1961-07-05 — Page 6

THE CHINA MAIL, WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1961,

IT'S NOT JUST YOUR PETROL

THAT'S IN DANGER

BRITAIN'S WHOLE ECONOMY

DEPENDS ON A

A FRIENDLY SHEIK

TWO cars out of every three in Britain run on Kuwait oil," a petrol man told me the other day. And that sums up the importance to us of this tiny sheikdom of Kuwait-it is two-thirds the size of Wales--at the top of the Persian Gulf. The world's latest trouble-spot.

President Kussem, the dictator of Iraq, has renewed his country's claim to the oil-soaked sheikdom.

A rich prize to claim, Kuwait,

producing a rising 82,000,000)

tons of oil a year, is the world's of languid soldiers droop over largest single il perdueer, and their rites in an ante-rioni.

the oil i controlled half log

the British Petroleum Company half by the Galt Oil Corpora fins of America

Explain your busines, ad you a cimally nebered into the presence of his Highness, big dest, tow mino

shriks itting armart drinking coffer or camel's milk.

by FREDERICK ELLIS

RUSSIA

TERKEY

STRIA

PERSIA

BUS

PK JORDAN

KUWAIT

TGIFT

LAUDI ANANIA

KUWAIT: OUT OF THE DESERT, A FORTUNE....

from Iraq. precautions.

And taken

Kuwait 1s short of fresh water. Neighbour Irac has offered to jilpe water in.

But the able shelt has spent some of his oil millions ou plant to convert sen water into fresh water. Für a water deal with Iraq would teave Kuwait #t Jeng's tuerey. And Kuwait's wealth is the envy uf both Nasser's United Arab Republic and Kassem's Iraq.

Unlike other neighbouring oil States, the Kuwail rulers have spread the oil riches among their 200,000 people.

So modern

The Tiny State is loosed by his Highness Sheik Su Abdulla Salim at Subah, a benign ruler Away from these keen brown i e-times fishing from 2 as Persian Gulf chiefs go. He eyes, they may turn to stronger dan Instarting with Talcons. bas reaso73 to be benign. As drinks, but here in the palace reading the law of Isfain, and Heat of the State and bead of the letter of the Islamie law is Arab poetry.

Millions have been spent on The ruling Sabah family he enl fitoret: no plethal.) terts about £2 a ton on Kuwait

The colossal Kuwait revenue education, housing, roads, ho oll.

The visitor has, for some odd brings problems for Britain to pilals, and the rebuilding of

cash is the old Kuwait surplus His revenne,

elly into the tling every reason.

short of

ready for

in The Middle year, is

invested via London; upwards most modern now Around €100 cash!? That'

right--any-

East. million a year- about £3,000,000 ene, anytime, con draw of £300 million.

Withdrawal of Kuwait's a week-of which a million « from the Kuwait petty cash,

To protect all this, the sheik week is his.

bolances in London would be has a strong nines here. where

army behind ang baie in the 8,000 square famense strain on Britain's hit. Att army where privates miles of sunt can send another economic position, furtune pushing up?

Not even Solomon in alt hie glory had more riches than the sheik.

So casual

Whad's

So tender

the

are pund 250 a month. The loss Kuwait oil would He is desperate to remain wreck Britain's trading posi- neutral in the turmoil of tion. For it would have to be Middle East politics. But he replaced largely by dollar oil would ultimately be forced to from America and Venezuela, back Britain if the cards were playing havoc with Britain's put on the table. He is C6, grey-bearded, The sheik is sull uneasy with already lender

balance of double-chinned,

As for Britain, our cards are keen-eyed - such wealth. Is youth was payments.

on the table. and the most approachable rich spent as generations of his un- And clearly it would mean Our man in the world.

standard

living estors spent their days. His petrol rationing in Britain. Just stroll along to his palare diet was dates

depends on this parched bit of and camel's The sheik has always been desert. in the town of Kuwait. A group milk. his eluthes hamne-spath, conscious of the take-over threat

London Express Service),

of

Mini-cabs? The taxi-driver

TT was a dream hat. It

IT

had to be mine and I had just 15 minutes to buy it and keep an im- portant luncheon en- gagement. I plunged, and went into the shop.

Alter all there is now plenty of transport in London

I thought. Recently a "David"

By

just shrugs..

Vivien Batchelor

Heet of 200 mini-cubs has been And talk about It and hats phone for a cab if they are in a often walk the whole length of added the "Goliath of 5,980 in general, including his wife's, hurry. I've not found my carn- it before I and one who will taxis (The Yard's latest avalls he did. He dismissed the mlul- ings are down at all,

able figure).

cabs with a shrug.

Hot words

all the hol

Su in spite of

"But it is most unfair that their drivers don't have to pass the same 10sts in Ainess, driving

du."

I asked the assistant if she would phone for a mini-cab like must pemple I have a yen for the smaller man in a teht).

Cramming my hat hend 1 waited. "The

On the whole I find the ellents. It is member words and we are led to be- was busy. We tried three times deve hot blood) between the publie welcomes the mini- more--every time someone was cabbies and the mini-drivers

a cabs.

4/12 my

Their

Cummings

"Maddening! Just when we were standing firm over Berlin!"

London Express Bervico.

THE WORST HIKE

OF MY LIFE-

ON THE HEELS OF

IT

Hukse Village,

Himalayas.

IT was ten minutes to Beven on Thursday morning, and my guest, Sir Edmund Hillary, had just finished his break- fast-four fried

eggs, countless slices of bread, and four cans of beer.

Perhaps I should say that before joining me for breakfast he had got up at 4.30 a.m. and marched nine miles,

and afterwards 1s

By HILLARY

Robert

Moore

hands, for sherpas. The first in the Himalayas.

"We have got to do some- thing for these people. I hope I have started something which furu round to pick me up even Remember how Hiitory suffer the Nepal Government with

countries and Though they are passing "free" ed a mild stroke 20,000ft, up on other

other on the other side of the road. Moun: Makulu on May 7?

expeditions will try to develop.

"Politically it is also He was

very "Unlike any other business-

given uxygen; he

because just aeross and knowledge of Loudon as we man taxi-drivers do not have old tot speak for three days, important.

Chinese ure doctors the border the to build up

with plans for business insisted that he should climb no going ahead through goodwill and regular more peaks. His mountaineer- development and are almost

lime the faxing rings were over, they de certainly spreading the props drivers were taught to behave vided.

ganda across the border." like business men and respect

How pessimistle that diagnosis This was also Hillary their passengers."

the seemed, as I watched him tak- politician talking. Several con- A famous hairdresser said to

stituencies have According to headquarters uting 4-long strides towards me

his sought "What makes me!

the tax- Welbeck mini-cabs their clients over the mountain path!

nomination, but he says he la And it brought home to me drivers feet they are the near-by rank. A mini-cab that it seems

are beginning 10 both sides are privileged elass,

take on 31

Since he left the high peaks not interested in politics. Hashel past with two customers doing good business. Another should have no opposition just

that they pattern.

near the Tibetan border he bad What about the rumour that in the Bark.

"We are

covered what is reckoned here he might taxi-driver who took me from because they have passed a fest

Anding more and

become a diplomat? I tried to get one of those. the Festival Hall to Fkel-street which they belleve makes them more people are ringing up for Hilary did in 11 days.

as an 18-day march. But He was slightly cvasive-"I They were busy" said to the sald:

suppose everybody would like in the longer journeys and not the chercot-smoking driver.

anyone

join the Diplomatie Corps." five minute runs which is what we hoped would happen. The live

King's-road, short journeys are the legitimate to Chelsea, and in the mornings ] trude of the cabble."

husy ordering a mini-cals before at called at least a temporary

inc.

So I weighed in with Goliath and took an ordinary laxi off

fruct.

זי

3 belter driver

than

It's a beauty," he said.

"I may say so I'd much "They don'l make rather talk About your hat. difference to us really. The

pubite don't want to wait

else?

any

nent

+

'TAXI ! ”

BY JAK

Bus

ING SIZE

MINICAB

ם

JAN

"SO I SAID TO MYSELF, ́SID, IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM-JOIN 'EM****

Landen Kaprech Berufon

And when I met him on the harrow path outside this 4,000ft-high village, he looked as fresh as a man starting out for a stroll on the Sussex downs.

'Not bad'

Now, after only 50 minutes' rest, Hillary was eager to be moving again.

While I had been typing

he

had been outskle chattering with the villagers, and he insisted

оп moving Benapa, more than a day's march.

оп

to

The night before I had sent A sherpa runner took this him a note by sherpa runner, so he knew I had just made the three-day march up from Kalmundu.

Now he looked at what was left or my list. His huge hand crushed mine and ho grinned as he said: "Good on yor. Not a bad walk for a fat man. How d'you feel"

cable to the telegraph office In Katmandu. And I attempted the ridiculous task of keeping up with Hillary.

Later

recond cable reached the Daily Express from Reporter Moor. It was date-lined

BENAPA.

mile downhill stretch to the a chance of a minor expedition Panchkal Valley.

to look for the Tasmanian tiger

ᄇ

of 50

We left the sherpas carrying which is reported to have re- 00lb, loads far behlad, and appeared after rested under a mango tree for years, them to catch up.

Thinking

about

theso

Hillary handed round choco- 1ste, made a great fuss of a dog which had followed him for 11 days.

And thinking blue-eyed glant just grew more reached Bonapa

I was getting tired, but this things, Hillary strodo CIL I fresh and lively.

three hours after him. The journey involved He was, he said, thinking 2 4,000. climb

in starchipiz about three other expeditions. sunshine, with the temperature There IN ari unconfirmed around 100 degrees. It was the report of a new mountain in

worst trip I have ever made in the Antarctic, 3,0001t. Higher my life. than the previous-known best; I staggered into Hillary's tent. ho bag been making seerat Ho was relaxed on on air- inquiries for a scientifle expedi- mattress, inqu

listening to the 10 Bhutan, where no Australin versus England Test Westerners

previously match. been allowed; and there is also

have

-{London Express Service).

THE WORLD OF SCIENCE

BY PETER FAIRLEY

When the weather

is low,

So are we

Well, I did not make it Do sun-spots cause crashes?

Truthfully I answered: "Ten kept up with him on the three- times worse than you look."

with his

I asked to what extent his ill- ness would interiero future plans. He said: "Not at pil. Don't worry about tha! 14,000ft, limit my doctors set, I'll soon get that removed when I see them."

Shock

Hillary, however, has received

a deeper shock than he will admit to anyone. He is no long- er interested in climbing high peaks just for the suke doing so.

of

Did he want to come back to the Himalayas?

He scratched ot his tangled beard, looked through the 11- fitting wooden stats of the barn towards the snow-capped peaks, and slowly and with some emotion said: "Yes, I would ilke to come back. I have a great affection for the sherpas. "Everyone who has ever been on an expedition to the Hima- layan has reason to be eternally grateful to them. No expedition can even get started, let alone aucceed, without them.”

Before leaving for his home- ward trok filliary's last job was to open a school he pald ter and helped to build with his own

POCKET CARTOON

by OSBERT LANCASTER

"Quite frankly, when Mr. Krushchev gets into uniform and President Kennedy throws aside his cratches, I'm just plain boredį".

London Express Fieryion.

WE

THY do disastrous accidents appear to run in batches? Are pilots more accident-prone during periods when spots appear on the face of the sun? Just what effect does weather have on drivers?

Scientists are now looking.

Beriously into such questions. Now Swedish Air Force doc- For more and more It acema

lors are trying to and sume tiù-

that not only do we feel low

when the weather In bad-wa up between the bunching of air are law. Our

and changes necidents elency goes

in the down.

atmosphoro during sunspot cycles. Exactly how events 93

A commission

to study the million miles on the surface of

Miss between weather and that Areball chuld affect a morate has been set up in Ger- pilot's concentration is stil many, composed of physicists mystery but it now Reems and meteorologists. Ita pre- possible,

liminary report suggests that when the weather is changeable,

A person's tervous tansion mounta.

HUMIDITY

Tionds

of Dsphalt are being Joid underwater around the roast of Holland. They are forming a Arm base for treati defences against the nge-old

A recent murvey of accidents themy of the Dutch - the Sea, on the Hungarian Slate Hallwaya The hot mastic is poured into produced evidence that the mis- a huge, enclosed chute which hap-rate jumped on hand-days. Trailz bəbind the laying bargo, Humidity, the doctors suggested, recaping on the bottom of the might also be an important fac-a-bod. The asphalt solidifies for in causing motoring acel and prevents erosion caused by. dents. It may make reactions ewitt underground, quITHAL, flow and sluggish.

**(London Kerrure Kervice),