1935-03-14 — Page 3

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1935.

Britain's

Weather

Blessings

T

ARE THE PEOPLE. INGRATES? REMEMBER THE ARMADA

By AN OLD STAGER

E inhabitants of this favour- od lalo are notoriously and proverbially dissatisfied with its climate. Whether town dwellers or landward folk, most of us are constantly grumbling about the weather. If it gets at all warm in and summer, wo puff and blow complain of the excessive hent. If the winter is cold or wet, we We oven rumble about that too.

go further than that. The same people who complain about sum- mer months being too hot may often be heard grousing because are not cold the winter ones enough.

n

Sticklem for propriey though most Britons still are, I am con- vinced that any lingering hia- torical prejudice against Charles 11., of unconventional memory, due far less to his redundancy of royal mistresses than to the fact that he once praised our climate. Ite

contemporary once told grumbler that this country had the best climate in Europe, and that it was possible to sleep out of doors in comfort in England on more nights of the year than any- where clae. Despite his habit of loving not wisely but too. well, 1 entertain, a sneaking regard for the Merry Monarch, because he was a discriminating patron of the Arts, founded the Royal Society, and shared my pet aver- sion from his own royal brother. Yet I confess, when sleeping out under canvas in this country in the winter, I have sometimes been constrained to doubt whether he did not allow his patriotle on- thusiasm to run away with him, and exaggerate its climate ameni ties. My contention is, however, that most of us sadly malign the clerk of the weather. in fact, we exhibit the blackest ingratitude for the ellmatle blessings we get showered upon us.

WEATHER MADE THE EMPIRE

I notice it is the home-keeping Briton, and never the far-travelled one, who must bitterly traduces our weather. That we experience startling and sudden varieties of climate in a normal year 1 freely admit. But what else but this us the apprenticeship has made pioneer colonists of the world? Equator From the Pole to the 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 Little status. True, there are Englanders who regard the latter with some dubiety as a question- able asset But it is difficult to picture our teeming Insular popu- Iation enjoying its present ad- vantages of secure liberty and standardised living without those vast overges Dominions. Just as the patriotic solidarity of the -Empire

the us through 84W supreme crisis of 1914-1918. so that same blood loyalty of race is accing us through the hardly loss 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 queues out- side our relief exchanges..

It has been the shallow-pated fashion to deride the Elizabethan Empire-builders ጊዜ buccaneers,

but in reality they builded better than either they or their detrac tora know. Politically, econo- mically, and socially we may be thankful we are something more than a small island off the west const of Europe.

There are very solid psycholo-

This picture shows Dr. Wang Chung-bul, Chinese member of the Court of International Justics, chatting with Premler 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 Japaness nation on the possibilities of a rapproche. ment between China and Japan. Dr. Wang has created x mont Favourable impression in Japan and his keen and appreciative intellect and urbane personality have won him admiration and

attentions.

gical reasons, as well as practical Just as wearisome is a long un-1 material ones, for not regretting broken winter of dry cold, how- that the British climate has made ever exhllirating the picture may us a race of hardy adventurers seem in the mind's eye. There is know madness. on distant ocentis and in for lande. such a thing as Nor is thin the only reason for just as the Algerian sun produces being grateful to our mixed grill an urge to run amok.

of climate. To it we owe not

Lady Sylvin Ashley and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. form an attrac Ilva couple, as they loin hands for a bit of ica-skating at St. Marits' during their recent Swiss holiday. Both are now back in London where, it is reported, the veteran movie star is negotiating for the purchase of a mansion in the vicinity of Beverley Square, London.

Few of us appreciato

but the entirely artificial creation ly morose.

of misdirected human enterprise. how much sheer brain fng our So long as we pollute our skles with climate saves us in the course of

Our climate, could we but realise only the most lovely pastural it, is a standing proof of that great

the world, but sconery in

our philosophical truiam that contrast reputation as one of the hand-is the soul of human delight. Only Romest races on earth. Though those who have known enervating they may call a stupid, forel-heat can appreciate fully the joya ners have never described as of a bracing cold. In matters of ugly. To some magic in our climatic condition it is monotony climate we owe our fresh com that gets one down. The Briton plexion and a certain graceful who grumbles most loudly about the weather would be the first to vigour of limb.

complain of weather conditions in DEADLY MONOTONY

other lands, even though it were When I hear people sighing, that fabled paradise of the South maybe in the depths of a bitter Sen Islands. Believe me, the cast winter, for regions where eternal wind blows, with just as inimical summer gilds the skies, I have to jeffect, the whole world over, amile a little. These are the very It might do some of our grum unscientifle raw smoke, so long the daily round. people who, transported to those blers a power of good to experience must we, endure these fog visita- The French assert that, if the longed-for regions, would speedily the slrocco. Thai drended visitations. They are no mare Indigen-nun happens to shine for a few begin to pine for some relief from tion, which blows over Southernous than top hats or yellow journal-moments in England, wo exclaim

the ovens of theism.

what a glorious day it is. llow their deadly and depressing mono- Europe from

Sabara, will make a wel sponge as

much better, and safer, is that tony.

the Some people do not realise how brittle dry as tinder, cause

than having to launch forth on sunbaked earth and Immutably paper to peel off the walls, bend Without the weather to fall back topies political and possibly highly blue akies can get on the nerves of the stiff covers of a book as though upon, how should we Britons give inflammatory. What the Walrus national was embarrassed by the persist- a strong persistent rein to our those who divell amidst them. it had bren toasted by Not long ago I met at Victoria Bre, and make both night and day habit of grumbling? Without the ent inquiries of the Little Oystera, Station a relative returning to this nightmare. How, I wonder, stimulus of our climate, we as a now did the angacious amphibian country after three years in south-would these captious critics of our people would be utterly at a loss dudge the issue? "The night is ern Sietly. It WOR a typically weather ke dwell where the for small talk and polite conver-fine, the Walrus said, do you ad- foul November day, cold, with a rain, when it does come, lasta with-aation. What would the average mire the view?"

of nasty drizzle, and I sympathised out cessation for months on, end? Briton do, in sudden emergency of What happler illustration with the home-comer on the wea If the old adage is right, and chance encounter, if he could not my contention that, when it comes ther which greeted him. But he variety is the apice of life, why remark upon the weather? Our to a really awkward altuntion, the overy insisted, before we drove off with should we find fault with the varia climate is such an infallible and weather in our long suit his luggage, on standing for some tions of our climate? Somebody catablished tople that without it time? We all of us use it so ex-

*A nation of tensively and regularly that moments bareheaded In the rain. may ask me what about our peasoup we should become "After sixteen months without a fogs? But the answer is very social trappista. Foreigners ac- think we really ought to cloud or a drop of moisture," he obvious. Even "London Particu-cuse us of being a taciturn people abusing it sometimes. After all, it exclaimed ecstatically, "this. islar," which incidentally is only as it is. Without the weather as saved us in 1588 when the Great 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 1"

Ichester fox, is no climátic symptom, [d'appui we would become positive-In 1934.

SALVATION IN CONVERSATION

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

'Wu Teb-chen. To the left, the new Commissioner.

I

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kết, Hoài Zakuroff, thủ mn of mystery, has haan soriously ill. Ha is plctured with his Irish Secretary at Monte Carlo.

The Duke and Duchess of York with their children. Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Ross, photographed when they visited the Olympia, London, for a circus performance. Both the princesses and their parents wore Intensely interested and amused by ' -the antics of the clowns who provented a gala performance..

HỒNG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN The Society asks for $25,000

in 1935 to continue its work for

sick and destituto children.

Hon. Treasurers:

Mr. A. McKELLAR, CA,

c/o Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co.,

• P. & 0. Building.

Mr. KWOK 'CHAN, ·

c/o Banque de L'Indo Chino,

Kong Kong.