1955-07-14 — Page 4

DID

IT.

THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, JULY 14, 1955

The Keeper

HAPPEN? of the

0

A

Key..

knock on the door

"SIL

down,

NE hot summer's ufternoon, towards the end of the war. I had returned from

load lunch to my office in the British Legation at Børne. bought me together with a jerk. Indicating a

"Come in, Sandy," I shouted. window, The sun-treated Swiss air

"Sir, did you say you were wafted caressingly through expecting a female? Lummel the French windows as the Ste's an Amazon then. Six foot, breeze from the River Aare broad to match, and got a 'uge

black moustache. rustled the leaves of a large chestnut tree just outside.

Bro

please," I said, chair facing the "Excuse me if I ask hands upon you to keep your the table. We have some in- teresting visitors in wartime. Of

your credentials superlativel" La politiste fran- then-recovering raise smoothed out the irony. on the lawn myself—aked, "Likely to be "I must ask you kindly to

armed, do you think?"

explain the purpose of this visit." "Wouldn't know with this I sat down in the shadow as 1 one," replied Sandy. "He-sorry, spoke and tried to weigh up my

The telephone bell rang.

I renched automatleally for the receiver.

"Yes! Who !። upenking, plense?" I asked, sleepily.

On the outside Une you never gave your own name first.

A woman's volce answered in "Monsieur, Cannot French. give you my name because i know your telephone wires are tapped. Can I speak, at once,

ary Attacho?" to the Military

"No! Wis out, so I replixxt, But I can speak for him. What cha you want?**

He

"An important person wishes to speak to you. If you can see her at once, she will be with you In five minutes. Otherwise it is no good. Your doors are watch od. Men will be tipped off and she will be followed."

A visitor

"IS that

the

Husped,

Written by Reid of Colditz fame, this

spy tale could be FACT or FICTION.

But

whether it really happened is for you to decide. The answer will be published

tomorrow.

sir, 1 mean she the apologised visitor while a torrent of words, with garlic, flowed with a villainous twinkle in his pertumed eye)-she don't carry nothing, from his mobile lips. but her jacket pockets are

"In a word," he concluded, "I bulging and her trousers, could

have the pirns of Hitler's second kide a tommy-gun.”

secret weapon-straight Trom Feeneinunde!"

"All right," I said. 'T' leave the interview room dour sightly ajar, Sandy, Keep within var shol,"

I leapt from my chair, not with delight at the news but because his hand shot inside his breast "Lot her come at once," I said, He followed ne down the pocket and reappeared holding-

Instant my chair fell I corridor towards and replaced the receiver.

the entrance at this

long. brown lifted my internal telephone. hall, then, opening the door of backwards - a

messenger? the interview room, stood aside envelope. Good! Listen, Sandy, I'm to let me pass. My thoughts expecting a female visitar within were in a jumble. I had forgul-

Let her in and ten

notebook in five minutes. shut the door again immediately. nervousness. Put her in the interview room.

I'faced the stranger. This was Give her the once over and re-

no woman! Here was an enor port to me.'

1 banged down the receiver, mous Slav, Judging by his looks. "Hell!"

"another te flashed a wide grin at me as thought lunch

he undigested!"

my

my

A freckly countenance peered round the door.

"It's all right, Sandy," I said sterpishly, adding as an after- fart" thought, menningly, The head disappeared again.

1 opened the envelope and

of ink-traced drawings and a "Forgive me," he said, speak- long memorandum typed in to it, but every time it seemed Ing French, "but as your tele- German. The drawings were to be different. I sat ruminal-, phones are tapped I thought it familar, but far

I

After years

of this sort of comgeriated my obvious dis- looked quickly through a series

thing we should have been used

I saw him to the door and we shook hands. He hurried away without looking back.

Inside Then the fun began. telephone Bacs buzzed and the switchboard icads clattered, Within ten minutes there was a conference

tha in

Minister's

room.

seated at his heavy He was walnut desk near the open

ن أمكا

leapt from my chair, not with delight at the news but becausa

te hand shot inside his breast pocket. ...

door of his secretary's office callng out, "Where's Marforio? tell her I want her at once,"[

Five minutes later, as I was deeply engrossed in the plans, the Internal phone rang.

"Reid, what have you done with the key of my safe?" came the Minister's voice.

safe lock must now also be con- дя broken. What a sidered dreadful mess! Of course, the documents must go, nome the Icas. But I will have to report the incident. A guard rosier will have to be prepared Im-

He turned to the mediately." Counsellor.

A fake?

I WAS A RED SPY' REVELATION JOLTS AMERICA

New York, Tuesday. Bureau of Investigation until STARTLING cloak- 1051, when he also told his am- and-dagger story of a publle revelation until the other ployers, and he did not mako ̈hls famous American day. broadcaster revealing him-

His statement that his arst self as a Russian spy, of his wife was murdered by the Com- wife being murdored by munists in 1842 is poignant, but Soviet agents because "she surely it is unusual to wait 13 knew too much," and of years to charge that onda wife

had been murdered. other American journalists being members of Com- munist cells has jolted the American public.

"The Third Man" and Mr Graham Greene have noth- ing on Mr Winston Burdett, of the Columbia Broadcast ing System.

United

To pattern

WRS

com-

THIS naming of names of other people as Communists Is being the informer in the established pattern. Also,

Burdett although doubtedly

emotionally pelled, as he says, to join the Communists, the fact remains ha by his own statement that

from the accepted payment

hla Communists for

spying, although he had private means,

The Burdeit spy atory broka just when the United States was anriouncing a much more ro laxed policy towards aliens and a more tolerant attitude towards

Others named

of the HERE is one

1 States' most valued radio commentators, his voice known to millions, his views and ludg ment respected, baring himself us a spy for the Soviets in the early 40's and then, before Radienis. Senate

naming committee, rames, including members of the staff of the New York Times "All diplomatic persoures! and the New York Daily News,

branding The Counsellor, the

"It's not there any more," he the staff will have to take tuums and Alr

to remain in the cipher. omec them

ex- Attache and the First Secretory said, tartly.

unill further notice. Take every- Communists. thing from my safe to the elpher It is to the credit of the room, too,"

crean Americans, who He looked at me coldly and become dismissed the meeting.

"I put it down on your desk, the red book," I unswered.

french windows, Beyond was sir, besido the shade-bespeckled lawn.

by

Patrick Reid

War

IN The Colditz Story, Patrick Reid told of the grim Nazl fortress in which he and other "bad boys" ollied incarcerated--and from which some of them resolutely escaped, Awarded the Military Cross for his exploits, Reid was later ported to the Berne Legallon- bence this story. He is 42.

I was shaken.

Sun-streaked

"P

Lion

upon

the

38

tolerant liberal all the

more and

My

to

on

not

"Recall the meeting, at once."

I walked out of the office al he said. His receiver went deid. 5 a.. the next morning.

time, that the Burdett bomb- Once more we asembled in draft for London was on its way shell has the sun-streaked cifice.

All the motions of the previous by midnight, but I had been shel

given the three hours watch in set off hysterin, meeting were

recapitulated. I

only anger and the cipher office from 2

disappointment. had a positive, visual recollec- the

"Out spite d

of

Its C.B.S. to of placing

Dead tired I trudged credit the key thought.

also is chromium steel une, three inches homeward along the

echoing

Bur- long,

keeping table. We treats, turned into my block of

Its searched the room thoroughly,, fals and slowly mounted the det desks, chairs, cupboards, cats, stairs. Mechanically, I switched

I unlocked start. and our own pockets, but with the, door of out success.

the fiftieth United Suddenly,

the Minister sald, on the light. and

say a female time I cursed visitor "Beld, did you

of the day before, heartily, for telephoned you in the first place his perfidy. All those wonder- alxout the Pole?!

ful drawings that had fooled me "Yes,"

that I had had to work on for "Him! A woman passed this hours--although now

they were a clover

more detailed documents on the desk before office window just as we finished convinced

Jug on the flap which would soon better to deceive the enemy. than I had ever seen before. They are close on my trail," begin.

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there when I laid the were

the Minister,

the

"ring

meeting I thought it was fake. my wife. Marjorie," he said, "Open

the safe, Reid," he addressing his secretary, said, slipping a key off his key- through to my wife and ask her ring, and give me my personal she was in the garden a few cipher, the large red-covered minutes ago." book you'll see on the top shelf!" I did as he asked. "And unplug some the telephone, please." I did so.

This was red-hot stuff. As an engineer I did not have to healtate. If it was a "plant" it was far beyond the scope of our Lagation in Switzerland to prove I. I began to ask for

"There explanation. microphones in this room," 1 assured him.

"Do

are по

'Our debt'

•

Together we poured over the documents.

"The Memorandum is highly technical," said our Counsellor, "It will take all night to encipher it."

"Let them begin straight away," said the Minister. "Top

Most Secret,

not ask me questions," lie replied. "I am Polish. Teil them only in London that: Chopin has composed his Mas- terpiece." Many have, dica for translators to work beside them

These papers,

die---90,

treat the engineer

} A pause

For

A thud......

was

"Chopin, indeed!" I muttered angrily to myself, bending over

undo my shoes to

the laces. Sicepily, I fumbled as one shoe jace knotted itself more firmly There was a pause. I said, with every pull. I sat on the hesitantly. As I left the room, side of my bed and hiked one Sir, you did also-I remember leg over the other knee to attack

the distinctly."

knot at close quarters. "Yes, the room was empty for There was a sudden gleam from about two minutes," sald the my trouser turn-up," agentie Minister.

thud on the carpet--and I looked Marjori returned. "Her down at the Minister's key." Ladyship left in the car an hour

WORLD COPYRIGHT RESERVED Sir, and is not back."

DID IT REALLY HAPPEN?

been

Immediate the othe Minister's faco fell. and more will until it's finished. Reid, you're "Reld." he said, in a calculat- If you picase,

here-try your them with the deserve. England came to our points of the drawings in words, duped. This is rightful. The help in 1939. Now we try to London must know, exactly what documents are most probably a repay our debt.

we're talking about," This of Hitler can destroy London

time. Nor must I...."

playing respect they ulmost to convey the Important tone, "

tricks we've is not

weapon

completely. You must waste no he said,

Opening the large red book,

"I'll send off a per sonal cipher now, to warn them With that he rose, clicked his to stand by and to chock the heels and bowed, “Adieu, Capiz informer's credentials. You can Laine!" The thought flashed

go, gentlemen." through my mind. "How does le know I'm a captain, when I'm dressed in civvies?"

We filled out of the room as the Minister walked through the

hoax.

My safe is now useless and, what is worse, the key that's vanished als the cipher office safe, too."

different, though." I interjected, "The combination letters are

in a dazed way, trying to lessari the importance of the loss.

"That's not good

enough, The cipher, office young man.

YES

NO

• Put your tick in the space abore and keep, this panel by you until tomorrow ... when the answer will be given-with another story in this series by...

William Douglas Home

• Did yoularday's story-The Shuck Dog by fiery Williamson-actually

The answer is 1 NO. happen?

And the State Department has just announced that it has eased visu regulations governing the

IDDONS

DIARY

j

}

<ntry of for- eigners into the United States.

been

fuming

for years, over,

the indignities imposed

upon people coming to this country.

Like

thou sonds of other Brilish people

here

have been finger

D printed half klozen times signed

.

and

of batches documents as I have seen Burdett at the serting that I have never been Nations headquarters, a Communist or a Fascist. Yet from which he has made some. for years now Americans have broadcasts, several been permitted to enter Great visa but looks older than his 41 whatsoever. years,

His

brillant times. He is handsome, gifted, Britain without any

Today, despite the relaxallon sensational story to the in the rules, there are 27 foreign Internal Security Sub-Com- countries which require no visa mittee told of the war cor- from American citizčna respondent (Burdett himself) tourists. Only the Canadians da actually on

a spying mission not require to have visas to visit for Russia, mysterious contacts, the U.S.

in the tall man with one

GO

waiting on a street cor- More than 100,000 American ner, the intricate apparatus, for tourists will visit Europe this passing information, the sinister cummer.

now

woman called "Madame." the trail across Europe into Persia, the wife murdered to seal her here is doing a

The British Travel Association mouth for ever.

good job for the

One of its country. There is little doubt that Priesack, who good to be Vice- staff members, Colonel Laurence Winston Burdelt's story is inte. Consul in Dallas, Texas, called Back in 1937, when he was on

cn me the other day and said: the Brooklyn Eagle, he became Next to Scotch whisky It La Communist, went to Europe travel which brings in the most as a Soviet spy In February dollars for Britain." 1940, and acted as part of the Communist machine until March

n

1942;

Today

Burdett in

praised by some

Communist,

great service

Our critics

being

THE advertisements

as "a former but now a truc

in the magazines here, "Come to American who has performed a Britain," aro excellent, and I crusade raw last night a British Travel Association. fim telecast by Danny Kaye which was wonder

Anglo-American public re-

to the against Communism."!

We are also being told: "This ful is the way to atonement," and lations.

that Burdett "has como clean.”

I cannot help commenting that

However, American journalisto

1 has taken Mr Burdett a long in London, invariably friendly

time to come clean. He did not to

tell his story to

EMMETT-DUNNE TRIAL MARKS

·

us, are still erittent of our

the Federal hotels and I think they aro

END

OF A FANTASTIC POSTWAR ERA

Berlin. THE Dusseldorf murder

TH

in

From ANTONY TERRY

of

I

where no German is allowed to enter, they have servants who are picked because they speak a

right. Prices aro excessivo in the best hotels.

Prices continue to go up hero aloo, but the bcom la so buoyant that wages can meet them.

Henry Ford II, just now kn outbidding all industrialists in fancy calories. When he signed his annual guaranteed - waga with Walter Routher's union he started a trend, General Motors reluctantly capitulated to the

fellow

trial, which has just

Observers at the Dusseldorf sort of plagin English and are union and now the steel com onded, was a last echo ning, Girls" (the equivalent of especially how to ship back

10 And

workers. her home whole truckloads of valu- trial, commented that British generally of sub-standard Intel-panies have bowed to the steel of an era flashback to Britain's ATS)

soldiers Muelhelm ables without being caught.

in Germany can still ligence, parents' home the futility of the hectic, almost, levelled to the ground.

afford to run big, luxurious British officers, and their wives At 37 Ford does not mind Today, nerve tingling excitement

British officals

from bla are private cars while at home their In Germany scarcely ever speak eriileism that was summed up in Oulalda the warmth of the still trying to sort out the legal families have to queue for the to a German, except the boiler capitalists. Ho says: "I don't

glittering, luxuriantly furnished

soldiers can man or the servants, from, the | give a damn what they say, the horrible postwar word, British

"Army messes in those tangle left over from the "flog- bus. For British

and ging"

Middling" which register a car in Germany with time they arrive in the country We must be forward-looking. "fraternisation."

after war years, where food and flourished ten years ago when an Occupation number for a to the moment they leave. You can't buck basic trends in drink were plentiful, lay a grim, the contents

疝 house mere 15. a year and pay no

this country.".. $18.00 For the romance which unheated world, where a bottle vanished overnight and turned German road taxes. Petrol costs

less than 2s. A gallon.

"Tell me, is there such a thing The New York.summer' 15.00 was the highlight of the of gin could buy short-lived up in Britain.

oblivion, or pay the rent for a

as a German postal service as

festival has begun, but New 25.00 Emmett-Dunne case was

Britain?" FoorT have in that British wa The truth la like, thousands of others.

Now,

she believed the only Yorkers, fleeing the dank, BoRT- In a world almost row troops still live in a dream woman, which grow out of the Inside the messes where the turned to normal, the German world in Germany, and are still post in Germany was run by the ing heat (It has been over 35

British lived was a 'world where owners royatering days of postwar real values had gone to the owner are clalaning thousands protected from the realities of British Army for the troops, here) are going to out-of-doors

British wind,

life and never come in contact Germans, she thought, didn't allows at Jones Beach, the Germany, when

British and German taxpayers, with the Germans or the out- write letters or may be she Aquacade, Flushing Meadow, 7.50 Army messes and canteens-

imagined they sent their mall Long Island, and the Jersey

shore, by carrier pigeon.

Chinese Creads & Customs

Enjoyable Cookery

Baby Book

*This is Hong Kong

8.50

The Hongkong Countryside (Herklots)

25.00

Hongkong Birds (Harklots)

35.00

Coronation Glory

King George VI

It's Fun Finding Out -- 2nd serios

(Bernard Wickstead)

Rupert Adventure Books

Rupert Magazinos

No Hiding Place (Behind Scotland Yard)

Common Merine Food-Fishes of Hongkong

(second enlarged edition)

·Ten Points About Pearls

Weights & Measurements

Stamp Album

On Sale At

7.50 ran with gin and champagne

at 58. a bottle.

5.00

4.00

1.00

days Those were the when a meal and a packet

∙10:00

year..

Big Fiddles

•

In the brief Occupation,

hay

One British wife asked me:.

Some of the girls who Arshing Bide world all round them.

No Contact

This

is emerging from war and Nazism,

Yes, the Army's fratiing days

in Germany are over. The crazy degeneracy of a land just

For Broadway

of those years are today rich and respectable. They had the sense, to buy, businemen - with the proẞts they wheedled; out of Fortunes

ware made in six

thole Brilish boy, friends who months

"Occupationilla" by fantastic. "Addles" of cigarettes would purchase with petrol, cigarettes, drinks were operating the black market, breeding a type of Briton in where

girls queued to marry METRO has bought the London his The Reluctant a brief spell of quickly for and all sorts of-goods-including the 1958 flashback to those with the people around him, the half a pound of coffee has given pageant.CaiGormany who has no contact British soldiers for the sake of

Debutante" and will stage, the

film it. The movla, gotten excitement with an furniture and jewellery, Neoccupation. :. years, has: ano people whom he ought to know way to a1e33:exelling world play on Broadway, and 24.00 attractive fraulein, for wonder many romances which

bloomed in this unhealthy hot counterpart in the

you and who are now theoretically where real values count again. 1:50 whom it meant a few-price--hours atmosphere born of defeat sovereign: Germany Lafitode

Ha Allies

PASAR paid $150,000 for

Whether The trial in Dumeldort is the alono, sept for the troops, cheep drink. Lijepanese 15.00 Icee hours of relief from were doomed to talkie Murder to come by and cigarettes

By screening them against the swansong of an orm that has Anna 3.00 misery and starvation in a ENCO

It was an era who the word are strictly ratione

danger of betraying; military fortunately passed, But it might Raymond world where people were dinar Serviceman who brought

to Bovies

The "Arm bold good thing it, the Brush hero hinge still dying like files, DECK HIM KINEMACK

live in CHirmany, Would xmes out of their, stri 11 was in thon days that bear valueless 2do

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST LTD. M. Entrell Dung the looled and outfratis HONGKONGAREN ARASAA

VEJEA KOWLOOW Frealain Wainingen returned, cond.

.1