1961-02-02 — Page 6

JNS JIGSAW PUZZLE Co

RIDING SCHOOL

**My wife Coucies a rove in Cornwall and Funes line prace in Brighton "Well, I lampe the four of will be vers happy!"

YHI

**She want in ridesgo blindfold one

of the horarı."

`THE "CHINA MAIL,

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1961.

CHINA MAIL REPORTER DAVID LAN INVESTIGATES THE

STIGMA OF

OF THE TOUT

THE night Mr and Mrs A. Smith circled over Hongkong in their jet airliner the island looked like a bejewelled crown aglow with myriad lights.

"What a paradise!" Mr Smith exclaimed. The moment the couple stepped into the air- port arrival hall a well-dressed man approached them, politely and with a card in hand.

"Mr and Mrs Sutth." he asked gently.

The American busineseman acknowledged this with a rur-

led nod.

"We ara from The Zebra Trading Company, You are wetenie to Hongkong. Can we take you to your hotel in our ear the man asked in a dis- ereet whisper.

M and Mrs Smith were whisked Inside # sleek lemore ine parked in the com- Land, As the door slammed zoomed off Inta , the car

that is brightly-lit land calted Kowloon.

:/1/*

On their way to the hotel, a J- Inently chat developed

the couple and their

tween

Back home in the good old USA, pople had told him that itongkong is u shopping partes. dise, Mr Smith, recalled.

His queries led to

the dis everything covery that

LUMUMBA

LUMUMBA LUMUMBA

LUMUMBA. The

name is magic; ignorant, evil, black magic.

The man-red-rimmed eyes, thin, limp hands, slender body, attenuated limbs-and his words, his actions, his silences, and his degradation, continue to "bestraddle the Congo and all Africa besides.

Recently, they took him from the prison in Thysville New him to Katanga,

and

Kasavobu, phup, pale, and fabby President of the Congo, "king" of the lower

river Bakongo tribes, could no longer rely on his own forces to guard Taumumba, and had to rg. Tshombe, Flynt Presitlent of the breakaway Katanga Province, to hold Lumumba prisoner.

Lumumba nod two supporters wore flown 1,000 miles Elisabethville in Katanga.

Triumph

to

by

GEORGE GALE

Shackled, but

his

black

magic

still throbs in

the jungle of the mind

had almost

written

is

There is a jungle of the mind The three prisoners groaned in which such men thrive, a Lumumba's: and sobbed but did not answer jungle of ignorance, superstition, back. They were shovelled into hate, and fear.

that jeering faces, the blindness in There they were dragged from such men are inconceivable out their bloodshot eyes; and the the plane. Tahombe's police side of jungies. Then I thought total impossiblity of reasoning etubbed them to the ground of itler's equally dark magic, with them. with ride butts, kicked and

1 do not say it is their fault that they were so, or that it is pummelled them.

I Am describing rather than judging. Explana- 1lon is not difficult: the Belgians were bad at withholding free- doin and worse at giving it.

a Jeep and driven off to Jadot-

ville and prison, if not death,

Lord Acton, being very

Kasavubu could send him off English, said: "Tower tends to

corrupt; absolute power cor- like a parcel, for safe storage rupts absolutely." Tslabe who created fur Katanga province

#

fairly In a way he had it wrong. ordered working regime-holds Corruption lends to empower;

him

absolute corruption empowers

Yet the man who is trium- absolutely,

Waste

We should also have chority: but let ur not misdirect I out of deference to Irrelevant

phant in the Congo is neither All politicians in the Congo Western notions about nation-

of these, but Lamumba, the are corrupt; that ray be alism and liberty.

man who was kicked in the taken as axiomatic. Now I

White

Lamumba's two wretched rolutely corrupt. nites, beaten and jailed with him, may live or die; it will make no difference.

Bribes

eleaper in ingkeng-lothing,

bin.mulars. cunerar. Jades, furniture or eke.

curio, anything

Mr Smith thought he curtain- ly could do with a few suits rade in Hongkong.

"Well,

Mr Smith. if selts are what you want, we know: of a good tailor town who may call on your drst thing in the morning,"

Five suits

Smith The next day. Mr woke up with someone kaucking at the dear.

And presents his

findings on

parasites

the

who are.

undermining one of

Hongkong's biggest

industries

Door-kneekersThose having connuellen with hotels get lists of tourists in advance, and approach them in the hotel by cieur-to-door knocking.

New dealer-They make u deal with newly-opened shops and offer prices far above what would be normally charged. If the tourist buys the article, the But gets the balance between the price the tourist pays and one normally charged at

"Good morning. Mr Smith," the man grected bin courteouw- Is. He slipped an the bedside table avi.hing card bearing

the ur "Jock Tan, the the e Taclor."

Mr Smith had five suits tady in lengkong.

Those who most need our dust of Elisabethville think that Lumumba comes as charity are the starving and airport and who now les in close as any man may, in this diseased millions, those who Imperfect world, in being ab- need work and foo and

medicines and governance.

They also, unfortunately, needį to be brainwashed, washed clean) of the remembranea of 1he evilly magle name Lumumba.

There is no sign of anybody trying that particular detergent operation.

There is talk of a round-table conference of Congolese leaders In Elizabethville next week he is a incgafomanke (which Lumumba may be dragged out!

of jail to participate.

But Lumumba, alive or 1 daresay dead, has a way ol triumphing.

This does not mean merely taken political bribes indiscriminately

It in four months now since that he Colonel Mobutu, in the name of

Ins

from

thơ tinh), seized power from Belglans, Ruglans, and Amer

cans (which he has), or that

Lumumba.

har

Since then Lumizaba been held prisoner except for a brief escape.

Hate

he is).

I mean that he appeals to the All very solemin and respect- hatred and greed of men: that able this sounds, a meeting of he rejoices in their ignorange statesmen to solve Congo prob- and fear; and that at no time lems.

has be shown my concern to It will, of course, be nothing their misery and or the sort. Until Lulurs slop Yet since then also Lumum- alleviate bea T1011 have grabbed poverty, but has only sought to matsnering Balubas, umd the back control of all

blood in out of the syds of the Orientale glorify himarit.

The corruption of Lamumus Thysville mob," until the magle

there

province and rule if that is

tig word for presidiinst over is different in degree rather of Lumumba is recognised and

than in kind from the gorrup- raviled as bleekt magie, anarchy from Stanleyville.

be no solution to the They also hold Kivu province, ton of, my, Colonel Mobutu, will

ement fading darling of the Congo. Ilunbourg, and most of the

Mitions will waste to deall Kasal and are now biting Into West. north Kotange.

It is a corruption too of the Irishmen and Swedes will need

met lessly be killed. The jungle will 1 entot hally explain the Thysville mob, whom I triumph of Lumumbn, who in September just after they encroach. has felt in his own torn body had magncred 60 or 70 Balubas the full degradation or his and in a missionary settlement. hlo dountry 'prido atul ambi- What I remover invet about them was the haired in theặc

And thero in nothing that Sólon could do about it; OF even Mr Hammarskjöld.

London users, Karvias),

When ing neally met the pro- prietor of the trading company That was his business agenta in Hemrkong, he was told that the proprietor had been ill the pre- vious night. Then whe wat the man the alpori?

the shep

Shop-owning

tottles -- ww disce all the tourists they can gab to their own shops for purchases.

Hotel

who

reception clerks 1 as a sideline-One chief receptionist at a tuxury hotel emning $300,» month boosts his nime by more than $1.000 a And the suits? None of the month through 'kickbacks' from Aited.

ilors to whom he introduces restemers."

Mr Smith set out to look for Tailor Tan according to the archess on the visiting card, He complained at length about the cutting and workmanship. But the fosa

and

Hotel room

boys who are in an excellent position to give

forination on arrivals

adyline receptionis who are active in the birdness- Whey knew the passenger lists.

1oom numbers.

These tailor shop was at a

"Seny. My Sreith, but these uits were not made by us in fact.

no ordera we received From you."

My Smith had met a lout.

This is defined as a person

o operates on a uncon-

talled cornesis,ión baska, sollett-

ing business from tourists on

sheer opportunism and

Those

air stewards

and

stewardesses who abuse their peltiens-These ore inestly Orientals," he sale.

Frec-lance touts

with or car-They merely without Grab tourists in hotel lobbies in the street or through friends introductions. But they are

not so much of a menace as from reputable travel establishments because tourists trust the latter.

or

Members of tourist guides associations-Olietai cfetal, licensed or unlicensed, they are just as bad." the shop- keeper saic.

-

Wanchai tout-They live off the sailers te vishing ships.

Amateur tout-They have a ing at the "profession" in a while arises.

as the

Taxi drivers-They

once

occasira

Hon and certain shopkeepern latter places mail orders with revealed that:

them, enclosing payment in ad- Touts make arrangements vance. The tout then takes with shops for rate of com- the money and forgets about missions or other forms of re- Mung the order. He mover word for bringing business. from one address to the other to avoid being pressed by fur- they letters,

Touts sometimes buy advance information lists of incoming visitors from unscrupulous em ployees of airlines.

Very often toul misrepre- sent themselves to incoming pas- Rengers as being representa-, tives of genuine, respected or gahltations to welcome vi-itors.

Some touts brazenly

go on rounds of kneeling tors and ship cabins.

nt hotel

Contracts

Certain Louis get special pates to board ships for legi- mate purposes and then use these permits for touting.

Sone tailor-touts sign half-

with hotel Nearly contracts

managements for the privilege et "knocking on the hotel room doors to tout for business. They Pay as much as $6,000 to $7.000 per contract and there are so

competitors for my

rise privilege that the prices from time to time.

Uncooperative shopkeepers are threatened.

Toits can get commissions In advance from certain shops who are desperate for business.

Serne touts event Et for "loaus" particularly from now- ly established izuali establish- ntents. Iefusal would mead "o business."

Certain powerful touts with information on a large number <f visitors all year round, often change shops for gher rates of commission.

Some louts warry 'placegoods catalogues for the tourists to choose their materials from, aving the tourists no chance to shops which touts chim to be their own but which, in fael, de not exist at all.

Fer

Thote touts who bring cus- tomers to a shop with which they

Bo have

prearrange- ment may negotiate commission in the spot in the presence of the tourists, who usually can- not understand a word of what is going ឆវ in the native tongue.

Some louts ask shops to Another treatment touts mele

install air conditioning sys- the uncooperative

shop tem

on their "preinisės,"" or keepers is to send unsigned letters formation on drug-tracking in

to the police with in have tree meals at restaurants whom they have favoured with business. gel the shopkeepers

Then

to

order

follows

the business. He demands a

Bone.

there is the tout wha a tourist into a shop, into liceble and to harass them.

For quicker and dupler re- pretending that he has brought suits, fouls get their revenge un unczoperative Arms by telling customers. "Oh that they? It commission after the tourist has closed down long ago" or "all their good tailors have left and have to come over to my establishment be paid $5 each time they bring which has fust been set up." in a customer.

Touts, big or small, individar- Touts

nally or collectively, boycoil cer- resourceful

international in shops who refuse to pay

them commissions. mugglers,

Information obtained frem Some touts get along so

that the Hongkong Tourist Associa- well with tourists

the

are

just

i3

about

PARIS EWS LETTER

TOMORROW:

The harm they do

by SAM WHITE

ice cu orturing a provis WITH Harry Pilcor's death last month The dancer who

ing dubious rervice," accord-

ir to Maj 1. F. Stanley,

Exgrative Dirvelor

گان

the

Hongkong Tourist Association.

Parasite

Analysing

tout, Major Stanley said that he must, of necessity, be a linguist (some

(official age 75, actual age 81), the mirage of youth will have become a little more blurred in the minds of the generations born during and after the 1914-18 war.

As Pilcer himself put it: "Peo-

of them are well educated, ple like Mistinguett, Chevallerte against the whics of ulder

French,

nearly became

a

casino

old Lucien Barriere.

'king"

speak very fluent English, and and myself embodied the last and richer women. some are even at borne inhappy memories of 1914." Pilcer

Its riut generally known that was a dancer, or more precisely, Brooklyn-born

heir is now a nephew. 35-year- THE TOP tengues such

Plicer was in a dancing partner; and in this direct ne

Tu of succession role his naine will always be Francois Andre's casino kingdom. Pilcer's friendship with Ma- linked with those of Gaby Desiys and Mistinguett.

R

Spanish, Japanese...)

By nature.

But must be "brazen, unoffending, sek and unscrupulous."

"He is a parasite that greatly menaces Hongkong's tourist trade," added Major Stanley.

One shop owner who caters for tourists classified tcuts this

way:

For many years now Pilcer, danie Andre was a particularly BOOK MAN

casino that he

INCIDENTAL INTELLI-

who could to the very end atili tutuching one. She is ill at the soft-shoe moment, and it is nut yet known Flis relations with

a cunning Gaby perform Deslys formed

been working for whether the news of his deathTHE literary prize of the an idyllic love shuffle, bad

City of Paris has gone. affair, of which their stage ap- 81-year-old M. Andre as Master has been broken lo her.

to 73-year-old Bioise Cen- at gains at his pearances seemed to be the of Ceremonies

rumbustious smooth and rhythmle expression. Casinos in Denuville, Cannes, Le GENCE: To avoid any danger of drars, a wild,

Touquet and La Baule.

is a kind of withholding vital information I fellow who It was indeed after perform repurt that the constant com- Jock London of French ing at Cannes

panion of Madame Tina Livanos literature. dfed from a heart attack. At L

(formerly Madame Ormasis) is Baule, which is operated inde-

Gunther Sax von Opel, heir to by M. Andre's 34-

the German motor-car dynasty in Chian until he was 20, was a He left Paris aged 15; lived, pendently year-old wilc, he also held a

and that of Bettina i Caunt conjurer in managerial post.

a London clreus His friendship with the Andres

artn fighting in the Foreign Legion in 1910.

He has an artificial arm which GENERAL COSTES: "To he unscrews and leaves on the many sentor French officers an bar when he is drinking: He order is not an order but a basis has often forgotten it in various

bars In the town.

Those touts who are travel lis relations with Mistinguett, Lureaus employers wishing to however, were marked by out- make samne quick extra money bursts of violent jealousy, in in addition to their

which the older woman sought "One travel bureau owner him- to master him as completely off

stage as she did on-stage. self is the biggest tout in the Colony," he said. "Some touts

baita agencies.

their

OW

salaries.

fravel

Riviera MC

went back to 1930, and he was considered by them as practically Tou!s without cars-They The role of dancing partner a member of the family. approach turista on the streets seems to be so fixedly associated The Andres are a childless cou- Touls with ears-They meet in the female mind with that ple, and had Pilcer survived passengers at the airport and of gigolo that Plicer's kind them, he would have inherited lake them on a shopping apree.heart often fought a losing bat- their casinos. As it is, the Andre

onze Attolico, a handsome before the 1911-18 war, tost an

Italian diplomat, whose nister married Lord Hambleden.

for discussion."

BERLIN ANG

HAUFIQUARTIER

MENTS ENGLAND

FÜR

So much for your "Let's transfer to a Panzer regiment and get back homa":"

London Express Servica