I asked her what she would do would like 2 bath. Later, QUATICS a car as a Black when she had taken me, home, bathroom door opened slightly pericnce of age was confronted Thought that we had been sent toor for bedstead.

Maria. I wondered if I to France for a We

was She said, "I suppose I shall just and a voice asked if it could with the opportunities of youth, perhaps travelling incognito. I drive back again. I know of perhaps borrow 1 pair of

WORLD purpose.

began to wonder found

I who was

stay in London, pyjamas. This, on my second night of

anything to very little sleep, was evidently a not uncommon kind of dream. sprung from a wishful source.

had

2

dispossessed

+

chef who had cooked us superb dinner,

3

and cellor from which we

And Ind

chosen several differ- eat wines. We had reached solid agreement on the question

age. the horrors of

V

too

led for romance, and ot slipping so sud- denly from an

era

of opportunity, for which we lacked experience, into onr where our väst "experience har no opportunities Cr. which operate. We were agreed at last!

10

The fest was easy. By the fight of candles, now guttering to their end we scribbled down the headings of our joint report and fell into each other's arms in a spirit of generous remorse.

My colleague proposed a last toast. Gentlemen he said to me solemnly. "I give you the experience of our age and the opportunity of our youth. It only the two might meet!".

Icy gale

· ROBERT HENRIQUES van Jame

with a prize-winning novel, Na Art, No Armour, based experiences in the Army.

bined the Royal Artillery 1924, sirved in Egypt and the Sudan, retired in 1933. ---

Within a few manth; of publi. tation of his book in 1939, he vas back in the Army. He wai with the Commandos en several' Falda and served at Combined Operations Headquarters, win- King

American Silver and Stors Arenza

and becoming

Henriques, 49, mottied a hiacy Bearsted in 1977.

of Viscount

They have two at and two daughters, and farm Cotswolds

the

***TOMORROW``ssists

The tenth author to keep you guesting will be

Bernard Newman

He tells-another story with o question at the and. Did it really happen.

?

Staff

The dream continued with the

nowhere to unless you have suggest?"

*

The lesson*

ก

COPYRIGHT RESERVED

-

copatching

New evidence of these methods has come to hand in the form of Commmist recently captured documents. The most striking is a ductive for the "elimina- which makes it tion of

spies, clear that even boys of 15 are killed if they withhold food Several other ex-bandits gave from the bandits. In case any similar reasons for handing themselves over; one of

one should feel squeamish about them.

such juvenile Tal Shing, sald he had turned

it is flat had

asserted that, that my

against the Party because they

years, their for the car and courtyard

though young in communicate

is Now YOU have to decide: Dia forbade him to

"intelligence above that of spare bed for herself, if she did

his with his family and forced himi not consider the suggestion:

Robert Heuriques imagine improper one. She said:

There is no more ridiculous story or did it really happen to to take part in "senseless and other boys of the same age."

of erring him? Make a note whether you human executions don't worry about things like and enchanting sight than that”

small woman in a very think story No. 9 is FACT or comrades. The victims of these

sald Tai; In

Large pair of pyjamas. From FICTION and see this page to executions,

strangled with "a rope. This "was usually wound round their quite black As I hauled my perhaps have one last glass of

Yesterday's

story W necks and then pulled by twa ki: out of the car. I felt very that brandy" I brought two

people, one on each side-a pain glasses and sat on the foot of FICTION. reluctant to face the

imminent

her bed while we drank the

ful and horrid death.” ordeal of light and, surely, of

ring me home," I said minor adventure to end

here * and

it to dissolve

Was "After all, the dream

wasn't it?" she said gently in the rattle of a morn- ing teacup. "Come on!" I said.

silent arrival of a vast Cadilias, In the rough night it was scarcely visible, identifled only by the faintest reflections in its

of some distant paint

light somewhere which.

or

London the

an

"Oh.

wind had

very

must be escaping the bis. other, dropped, but it was of course her bed she called: "Could we merrow._

I

A. small figure was holding the deo: asked. "Mayn't sit in front?" The answer came low and sweet: "Just as you wish, sir."

Where to?

The girl got in "Where to, sir?"

beside

me:

1 said: "I haven't the leasti Idea. Where would you like?"

She said: "I'd rather like the 400 Club myself, but by the time we get to town it's likely to be shut." She had perhaps twist of Scots or Ulster in her slight and most attractive speech. She said that she had simply been told to await my arrival and obey my orders.

4.

I was easily the most junior officer at the tail end of this reprocchful queue. Being in no hurry at all to get to Whitehall, and being able, in those days, to sleep on a wooden floor as

By now I was so deeply in- well as anywhere else. I was not much worried by our fate. volved in the mystery, or

dream, or whatever it was, that

the

I gave my name to the harassed I had ceased to be surprised. I officer. His response was said that we might as well go astounding "Colonel Henriques? to London as anywhere else, Thank God!”

since had a fat there which

Arranging a rendezvous in He grabbed the telephone and I used as a kind of operational Whitehall, we came home called into it: "He's here!" To base for my far-flung duties. separately, the sailer by, a private escape route and I by the patrol boat which conveyed senior officers to England each right.

me he reported: "Your car, sir, will be round in a couple of minutes." I inquired whence the car was coming and where it was going to. He said: "It's been ordered by the Commander-in- Chlef personally, sir, and been standing by since o'clock."

"Why?" I asked.

it's seven

Good driver

the

We landed at one o'clock of an arcile July morning and were led through savage sleet and an icy gale to a small room manned by a very sleepy and very junior officer, helpless and" "It" was the Commander-in. inarticulate against our lavish Chief's personal instructions." braid and scarlet

I had at least the sagacity to He received, in turn, from nod in a confident manner. The - Admiral, General and Air Mar- uneasy feeling that an escort at last see her face. I began shal, a broadside, a blitz, or a might be arriving to take me to hope I never would. The

Freshind-aire

of disillusionment when I should

AUTOMATIC

disillusionment. I wanted this. brandy. "Thank you for bring-

I kissed her forehead

orders,

and

DID IT REALLY HAPPEN? No, 9: The Girl in the Car

YES

NO

The light in the lobby was went to my own bedroom. Not dimmed, by blue paint, but in the least sleepy, I was in-

OLD

In Formosa, BERTRAM JONES

י

were

Threats

The decuments also included three threatening letters, all containing such words as: "If you won't change your attitude.. Few people in Malaya actual- you will have to face the con- harshest of 13 need Soo Yoke-koon's warn- sequences." The ing to keep away from the "Red that the people of Malaya" (the these variants was an assurance Octopus." Most

phrase the MCP caly too glad to do so if they paganda

always ust can. The Communists have not ferret you out, no matter to describe itself)

SOLDIERS NEVER

ABOUT

of them

finds that

SING

WAR

Taipei. Nothing happened. Just a military population of Chelsea their slim-fitting

think

are

how long or where you are hiding, and punish you for your sins.'

*

This letter also told its re- cipient: "Your activities, the movements of your car, your family circumstances, your social connections, your aid, to the enemy...are all known to us"- creepy news indeed when one is living in a countryside noted for its loneliness.

But these captured documents not only illustrate the unpleasant | methods used by the Communists; they also reveal that things are

silk gowns not going at all well for the terrorists. Food and money are O you remember the galite silence. And after a few Pensioners, to whom mainland slashed thigh-high.

minutes the loudspeaker battles of 1949 will be what.. And ageless China can outjive getting very short. A statement Phoney War? The out the perche emptied, and the Relief of Maseiding is to our Brooklyn, If you of by two experienced Party mem- time when beleagured the troops drifted away into Boer War veterans at home. invasion-threatened Formosa as bers says that it is becoming Britain waited for Hitler to the right...

But Fermocons do not worry.. a land full of inscrutable people more and more difficult to collect

only people you and taking with hands thrust up black tunic funds. make a move and could not

This only perously are the top, sleeves, forget it. make out why he didn't;

notchers-the Government, their IL when our puzzled little army

'and grew

more more browned off with square-

"Our objectives are not will-

13

Chiong's inactive army will cerizinly try to fight back to

Certainly your pedicab driver the mainland if they are order officials, the Service chiefs. and the women who do many of ing to pay their subscriptions, ed. But they show few signs

The other night, when an the street-sweeping jobs still The "objectives are in fact, be of "impatience" to be off,

air raid alert was sounded by wear conical straw coolie hats.coming extremely wily. "When

the middle part. But everybody is well dressed unit 'A' of car organisation ap understandable. mistake over

of "Back to the mainland" means stemnation but no real alarm. not seen one beggar.

the

there island, was con- not utility stuff here and 1-bave proached you for funds you said you had paid to unit 'B', and" when unit B' asked you said you had paid to unit ‘A?!!

bashing and Naafi tea?.. And that is

I couldn't help thinking nothing about it here in Taipei.

441

own

to the

younger men,

when the Communists drove

came

ARP

Less Corrupt

Air There is work and food for everybody," Chiang's spokes«

Hunger

The pod position is even The documents provide

+

getting

sauce

to add more

She was a most expert driver The car was warm, and battering of the gale" and sloet which enhanced her perfume,

a minute for they have never been there. And the all-clear enhanced her voice. It was one

A parkful of Chiang Kai- They are Taiwanese that is, later when the local

chaps realised they had been of the most attractive that I

I had

Formosa-born--who have been shek's little slant-eyed heard in all my life. And, as

fooled conscripted into the Nation-

by a Nationalist we drove at high speed to Lon- soldiers, with nothing better als

forces; and they would Force exercise. don, I began to fear the moment to do, sat on hard benches much prefer to stay on their By morning everything was men tell me, with the pride of?

back to

normal which in Peking henchman diaiming the leave island and the beneath

trees, ate mainland to the mainlanders.

Formosa means swindling with have abolished fies as well as a mile. Everybody, does it so poverty. But one thing that oranges, and listened with- out enthusiasm to loud- Settled Down,

delightfully that you cannot even Chiang's totalitarianism has worse, really feel vexed. speaker music blasting at

not rid Formosa ofend, it same light relief in the several If you want to go to them in the dark from an here with Calang Kai-shelf pictures the only way to get in bly a less sprogtehage than his Pin

The others, those who came

the a totalitarianism, although posscunts of larder-raiding by hungry comradesComrade Pingei without queueing for hours is mainland gregue superstle wiped intention of

slipped empty bandstand.

The singer was a girl him out of China proper, have to buy a black market ettion.

the swarms of cheerful Nationalist China's Vera settled down very comfortably from

crooks who waylay

you outside Lynn, the sweetheart of the and would not mind greatly

cinema. back-to-the-mainland forces meeting the mainland.

their leader forgot all about every who is perhaps too du- scarlet, because red clothes are instead :

a sign of day and white worn. who do not see a cat's Even on £1 month, which is kind a word They are pro- only at funerals. chance of going back any. about the pay of a Nationalist fessional queuers. They line up

The superstion that makes bowl z lemon water. A at the box office, grab as manay where (except to their private, they are better on tickets as they can afford (best every dutiful best man togs ex- ache for a whole.

ole might, and so have ever beert. billets) and do not particu- milions of dollars which the seats about 3s.), add 120 per ploding Brecrackers from the on. An ex-band larly want to,

United States is pouring defen- cent for their trouble and in wedding car to frighten devils rendered in December 1954 said and bad influences away? i the quest for food, had hebame sively into Formosa give them you go, no waiting.

The superstition that makes so vital that for the last year or you climb 1,00 steys to have so it had absorbed all his me your, fortune told by a Buddhist/and/energy. If you can ignore the pop of mock in saffron robes, becauséa

ows clearly that and re the upward toil is presumed to bursting bubble-gum

the the Red-Octopus" sounding throat-clearing and have purged you of worthiness silk have quarters » than they ever delighted laughter in quite the and every wish assumes extra grip is getur dreamed of

wrong moments of Romeo and merit Amt they are not getting my Juliet," yau will find

And a Taipei

Room Air Conditioner

1955 MODEL, ELECTRO MAGNETIC PUSH-BUTTON CONTROLLED

POWER FACTOR in accordance with the REGULATIONS

of the Local Electricity Companies.

Sole Agents: K, CAUDRON & CO. Phone 27539

5 Queen's Hd, French Bank Bldg., 3rd, 1.

THREE

Largest Morning Circulation

SILENT

SALESMEN

Largest Afternoon Circulation

Largest Sunday Circulation.

Ensa Stuff

It was just the sort of Ensa stuff we listened to on Sunday nights back in the winter. "of 1939-40—the moon and you; my hero; my heart... apart. And SU OD...

But this was just a softening

than

clothing stronger boots, tidier (two pairs of underwear for every man), bigger rations of rice, meat, fish and vegetables,

comfortable and more

living

"Crooks"

They live

every bride go to the tal

The superstition that day broth

younger Chinng's statisticians, sudience no different from one Red Dragon

of

・

will tell. του that their on Thames-alde or Tyne-side. up process; and before long we soldiers' average age is 28. It

The superstition that, when simply loved "Brief saw what for,

is probably more.

Encounter and "Henry V." you are giving, a party, makes A walling song ended "and"" A company them were at And in Chiang's capital the you implore your invited guest ushers shuffled smilingly along drill (the Chinese are great authorities are earnestly coa mumble cottage (even if

to bestow his light upon your the rows of benches, handing ones for callisthenics) and I sidering an idea of astonishing a 20-room house); and you, you live out music sheets. This was to be stopped to watch with an simplicity to wipe out picture bow to him and assure him that it the big hit of the evening. American who has been com going profiteering--a bocking you

you await his illustrious pre The tune was simple, set out ing to Fortuosa every year since plan and advance reservations, sence, because it is ""not only

numbers--Number One 1950.

The only way to buy anything providence if you even seem to impolite not to but tempting

equalling "Doh" and Number Two "Ray"—for easy memoria- ing. The words Were simpler:"Forward to battle,"

they

even

Little Guys

"When I was here then," he

at approximately the regular price here if you are a foreigner be straig (and foreigner automatically respectable, hardworking cried "Kill all Com said, eyeing the puffing troops. money) is to send a Chinese Taipei for trying to borture he munists." Chiang's psycholog there was a little guy doing friend to

means American, loaded with mother has just been arrested in

cal warfare experts would

de your shopping, three-year-old son to death starve in Tin Pan Alley on the ground like he was then you will only be stung for without deliberately murdering

his rake-of..

because she believed he wasan evil influence iris the

areas lifts, coming straight uID

the-bare platin and out "Next time, there we though, is the jitterbugging, her away needed a lot of per- from the wings came a man in same guy, only a bit slower.... a dark lounge suit. He was aAnd, so help me, he's still Considering that nylons are a sunding to do so, because they sang-leader.

there, doing lifts. This time forbidden import (a luxury out thought she was right, y He read the words out aloud, he can hardly make it of keeping with wartime These are the things that are for the boys, then set them to'

There are so many Little austerity), Formosa's Chinese real do. Formoen-at-war not, a The music in a foow, all to Guys who can hardly make it girls manage, to show a re- Red dragon across the Formosa "gether". manner.

that Formum faces ultimately amarkably well-stockinged leg in Strait.

A microphone was set up on steel, DAN PAGE What you really should see home. And the police who took

Fhid

But he (a disinfectant) Comrade took almost all the

stomach

result he suffered from

પા

who sur

"ARTIE'S HEADLINE.

"I'm taking part in the Anglo-American study