1935-03-14 — Page 15

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH." THURSDAY, MARCH

14, 1935.

Britain's

Weather

Blessings

ARE THE PEOPLE INGRATES?

REMEMBER THE ARMADA

By AN OLD STAGER

HE inhabitants of this favour-

THE

ed Isle are notoriously and proverbially dissatisfied with its Elimate. Whether town dwellera or landward folk, most of us 'nra constantly grumbling about the weather." If it gets at all warm in summer, we pull and blow and complain of the excessivo host. If the winter is cold or wot, we grumble about that too. We oven go further than that. The same people who complain about sum- mer months being too hot may often be heard grousing because the winter ones are not cold onough.

1

This picture shows Dr. Wang Chung-hui, Chinese member of the Court of International Justice, chatting with Premier Okada of Japan in Tokyo. Dr. Wang was passing through Tokyo on the Way to The Hague but stayed long enough to consult with the leaders of the Japanese nation on the possibilities of a rapproche- ment between China and Japan. Dr. Wang has created favourable impression in Japan and his keen and appreciative intellect and urbane personality have won him admiration and

attentions.

mat

gical reasons, as well as practical Just as wearisome is a long un- material ones, for not regretting broken winter of dry cold, how- that the British climate has made ever exhlllrating the picture may us a race of hardy adventurers scem in the mind's eye. There is on diafant oceans and in far lands. such a thing as Anow madness, Nor is this the only reason for just as the Algerian sun produces being grateful to our mixed grlitan urge to run amok.

Sticklers for propriety though most Britons still ore, I am con- vinced that any lingering his- torical, prejudice against Charles I., of unconventional memory, le duo far less to his redundancy of royal mistresses than to the fact

of a climate. To it we awe not Our climate, could we but realise that he once praised our climate, only the most lovely pasturalit, fe a standing proof of that great Ho once told a contemporary

aconary in the world, but, our philosophical truism that contrast grumbler that this country had

roputation as one of the hand-is the soul of human delight. Only the best climate in Europe, and

somest races on earth. Though those who have known enervating that It was possible to Bicep out

they may call us stupid, foreig-heat can appreciate fully the Jays of doors in comfort in England on

ners have never described us as of n bracing cold. In matters of more nights of the year than any-

ugly. To Rome magic in our ellmatic condition it is monotony where else. Despite his habit of

climate we owe our fresh com-that gela one down. The Briton loving not wisely but too well, I

plexion and a certain graceful who grumbles most loudly about

Lady Sylvin Aahtay and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., form an attrac entertain a sneaking regard for

vigour of mb.

tive couple, as they join hands for a bit of ice-skating at St. Marits the weather would be the first to

during their recent Swiss holiday, Bath are now back in London the Merry Monarch, because ho

· DEADLY MONOTONY

complain of weather conditions in was a discriminating patron of

where, it is reported, the veteran movie star le negotiating for the ather lands,, even though it were the Arts, founded the Royal

purchase of a mansion in the vicinity of Daverley Square, London. When I hear people sighing, that fabled paradise of the South Society, and shared my pet aver-maybe in the depths of a bitter Sea Islands, Believe me, the east but the entirely artificial creation ly morose. alon from his own royal brother, winter, for regions where eternal wind blows, with just as inimical of misdirected human enterprise. how much sheer brain fng our Few of us appreciate Yet I confess, when sleeping

summer gilds the skies, I have laert, the whole world over, out under canvas in this country smile a little. These are the very

So long as we pollute our skies with climate anves us in the course of It might do some of our grum-unscientific raw smoke, so long the daily round. In the winter, I have sometimes people whe, transported to those blers a power of good to experience must we endure these fog visita- been constrained to doubt whether longed-for regions, would speedily the slrocco, That dreaded visitations. They are no more indigen- sun happens to shine for a few The French assert that, if the ho did not allow his patriotic en- begin to pine for some relief from tion, which blows over Southern ous than top hats or yellow journal-moments in England, we exelalm thusiasm to run away with him,

their deadly and depressing mono- Europe from the ovens of theism. and exaggerate its climate ament-

Sahara, will make a wet sponge as

what glorious day it in. How tles. My contention is, however,

. Some people do not realise how brittle dry as tinder,

SALVATION IN CONVERSATION much better, and safer, is that that must of us sadly malign the sunbaked earth and immutably piger to peel off the walls, bend

than having to launch forth on clerk of the weather, In fact, we blue skies can get on the nerves of the stiff covers of a book as though upon, how should we Britons give inflammatory.. What the Walrus Without the weather to fall back toples political and possibly highly exhibit the blackest ingratitude

those who dwell amidst them.it had been toasted by n strong persistent rein to for the climatic blessings we get

Not long ago I met at Victoria fire, and make both night and day showered upon us,

Station a relative returning to this a nightmare. How, I

Without the ent inquiries of the Little Oysters, wonder, country after three years in south. would these captious crities of our people would be utterly at a loss dodge the issue? "The night is stimulus of our climate, we as now did the sagacious amphiblan ern Stelly. It Was a typically weather like to dwell where the for small talk and polite conver-fine, the Walrus sald, do you ad- fou! November day, cold, with rain, when it does come, laats with-sation. What would the average mire, the view?" nasty drizzle, and I sympathised out cessation for months on end? Briton do, in sudden emergency of

WEATHER MADE THE EMPIRE

I notice it is the home-keeping Briton, and never the far-travelled one, who most bitterly traduces our weather. That we experience startling and sudden varieties of climate in a normal year I freely admit. But what else but this apprenticeship has made

us the the ploneer colonists of world? From the Pole to the Equator there is no brand of weather with which your native Briton is com- pletely unfamiliar.

So we have, in a measure, to thank our climate for our Imperial status. True, there are Little Englanders who regard the latter with some dubiety as a question- able asset. But it is difficult to pleture our teeming insular popu- Jation enjoying its present ad- vantages of secure liberty and standardised living without those vast oversca Dominiona. Just as the patriotic solidarity of the Empire saw UN through the supreme crials of 1914-1918, 60 that same blood loyalty of rice is socing us through the hardly less testing economic crisis. If our Island resources were restricted to our Insular potentialities, it is more than doubtful whether this 'country could now support the burden of its unparalleled, social services. Any collapse of the Imperial structure would bring haggard news to those quenes out- side our relief exchanges,

It has been the shallow-pated fashion to deride the Elizabethan Empire-builders 16 buccaneers, but in reality they builded better than either they or their detrac tore know. Politically, econo- mically, and socially we may he thankful we are something more than a small Island off the west const of Europe.

There are very solid psycholo-

tony.

cattac the

habit of grumbling? Our national was embarrassed by the persist

4

of

with the home-comer on the wen- If the old adage is right, and chance encounter, if he could not my eontention that, when it comes

What happier Illustration ther which greeted him. But he variety is the spice of life, why remark upon the weather? Our to a really awkward situation, the insisted, before we drove off with should we find fault with the varia elimate is such an infallible and weather is our long suit every his luggage, on standing for some tions of our climate? Somebody established topic that without it time? We all of us use it so ex- moments bareheaded in the rain. may ask me what about our peasoup we should become "After sixteen months without a fogs? But the answer

nation of tensively, and regularly that I cloud or a drop of moisture," he obvious. Even a "London Particu- case us of being a taciturn people abusing it sometimes. After all, it In very social trappists. Foreigners ac- think we really ought to atop exclaimed ecstatically, "this lalar," which incidentally is only as it is. Without the weather as saved us in 1588 when the Grost heavenly! I hope it rains for a pale parody of a really juicy Man- a conversational refuge and point Armada came, and again at Lord's month!"

chester fog, la no climatic symptom, d'appui we would become positive-in, 1934.

*

The group picture above was taken at the Bureau of Public Safety on the occasion of assumption of duties by Mr. Tsai Ching-chuan, newly appointed Commissioner of the Bureau, Shanghai. An official cath-taking ceremony was held later. Centre, in topcoat, is Mayor

Wa Tah.chen. To the left, the now Commissioner.

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Mr. Bazil Zabaroff, the man of mystery, has been seriously ill. He la pictured with his Irish Secretary at Monte Carlo.

The Duke and Duchess of York with their children, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose, photographed when they visited the Olympia, London, for a circus performance.. Both the princesses and their parents wera intensely interested and amused by the antics of the clowns who presented a gala performance.

HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

The Society asks for $25,000

in 1935 to continue its work for

sick and destitute children.

Hon. Treasurers:

Mr. A. McKELLAR, CA., O

efo Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co.,

P. & O. Building.

Mr. KWOK CHAN,

afo Banque de L'Indo. Chino,

Hong Kong.

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