1937-01-18 — Page 18

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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1937.

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W

A Little Bit of

CHINA IN THE HEART OF HONGKONG

C.

By

Van Leo

HEN Old Kowloon ing when every detail in it is

City, or to be pre- cise, the walled part

ruled down a minute scale. But

I missed the moat that used to girt its Lilliputian walls round

about: also the floating pond

of it, broke into the news the weed which, clustering thickly on its still waters, had given other day as something the City its charmingly rustic

Hongkong Hotel which it has been worth aspect. The spell is broken by

Garage

Phone 27778-9

The

a modern constructional, pro- while to make a pother greas hustling it from every about, some people had side, and even now insistently knocking at its four still pics Stubbs Rd, thought that this old place, turesque gates.

so lost in a maze of slums They used to leave a high- way, #b sort of "corrider" connecting the East Gate with the sen at Kowloon Bay, upon

Hongkong Telegraph.

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1937.

LESSONS

as to be almost forgotten, had not been appreciated at its just value.

which many a hardened pirate was hurried to his doom.

These people were both right It would be difficult now to and wrong.

As a little bit of say where that highway exactly the Old China picturesque yet these wretches were confined, 1 was; and na for the gnol where

in the accumulating dirt hem could accept only the word of SPANISH CIVIL WAR|med in by its four walls, it has an old inhabitant that it still the same value that the anti. exists, but as an alms house where old folk are being given quarian bestows on JL pre Christian succour! The East The point has often been historic skeleton, however, ad- Gate, too, is shorn of much of made in connection with the vanced the deday. But as an like what I should imagine it to its former grandiosity; nothing civil war in Spain that, due to integral part of a fast develop bel banners fluttering from the presence of so many foreigning community, it has become parapet and drums beating fron "volunteers", it has developed a canker, a sore in an other watch-tower some grand procession of long-gowned of- into an international war inwise healthy, growing body. ficials came sweeping in with vantage accept the offer by always on the point of hurling miniature. It has been left to whose proposed removal by the the spoils of war. a French publicist and Deputy,surgeon's knife is raising this M. Heuri de Kerillis, to suggest spectre of an old Treaty. that Russia, Germany and Italy have been using the Spanish conflict as a practical test of

49

One of the gateways, in the Old Kowloon City Wall.

..

Surely they could with ad- the curious Rock which seemed.

Government of transplanting to itself on the panorama spread Within the decaying walls the other area prepared for below. From this vantage point, are just as decaying buildings, them, where, in surroundings one has a good view of the in which people are to be found more ample and better suited to other hills on the one side, and As I understand it, the Treaty who still live in the atmosphere these pastoral pursuits, they the harbour on the other. which has made this walled of yesterday.

could continue the even, uri- Those ancient Chinese officials arca a special reservation for They are the older folk who eventful tenor of their way, knew their fungshui well, as no The Yips und Leungs, though better spot could have been the use of Chinese officialdom could talk of the time when it they be original settlers on the chosen for that constant watch (then proceeding about

was possible to pay one's house; soil, had shown the way ere against freebooters on land and the tax with strings of cash, and long this and had prospered. seat. business of chasing Bias Bay that only after counting what What they could do it is sup- pirates and lopping off their number of beams one has to herds) also gives the

follow.

They say the Rock had lent itself to the scheme of defence by emitting a resounding noise when an alarm, was....... pounded.

their men and materials as well as their method of war organ isation. M. de Kerillis, who has been on a visit to Spain as one of the delegation of French

one's roof. So many beams posed the others of the remain- pre- so many strings of cash and ing 300 inhabitants could well |Right Deputies. is an ex-soldier, eminent British authority the not a farthing more! So utterly. But old minds, wise in all-on it in a particular spot of

having fought as a pilot in the right to reclaim it if and when simple, I should like our present-

day tax assessors to know of it.. accumulation of lore and cus- which the secret had since been Air Force during the Great War. thought fit and upon the pay-

toms, are not to be so easily lost. What I imagine had hap- 수 According to information which ment of. adequate compensation

placated. They resist a change pened was a big drum being he gleaned, from 10,000 to to house-owners. Why it should ACROSS the narrow, crooked from the narrow environment beaten from this point, to give streets are cast the sil to which they have been at its warning to the City below. |15,000 Russians belonging to the be so made a special reserva- houettes of flying machines go- customed, even though the in- The alarm was then re-echoed ing about on their business to ducements are all to their al- from the four different watch- and from the aerodrome, but vantage. So it is this complex towers over the Gates, after in Spain, together with from ing area was brought under the men and women in this little which has to be first understood, which, with all means of ingress 12,000 to 15,000 Frenchmen, British lease, is iw puzzle, to be walled City still live in the most from 2,000 to 3,000 Belgians, understood only by the diplo primitive state, jostling with pigs and poultry for room and many Czechs, Poles, matic needs of the time, but the cultivating little vegetable gar IT was a relief to have left the City with its dirt and Germans and Italians, fighting legacy left after a lapse of den patches which do not seem for the Spanish Government, many years is a misunderstand. to accord well with our ideas of odour and reached the summit of the Hill behind, where poised In addition to these, it is estiming, which I hope, however, to health and sanitation.

LANE, CRAWFORD'S regular army have been serving tion when the whole surround-

GREAT JANUARY

SALE

NOW PROCEEDING

MANY BARGAINS

in

MEN'S WEAR

DEPARTMENT

Come Early!

and as

ated that there are some 5,000 see speedily removed by the

German "specialists" and be usual good understanding exist-

tween 20,000 and 25,000 men of German nationality with the rebels-the equivalent of two divisions. Other foreign forces with the insurgents, according

to M. de Kerillis,

2,000 were

ing between the parties.

수

find the Old City somewhat disappointing on this second visit after an intermission of

15

years.

It could be 50

captivating, in the same way

}

→

*

Why We Read Thrillers

being blocked, the inhabitants could remain comfortably re- assured, in the knowledge of the security of its walls and its cannon.

*

AN old inhabitant, in showing me two of these old pieces now mounted as ornaments at the East Gate, would have me believe there were more than a' thousand in the City when he walked in it, as a boy! That

Irishmen, 600 Frenchmen, and that a thing could be captiva-that it has lasted for several years. lucky, Business is full of worries, twice the size of Kowloon and

1,500 others of various nation- alities, including a number of Italian airmen. Not only are Russia, Germany and Italy seck- ing to test their men and material, says this commentator,

+

WONDER I Edgar Waliace start-read about swindles and murders and was as it might be, and it would ed it? Or was it the filme? sudden deaths because it makes me not have been amiss in a City There must be some good reason for feel that I'm a very lucky man to chosen as the Headquarters for the boom in the thriller and the fact have none of them. Actually I'm not & Magistrate ruling a county People who read thrillers don't seem and often my conscience is bad, But the New Territories, and of can go home at night and com- which these latter had been a to grow tired of them, as a peep into pare my lot to the poor fellow who bombing plane is said to have any twopenny library will tell you. is wrongfully accused of murder and part. What must be readily almost convicted well, I feel twice admitted, was the effect which proved extremely vulnerable But why?

the man I really am."

this impressive array of au- under active service conditions, Of course, the modern type of

detective story is easy to read. A girl who was unemployed and thority would have had on the Italian machines having brought usually you can finish is in an even spent days on end hunting for a job cut-throats of those days. That them down-in batches, whilst an- ing and go to bed, sleepy bat con- said almost the same thing. "I get some of these weapons were tented that the villain has been so engrossed in a thriller that I can more of a danger to the people forget about myself, and that's a but they are also checking up other type of French plane has brought to book. It is full of goodrellef. A detective story is like dope using them than to those hard fact, top, with no fancy writing methods and effectives of their been easily disposed of in aerial to tease the brain and set up tangent to me, and like all dope-addicts against whom they were direct- combat. French anti-tank guns lines of thought. You settle down want more and more. They don't ed, is, of course, beside the possible future enemies. Al-

with the idea of solving the mystery need to be well written-usually

The passing away of Old ready, it is stated, valuable in-are said to have been somewhat before the chief character does, and they are frankly bad literature-but point.

inefficient, but their anti-aircraft

It's a pleasurable feeling to find that they serve their purpose."

And a professor of literature at a Kowloon City will remove one you do. "I knew it long ago" is the formation has been gleaned from the fighting. In this connection, guns are described as marvel- triumph of the thriller fan, and a University: "If you spent the day of the few links remaining to

Ano 'sensation it gives too.

reading what is supposed to be one this Colony with the olden days, it is said that many of the tanks truth in the story that certain this.

But there must be more in it thun Writing and looking for beauty in The event is to be regretted, as

read every sentence, you'd be thankful to A million people don't detective

stories Just because they Pick up un casy book,, It doesn't is the necessity for it in the

pretend to be beautiful. It's simply general interests of of the Powers are deliberately make them feel clover and trium- a story, and it's like a breath of cold much larger community. In tho making use of the civil war to phant, almost quick-witted detectives fresh air after a day in a green-last analysis, no hardship for

themselves. Do they prefer them to house,"

of tho gain valuable military informa- less exciting Betion because

excitement or because they are taken And what about you and me? We

information regarding the

on the Government side have

revealed a defect in that they

ava. cavities which enable

lous. Whether there is any

a very

anybody is involved, as ample

rebel soldiers to use flamingtion, it is beyond question that into a thrilling world of crime that read them too, of course, every time provision is made both as re- materials or grenades

them with effect. German

an opportunity--and one which tanks, it is said, have not this would have no counter-part in

defect One type of French

ordinary military manoeuvres,"

they really like, unreality? And if and say candidly that we like thril-commodation for the inhabitants lers because they are thrilling? And who wish to transfer, and the they do, why? -

because we children under I asked a quiet little tradeaman grown-up skins, dearly love to be tion for those others who prefer our alternative adequate compensti-

A.B.C. lit.

that question once, and he gave me thrilled? a remarkable

"I like to

answer.