1936-02-04 — Page 2

Page

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1936.

BOOK REVIEWS

FEATS OF A

FAKIR

Man Who Lies' On Scythe-Blades

VITAL

a,

The Way of A Transgressor.---By Nog.ey. Farson. (Gollancz, Lon- don...10/- Autoblographics" are not as rule easy to review. The present Mr. Farson one is no exception. has had an eventful life, and his graphic accoum .of bis ex- periences in various parts of the most interesting The most famous fakir of modern world makes Egypt.

who can be on reading. He has been a m sharpened scythe-blades, and nall-places and turned his band to studded planks, besides submit-marly trades, and he writes in such ting to dagger-thrusts in throat, knife-wounds in the chest. burning with a torch, and burial ailve this is Tahru Bey, who is found for a part of every year in Calro..

me-

described his Tahra Bey thods to Mr Paul Brunton, author "A Search in Secret "Egypt" Rider, 18.), which appears day.

to-

to many

THE DOVER PATROL.

The Naval Memoirs of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes Scapa Flow to the Dover Straits 1918- 1918. Thornton Butterworth, Lon- don 18/-.

loyalty, and I asked him if he Would like us to take a letter of apology trum him. He said that nothing on earth would induce him to apologise. So we left him. and did not speak to him or have anything to do with him for two- or three days. After dinner that The second volurge of Sir Roger evening, we went to the French Keyes's memoirs is even more in- Delegation's hotel and found that teresting than the first. It covers Lacaze had gone to bed, but Wey- # bottle of the operations in the Eastern gand took us and Mediterranean, gives an authorita-champagne up to his bedroom, and tive account of the Battle of Jut sitting on his bed, we drank to land, on the basis of the Admiral's our eternal friendship, and the in- expert study of the various official cident strengthened, if possible,

and, of

course, his the bonds of good fellowship which own deductions from personal talk united our two Delegations; and with officers engaged in the battle helped to bring about the result that we were working for. Later Lord Curzon, who I am sure felt thoroughly ashamed of himself. wrote Lacaze quite a nice letter of apology.

in

5

FOR ENGLISH STUDENTS

What Word Shall I Use? A Quide *to English Idiom-By A. G. Beaumont, formerly Professor, Commercial Government School, Bangkok, Slam. Long- mans Green, London, 2/- Even though Mr. Beaumont's title is itself definitely incorrect according to the more widely ac- cepted authority of the Oxford Dictionary, the book itself is one which can be recommended to any foreigner anxious to put a little Idiomatic polish-so to speak-a his knowledge of English, The author was for some time Prin- cipal of the Government Commer- cial School at Bangkok, and is ac- customed to handling the dimcult- les which arise when foreigners tackle the intricacies of the Eng- lish language.

Some 340 nouns have been taken

as representing those most com monly abused by students,

and

documents, the a free and breezy style and car- ries one along at such a pace that one feels almost as if one had been with him. Mr. Farson's chief He himself was not present at faculty.seems to be the art of

Jutland, although he joined the getting there, and however down Grand Fleet very shortly after he may be he is never out. It is

wards. From the Grand Fleet he quite impossible here to give any

went to the Admiralty and was. detailed account of his activities.

In a footnote the reader is told as everyone knows. much engaged

British He is an American, but he served

developing

action that this incident is mentioned in the British Air Force during against the German submarine in "Curzon: The Last Phase," by Mr. Brunton had seen him per- the War and saw fighting on 'se campaign. Sir Roger's Account of Harold Nicolson, who was not pre-

feats. form strange

the For one of veral fronts. He was in Russia

measures taken by the Ad-sent and "whose highly imaginary

each has been briedy explained Lese he fell into a trance ending during the War, before the Reva-miralty and the technical travail account is incorrect and very un-

and then put into short sentences { "catalepsy E rigid that he lution, trying to put through deals

involved is, of course, most in- fair to Admiral Lacaze." Turning

which indicate either shades of,! in war materials and munitions would have fallen like a dead mar

teresting and illuminative. It is to Mr. Nicolson's book, the incident

meaning or the prepositions and/ to the flour if his sistants had of yarious kinds, and his account

so good that the reader regrets his is described in the following terms: of the difficulties he met with and

fallure to curb his Den in criticism There was an occasion when the er verbs correctly associated with tot caught him in their arms.

each noun. There can be no deny. Stripped to the waist, he was the "graft" he encountered on all of his predecessor in command or French Delegation, headed by the

reads almost like a fairy then supported by the shoulders sides

the Dover Patrol, to which he was superb Barrere, came in full force ing that all this could-be-readily appointed in order to carry out the to discuss and ankles on sharpened scythe tale. He has sold trucks in Chic-.

the Freedom of the obtained from any good diction- blades. A rough cube of sold ago, fished and lived in the open plans considered necessary for pre- Straits. Admiral Lacaze was de-ary, in many cases with much bet- ter definitions and a wider choice" ruck granite. weighing a little in British Columbia interviewed sarving the sea communications signated to expound the naval as-

of apposite examples, but in its Gandhi in India, and covered the more than a hundredweight and.

with France, although it must be pects of the problem. In spite of

capacity as a digest the book will great strike in England in fact admitted that his predecessor gavė hla age, and the fact that he han a half, was placed upon his bare

save both student and teacher stomach and struck, time after there is practically nothing be him good literary provocation. once been Minister of Marine, the

many weary hours of fruitless Lime, with a backsmith's hammer. hasn't done. He has hobnobbed Happily, he pays tribute to Sir Re-Admiral was so intimidated The bedy, remaining as taut" and

with the highest and the lowest ginald Bacon's tact and generosity Lord Curzon's imperturbable scru- in most parts of the world and and it may be assumed, therefore, tiny that he reverted to the con- rigid as I made of iron, never

seemed to get a kick out of every- that sailors don't care for ap oc- ventions and gestures of his early yielded under the combination of terr Ac pressure and we ght.

thing he did, whether he was liv-

lycee." Being anxious to speak, he cadopal outbreak of causile com-

raised his hand and snapped his "Eventually," wr.tes Mr. Brun-ing in the lap of luxury or dred-ment ton. "the stone, split into picces ging the depths. Vital s

fingers, as is the habit in, a French which fe'l resoundingly the best word to describe Mr. Farson,

private chool. Lord Curzon ab- to

and whether he was Journalist, lifted up.

served this snapping process with noor. Tahra Bey was placed on his feet and supported newspaper correspondent, seller of

cold scrutiny: he ignored it: the by his two

war material, truck salesman, or

Admiral snapped again, exclaiming author's Apparently he men, quic unconse'cus of what following any other of his tem-

WEE

"Doctors examined bim

With

interest and found that the scythe blade edges had not left the slightest marks upon his skin! Nevertheless, the block of granite had left a strong red mark all over his abdomen."

CATALEPTIC COMA

the

bv

Vous

search.

The book is not without its im- perfections, some of those being glaring, but any Chinese most student working conscientiously it will very definitely through have improved his knowledge of English. Even, however, had it not said so on the title-page," the unscientific somewhat

him

The rabbit

The

The account of the attack on Zeebrugge is well done and the Admiral writes with charming modesty of his own part in those historic operations.

The book here and there applies the while. Je demande la parole." explanation of the meaning of the had happened, and had not suffer-porary occupations, his dynamic useful corrective to ather naira- Curzon gazed at him with disdain. I word "chalk" would stamp

him through Lives. But

2. 0 schoolmaster: personality carried

ita ed any pain,

most interesting He addressed the Admiral in a per- anywhere

"chalk': used in schools for writ- and usually to a successful con-achievement in that respect is not fect Oxford accent: "Je clusion. He is apparently a great mainly concerned with naval war- prie," he said, de vous taire." Ad-ing on blackboards."-HCF. admirer of the English. though fare but with diplomatic discus-miral Lacaze winced at this dis- this does not prevent him from stons during the peace negotia-couraging remark and bolted from

tions. This relates to a passage in the room. Apologies were there-insufferable rabbit." taking a sly dig at them occasion- ally. He must be essentially broad the life of Lord Curzon when that after demanded. Bir Roger Keyes in question was not Bir Roger minded, otherwise he could

not statesman was representing Great acted as mediator. He approach Keyes but Admiral Lacaze. have gone through the things as Britain' at an international con-ed Lord Cürzen and endeavoured

Foreign Office official decided to In an interview later. Tahra Bey he describes them. It is a ples-ference at Lausanne in November, to explain: He hesitated before explained that the two secrets sure to read "The Way of the 1923. Sir Roger Keyes attended that bastisk eye: he stopped: turn on the "vox humana." He ex- plained how painful it was for he said, "that I "though that is hardly the correct Transgressor," and though that that conference "at Lord Curzon's am afraid,

those of Lord Curzon's staff who enabled him to "way" may be hard it was not too request for a British caval expert have lost the thread of my dis- admired him (Curzon at this was to be at his side. Sir Roger says: course" Lord Curzon inclined his moved) to face the criticism of

We had one unpleasant incident. | head majestically. Bir Roger

those (Curzon at this was doubly Ai a meeting of the Allied Naval Keyes withdrew.

moved) who regarded him as a This incident is not without hard man. Those who really knew and Military advisers in Lord Cur- zon's room, at which Sir William ignificance. It is the sort of in him realised that he was a gener- Tyrrell-the Permanent Secretary cident which occurred again and tus man, althongt one who lovert the brain, certain

Sir again. If Curzon is to be under rows. Other men, from

Foreign Office-and Horace Rumbold-Ambassador to stood at all, it must be pushed to than he, detested rows. It would centres were struck with anes- thesia Cataleptle coma superven-

Constantinople-were flu present; its final conclusion.

be so easy for Curzon-such a Ilt- Mr. Brunton asked about burial Lord Curzon, who was in a very clusion was as follows. Sir Ro- tle thing-a thing so welcome to ed when this pressure-not to be

ulive. Tahra Bey replied that, al- pad temper, and, I fancy, gutter-ger Keyes, having falled to extract practised by the "untrained--was

those who were fond of him...... combined with a "concentraten of though by the profoundest, cata-ing a good deal of pain, accused in apology from Lord Curzon, ap-

There was no more to be kald given pealed to one of the Foreign Office Already Lord Curzon's hand had thought on the state of using leptic entrancement, physical life Admiral Lacaze having consciousnes8," and a relaxation: Wag suspended, the unseen spark away

be believed to some information to the officials whom of muscles and nerves. folowed

term" which perform his feats, were pressure on certain nerve centres of the body and ability to enter into the cataleptic coma..

According to the fakit, after fingerpressure to draw the blood

hard for Mr. Farson.-R.F.C.M...

wounds never suppurated and al- ways healed completely within a few minutes, or, at worst a few

nerve hours.

by a complete swallowing back- wards of the tongue and a brus- que inhalation of air.

BURIAL ALIVE

of the

His honour

That con-

lesa generous

Lord

of the soul continued to function. Turks. The Admiral was naturally possess a more confident attitude reached towards the writing-pad. To demonstrate this demanded very angry, and with great dignity towards that intricate personality. In a few seconds a letter of apology a long and severe training, begu usually at a very early age. His Then," Tahra Bey added, "101 father had started to train him about 5 minutes the flesh, auto- at the age of four months: now he matically, wil: become totally in- could be buried for a few days sensible to pan, no matter how and emerge quite unharmed.

The author belleves that the atrociou the latter might be."

After countless stabs, his body Sphinx was cut when the Sahara He explain was a vast sea, beyong which lay remained unscarred. ed to Mr. Brunten that tempora- the great and tragic island rily, ne accelerated the circulation Atlantis. The men who had in of the blood. This in turn, ac- habited prehistoric Egypt. celerated the heart without over- who founded the world's civilisa- driving it, and so swift a blood- tion, were men, he declares, who flow helped to heal the wounds had left Atlantis to settle on the with surprising speed.

strip of land bordering the Nile. Tahra Bey's second action was Mr. Brunton has written a spirit- to raise the temperature of theed and revealing book. He tells blood to feverheat, so destroying his stories. well, and more than El germs and actually disinfect seventy photographs add to the

I ing the wounds. As a result, the effect.

and

had been written such as would sald, that it was the Brst time in the official, choosing a favourable his life that his word had been

moment, urged Lord Curzon to have melted a heart of stone. questioned and

im-ter

The official read and rapidly apology to Admiral 201 pugned. Tyrrell and Rumbold, Lacaze. The Secretary of State pocketed the letter. He expressed not wishing to be involved in what was at dra outraged by such im his thanks. "Yes," said was evidently going to be a very pertinence. "You ask me," he Curzon, "it is a very odd thing. unpleasant scene, hastily left the said, "to believe that Keyes, hay-I am not, perhaps, a profoundly re- om. I got up to explain to Lording, in circumstances of marked ligious man, yet I say my prayers. Curzon that he had completely peril--and o inevitable danger to Every morning, among my other misunderstood Lacaze's action; but his life-confronted the massed prayers, when I kneel down, t Lord Curzon refused to Usten to batteries of the German Empire, is formulate the following phrase: me, and wai so offensive, that unable to formulate, in his own Please God, may I not be rude or Lacaze and Weygand left the room person, what I am quite prepared unkind during the course of this to suppose is a reasonable request coming day to any man or woman. and the meeting broke up.

Burnett Smart and I gave Lord The official replied that this was the evening when I retire to the demand which he bed, I go back upon my day and Curzon time to cool down, and in fact. then returned, and I told him that wished to impose upon Lord examine whether that prayer has we were going up to the French Curzon's powers of imagination, teca vouchsafed. Would you be Delegation's hotel to apologise to "Never!" Curzon exclaimed, leve it, my dear fellow it la Lacaze, who was the soul of "never, shall I apologise to that seldom vouchsafed! I always and that I have been very rude, and very often rude, during the day, to many men and alaa, even to Its only merit is that it cop a few women! It is very strange!" a powerful argument He took a gulp at his brandy and. against war. One of its movements soda. Very strange," he repeat- 1epresents "the cries and.com-ed, "'indeed," plaints of the unhappy Rumanian, refugees A few more such move. The guileless reader will surely ments abool refugees, with quarter be perplexed at the amazing dif- tones, portamentos and harmonies, terence between the two accounts. would turn overy musician into a Mr. Nicholson, of course, has the confirmed pacifist.

legs of the saillor in the matter of At the conclusion of the recital literary ability, but in spite of the the audience began to move, not fact that Admiral, Keyes cannot towards the xits, bus towards the platform, applauding vigorously, spell Mr. Nicolson's name correctly In response some Mozart was play. The calls him Mr. Nicholsony the led, which fittingly crowned the verdict surely will go in favour of ANTI WAR SONATA

memorable recital

theses, if only because the Between these great sonatas the The enthusiasm prolonged the diplomat was not writing from The two complement each other brother and sister played a cam concert for 40 minutes. The young Arst-hand personal knowledge. It perfectly. Their reading of position by the former teacher, couple had to return to the plat will be interesting to know Brahma was not, perhaps, the most eorges Emeco Any tribute paid form 13 times. This was Yehudi Mr. Nicolson will endeavour They came on the platform hand- profound we have heard, but it by pupil to his master coramands Menuhin's last appearance before neile his information

respect Rat one could have.de his two years retirement. Every plain, matter of in-hand, the sister smiling and certainly the most charming, the sired soins other work then this seat in the hall had been sold six gr Roger Keres chatting to her brother, utterly warm tour of the

THE MENUHINS'

CONCERT

Great Audience Fascinated

London, Jan, 13.5

copy.

nuconcerned, acknowledging with a forth to perfection the purity of mile the applause which broke out, the piano playing. They did notitutes on their appearance. Then they pause, but passed on from ove played Brahms's Third Sonate, and went to movement, establishing a Soon the secret of their playing precedent which others may well was apparent'⠀⠀

Much the same fastnation was Yohudi is now the experienced in the Franck Sonata which came player. Blaturity has brought at the end of the official pi about, & alight but decided change ramme. This, too, was unortho of stylo. His mastery, is the same; dez, perfectly matched, and, espn his outlook has changed. But the freshness, that natural ausical rially in the last moverent. exqui instinct which was so now and ex

A crowded Queen's Hall welceptional in him, is now found in comed the return of Yehudi and his sister. Hephzibah Menuhin, the most charming and accomplished sonata players of our generation, th

sitely beautiful

„setting | horrific senate, some

weeks agu

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