1959-06-05 — Page 4

THE CHINA MAIL, FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1959.

What is the TRUTH

about Monty and Berlin?

JEED there ever have been a Berlin problem?

NEE

Could anyone have averted that huge cold shadow which still hangs over the prospect of Summit talks, over the whole peace of the world?

··

Increasingly, one familiar clipped volcé has been giving its own answer to these questions in recent months.

"Certainly the shadow caufat hune been averted," the vedre

har kompilled, "Cortalaly the Berlin problem could have beed. roled at the very brytning, IP ONLY MY ADVICE HAD BEEN TAKEN.

10

The voice bebags, of course, Visco.f

Montgomery.

The held marshal has suge. gested that if, he had been given his way during the last stage, of the war in Europe in 1995,

have he would

Juht forward to Berlin.

And then how different all

Jasn might

iry 1- bern Bumpen sevne, both at the time and ever sincet

For Just suppose that Monly the expital [ had seizes! Germany Autel el 5 There would have been no problem of supidying Free Berlin. No air lift crisis. No possibility of # Resin blockade.

But American researchers have recently beer looking into the unpublished rentals of the

Fire

Talks began

by

FRANK

OWEN

Mi John U. Wiuant, the United States Ambassador to London, who acted as chairman, and Me Fedor Gury, the U.S.S.R. Atlestador to Britain.

The E.A.C. begon its talks on January 14, 1914, I was on the toriel day that Britain pat

3rd- forward the plan for the tilion of Germany, which still stands to this limur.

Hala presented

the naine Feneral chrme-though there col- had been No previous laboration.

PEATE

BERNIE Knows all the answers!

QUESTIONS ANSWERS

Strategy

Politics

BERLIN

BELIEVE ME IT IS TRUE!

-and I haven't seen Britain for ten years!

Cummings

I

Was there anyone who later

by BERTRAM JONES

The figures that tell the story..

Average wage packet Cars registered (Sept.) Gold and dollar reserves

National spending

food

Spending on National savings Steel production

1948

114s. Od. 1,961,000

£552m.

£8,475m.

£2,265m.

£6,036m. 14,880,000 tons

1958

217s. 4d. 4.549,000

£1,161m.

£14,174m.

•

£4,093m. £6,638m. 19,220,000 tons

Beriram Jones for 10 years ban covered the Far East; sent memorable despatches on nuch decisive, news events as the rise of Red China, Malayan independence, the Korean war, the shelling uí Quemuy and the escape of the Dalai Lama.

London.

eases that put to shame the I will never let my Australian sagging fibre things that were friends tell me again as they there in 1949-and mode the kept on hypnotically repeating lightweight and that I bought in the yunrs I lived in Sydney.... when wartime metals were that English BEER is weak and oak dreadfully shabby.

AM back in Britain for the first time in 10 years. I remember the day I sailed down the So Britain claimed that, after

North Zane of tried to get those decisions Thames from Tilbury with my wife and two coming back into peacetime use warm, letory, the

There was indeed. daughters--they were nine and five-bound for Westen Germany hould pass modified? Briefly, il proposed that

This included But the American researchers the other side of the world. to her hands. Berlin should be occupied the three Big Alled Powers, the Kiel Canal and the great fell us that the man with the

Hamburg

and wisdom and the foresight was Bernard Montgomery. It the was Winston Churchill,

by

through the area urrounding harbours

11:

into

of

1 us take up the story again at the time when war in Europe was drawing to a close.

Allied

And the results of this metien- the city was to be entirely in Bremen. We proposed that the not

Bussturs, South Zone Thould go to remarkably the hinds t Tous research Bre

United States. different from the Montgomery Astonishingly, no corndor

Berlin version.

West from the

Aras But the Americans promptly North Zone prortiled for.

Insisted that the Giemsay itself WLS to be should be theirs! Both the great plit into three zones, similarly Atlantie Prawers, in fact, were allocated. The Western part of after that very valuable German

smured coastline on the North Sea the entry was to be

and the US. The Russians did not want between Britain

The #North and South Zones 1.

for, at any rate, bape to gel) that control of any part of Et stern pati was to be ilusada.

it

that

Sa North Sea shore. was at this

Gusev sat back in silence, and diferentes arom

grinned while Str

The researchers have shown that the partion of Germany had been decided as early

the New Year 1944.

{

at Lan

Tais. hd been done at certain meeting held caster House, St James's, by a party of Allied political expert, formed the Expean They Advisory Commission (EAKJ).

The British wanted the afore- said military zoning, primarily to keep the Hussian's away from

Chanel the English.

The Bath member of this they be able to steam through body was Sir Willie Strang, so far.

Remember, that at this time, of the British Foreign Dulce,

the Normandy and the other incmbers were January 1944.

landings were still six months aliçad.

* How Lord Strang.

A Masterpiece of the Distiller's Art

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Jon Haso a Calra

Berry Mng & Hingaði

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Haig

SCOTCH WHISKY

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(2) H.R.H. The Duke of Dioucester to be offered:-

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(3) Camembert in place of mines).

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Strang and fought it out,

Mr

General Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, held his troups back in the West, await- ing the Russian advance, for both the British and the Ameri- can armles were alrendy well bryoni occupational arcas Mr te lo them.

Churchill's view about this Wilkan was very delinite. It was this

At any rate, don't withdraw a Winant

yard until we lave sorted out differences with the

It was then that President our Roosevelt enceived the

Hea Russians?

If Churchill tad held on to that the Anglo-American Zones

stretch this view it might have offered the West should

an opportunity which certainly to Berlin. (This was right up

But it an February 26, 1944.)

never This was appears that tabled by Mr Winant, the US. representative at the E.A.C.

erder

has never recurred.

Ja telegram to Roosevelt on April 1 he urged:-

"I therefore consider that

126

into

For Mr Winant's own thought from a political standpoint

to take should march as far east was that, in future negotiations easier, the Germany as possible, and that Americans must teach Russia to should Berlin be in our grasp irtist them even if the British we should certainly take . This got their throats

cut in the also appears sound on military process!

Drpttds." Suld Winant, in effect:-

No answer came from Roose- "If tee put the (Roosevelt volt. On April 12 he died. plant Jurward, it will offend the Churchill tried to raise the Russians-because the Russians question again with his suc- and the British have already put cessar, President Truman, but their plan forward."

without avall

Gave way

On April 3, 1944, President

The American troops were Rivar Libe, katted on the

waiting for the Russians 10: reach Berlin. And the British troops advanced no further

It was the Britain of the figures. You should see the Berlin blockade. There was a

Chiness girls in their cheong Utility murk in my new suit (1 soms. got lint a multiple tailor's in You have become colour- Oxford Street, made to measure conscious. SHOP WINDOWS for £10) and as we went on board my children clutched paper bags of chocolates that used up 5x one lighthearted shopping fine all the ration "points" we had been hoarding 50 carefully.

The last newspaper I bought on the bookstand had six pages and it told of saerinlees we must Ho making for our own good. Our families were discouraged from coming down to the ship to see us off because there were 1 security restrictionS In force along the docks.

are filled with bright shirts and socks that would have scared us off in 1049.

I blink BEAUTY PARLOURS for inen made me blink. I stared at a window packed with pictures of beautifully poised and handsome models offering nine exquisite hairstyles,

How prosperous you all look. And no wonder. The average WAGE PACKET which Britain's werkers took home in early 1949 was £5 145, Now it is around

£10 17s.

I stagger

I yearn

My first plan of bitter come frothing out cellor-cool and with a heady yeastiness that I had forgotten. Top marks.

There are still things I want to do, of course. I want to go up to Bradford where I havo PRICES staggered ine And

eiten the best FORK PIES I not in the way you think, have ever had, and And again Shoes that would east me £7 the little shop where I used to a pair in Hongkong (which buy there. (Can anyone give. miast pople think

me a recipe for them to take shopper's paradise) were in the bark to my wife in Hongkong?) whidows at much less than half, And a Chelsea pub bunch of

and saind-\*$£} cold salmon

and sandwiches drinks myself and companion-came to Belleve me, I should

HOUSE WINDOWS are dirty, unly 10s.

of

(LS

for

I saw not une window cleaner have paid twice as much in the wheeling lus ludders and buckets For East. through the streets. And only No wonder there are TRAFFIC one SHOE-SUINE MAN, outside jams. I never remember seeing I walked out into the morning Charing Cross Station. Where many cats in London streets. bustle of the Strand recently

have they gone?

There were fewer than 2,000,000 10 years later.. My first im-

HOLIDAYS are back. Instead registered in at Britain when I pression:-

of work or want, the posters set left. Naw there are more than MEN dress like Cummings out to lure me to the coast and 4,500,000 cnrleatures. Stovepipe trousers, the Continent. Ten years ago,

Our 1940 neighbour who had bowlers tilted forward.

REFRIGERATOR Mr think, nobody could take more

in her Rising Price In person,

than £2 in ready money out of cutings kitchen was looked upon Britain and holidays abroad with envy by other housewives. were out.

Shops are crammed with them. You are using more expensive Bow and with washing LUGGAGE. My old platform at machines, too-and more and Waterloo was strewn with sult- more familles can afford them.

There are more BLONDES in Britain than I remembered, Artificial or real? I wondered, And I do not agree that English girls have the best legs and

I want to kick dead leaves along on autumn lane and smell an English ploughed field again. But I shall not be here long though,

I want to eat my lrst bag of English FISH AND CHIPS.

I wait

But do

lo LIVE In I want Eritain ever again? I've still gut two or three weeks here. shall need them to decitic.

"Five years," my wife and I promised each other when we sailed away in 1949. "We'll give ourselves five years and see how we feel,"

I know how I feel. I still love Britain. I always shall. I let you know later if I feel like Staylag.

Hand of Cleopatra?

Rosevelt gar wey-and-gecepleier Eat this can thank THE hand of a long-dead queen has just been

ed the Brilish-Russian plan. And in September, at their mert- Ing in Quebec, he and Winston Churchill argued out the terms. On November 14, 1944. the three recupatlon Zones of the

that E.A.. agreement.

Perspective

insured. Preserved in a glass-topped mahogany box, but yellowed after nearly twenty centuries, this somewhat gruesome relic is claimed

to be the hand of a woman who once knew the By May 1945 the war in the Germany yet to be invaded west was over, with the British were fixed by a Tripartite and American troops In Agreement. (There was still not u word about any corridor occupying land far in advaner of their future zones. Now to Berlin from the West.)

And quarrelling continued Ilon that Russia should be about those North Sea harbours, required to come to terms with In the end, Britain did get her allies control of them; by: conceding the rights of free ports to the forces withdrew." Americans.

Churchil renewed his sugges

before our armed

But the Amerleans did not Elsenhower's political At the Yalta Conference, in agree..

that the reported February 1915, the Zone argu- adviser ment was finally saltled, the General thought it unwise .10 French acquiring a share in the retain forces in the Russlan Zone. "Nor does he feel it would (But no | Anglo-American one.

for be productive of advantages." arrangement -

now CUCR

What did Churchill do then? access to Berlin).

Conclusive

It is the answer to this 'ques- Ulon which puts Field Marshal Afontgomery's recent remarks Juto the sharpest perspective.

Better perhaps than anyone, Such is the beginning of the better certainly than

Mont- Berlin story as charted by the gamery, Churchill foresaw

dlmculties over Berlin.

researchers.

Ito knew the city's symbolle prestige in Germany.

By a Special Correspondent

remaining Cresar's mistress, Another Bccount maintains touch of such celebrities as Julius Caesar and however. In fact, she went that Antony Joined Cleopatra at.

Caesar and lived Alexandria, but that the ruth- Queen whose Rome with

openly with him, but returned lessly ambitious queen enticed Mark Antony-the hand of a memory has bewitched historians and poets to Egypt after his assassination him into a suicide pact, watch- ed him teke his own life, und through the ages and who in her lifetime employed in the year 44 B.C.

then applied herself to the busi- Either her peerless beauty and charm of personality to

before that eveni, or nesa of Ingratialing herself with Cleopatra after it,

allegedly the Roman lender aslave great men and bend them to her will.

poisoned her brother and de triumphed over the Egyptians clared Caesartan to be joint at the battle of Actium. ruler of Egypt with her,

10% being her

It is believed to be the only

relic of the once-lovely

body

of that fabulous temptress marry, in Queen Cleopatra.

by

Julius Caesar.

In 41 B.C. she met Mark

accordance with Caesarion Egyptian royal custom!

The hand, whether It belonged to · Cleopatra or

really not,

She thus ascended the throne

of Egypt at the age of 17 or 18, Antony, and he too became her

who

Royal Minx

hal

But for once Cleopatra's

but two years later her brother infatuated lover and stave. charms futied to achieve the de.

country Political considerations obliged aired effect, and, to avoid the

has quite a history in its own right. It was presented in the drove her out of the

and deprived her of all royal him to return to Rome and huillation of being led as year 1704 by, the Egyplans to a homeward-bound British gener-

marry the sister of one of his captive through Rome at the authority,

ཟ

al, The Egyptians had dis- She withdrew to Syria and close associates, but he soon re wheel of the victor's chariot, she to Cleopatra and killed herself-come anɔ by a covered tombs which they there schemed to restore herself turned were convinced was that of the as Queen of Egypt by force of ultimately divorced his wife. famed Queen Cleopatra, and it arms. Then, when she was

the acquaintance of the mighty

tho

was from this tomb that the mummised hond, kevered at the wrist, had been taken.

about 22 years of age, she made

Her Story

L

War!

polsoned comb, though tradition has it that she held an asp to her bosom, The date of her. death is givesi as August 29, in the year 20 BC.

Unlike Montgomery, they show

but susceptible Julius Caesar. The outcome was war bo- how conclusively this matter had

Ambitious, resourceful, + tween Home and the forces Poor Mark Antony lost all by been settled by E.A.C. long

He knew the importance of

woman of great Intellectual Cleopatra and Antony could winning the hand of this royal before the surrender o keeping it connected by a firmly

power, and wondrously beauti- muster. The two lovers were minx. But that hand--it II really Laneburg Heath.

marked 'corridor with the West.

ful besides, Cicopatra lost no present at the great naval batilo be her hand-is stili prized. In- Yet Montgomery knew all Yet, the diplomatic circum-

exercising her charms of Actium In 31 B.C., which surance agents have agreed to about E.A.C. He mentions stances--with the Americans It is now in the possession of time in E.A.C. In his memoirs. Strong wanting to withdraw; with the

collector of antiques in the on the formidable Roman. He ended in defeat for the Egyp- pay its present-day possessor the sum of 2500 to compensata was later his own chief political Russians triumphant but mux-

north of England, and it is he became her lover, and her chief fans.

Cleopatra supporter in her aims. With

escaped to him against possible lots, any- We must assume, therefore, E.A.C. agreement long signed

picious; and with the binding who has insured it.

Cleopatra, mask renowned of his legions he defeated the Alexandria, and there is more how.

and reinstated than one version of what tran Fortuule:. A great tomb, that Montgomery has always and settled even Churchill all women in history, was born Egyptians known about E.A.C binding decided to give way.

about 69 B.C. and was daughter Cleopatra, her brother Ptolemy pired following her Bight there. wblok could have

the war Ona-

sister thot burial place of Cleopalen, 'was declalans. As commander-in- Does Field Marshal "Modest" of a king of Egypt who died in having perished in

after bli deteat at naezrthod in 1790. Marwa Li chief of the British Forces i Monty seriously fancy that he.

51 B.C. after appointing her and that restored her to power, Antony.

On Caesar's advice sho Azilum, heard Cleopatra. hack forfuna bellevo last the Romana Europe it would have been odd himself would or could have her younger brother Ptolemy If he had not known about them decided differently?

Joint heira of his reatm-on married a second brother to rule died, and stabbed himself be a hor' a royal BASIA), With soon after they scere made,

condition -(London Express Service),

that they should Egypt platly with him while cause of his insupportable griet. her lover Antony, an

adviser.

been