1960-08-06 — Page 6

THE CHINA MAIL SATURDAY, AUGUST 6

Security men order boardroom

search for the tiny gadgets that can betray Britain's secrets

to an enemy

SPY-MIKES SENSATION

Arms firms checked for 'listening walls'

by DUDLEY FREEMAN

BOARDROOMS, laboratories, and testing sheds belonging to firms working on defence projects are being searched for tiny, hidden spy-microphones planted by foreign agents.

Walls, floors and ceilings are being probed for devices similar to that which the Russians tried to smuggle into the U.S. Embassy in Moscow by concealing it in a wooden carving.

The search has been ordered by Government security officers. It is being carried out by the firms' own security groups.

Among the factories being checked are those be- longing to Rolls-Royce, who are designing an atomic aero engine, and Bristol Siddeley and English Electric, both of whom are working on military aircraft.

Disguised as light switch

The hidden microphone is no new danger. But a whole fresh

com technique in espionage stems from the development of a ponent often no bigger than rice grain: the transistor.

This makes it possible to produce a radio transmitter which is no bigger than à matchbox, and which, by a simple suction devier, can be attached to the underside of a desk or chair,

Disguising the transmitter as an ush-tray or light-fitting pre- sents no problem. Batteries are not needed. The set can be operated by power beamed to it from a bigger transmitter clse-

where.

at least *

tances.

Thus

"

the

ກ.

in

"Do put his hoof down-His Lordship's been like that for years."

Forgive me,

INSTEAD of presenting you in far off countries with the usual fortnightly London Letter, I

Londes Express Serožar,

but...

London Letter-

ask your permission to write instead about the By SIR BEVERLEY BAXTER MP

Reception is crystal-clear for such as plasterers and electrLetter itself. The reason is that this week's

quarter-mile and cians who have the opportunity much longer dís- to incorporate camouflaged article marks the completion of 25 years in which often over

microphones into buildings.

only once did it fail to arrive-and that was be The microphone which the

cause the war was on and the manuscript failed to Walls dismantled Russians tried to plant in

the wartime poster: U.S. Embassy was hidden under reach its destination. "Walls Have Ears" suddenly the beak of the eagle in #ssumes a new and sinister carved replica of the U.S. Great significance; for these hidden Seal In other embassies listening posts could betray a various parts of the world the wealth of secret information. U.S. has found more than 100

So seriously do the security listening devices. officers regard this peril that in The British Embassy too has some factories they are partly had the transistor treatment,

walls in their Nails holding down a dismantling

were said to be sixpence-sized search,

And from now on there will microphones. The knobs con

virtually a brick-by-brick trolling the radiators were also inspection during construction listening devices, wired through of new plants. A more rigid the embassy plumbing system. watch will be kept on workmen

-London Express Service).

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To me, and in fact most authors, there is some- thing strangely fascinating about writing a number of words and then dispatching them by rail, or ship, or telegraph to countries hundreds and even thousands of miles away where they duly appear in print and thus achieve the passing immortality of ink.

How does one become a turned from Canada to London writer? Again and again and joined Lord Beaverbrook's through the years that question newspaper group. has been put to me by aspiring

them sequence.

sentence has

salesman

to the

Late that night our carousel theme of the play was a study broke up and going to my bed of two young men, one a Ger 'room I cut the throat of the man and one English, who had damined parcel from Edinburgh, visited each others' homes from But wait! Good lord forgive me! time to time. In other worda They were printers proofs and it painted a young pilot swayed with it this letter:

and will be glad to publish it in

by Hitler's spurious fanatician though decent at heart, And while the actors spoke their lines the nose of exploding

bombs was all about us

Dear Lieutenant Baxter,

We like your novel very much

book form. Also we would like

The critics were pretty rough to serialise it in our monthly and at the end of the fortnight Chambers Joumal. We have we took the play off. I had every confidence in your capacity played my cards as if I could to achieve success as a writer."

never lose. Almost for the first time I had drunk from the waters of discouragement.

The letter

Then once more Lord Beaver- brooke, my man of destiny, sent

If I could relive one incident for me. "How would you like to

Drama

young people who quite under- But I anticipate events, and standably want to enjoy the must ask your forgiveness. magic and rewards of printers' Back in Toronto after the end of ink. The words are there in the 1914-18 war the piano com in my life I think it would be become the drama cride of the the dictionary and all that an pany for which I Had worked the arrival of that letter. At my Evening Standard?" he asked. espirant to fame needs is to put from the age of 15, sent word rate, playing my luck, I borrow-l pay you £5,000 a year.

proper order and that my former job as a piano ed some money, travelled over- was still open. But night to New York and called on there were other ideas in my publisher whom I had met Is there then a technique to head and indeed in my heart during the war in London. For writing? The answer is "Yes. During a military convalescence half an hour he studied the

In 1935 I had entered Parlie- Indeed yes. Strange as it may in Scotland in 1918 I had met manuscript and then walked to seen a writer must satisfy both the head of the grand old a desk and wrote a cheque for ment but chrring the bombing the eye end the ear quite publishing firm of WR. Cham- Five hundred dollars. We shall we did not sit at night and so I between the separated from the meaning of bars in Edinburgh. In the war, publish it at once. Now come to divided my time

the Metropolitan House of Commons and the the words. For example. let us I had sold them a couple of my box at

the Battle take an improbable sentence: stories and they were willing to Opera House. They are doing theatre. But when "This ink in the

of Britam really began. Beaver- window is consider a novel. This was the three one act operas,"

brook sent for me again. "I am initially risky." Admittedly the real challenge of events. If the Yet suddenly I realised that I appointing you

no meaning, but book was accepted by Chambers did not want to write another Aircraft Factory Co-operation" Controller of also it affronts both the eye and it might mean the open road of novel. At heart I was a journa- fie said, in his capacity of the ear. The reader does not opportunity and even necessarily recognise why it mountain tops.

list, not a novelist, and my Minister of Aircraft Co-opera- Instinct was to deal with subjects. tion, "And your salary will be in the news, not in the aura of a pound a year." Compared to the years.

the theatre this was a real drama, Somehow we had to telegram to By an odd coincidence the Lord Beaverbrook in London inspire the men and women in the aircraft factories to work saw some twenty years ago in $.5. Olymple which had brought asking if he would take me on 12 hours a day, seven days a London. The tragic Wilde is in out troops from Canada 10 his newspaper, to which he Paris where he went to live England was now to take us after being released from Read- beck. There were some 6,000 ing Jall, and a friend is urg- of us on board, including Lord ing him to pull himself together Beaverbrook, a fellow Canarian and take once more to his pen. and the owner of the London Fleet Street, the street of Well, that is the end of the

Daily Express. He was chair-

ink. Lord Beaverbrook man of the ship's comert and

had story. Forgive me for writing called "The acquired the Dally Express, so much about myself but per- I sang a solo Trumpeter."

A few moments but it was a long way short in hans it will light a forch that power and circulation from the will guide young people to try after the sola WES ended Wilde shakes his head. Then Beaverbrooke passed me a note mighty Delly Mall owned by for the heights and not content the author

the powerful Lord Northcliffe. of this play gives which head: him these lines to speak: "I had my hand upon the Moon. Why should I try to raise myself a' little from the ground?"

wearies him but he is wearled

just the same.

Now, in contrast, let us take the final words of the play "OSCAR WILDE" which I first

Muted

Coincidence

"My dear Baster,

I have heard you sing.. More than ever I advise you to take Listen to the muted tone of up journalism." these words—“I had my hand upon the

So off went, a

replied with a cable: "Come at week, or 12 hours a night, seven

nights a week. your own risk.".

What a Batile it was! And Thus there began a vivid

by heaven it was a close thing. and even fantastic life in

However we turned our guns

themselves in the valleys,

At any rate we shall perhaps on the Daily Mail and started know each other more intimate everyone by advocating Empire ly as the London Letter con- Free Trade. In fact we banged tinues to enter your homes. the Imperial Drum night and day. But our presses were used But who about the proposed only six nights a week-and Moon," Note the novel? Back in Toronto at my what about the seventh? With softening of the words from the mother's home I sent word to great audacity and at a heavy harshness of "hard" to the soft the piano firm that I would not financial riik the Benyor beauty of "Moon." It is cheer

be returning at once. Trastead. I launched the Sunday Express, music although not a note of warked night and day on my which at least would keep the music is sung or played.

novel "The Parts Men Play" machines and presses working

Our guns

In Toronto where I was born which Chambers were willing seven days a week and lived until the 1914 war to consider for publlendora, took me overseas, my father

Day: after day, night after was a church organist and my might, and at last the manu- mother was a singer of such script was completed. So of it quality that she might have went to Chambers in Edinburgh

Unfortunately the new bora scaled the heights if a chorus of But there was no reply In Sunday Express was a sickly five children had not kept her desperation I cabled asking if Intent. Everybody liked it. to our home. Music was the the manuscript bed reached but the circulation hung fire. second language of the family them and with Scottish frugality In fact it was so unpromising and literature was at once our they cabled one word "You" that the Beaver appointed me hobby and our education. Need- My duty was running out Raltor. Your amateurs will less to say there were no televi and the pismo fem was become ruin you" said Northcliffe 10 sion nets, nor cinemas, in those îng impatient, And then It Beaverbrook. far off days. Music was our happened! language and literature our de- light.

Up the walk came the postman

He could not have been more wrong. The Daily Express

with a large-sized parcel from overhauled the Daily Mail, In those times, a young Chambers of Edinburgh and my while the Sundiy Express woman who could not play, the heart sank. Obviously it was shocked the Northcliffe's Sun piano was in danger of being the return of the manuscript-it day. Dispatch all round the left on the shelf, unless her at could be nothing else ring They were exciting days tractions made up for the sad deficit.

+

Without even opening the and nights for nothing could parcel I phoned the plane.com stop our upward sweep, .. To end this musical part of pany to say that I would report Then came the second war, my life story, may be of mild for duty the next day. Then I and the Beaver and parted interest to set down that twice gathered a few friends and we compare, but it gave me a I song the tenor role of "Moda drank a toast to the devil, but it chance to write a play which Buttently with Cart Rods Coen, had a bitter taste. Why was my wan duly presented at pany in England after I had re- moral unde for gasitication) Lovely Et Jazzers Tizentro. Tin

TARGET

HOW BABY

words of four letters or tadre eati Yon wake from

letters lo the

square

on the right ?

In

cach word,

of

SRN

CO UAE

the letters In each tha small squares"miny, 'be' ased once only. Each word must 2015- ) tain the fares letter in the contra square, and there must be af least one nins-letter word. Inc. Ust. No plurais, no focalen: words's no proper BAMON TODAY'S TARGET · 62 · WordA, good: 68 words, very good 1: 90 words, excellent. Rotation on Monday, TESTERDAY

SOLUTION: 6 Feign ferpingfern Bone Aner Anger: FINGERING, Ura ginger mer infer tufringe inner Aine redning reign reigning rein raining rife.

London Express Service,

Chess News

by LEONARD BARBEN

Solution No. 5888; 18-031 R-KI RX Rt. Benigne,