1956-09-29 — Page 6

TANGANYIKA

TIBAR

MAURITIUS

THE

✅ THE "CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29,' 1956.

ASTONISHING MAN WHO'LL

Counting diamonds spilled like rlee-grains on his desk. The fabulous Dr John Williamson.

"I don't even like diamonds. The one thing I'm really intertated in is geology."

THE MAN WHO KNEW EVERYBODY

And he says:

GIVE THE PRINCESS

W

HER

HEN Princess Margaret goes

to the Williamson Diamond Mine in Tanganyika she will be the

BROOCH.

By MERRICK WINN

So

1 WAH warned: "You'll There are floodilt tennis courts, never get into the mine. He a golf course, a yacht club, and

a £50,000 hospital. guest of one of the most never sees anyone. They'il " Not bad, for a drunk, if he alandered' men in Africa. say he was ill, but he'd be was a drunk. Well, I met him.

She will probably not drunk." have heard the stories told about 49-year-old Dr John

Williamson. Thoburn

I have. I heard them in many parts of Africa, Always the same stories and none pleasant.

'Power-mad'

He was a hermit, they said. A power-mad, ruth- less autocrat hiding dark secrets but still unable to hide his greed for diamonds, One Christmas, they said, be fired six men because their small daughters pull- ed the tinsel off a Christ mas tree.

Well, the remainder atill leaves him rich enough to buy anything. anything in the world he wants. Is he happler?

"No." he told me. "Money solves no personal problems, but

1

never thought it would, I've

only ever wanted money to help

me get on with the one thing I'm really interested in.”

like

Thiant is geology-not dila- monds. "I don't even diamonds, not cut ones-they're so artificial." How did

dia- be find his "There's great deal of nonsense talked about that,

He WAS . Bronchitis. much for one slander. Sure enough, when 1 "Yes, I

know

the stories "I don't the mine about me." he said. turned

up at

let them bother me. What the notice

would be the use? You can gates, with "Penalty for unauthorised

never stop stories like that."

So, of all these stories I now monda? entry-£1,000." they told me: "You can't Sep

the believe only one-that he is so

extremely shy he will go to too," he said. "I'm supposed to doctor-he's ill,"

almost any length to avold have kicked a diamond out of meeting people. was the Brat the ground, accidentally. When Williamson arrived English newspaperman lie hod 15 years

found seen in nearly eight years. he nothing but scrub und

He certainly views Princess desert,

ago

like terror 001 100

'I simply knew'

"By the lawa of chance

I'd

malarla und the Margaret's visit with something have had to kick 3,000 yaara for

ด strong ke word-though she will be there that to happen. Actually for only 21⁄2 hours (on Monday, found the mine simply because Ootober 15).

I knew, geologically, if ought to He will give her that £15,000 be there." diamond brooch and then, with

tsetse fly. And diamonds. Now his mine is the fourth biggest township in Tang anyika.

He has hundreds of European workers living in neat streets of

bungalows. red-roofed

each

The doctor is proud of one To disrespect, be mighty glad to thing-"I've never borrowed a see the back of her. furnished to the tune of £1,000. 'Happier?

FLASHBACK to the days when diamonds wore sorted by hand. A fine of gleaming Africans examine the gravel-using one hund only. Why" Because, if you want to steal a diamond, the usual way is to swallow it. A row of guards. watches to see no one raises his free hand to his month. New machinery introduced at the Williamson mine this year has changed all that, Now, nobody ever handles a diamond, except for five white men

and they are watched continually on TV screana.

I NEVER SAW A PLAIN

WOMAN NEAR HIM

London

up Brick

WALKED Street in Mayfair and rang the bell at No. 2. climbed the precipitous stairs.

I

There were the photographe of the bulle There were the photographs of homes.

There

DONALD EDGAR, WHO KNEW BARON PERSONALLY, BEGINS A TWO-PART flashback PROFILE

about some of the photographs taken by others at the wedding, Phillp suggested that Baron was the man for the job.

Was the pretty telephons een never saw a plain wornan neur Baron.

It was all so much the same that I early asked her if Burun were free,

IT

From the Queen

was always such fun seving Baron in Brick Street, Fun whether you went to sve hun on business or to join in one of his fancy-dress parties.

His little room was just the same mase of disorder.

በ

The Queen Mother, who had

very plensed with portrait of her husband, agreed. And as soon as they returned to London, Barou

was called an. The last time I had been In This room was at a party that ragged through this rambling old house.

4

Baron was dressed as Byron and at two in the morning wanted to try his hand at

Sally Ann Howes was sonnet glaumonies as a chorus girl

inck tights and a great flowered hat..

Lord Milford Haven, dressed as Emily Bronte's Heathelife, was standing in the corner.

It was all part of his swash- buckling, romantic nature.

But he wasn't what you would call "a ladies' man,”

Incliental-unt]} the way set it.

His success

TERE was a fine study of a

tures for Clive Graham's book "Great Horses of the Year,

There was an exhibition of

THE horse Baron took the pie-

For him t was adventurous the photographs afterwards and driving, poker-playing, the mee Sir Alfred Munnings said that enurse when he came to life, he had learned more from the anet lis saturnine

features prints than he had from the glowed with life.

I

Showmanship

WENT into the studio. large bleak room with black rafters. There were the usual masses of arc-lamps, I remem-

TVILS

But he did create his life. It was his most successful portrail.

I remember an evening back in his old fat in Kinnerton Street.

Glibert There was Harding magnificent-

y declaiming poetry.

Was

CanvasCH of the great horse- painters.

But then Baron was on artist. The fact that he used a camera rather them o

nnel oits VDOVIS

There

Pictro sombrely Annigoni

for praise receiving

the his portrait of Queen.

Baron

TVDS

ting

ws incidental.

But Baron's

artistry photographer was

110

wis

On

no

- BARON, WHÒ DIED SEPTEMBER 5.

• long. low ottoman. There were girls. It was London in the 1950's.

Was

there was And

Baron, this either side of him. There

But splendid work of art, moving une crouched at his feet, only Baron ber telling him that he didn't inckiental to Barvm's artistry as

carrying

around with that soft voler and need half of them.

"It's all a man.

animated conversation about softer smile, the centre of the showmanship,

my boy," he

He reminded me at times of the chances of a horse in the web. would say with a u devilish grin.

web whose threada a Renaissance artist. There was 3.30 the next day. There

touched....even if lightly.... the big radio.

something of Benvenuto Cellint When he was giving a sitting in him.

There were good paintings on nearly every world in London. the wall. There was good "wine 25 guincas time there was

Gay, handsome, dashing, His whole life was a work of in the glasses,

That always music

ciever, kind, and loving. playing art.

HO *Romantic stuff for the I was diMoult to have, at all It was gay, at times frivolous, was his dream of himself. And everywhere photographs. HERE are the royal warrants tuff for men.

women," he told me, "Bigger times the right sort of back- And yet you could hear as good realised it.

there And the classles ground for Baron in the post- talk

Not a bed dream. Many of The Queen and The T

anywhere in aa as photographer from the far

(COPYRIGHT) Ilke Sir

Philosophy would Duke. All algned.

John war years. There were shortages Europe, The Queen Queen and the Duke. There Barbirolli."

MONDAY: For Baton alternte with ....yen of money, before she was married.

poker. are Baron portmits of the Duke

Baron, Tito and Franco Duke as a simple naval omeer and Duchess of Windror.. Morringe

Pictures pletures.

signed Wollis Windsor and with Prince Charles soon after Edward. There

Coronation pictures. There are the Duke and Duchess 0 BET ANITOR in the mood, not

The pale green walls. The faded yellow carpet. The rolls of film. The bottle of wine. The filing cabinets,

his birth,

There

The

Flattery

was a framed letter of Gloucester,

from the Queen-

Nehru.

There is the bleycling con "Dear Mr Nahum, I was to traption that Baron used to try delighted to receive the photo to exercite his hips crippled by graph of the Duke of Edinburgh arthritis.

in colour and I hope you will

And, of course, rows of por- accept my grateful thanks for traits of lovely women. your kind. thought in sending Baron Joved to have them

a lovely wedding

around. Loved to photograph sincerely them, Yours

ine such

propent.

Bizabeth."

'He's the man'

men

1

But his assistant said to me: spent as fast as he earned. woman's coiffure with politics. "I used to choose the music. And to tell you the truth it was

the sitter.

remember watclfing Baron

in this room taking pictures of Norman Wisdom.

His

He moved swiftly around the room with his cameras, rhattered arm never seemed to cause him a moment's troubles. He was wearing the Inovit- able bow-tie. The inevitable Bowered waistcoat. There was only one ho falled. A half-burned cigar was stuck to plexzo Her name was in his mouth. Marlene Dietrich, Sho sent

There was something rather back his prints with suggestions grand about Baron no he wont for improvement.

about his job. Princess Elizabeth...she Baron: new into, one of his. He was the artist, the man of was not yet Queen.... dressed black, "' main you fashion who had, rather ledly up in her bridal gown again beautiful my way he told her,, consented to take your photo- after the honeymoon

"not in any way you suggest, graph. There was a cortoirs dissatis- He loved to admire lovely The fact that' (money entered faction, in the Royal Tamily women Loves to flatter theon, into the tranemotions, was entirely

I

REMEMBER, that for him

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

AND YOU SAY YOU HAVEN'T *BEEN AWAY

YOU INSIST YOU. NEVER SAW ME BEFORE--NEVER

FOR

HAVING

FOR TWO

GREEN

DAYS?

REPORTED YOUR NEIGHBORS--7

BLOOD?

«NO---

OF COURSE NOTI, YOU THINK I'D GO AWAY AND LEAVE MY DOG LOCKED

UP?

HE BELIEVES WHAT HE'S SAYING -* BUT WE KNOW HE'S BEEN GONE, TWO DAYS

•

penny. Everything in the mine, has been No' from the first day,

paid for from the diamonds we dug out of the ground. (in-

the world's newest and big- gest, opened this year.)

I asked him if he were happler cluding the £4,500,000 plant, now, with potential wealth esti- inated at many milliona, than he was at the beginning.

One question I did not nak "I think I was happier in the him, because 1 had already early days, with just the few of found the answer. This: How do It," he said. "We roughed it. you, if you are mean and spito- had real companionship. Now ful and filled with envy, try to things are impersonal."

ruin the reputation of someone cleverer than you are?

I knew what he meant. This man has hardly a friend among all the hundreds

F

man

You do it like this, You start

a true story-of on the mine with (some have never seen him). who gets drunk and sels about I remember too the double- wrecking the mine club and, as barbed wire fence, the Alsatian a result, is sacked

dogs trained to

10 savage latruders.

the TV screens to spy on every

Then you turn that man into

make them tinsel of Д Christmas

muve of even proved employees, six little girls and

"It's

пот

my doing. though pull

many people outside say it is tree....

I'm compelled 10 take these Yes It really happened liko

precautions by law-more than

10 percent of my proflis go 10

the Tanganyika Government,"

thai.

(COPYRIGHT)

SEPARATION:

Is It A Good Thing Bad Thing?

Or

A

Stick together, say four couples whose marriages have lasted over 30 years

By EILEEN ASCROFT

TS it more difficult to make anniverary

recently. #WO for

Ia murciage work if you have never been reparatie 32

have to spend a lot of time years," Beryl tells me. apart?

Two couples in London this week who firmly belleve the more time you spend together the happier you are, come from America.

Mr Rosenthal,

treasurer

She has never missed a pers formance of his shows, and even when he was in hospital the spent the days at his bed- side.

She thinks all hobbies should be shared "I'm not koen ofi

and Mrs William footboll, wrestling ar boxing," and she confessed, "but I go with president

of the him to all three," Wise womani

respectively Malden

Form bra company, have just celebrated their 50th

work and

travel to

The anniversary. gother, even share all their "We rurely

ments every day. spend a day apart," says Mr Rosenthal, "Our recipe for mak Ing marriage work is Bo both pals and partners.""

In London now is Mrs Virginia Zanuck, happily married for 82 УССТВ (they celebrated their 32nd anniversary last January) to famous Hollywood film pro ducer, Daryl Zanuck

"We have never been sopar- atod in all that time," she says, "and I travel with him every where,

"He likes to have me *with Me and Mrs Sam Goldwyn hum

and have

my opinions, hotɑ the some view, She does especially as not actually work in his bus audience' Vide. nes, but she shares everything agree about a story, a star, or eise, traveling and entertaining a picture, and afterwards I am In 31 years of marriage they proved right, he is very generous have kidom been

apart.

it.

I am on the

It wo

dis

Frane Goldwyn believes mar and always gives me credit for riage works better, when you

"We grow up in the business are constantly together, sharing together, and our life has been ideas and intereris and friends. spent mostly. In the projecilon "You grow closer that way."

"I never had a partner until

I married her," says Sam fondly

2001,

"My recipe for a happy marri-

"and I don't want any other age? Well, give and take la most important, also companionship George and Beryl Formby and great understanding. Above holl the same view. They all have faith in your marriage," eschrated their' 32nd wedding

By Lee Falk and Phil Davis

HE MUST BE BALMY!

WAS

HE-IN

THERE

WHAT IS THE

MYSTERY OF THE

NEW NEIGHBORS-- THE JONES FAMILY? |

(COPYRIGHT)

TALK

ABOUT

MAGIC!

Have you seen

Admiral

AIR