1961-12-02 — Page 7

SHE

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1961.

Roderick Mann

HONGKONG AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF A TOP

COLUMNIST WHO VISITED THE COLONY A MONTH AGO

I GO IN SEARCH

NANCY KWAN... she played the title role in the film

The World of Susie Wong."

OF SUZIE-AND HER WORLD

was not at all pretty, and I would have guessed her age at around 30. But she looked smart enough, and was wearing a cheongsam the way it should be worn; moulded into the waist and out over the hips and very tight.

ginal Suzie Wong.

be about

right,

roughly then that the book was got up suddenly. written.]

"I have not seen him since. letter. Yes, I have it.

But he wrote me a

Drugs

(and along

Embargo

for 11 was and said something, and she For all that, as I left Cheung's to walk back to my hotel "Now I must go," she said, beneath the wonder world of "or saflors get angry."

Chinese neon all looking I did not Jinger-but I mysterious but probably saying reflected as I wandered back to Eat at Joe's saw an elderly my hotel, past the lined-up man in a rickshaw being hotly rickshaws and the bar girls and pursued on foot by a young man As I came into the bar of the Luk Kwok and

the street stalls, if she were the with some cloth and a mouthful real

the of pins. ordered a beer at one of the booths, she left some

waterfron

they say she is). sailors and came over to join me. Her name was

then she Wis my first real I am still convinced he was "Last year they say he was

being iftted on the run. Wong Yat-nan. And she was, she said, the ori. here looking for me, but I not disappointment in Hongkong

For until then, here. She

everything giggled. They had come up to expectations. 1 ind me with heroin and 1 go to jail. Not good." She shook had hoped to find one of the most fascinating places on earth and I had found it; a glitter- "Nancy Kwan, who play

America has slapped a total And so it was to Suzie in film,

she here now. ng Oriental feast to the senses; embargo on all goods made in in Hongkong for millions of the Luk Kwok, hard by

old Communist China. The She ring me many Ume to come a surging combination of

So any his Flect people may recall that

landing stage. that

modern Shanghai and and see her, but I not go. York, which lays its hand upon the

New American buying treasurer in hotel on the Wauchoi water- came in search of Suzie.

And he want see me, she come

Thieves Market here is front was named the Nam Kok. here. seemed, she was.

and your heart

never after-

warned to ask for a certificate wards lets go.

of origin, to prove to the United What gives it Its savour? States Customs that the things

were made in Hongkong. China, brooding across the water only a few miles away? Undoubtedly this adds spice to the life here, but what really gives Hongkong its heady atmosphere upart

Devotees of Richard Mason's stayed, and it is undoubtedly her head.

highly successful book-which its bar which be describe in sparked the first real interest his book.

But it seems clear that it was **I knew Richard

here."

he said. I was about to order her a

the Luk Kwok at which Mason "six years ago." Which would drink when a walter cane over The massive, menacing hulk of

THE

ROYAL P.R.O.s

FOUR DISCREET MEN

Р

WHOSE JOB IT IS TO ANSWER

SOME OF THE

RINCESS ALEXANDRA'S

Far Eastern tour sweeps smoothly and triumphantly towards its close.

It has been a great succeES. The visitor has obviously en- joyed it. So have the visited. Reporters and photographers have hauled with joy the promptu touches the 3d. ferry

and ride in Hongkong,

other human asides,

in-

What has not been noticed is the man who has helped to make it go so well: Princess Marina's private secretary and

the family confidant Sir Philip Hay.

Triumphs don't just happen. They are made by careful and imaginative planning with

eye to achieving what advertis-

ing men (with their love cliches) call

image.

THE QUESTIONS

SOME OF THE TIME

ab

fur

by John

Waddell

The Princess at Hong- kong University. Sir Philip Hay is on the right.

"a good public

Secrets

background talk-strictly

the record for one writer.

he

once

םונבנת

jty natural beauty is its fantastic department store atmo:guhere.

Cheaper

It is a free port. Here you can buy Swiss watches cheaper than in Geneva; Japanese trans sistor radios cheaper than in Tokyo; German cameras cheaper than in Munich; French perfume cheaper than in Paris

The only sad-faced visitors one suspects are those who already have all those things.

my hotel jubilantly showed me An American lady staying in

an ancient-looking horse which she had just bought in the Thieves Market for 100 dollars

"A genuine Ming Dynasty Lomb treasure, but it's all right," she chuckled, "they gave me a fake certificate of origin saying it was made in Hong- kang.

I am not surprised that they did. The following day I dis- covered that they make these "Genuine Ming Dynasty tomb treasures" at a factory across in Kowloon.

Because I took the trouble to go over and investigate i got my treasure for just £1.

While I was here I was determined to visit Macao-the tiny Portuguese possession 40 Together with my host here. lies to the west at the mouth 1 drove the other day all over of China's Pearl River. For the New Territories as far as Macan has complete freedom of the Chinese border-to

gaze, Import and export of gold

with

And gold there is

a rather idiotic compul- bullion. sion, at the mustard-uniformed cheaper than in Hongkong. Communist soldiers on the other Just by going over to Macao, side of the Shumchun River. buying gold and smuggling li back into Hongkong, a Chinese There were some Americana can make himself a profit. But there and it shows how far it is not easy to do. brainwashing has gone when I Knowing the Chinese love for tell you that, on learning that gold every Chinese returning Hongkong now bought and from Macao is carefully frisked piped in tresh water from Red in the Hongkong Customs shed, China, one of

W25 out- Of course smuggling in a big China

raged. "You mache said, way makes vast profits.

"we have been drinking Com needs gold to buy food for its nuunist waler?" I thought he hungry millions. Only last was going to choke.

week she unloaded 30,000 taels

What I found interesting was (more than 22 tons) of gold in the discovery that any Chinese Hongkong to pay for grain in could just walk across China and be given a big

welcome.

.born A Chinese, Franciscu, 1or instance, speaking the language,

fly

and

in

into parts.

Anyone buying it in

Macao

China

and smuggling into San can povlously make himself and fortune. But Macao itself, three could hours away by boat across the walk mouth of to Hongkong

Peart the muddy acrocs into China. A perfect River, which is full of junks set-up, it would seem, for the lying the red flag and stars of Infiltration of American agents. Communist China, I found dis-

As we sat in Kowloon after- appointing.

wards eating beggar's chicken

(chicken, rolled in lotus leaves

and

baked in mud: qutte.

delicious), my host said: "Hong-

kong will stay free for just as

Splendour

In its heyday ten years agu,

long as she is useful to China. the Central Hotel in the Street

And at the moment she is.

"China earns some £60,000,000 of Happiness was the scene of extravagant splendour for in foreign currency by export-

three t ing food and materials to Hong- there is gambling on

and a nightclub at kong. And all her foreign deals its doors

the top.

off are done through us.

Today, alas, it is shabby and

"I think if Peking could get down at heel, with tired-cyed

So it pays for Peking to leave us

Tailors

me

25

A

#

He treats frivolity tartly, is us and keep us as we are now, women sitting listlessly around more inhibited by the demands she would like to have us. But, the fantan tables where the rich hold him proved by the fact of dignity than Sir Philip, and of course, the moment she Taipans have long since been Sir Philip, who is financially that his three sons number the sees his job in clear-cut terms. grabbed, all our trade and ousted

by slant-eyed coolies astute, eminently discreet, and Queen, Princess Marina, and "It is the monarchy, not the shipping would cease and

we and rickshaw boys. a splendid organiser, would also Princess Alexandra among their Queen, which needs publicity, would become nothing.

Fantan said,

struck have made an inspired publicist god-parents, had he gone into the business.

The Queen Mother and Prin-alone."

singularly dreary way of losing He is one of the four

An men

Old Harrovian, good- cess Margaret have been pro-

money. The croupier takes afı, through whom the majority locking and 43, Sir Philip, who 'tected and projected these last

upturned container, separates some three or four dozen white of news and major pronounce has been with Princess Alexan- two years by Major John Griffin, ments about the Royal Family dra for the whole trip, is mar a rubicund, 37-year-old former

buttons from a large pile in. are made and on whose advice ried to Lady Margaret Seymour, assistant equerry whose

front of him, and then removes: fair Stand still and stretch out them four at a Ume with they act when public relations a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, hair is already thinning.

your hand in Rome, they say long stick. are involved.

You bet on how At Buckingham Palace the An engagement, wedding, and you will touch a beautiful many buttons will be left for They answer questions fran Queen has an official Press honeymoon (he went on it) and girl, Do the same thing in the last scoop one, two, thres the Press of

the world, from secretary Commander Richard a baby for Princess Margaret Hongkong and you will find e Tadio and television. They Colville, whum she inherited have taken their toll.

tailor giving you your draw the line arbitrarily and from her father.

atting.

I was wrong every time, and, fumly where they think the The ccanzander, bowlor- bounds of public interest end. hulled, buspectacled 54 years

For the place is knee-deep in in the end I retiredil early from went back bu Sometimes before a royal wed- old, and with a shield of shy-

| tailors, many promising to the fight and

deliver a sult with two fittings board the boat which was ding or birth there may be ness, operates from an office in

in 24 hours. For under £10. morning.

sailing at three the "next

MI hundreds of queries in a day the north wing dominated by The limelight falls

I chose tailor Cheung, who For not much more than a an Armstrong-Jones portrait of harshly on the Duke and makes

Hongkong And so back to provincial bank manager's salary Prince

sults for Cary Grant, they have to be the keepers of Ande.

His After all, Mr Grant is always the place I shall be reluctant private secretary, 47-year-old being voted among the best to leave, Where, alongside mod- many royal pecrets: nol always He commutes from a ramal- Major Michael Hawkins, ulso dressed men in the world so he in hospitals, Chinese, street. to diseminate but sometimes to ing farmhouse home in Sussex, handles his public relations with ought to know a good tallor doctors still treat their patients

light touch,

da

A friend

Light touch

Tess

Charics and Princess Duchess of Gloucester,

Sir Philip, who takes his lob 23 years In the Navyatloned his food;"

first

or four.

know what not to disseminate. is a non-moker, and drinks an a

with cobro bile and powderca When he sees ane. unicourtly glass of older with He once replied wryly to an

pearl where ono in 12 takes Cheung, of course, charges his meals.

Inquiry about an alleged econo-more than £10. And he will heroin; where the rich Talpans Fourteen years at the Palace my drive at the Duke's home: rarely

make suit In under live in feudal splendour at the have brought him more honours Perhaps the Duke took a días three days

top of the Peak, and the posi than the D.S.C. he won

Hike to one of his guests and ordered mine on Saturday it squalor in shanty, huts at

the bottom night and had my first fitting The place where the isome a Royal Public Relations But the quarter-deck training The distinctive Hawkins on Monday morning, ao some Chinese their Cheongrams Offcor In his stride with his dica hard. He once assembled touch there

one put in a bit of overtime. others un private secretary and Fleet-street's comptroller, starts with an ad- Palace ballroom

editors In The Commander Colville wouldn't The 24-hour service, Cheung Split up to the thigh","Are

1 announce have dreamed of saying that Sir explained, was evolved for sail boulevardier's delight and where, down on the waterfront, vantage.

the impending birth of a rayn Phillip would have decided not ors on short shore leave. But Pirl who says he's Burle He Has handled the Kent baby.

to And Major Grifin would none of Hongkong's better tail-Wong flirts with the allora, financer brilliantly! And the And yet he will sometimes have asked for time to find out or would consider doing such and tell the talyer te respect in which the family devote an hour to an internal -(Londan Esprees Mervice).. | hack works

TARGET

YES

10

R

HUR maps

words of our letters of more can you make from the testers in the square on the lert y In maktor the words. ench letter may be used once only, kach word malas con-

calo the large letter, and there must be at least ofte ten letter word in the list. No plurals: no foreign words: no proper names. TODAY'S TARGET: 58 words good 12 words, pery · pood ; 90 words, excellent. Solution on Monday.

YESTERDAY'S : SOLD TION ; Fall, foto Tolgt: fufth faithful fuuit from flat B7th glih dnai atrai Don Dai Maugt Bint Dâ haft half hattyi hoď ATER BEST CHAT cuja kum unfaith UNFAITHFUL

London Express Service

CHESS

by LEONARD BARDEN

(6190) The Russian champion Petrosian is famous as a strate- gist but he can also find smart tactical finishes, Can you see how as White (to move) he forced a win here ? London Express Service.

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