1934-12-20 — Page 17

WORLD NEGLECTS PRECIOUS GIFT

[laughtor?

There is not enough 'laughter in the world today.. Mirth

and

The Press is enid to give the gaiety are becoming scarcer every public what the silly pubile likes. where, and in some countries have So the fashionable illustrated gone out of fashion altogether. weeklies provide, for our serious There is still, unfortunately, a regard, highly diverting photo- plentiful supply of mean snoer graphs of unknown and vacant- Ing and bitter humour, but there looking persons, in ungainly at In n dearth of whole-hearted,titudes, sunbathing at Deauville rousing, roaring, contagious lough

ter.

or eating at West-End restaurants. To provoke our laughter they sup- This is a very disturbing sinte

Ply drawings of tragic intensity; of affairs. Although there is no of wretched gin-sodden char- Inw against merriment, the feel- | women or other unfortunate ing of society seems to be strongly menials awkwardly saying or de- against it. Life, la too seriousing the wrong thing in the wrong Politics in too bitter and Industry |pluce. too hard pressed. Yet surely it is in such dificult times that laughter is needed most. It helps to restare our balance of mind. We all agree that good humour and a sense of galety are neces- sary Ingredients of the complete

It may be that, when asen through the misty distance that Alls most minds, the sordidaesk and tragedy of life soc pure comedy. But snobbishnass is the basis of this class of newspaper humour. One may laugh at char- man. Yet we find ourselves con-

women and peopic below stairs. ccaling our chuckles behind a Hut to laugh at the strange be-: cough, and blushing with embar-haviour of the people one moets rassment when discovered Indulgat cocktail parties Is to show ing in free. sportapcoua laughter.shocking bad manners.

The need for laughter was never WHY LAUGH AT CHAPLIN? greater than it is to-day. The world in threatened by ambitious persons and policies that will certainly do us harm unless they Are laughed out of existence. Argument or abuse is

of little value, for charlatans and their parties thrive on such. Logic and debate may be worthy weapons in social and politicni criticism, but ridicule is far more powerful. Rogues and their rogueries writhe

Claire Trevor, the charming Now York actress who is well known, too, in Hollywood, is planning to return to the stage "for good".

and wither in Its binat. They can- not stand against it. For laughter is unanswerable.

And Inughter is often as reliable as logic. It is an instinctive reaction to all that is theatrical and extravagant. Free. hearty laughter ought to burst from us ail, automatically, at a spectacle or proposal which is offensive to the dignity, and decency of human life,

SNOBBISH HUMOUR

The pity is, of course, that people, so often choose the wrong things at which to laugh. They are not entirely to blame. They are persuaded into the belief that certain ideas must always be treated with respect, while certain others should always be received with laughter

There are many who read the Press reports of political speeches with grave seriousness, and melt Into uncontrolled merriment at the tragic daily spectacle of the newspaper comic strip. Yet what. sensitive mind can contemplate without a shudder these pinintive offorts at synthetic humour? And what man of senso can read or listen to the promises and evasions: of the professional politician with out the dosire to punctuate the rhetoric with

Peala

of hearty

The theatre offers similar evid. ience, A cheap West-End drawing- room melodrama will bring the audience to tears. But the crowd will always laugh at Charlie Chap- in, the most poignant and tragic personality of the present-day theatre.

THE HONGKONG

GHINA EGG EXPORTS

CRITICS IN

.. BRITAIN

REFORM URGED

(Special to "Telegraph")

London, Dec. 1.

There have, I understand, been still further discussions. between the principal importers of Chinese eggs and the Board of Trade re- presentatives, who are anxious to fix the quotas for the suggested reduction of 10 per cont. In the; Import of eggs in shell from abroad during the frat thren

months of next year.

Apparently there has been no real progress made in reaching of decision as to how the quotas were to

be allocated. The Chinese) Government was not officially re- Presented, because It holds the view that there should be no re duction of the quotas.

represented The Overseas Eggs

I notice that Mr. Greenall, who! Produce Co., pointed out that The suppression of laughter la shell eggs during the period of China was only an exporter of possibly the cause of this modern violence which is breaking out all

shortage of home produced eggs, over the elvillaed world. Politics would be a considerable hardship and Mr. Bundey suggested that it is becoming a "racket" everywhere. if Chinn were to suller a greater Parties rely on gangster methods, cut than 10 por cont. Mr. Vestey, crime, and assassination, for their who, with Mr. Bundey, represented maintenance. We have the tragic the Union Cold Storage Co., ero spectacle of whole nations perauad-phasised the fact that China was ed or driven into fanaticism and enslavement. We see them march-

more seasonal in profluction than any of the other foreign countries) Ing, with upraised arms and eyes, exporting to England. Mr. Lewis intent on vague destinies promised (representing Messrs. Armour & by their frowning prophets. We Co.) added that China did not know of the cruelties inflicted by compete with the Engilah pro ducer during the latter's period of peak production and said that and very cheap) did not really Chinese eggs (which wore small compete at all with the English product.

such anvage enthusiasm. And we

know also that such people have forgotten how to laugh.

Indeed it is not wise to laugh too loudly in such countries, for laughter sounds dangerously like ticason.

So if our desire for mirth and merriment is too firmly repressed, It may produce some horrid cancer of our Roula, The impulse to ex- press ourselves in laughter will find some distorted way of escape if it is not allowed to function freely. Let us then hold fast to our right have lost our liberty. to laugh, for if that is lost we shall

J. M. S.

SUCCEEDS TO PEERAGE

BY-ELECTION MADE NECESSARY

Charles Nall-Cain, died suddenly Lord-Brocket, formerly--Sir

at Brocket Hall, Welwyn, Herts., in November at the age of 68 years. He is succeeded in the peerage by Mr. Ronald Null-Cain, Conservative M.P. for the Waver- tree Division of Liverpool, where there will be a by-election. The figures at the last three elections were:

1029

16,880

J.A. Tinne (C) S.L. Treleaven (Lab.) .......... 13,585 H.R. Rathbone (Lib.) .... 11,723

Conservative majority 3,295

June 1931: A.R.N; Nall-Cain (C) 18.087 S.L. Tralenven (Lab.) 10,042

Conservative majority

General Election 1931 A.R.N. Nall-Cain (C) S.G. Clark (Lab.)

8,045

33,476 9,503

Conservative majurity.. 23,973

AWAITING DECISION

We are now awaiting the de- cision of the Board of Trade, though I imagine the Minister of Agriculture has still more to do with it. Meantime, vitriolic at- tacks continuo in Chinese liquid eggs. The same writer where cently published an onslaught in "Eggs" has now published one in "The Feathered " *Vorld", The

TELEGRAPH.

THURSDAY. DECEMBER

20, 1984.

Admiral. Gengo Hyakutake, recently appointed to Shanghai, his Chief of Staff, Commander E. Kondo, aboard the flagship Idxumo.

N.F.U. Record has a reference top Chinese liquid eggs in the report) of its November Council Meeting as follows:

MINISTERS' PROXY

Mr. Shigem Yeshida, Japanese The problem of imports of exk products and particularly those of Ambassadoriat-large, who arrived liquid eggs from China was once in London recently, left soon after- again very fully discussed. The wards for a tour of Continental resolutions received are quite in capitals. He will be back in Lon- accord with the feelings of mem- don for a longer stay in December. bers, but they had the one draw back that it is quite hopeless in Mr. Yeahlda was formerly Japan- forward with any prospect of present occupation is described as present circumstances to put them ese Ambatrador in Rome. His

success. There were several less that of "proxy for the Foreign drastic proposals than total printer" for Europe and America, hibition before the Committee, but in view of the representation:| == made already to official quarters and the obvious bearing the Re- enormous difficulty of putting for. ort of the Re-Organisation Com-ward a case for adequate control mission will have on this matter, with any hope of success until a it was agreed that any further long-range polley in respect of definite proposals must await the egg supplies generally is in sight. publication of that Report. The Meantime enquiries are being Committee is full alive to the im-made respecting aspects of the portance of the effect of these trade on which authentive in- Imports, but has to recognise the formation is desirable."

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Chief among the St. Andrew's Day celebrations in Shanghai was the Ewo Handicap Race for the Jardine Challenge Cup, won by G.. C. C. Harper on Movement. Above is shown the finish of the race and a section of the unusually farge crowd which attended. The trophies were presented by Mrs. James

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