1958-03-29 — Page 8

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THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1958,

THE LAST DAYS OF SHANGHAI

I

American Judy who while grim, and the Communists and gazing at the cling, re- their hatred for these whe reclining on the platform made no attempt to disguise

RARELY went down into the city during that winter of '49.50, there was nothing to go for. But this particular after noon, just boforo Chinese New Year of 1950; «t. had been cited a poem. What it was had interfered in what they called, in to meet the managing committee of the Shanghai' about I do not know as I considered their internal. ennnct understand Zach' affairs, Personally, I thought. British School,; and discuss the fantastic financial position

poetry. It was something the British Government's brought about by, the presentation of a tax bill I was totally about fleshy branches with attitude the correct one, unable to meet from any funds placed at the school's disposal. one's life blood, and it made since the Congress of Vienna elluging tendrils drinking that which it has followed

Obviously, Wo should by making people attend to paralysis as a symptom, me feel most depressed, of refusing to interfere in have to close, But we could auch mattera 14. street almost physical, as the town especially when she had to the internal polley of any nut close, for, we had no cleanliness. What I mean slowly expired. It was alie on her back to recite it. country where, the people permission to do so, Mean by the foolishness of the re kind of nightmare feeling, a The third item that hits rise against their raters, while, even if no children nurk is that puple make sort of fantasy one finds in my memory was contributeil and we in Shanghai wished attended, the staff would it, as if there were nothing tales of that kind, of a by the children of the that they would follow it have 10 recelyn their else

commirnt upau, suulden destruction that, his theatre. They were all more courageously. salaries, they would occupy But as I saw it, it was overtaken the earth, and dressed up as little #oldiers Then the Dictatorship of their apartments, and white not a sparkling ekanliness, you are the last person left carrying lttle guns. This the Proletariat began pro- they did so. those fantastic but the regimental dean- alive.

seemed worse than ever, for per. The new Government.

Never- ably in their hands began received that long propaganda cam-

taxes would have to be paid. Hiness of a harmick rozmi No longer did the music children were not made to with power now indisput・ I had to see Mr. A. K. Murray about the school's financial. position. Noticowe: Furthermore, the Chinese Everything looked pray as emerge from the Paramount play with stuff would have to be if everything wore washed Ball Room. It was clowed: tkcless,

maintained, and' so they were until the school was 10 more

However, that was the position for every concern

without soap and scouring powder. Hi reminded me of The advertisement, "Some- boy's mother isn't 'us'up. ; .

The great stores Bure

in Shanghai, and the old beginning to empty, Cene

suw, 'you can't get blood out' were the window shows,

they.

The Dying City

both dug down into our own.pockofs.

the

. He thought otherwise, and I was held, in my office by his Union, authorities, particular my constuct. I gave them a-z0 who demanded an account, of: port of what had happened, and. then began one of those inter- minable conférences so loved by. lime-wasting. bureaucrats.

my office, se prepared for an all night sitting. One by one the Chinese stuft assembled,

I was not allowed to Itavo

and

foreign exchange, and the way he would benefit from a higher standard of living when China controlled her own affairs, but it was im- possible. I asked him, did he consider me a rich man. of a stone' lost all menning and in their place were the windows were dusty: hysterical applause, for they paign designed to educate determined only by for us. After the meeting empty cartons, the once the old display bills were imed the conquest of the public in civic res assignment they accepted, He gave an unqualified yes.

I laughed at the time, but was over, 1 decided that bright advertising slogans waving in tafters, dismal Formosa. This was due to ponsibility.

and they accepted every- being down town, I would faded from their covers, signals of defeat.

take place at any moment. The lecturePA seemed to thing. Whether the male see his point, compared with have a look round. It was a Thin layers of dust settled And so home through the Then the planes came back me for the most part to be liked it, I do not know him, I was rich, very rich

being. apparently, sutipfied Teak day, and the sky hung upon everything, and the night wondering how it and bombed us, They hit University students, and Long years of custom had indeed.

themselves, they dizi not penit henvy, and the

other hand; the harshly at my behaviour toward Hwang-pu, assistants stood about list would all end.

the electricity works and we wint they lacked in know assured him he the once uEY river that lessly.

The large cinernus were were in darkness. We ledge, they made up for in superior being morely by educated cings knew that them. But as officialdom had to enried hundreds of ships,

still open, and now and again never had a full electricity fervour. They lectured in the biological accident of China's struggle would be pronounce in favour of the

Chinese, the case was, decide was emply. As 1 gazed

we would venture forth, but supply after that, and every the streets on health, clean birth. Now, the New China long, but they fully

ap against me. I then asked the across 11 sluggish dirty.

the action their offelal how China of the future. one by one, as the stock uf

demonstrated that he would proved

Government face,

have to go all out to keep up films was used, the cinemas

taking. was going to reward good work to propaganda

with, let alone surpass, his They knew the transition if they rented sinckers us well formerly despised sister. from foreign influence would they treated good workinen. It might be asked, how be marked by a stage of grim more reussion. Tea was sent

I felt terribly de pressed. The river was the

A Dead Age

NE great store stal went

over

first to die, and if the river O empty, but around were films, mostly of Russian

the town last?

"

By JOHN LUFF

On the

was

Unfortunately, this called for

To

was dead, how long could a crowd of workmen turning production. [ hnd keen

for while wo discussed this it into a co-operative store many of these films during night the candles were act liness of the home, educa- much of this propaganda uggle, but they had no The once so bright and for the people. I wondered the war, and they get on my out in the room, for the tion, and the brave new did the people believe, or, on fear for the future. On the point. busy Hund was dead and what would

Scipe hours later, we de question of people such as For the young, it the other hand, what pro- those people nerves. The leading man is supply failed without warn world. deserted. Its lofty bank sny, who years before came played by a farm tractor; or ing. The planes were the was very heaven to be alive, portion of the people be- myself who were caught up rided to give the crring gale

man halt his raise in wages, were empty, its many ware- taughing into Shanghai's a giri throws over her boy big Liberators, American but the old, preferring the lieved. The answer is, the in mesh they had not and I was allowed out of my houses idle. its Custom

gaiety, to shop in this store because he hasn't achievedl types, and when

helped to weave, they made ofice. rumour slow dull wave of the old propaganda was effective House cenotaph of mock that

no comment.

But there is a sequel. once held all the his quota at the factory. I went around saying the life, disliked all the new stuff among, the poorest sections ing muniory.

luzy galernon was carolled into fabulous East in fec. It was do not doubt that such films pilots were American also, which broke down centuries of the community, which Every firm and institution the Civic Guards, and he slow, Even the trees on the

necessary, but oh! It seem- served useful purpose we in Shanghai had a pretty of stiff conservative practice means. I should imagine. now made a Bund were stripped of their ed so sud that bleak after among a

retrenchment with his conscientious colleague population 8 rough time.

which had long crystalised about ninety-five per cent scheme against such time Pallee Station when they went had to report to the nearest leaves, and seemed to noon.

illiterate as was old Russin. Then Formosa was placed China's pattern of life.

of the people.

when we could leave. I off duty, I heard the two stretch their thin branches

Looking back, it seems but among the Chinese with out of bounds, and the

found that for the school them discussing this, and one as if to plead mercy of the the impression

Most active, and most my mind's so old a tradition that is Seventh Fleet patrolled the

In Literal Terms alone, I should need some- sounded very angry. young icy wind that could not hear eye carries, is that of an icy shared among the peasantry, area, and we received the fervent were the

thing like thirty thousand Mr A. K. Murray, was Chair- their plea..

volcano scattering the town such methods struck me as full blast of the Communists' girls. As if to revolt against

pounds to meet the com- man of the Shanghal Eritish I decided to walk home, with the chilled dust of a two crude for wortis. Ibatred. The wave of anti- the-former mincing dain-

School at the time, and he sent no mean distance, and my dead age. No longer did should say of all people. Western feeling following tiness of Chinese elegance, I had occasion to discuss mitments of the next two for me to give hum an nocount the matter. with a months, that included of our affairs. I had to draw Journey took me along the the lights glow, for we were these least susceptible to these actions was an inspired they dressed themaslves in

ehapeless blue uniforms, and tri-shaw driver who used taxes and the pay off of the up a budget and estimate iny thriving city quarter, short of electricity, and in mass propaganda are the emotional burst, through the once prosper- the dim yellow glow of the Chinese.

It was during an air-raid over compensated the essen- to park outside the school members of the staff who accounts for the proposed re-

become redundant trenchment, ous shopping centre, and up street lanips, Shanghai I went along to a convert that I first saw the Russian tially feminine attire that to pick up fares as school would

After

wo had finished, we through Bubbling Well shuddered

'spoke in death. I given at the Sino-Dritish MIG. About four bombers signified the old way of life. emptied. He really believed once Shanghai re-opened.

of what plans would be Then I fell foul of the in the best interests of the Road.

entered Bubbling Well Club, and it was there that were dying in a circle, lazily They strutted and shouted, there was pie in the sky.

held that ail the authorities. At Chinese New school, and then I told him It has become the habit cemetery to place some I saw the first Westerners casual, low and confident they pleaded and threatened. He

suddenly,

a way out from the jet and in every way. proved foreigners held the wealth of Your, we paid the servants. that should for every tourist to quote flowers on the grave of identifying themselves with when.

subordinate role China, and as soon as they and the school's Chinese ad- of the children would Iceye Shanghai be found, two-thirds parrot fashion, "but the city Pembroke Stevens, the fam- the Communists.

fighter dropped out of a low that the

double Immediately is wonderfully clean, now. OUR British War Corres- It was the usual kind of haze and put in a burst on that had been thrust upon were gone, the people would ministrative staff

bomber. them in the old Chins was have that wealth. What he wages.. We also gave the

He told me to go along anil sang, the I is one of these silly re- pondent. I did marks, ke saying, of Lon him in life, but somehow I soncone played the piano, Crippled, it made for the sea, & mark of masculine selfish had done was to translate usual raise to those who prepare for retrenchment, for the statements of a student qualified: We had a lazy possibly, a way out via Tientsin don, " think

later heart! it hud ness. your police remembered reading when but there were three turns I and

would open for all those hold men are wonderful." Yet in England of him, and my shall always remember. One crushed,, as had a second. These Amazons were the speaker into literal terms. gateman who shared his,

Wealth

positions. in the case of Shanghai, admiration for his craft was to see an experi bamboo From then on, the bombers forefront of China's attack share meant equal distribu- lunch time, some coats were Government's decision; execu

meant gold, and duties with another. One non-executive

L was tite Communit on the bad old ways. Never such was the case. The Com- mule me take on that duty, artist at work; the second came at night.

Rut As I stood there alone, I was to ree a fellow travelin munists did try to bring.

who were have I known such zent. tion..Te thought the foreign stolen from the school, and uves would be detained in

banks were laden with gold when we Investigated, we order that their financial ob away, life was very Their hours of labour were at that when the time found the gateman had gone ment were settled satisfactorily. the creeping contribute.

an locked was about a sense of civic pride could feel

Jigations to staff and Govern came, he would be appor. off duty. On that account, By Lee Fulk and Phil Davis

tipned his share. 'I drew a while he received his New little plan for him, trying to Year money, I withheld his

meaning of annual rire, in wuges,

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

not know concert,

LOTHAR-

DID THAT?

someone

This

--AND THAT HOW

WITH ANY

COCONUTS!

tale

of

屋

for wo

THEY'RE GANGSTERS!) THEY'LL NU! HUM!

There's Mors than Magic in

CADBURY'Sillustrate the

Next Week: THE WAY OUT

LOTHAR'S GOTTEN

INTO A FRACAS AT

THE GROCER'S. I'LL

DO. KEST HERE

CHIEF

I'LL REST WHEN I FIND

THAT MOB--

JOHNNY HAZARD

SOMASONE COWING UP

LADDER! NOI GUNG TO BE CAUGHT FLATFOOTED

THIS TIME... All, THAT SICKLEJ

FERDINAND

By Frank Robbins-

FREEZE,

WISE VOY!

By Mik

THERE'S A GLASS AND A HALF

OF FULL CREAM,IN EVERY 16 BAR

AUSTIN

have

A. WIDE RANGE

OF CARS:

for

HOME LEAVE

METRO CARS (H.K.) LTD.

BRUSSELS FAIR

FLY

SWISSAIR

TO THE

SUMMIT

QUESTION

17 APR-19 OCT

TRAFFIC- KONTROL