1959-01-31 — Page 6

Paza a

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY,- JANUARY 31, 1959,

The rewards are passed out

HONGKONG SURVIVES

ONCE again in its short but splendid carcor, Hongkong survivod dreadful disastor. By the middle of September, 1894 Hongkong know that the foarful! Bubonic Plague was drivon from its shords.

Words cannot express the splendid courage of the Government of that era. Refusing to be intimidated on one hand by the threats of the hordes which rose from the Canton gutters and held as hostage the lives of the European business community; and ignoring on the other hand, the vile propaganda of the so-called intelligentsia, Hongkong went ahead and destroyed by fire the foul squatter dwellings known as Taipingshan, The flea carrying rats, finding no dwelling place were destroyed or scattered, and the plague was stopped at its source.

Nor were the Services deterred in their house to house visitation, by the libellous placards which were posted in Hongkong, accusing them of unwarranted acts of indecency.

them from

by JOHN LUFF

Tose Fraser Sm

dignitarier why they had rummoned to the City Hall to

hear the Acting Chief Justice "recapitulate in his customary

minder that

would reenil

TC

the

For who was sitting among Mr Ackroyd's motion WWŁO the Impatient audience but enrried, se n committee of sty our old triend Mr Fraser was formed to aivard the de- Smith, sometime galbini, serving for their perylees. I do frequent prosecutor, and pre- ant propeso giving all the names, fessionally editor of the long but a few are worth mentioning kong Telegraph.

for the fact that they are sull

An early painting of the harbour and Victoria. Nu sooner ad the Acting known ono way and another in

the Colony,

tast September. At the meeting A gold medal will also be sent that I might find somo down, than p Chief Justice

Among the fity 1: C. F. It was rezolved and settled that to his sorrowing mother. who naked of the Govenor de the casembled Chater, J. J. Keswick. Ho the services rendered to the To your gallant Colonel, Immense debt the Chinese in Kal. E. R. Helllos, G. B. Colony during the plague Colonel Robinson, a piece of particular and all the Colony in torn

Dadwell, W. Hanby. Fung epidemite were worthy of public plate will be presented to the general owe the gallant Captain Wa-chun Ho Tung, J. D. recognition, and a large and in- Oficers' Mess, Mojor McLaughs Vesry, Hatchinson, H. N. Mody, B. &. fluential" committee was ap- lin, Coptola Buchanan, Welman, But all signs of the window Samoon, R. Sbowan, and 11. E. pointed to carry que the wishes und Howell, and Lieutenants and the tablet that recalled his Wodehouse. I give 1 of that meeting.

Jordan, Strick and Luard, and unselfish devotion his fellow Wodehouse, for surely he was

Lieutenant "The Committee, loving care- Second

W. 1. men has vanished. They were ot P. G. Wode- fully considered

receive the ureat Robinzan, will

gold destroyed by the Japanese. Al heuse, author of the immortal assistance which the Colony medals.

that remains is the name “Vesey' Feceived in time of distress from "To Sergeants' Mess of the in the book inscribed with the It is Wednesday, December the military, was desirous that Shropshire Regiment will be names of those to whom tableta 5, 1894.

A bright sunny day, the officers and men who had presented a silver shfeld, while were erected for some reason or The morning's as eleven, and been engaged in plague work, to the various companies will be other, and, destroyed during the

up on Murray Parade should receive some mark of presented a cup for competition Japanese occupation, Ground are serriod lines of the Colony's recognition and for football. troops, Bayonets pin in the appreciation, and that a record man: brasses glow, and equip- of the same should remain in rent, is blancoed beyond des- the Regiment and that of the cription. In short, the bull has Hongkong Mera of the Royal wandered through the barracks Engineers- with firm and heavy tread.

diffusive and eloquent style, the story of the plague."

No answer forthcoming, Mr

the father Now even over all these year, Fraser Smith got in a word for this fearful pro- The rejoicing in Hongkong Nor did

the cause the Bongkong was immense. The church bells it is not difficult to reconstruct the boys by saying that pagands

of Mr Ackroyd, newspapers bed made a far Government to abandon the poor called all good people to war- the character Ignorant wretches to their fate, chip to thank Almighty God for and in some detail it is neces- better job of the story of the

the sary, otherwise you won't get the plague than had Sir Ackroyd. The plague victims were taken having spared

their plague.

gist of what follows. to hospitals, and against

the willa, were nursed-and worst, died relieved of the rav- ings that accompanied the ter tors of Bubonic Plague.

of

As the tide turned, many there pour Churse were re stored to health to give the le to the vile propaganda winch Recompanied their conval to hospital,

It was the outbreak of the Bubonic Plage in Hongkong in 1804 that led to the world-wide research into the case of the elease; and as was hinted razs

Kitéento

and

Yerrin

Churches of all denominationa were one in their gratitude, as men are ever miridful in the face of great disaster,

The body of Captain Veney, who gave his life visiting the

habitations of legur-stricken the Chinese was placed to rest in St John's churchyard.

turned Then the living squabble among themselves,

☆

10

Judges, so we are told are: "In fair round belly with

good capon lined. With eyes severe and beard

of formal cut, Ful of wise

and saw'n modern Instances; And no lie plays his part."

By this time the platform sat in shattered silence. So the indefatigable Me Fraser Smith

told them had he known they had been Num- moned to spend two hours, wasting their time listening to a pompous nas, be would have gone elsewhere.

Well. Mr Ackroyd played hils part. He rose to speak on the motion flint stood in his name, and he harangued the inpatient Now, any man public-spirited On September 27, 1894, a pub-townspeople of Hongkong. He enough to call an Acting Justice reviewed the plague from every a pompous ass is sure of a good aspect. With Gladstone an his hand-or from the platform, of nudy. hir valcu explored every course, nor from the front stalls Book of the oratorical art. --but from the body of the rk, He defed the plague he Aud there arose a mufled peal wimpered before it his voice of applause which delighted the rose as he attacked it. He blew ears of Fraser Smith. it by sheer violence from the shores of Hongkong; he dared It to return. Then he pulled out the vox 1umana stop as he spoke of the late Captain Vesey. His voice vas as artful as a pasinge for muled strings, but the citizens were hungry, and the vox popull

ller, led to the two Japanese le meeting was convened by the Finding Acting Chief Justice, Mr E. J. quietly In the Colony, and Ackroyd. It was held at the dentifying the Bacillus pestis, City Hall, and the purpose was Subsequent investigators have to deelde the honours and re- demonstrated that the Infection cognition that should be bieżow, I carried to man by means of ed upon these who had worked the cat. Which is the reason la- Fo unwaryingly amont plague day for Government's blitzkrieg viethus on rats, and its refusal to telers ale uncontrolled settlement in the Colony, in spite of senti- mental criticism from the ignor ant and the rentimental pseudo 1ltern.

AS

The Covernor, Sir Willam Robinson, jwsided over the meeting, and he it was who read the first motion, standing in the name of the Acting Chief Jus tice, Mr Ackroyd.

BRITAIN AND

A SMILE is on the

face of the Sphinx just...now. But not all the British businessmen who once had interests in Egypt are smiling.

In Colo and Alexandria. there may be back-slapping and Jotification at the new pact about in be signed with Britain for getting old scores and re- raming norinal trade.

-Cut to many Britons whose properties were seized alter the Suez storm burst in 1986, it all his rather a hollow rug.

Pushed out

A

Listen to 45-year-old Mr John Peel, who now farms smallholding near Woodbridge, Suffolk.

Once he was a director of one of the biggest family firms trad- Ing in Egypt.

was heard.

Can we wonder that this fiery editor received public subarrip Lions from the townsfolk, found his fries paid, and found public meetings in his honour called upon the Cricket Club Ground”

So Mr Fraser Smith

stamped

out of the meeting, and the Buziners continued.

EGYPT SETTLE THE BIG BILL.

Nasser may be

laughing-but not these men!

By ALEXANDER THOMSON

One irritation is that Egyptian Oilfields, in which Shell and BP law requires that cut of every- Bave a two-thirds stake. 100 employees in an oversens~.

owned business, 75 must be Loudon airns 'ta send out a Muslems, 15 Copts. Ave foreign- team of top cil men to the com- born Egyptians and only five pany's cilfields and refinery soon. had foreigners.

But Shell is not saying anything about its plans yet awhile,

For 100 years the Peels been there as culten merchants

and traders until they were "What is, the future in that," toughly pushed out by President said one British businessmen.

Nasier.

Their Arm of Peet and Co, was confiscated by the Egyptians. Under a new owners, it is now the El Kahira Cotton Co.

the

Sayo Mr Peek "Undl details of the new pact are pub lished, we shall nut know how we stund.

"If I went back, I would pro- abiy have to be little better than a clerk in my own Arm."

In the old days, cotton was Elypt's biggest export to Britain. It fatalled some

£30 million each year.

Of course, the terms of the

Naser hopes to get back to new agreement may make things that position quickly, he is in for rather better for the British. a big disappointment. who have done so much over the years to help build up Ent's. Since the Suez overseas trade.

affair, the cotton spinners of Lanwnshire who use the finer Egyptian-type

But until the full pact with cotton have switched their Nasser is published, hopes.

do buying to the Sudan and the

"But it does not look ca if there will be anything for us to not seem to be runntrig very UŠA.

go back to. Our business has tone,

What then?

high.

If come business firms hope to

And they are very sallsfied

start up again in Egypt, the with what they are getting."

bunkers have few firions about being able to do so.

Оле of Britain's biggest

"Even if we went back, we interests there before the Suez would have nowhere to live, My fare-up was through Barclays uncle's house has been wrned Bank DOO. futo a girls' school. Mine is let

to a doctor,

At the Bling of the crisis it had

40 branches in Cairo, Alexandria

"I expect J shall have to and elsewhere, with deposit forget the post, and being a farmer."

carry On

After 44 years in Egypt, where he ran colton ginning factories,

Mr William Shirley now lives

in Chelsea's Cheyne Walk.

accounts totalling £38 million,

The whole lot was ("Bitypiisa-

'Too high'

Sayo Mr Jacic Porriti, who

once smashed an attempt by the has of Cairo to bring off an £8,500,000 gamble in raw col- asking too high

"The Egyptians are now a price, any- wny."

ton

But in some directions trade

red." The Barclays branches with Egypt is alreday picking up. were taken over and renamed the Dank of Alexandria. All the

Under the backwash of the shares were taken by Egyptians. Suez affair, British exports there

fell to only £2,300,000 in 1937. So unless the

unexpected

millen line, and wore back to Last year, they topped the £12

nearly half of what they had boon, before the crisis.

de enys: "The £27,500,000 compensation provided for Brl happens, the chances of Barclay tish fires in the new agreement returning look very ollm Indeed, does not look very much.

"At least £35 million is nood-

ed to give us a reasonable deal,”

́ ́Bul ́ ̈ {{ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈BrilliTM businessmeti

Deal fixed

Undoubtedly President Nasser -would-like-to-seo-the exchangu

But the oil compunler-Shell f goods increased. Ile is not at next and British Petroleum--certainly a keen on becoming closely tied

do decide to go buck--and it is naid 100 will do so in the few weeks--what then?

Ma Krushchev'i to hope to do so, though whether they will be able to carry on as prou stringa.

niready before is another matter.

have The French returned to Egypt, and they are apparently not finding condi tions at all to their liking.

But his treatment

economic

of British Mr Joha Loudon, a 53-year- kusinavau men who choose to go old managing-director of the back to Egypt will have to to a Shell group, has already fixed lot better than what the French

Many have packed up and up a deal with Niger for the bave had it trado la 10 improve. gone home again. Gre and return of its seized properties, Swks traders, discouraged by once an over-ali pact is signed. And even n smiling sphi

the resteletions with which

Nasser la murrounding them, are pulling out, ivo.

like Colonel Gammel Abdel Nasvor Most important of there are in cantui do without trade for Very

the £14 million Anglo-Egyptian long.

CAWm

Eleves-live, and the voice of

"They therefore decided to the Regimental Sergeant Major is heard coving the troops to atten- award certain medals and pieces tion. The Commanding Officer of plate. The Committee very takes over and with a slap and much regret that it has been a stamp the troops come to the fimpossible to get these medals "Present Arms."

Str. Willlain Robinson, Major- able pieces of plate, but at the General Digby, and their aides- necessary de-campa step onto the Parade ven and we hope to be in

Ground

popsesslan of these in two ar three months,"

From n specially erected Davillon nearby, the women and children of the clite wave their handkerchiefs, and give three heurty cheers.

The Governor walks to the Acung Chief Justice, and shake; him warmly by the hand, after which Mr Ackroyd introduces the Governor to specially select ed members of the Committee appointed to represent the com munity.

of

The age-old ceremony inspecting the troops i per- formed, after

which

the Governer and Sir William Digby return to the pavilion. The troops close in on three sides, the Governor and spectators forming the fourth side of the square,

struck here or to procure sult-

orders have

deen

"Each of the men who nɛsisted during the plague will be given

silver medal.

I take that the Governor "In addition to this, piece of Sir William Robinson was refer- plate will be presented to that ring to the Shropshire Light gallant young officer of the Royal lafantry when he referred to tho Egineers, Ldeutenant Boys; and Shropshire Regiment. I wonder a piece of plats to the Royal how long Hongkong remembered Engineers Mess, bearing the their services to the community. tance of Captain Stewart and All I can say, that today, I Lieutenants Boys, Molesworth, am unable to find any plaque, and Kehall.

Glatur, any truce of anything "These articles are not yet that recalls the dreadful plaque completed, but I will cause them year of 1884, nor is there any to be forwarded to you in a few thing to perpetuate the valiant weeks' time. They are presented service of the 5.L.I. to you by n grateful community. R.ES.

or the

I am sure you will value them. Do the Shropshire Light I feel sorely templed to corn-

"In the name of the ocople of ipfantry still play football for ment on this, but my turn will fongong, I thank you again for the Hongkong Cup? Is there come when I speak briefly of the your courageous services, Wa a plece of plate in the Shrop resuscitation of the Colony after are sorry to part with those of shire's Officers Mesa recalling

the last War. In a few words

it is, if you want to get nothing you who are shortly gong to Hongkong and the Year 18047

leave us, and we wish you health Do the present day Sergeants cone, summon a committed.

and happiness and good fortune of the Shropshire Light Infantry However, back to 1804.

The in India or in any other place possess a silver shield, subs Governor now addresses the where you are stationed," neribed for by Kongkong's

"Omeers, Non-

grateful citizena?

meeting:-

Commissioned

Officers, an'

Men have been asked to thank you publicly on behalf of assistance which you rendered the community for the valuable

the Colony during the plague. "I do so with great pleasure, Your conduct during that trying period was charitable, courage our and even noble.

Colonel Robinson rupiled on behalf of the Garrison, paying und Medical Offlecry who attend a graceful tribute to the Sisters

ed the late Captain Vesey and the privates who were attacked by the deadly pestilence, and assured the community that their Icognition would ever be highly "It very properly elletted from valued, and that the cup #lven the Government and people at for football would be ever re- Hongkong, a feeling of admira. membered, for he would see to it tion and gratitude, You may that a similar cup should Le depend upon it, that the residents competed for by the men every of Hongkong will never forget your.".

Then, if you can believe it, the Acting Chief Justice was the gallant Shropshire Boys" The parade ended with Colonal called upon to address the meet- and their comradys in arma who Robinson calling for three cheers ing. The only revenge I find Str came to "thety' aid at that critical for the Governor. We are toid Fraser Smith taking upon this time.

that these rang out heartily ord is to spell Acting with "It is their wish that you lustly.

*.

Ehould not forgot them. and All that now remains to do is Either the China Mäll reporter therefore they desire to acknow- to communi could do short-hand, or the ledge suitably the good work Acting Cliet Justice distributed that was done."

a

eoples of his speech, for hero I "I will now read to you a list am able to quote verbatim-but of the presentation that will be do not worry, I will only givo made:

sanal selection from Ackroyd's speech.

*

Mr

"Our presence here to , Is one of the results of the blic meeting held in the City Hall

FOUR D. JONES

decisions made that day,

I have no idea, and am in no mood to find out. But the allant Fifty-third needed no

i was sold of them: raudies to remind them of duty,

41

The saviours come not home tonight:

Themselves they could not

Jave.

It dawns in Asta, tomb-

stones show And Shropshire names aro

read...

For these who want every de- tall, it remains to be said that a window was placed in St John's Cathedral, under which was ins- cribed:

TO THE GLORY OF GOD, AND IN MEMORY OF CAPT, COLTHURST VESEY. WHO, DURING THE PLAGUE OF

1899, upon those bravo

When I perform a piece of writing of this kind, 1 become so absorbed in it, that I forget

the present time, and am easily

To the memory of your gal- mble to jump abou; in time untli lant Captain Vesey, who laid the past is more real than the down his life for others, it is present. intended to creat a tablet or

John's I went up to St window in St John's Cathedral, Cathedral, hoping against hope

THE PEOPLE'S POLICE MARCH FOUR Q. JONES INTO ROOM ONE, WHERE THE FAGE OF BIOBROTHER LEERS AT HIM FROM THE LARGE TELE-SOREEN..........

WATCH...

AND LISTEN TO BIG BROTHER'S WISH WORDS

FERDINAND

BRICK BRADFORD

RONNI CIRACTE DA KASTLAND DOWN

TO TI JAPARTMENT DABEMINY, THIFAL - OUT TO HIS CAR NOW, YOU DRIVE

DR.SAITLAND, AND STAY WELL. WITHIN THIS SEPERIO

ちん

LAINT TAKIN' NO ORDERS FROM NO SHADOW ON THE WALL. AND GIVE M. BACK

MY DERN HOOP...

BOUSTRIE LATER

THERE'S THE OLD -HANGAR, RONNIE! -

WHAT ARE YOUR

wałda

PULL BATO TUR PRONT AND LETS ENTER, I KNOW

DE GAVER YOU HAVE EQUIPMENT STOREND)

THERE

by MADDOCKS

LOST HIS LIFE IN THE SERVICE OF THE PUBLIC. THIS MEMORIAL IS ERECTED BY THE PEO- PLE OF HONGKONG.

AUCTO SPLENDORE RE-

SURGO...

GREATER LOVE HATA

NO MAN THAN THIS THAT

HE LAY DOWN HIS' LIFE FOR HIS LUIENDS.

SILENCE, ÞOG! GET THIS PROLE DRESSED IN PROPER PEOPLES UNIFORM.

THEN TAKE HIM FOR A PURITY BADGE

TEST....QVUR

By Mik

NOW

Lady Sheaffer

*E*R*** FOUNTAIN PEN

Never before-funcala pen la explow stur pernom

Lasta in fine jewelry. Navon Renear an fnk Rutile...

was drop-in cartridges of Bkrip writing Guid.

In App WHITES ALPER COLTA

INSIDA TUSI HANSAR... VYHAT" ARK THOBİS

THAGGY

By Paul Norris

A STOCKPILE OF

{QUIDEO THAR-MIRENES

I BROUGHT THEM LI

FROM MY DOUTHERN

__LABORATDAY},

hich

SWISSAIR

AUSTIN

for

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