1937-03-24 — Page 17

Two Men Drama

WE SHAVE. WHEN VICTORY WIS OURS

During the American strikes many strikers vowed they would not shave until they have won!

League Of Nations Is Dead

Geneva, Mar. 10. The League of Nations vir- tually in dead as an international political instrument for preservation of world peace and the status quo.

the

The great dream of a permanently stable world, as conceived by Wood-

THE HONGKONG

TELEGRAPH. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1987.

Who Rule World's Richest Market: Behind The

The Boom in Diamonds

Behind

Two

£8,000,000, IN FOUR HANDS

By ANDREW KIDD

WWO men sitting in a room in London control the most powerful monopoly

in the world-the diamond market.

Recently I heard the romantic story of the Diamond Corporation - and why diamond shares are in strong demand just now on the Stock Exchange.

I heard how diamonds are in greater de- mand than ever before, how fortunes are being made by the industry "kings."

Handling Eight Millions

Here are the men who between them super- vise the marketing of over eight million pounds worth of diamonds:

Kound-faced, quiet Sir Ernest Oppenhei- mer, a South African, former owner of the famous Jonker diamond. A "chain" reader of library books,

Millionaire Mr. Jack Barnalo Joel, aged 74, racehorse owner, of tho famous South nephew African ploncer. Barney Barnato. It is the business of these two

Diamon and their associates of the

the

Corporation to maintain price

diamonds, of which they of control 93 per cent of the world's output,

Through crises, revolutions; and wars the diamond remains, by their organisation, a reliable easily-con- vertible security,

row Wilson, has been dissipated by Output Controlled

the brutal realism of world political and territorial development.

The league, as an Instrument to prevent war and the seizure of terri- tory from weak notions by stronger ones, has falled.

Diplomats made these admissions as they took stock of the league's position and the end of a day making final Paraguay's withdrawal" from Geneva's councils.

The little South American republle is one of eight nations to leave the league.

Optimists, comparing the league's firm principles with those of the Roman catholic church, predicted that

Im-

It will live as u potent Inter- national factor despite its past fai- tures. All agreed that, although the league has become politically potent, it will survive as a clearing- house of economie, cultural and sani tary information.

served

Seven countries have official notice of their intention to quit the league during the 17 years of "Its"

Guatemala, Hon- history-Brazil, durus, Nicaragua, Japan, Germany Italy walked out and Paraguay, Italy

Her and may without giving official notice and return if she wishes. The

resigna Japan and

tions

of Brazil, Germanyective.

have become Paraguay

Paraguay withdrew

A

the

because the

league applied an arms embargo to it after it refused to accept Geneva's peace proposal in its dispute with Bolivia over Chaco question.

Looking over the league's record of and failures, statesmen tal te .counted following:

SUCCCASES

the league assembly Four years pur's seizure of Man- condemned churia, But speech-making in Geneva .did not halt the relentless drive

Thrones may fall currencies may collapse, but the diamond will always Bland Arm.

The Corporation controls the output according to market IC- quirements. It is Impossible to flood the market, with subsequent falls In prices.

It is estimated that the total diamond wealth of the human race

today is in the region of four billion

pounds.

All the diamonds in the world could be placed in a box 12 feet square. The largest individual col- lections of diamonds are owned by Indian princes.

At the Diamond Corporation's large ofces the rough stones from the mines are carefully graded and priced.

No-Price Bargaining

INCOME TAX FOR KENYA

PRECEDENT FOR COLONIES

Nairobi, Mar. 5. ETAILS of the pro-

Djected income tax law

for Kenva were published in the official gazette to-day.

The rate on the first £700 of income is 18. in the pound. For the next 500, 1a. Gd.; for the next £1,500, 2a.; and for the re- mainder 29. Gd. în the pound.

The rate for companies is the same as the rate for individuals except that the maximum ralo is 28. on charge- able profits exceeding £1,200.

Shipping companies, banks insur- ance companies, and other

Allowances include 口 allowance

Gas-masks are in vogue now in England. At a re-concerns are also chargeable, cent tea-party in the Wimbledon Town Hall, the guests wore' ges-masks. The picture shows the hostess pouring

out tea to some of her guests.

AIR MAIL TO U.S.

TWICE

WEEKLY

IN NOVEMBER

New York, Mar. 10.

air mail service between the United States and Britain will begin on Nov. I with a £150,000 subsidy from the United States Government if Congress follows the House of Representa- tives Appropriations Committee's recommendation to-day.

A TWICE-WEEKLY round-trip

ISLAND WAS SHELLED

BY MISTAKE

Paris, Mar. 1. TEN Ave-Inch shells fired by ships

of the French Mediterranean squadron while on manoeuvres yes- terday fell on the island of For- 'querolles, near Hyeres. Nino buried themselves in the soft, sandy soli.

Diamond brokers, acting for customers in all parts of the world, especially-the-diamond-cutting-and-alled-to-explode. pollshing firms of Antwerp and Amsterdam, go to the offices of the mond Corporation and have

of the stones.

A

no argument OT There is haggling about the prices. The prices are already fixed. The brokers can "Lake it or leave it." Diamonds, which chemically are pure carbon, will always be prized by women for jewellery, as they have been for

trade centuries. Improving

of und the demand for the "King Stones" for Coronation Year adorn- ment has led to increased buying.

In the Industrial field the demand for diamonds has almost doubled in the last few years. The factory is discoloured the big outlet for the

of Nipponese soldiers over the plains diamond or the diamond of inferior

of China's "three eastern provinces,"" quality,

Then, in 1932, the disarmament conference was convoked. It failed

to satisfy Germany's claim for re- armament and the conflicting ambi- Hons of the "ins" and outs" In Europe, and so ended in fal

despite the

failure. Later, Germany rearmed the Versailles treaty, of which league is the

official guardian, re- militarized the Rhineland and de- clared its sovereignty over

over Inter- nationalized rivers. Geneva passed resolutions but did nothing else.

་་

The league's next reversal came -over the Chaco dispute. For the first time, Geneva tried to use strong mea- sures against the two litio South American countries.

It applied an embargo on both na- tions. Then, when Bolivia accepted Geneva's peace guay did not, theoposal and Para- embargo was left alone, which

to apply to

caused it.

Before the league's next failure, several minor successes occurred; King Alcxadria of Yugoslavia when accused Hungary of inspiring the crime. Wat became an imminent pessibility. But the league quickly settled the dispute.

At the same time a dangerous dis- pute arose between Germany and France

cover the Sour plebiscite which was to determine to which country the rich mining basin would belong, The league dispelled the danger of war by sending an international army to see that the vote was just. The territory returned peacefully

the

to

came the League's biggest test Italian Invasion of Ethiopia.

A boycott on war supplies was fald down on Italy, but this did not pre. vent it from taking Ethiopia.

With its prestige at the lowest ebb.

in history, the league refrained from

mixing the Spanish civil.

|

stands, being the hardest sub-

In the world, are used for glass and metal cutting, engraving. the drawing of, wire and electric

lamp filaments, for drilling, boring and sawing through rock, in the optical industry, and for all works of engineering precision.

STONE AGE LAND

OF GOLD

A corner of the world rich in gold which was formerly German and is wanted back by Herr Hitler, and where natives still use stone axes, was described on his return to Lon- don by Mr. A. J. Marshall, a

old one-armed Australian Car

writes a "News Chronicle" special re- presentative.

He left London a year ago to ex- plore

the unknown interior of New Guines, and met a remarkable race of anyages.

This is the last stronghold of the Stone Age on earth," said Mr. Marshall.

"Half New Guinea belongs to the Dutch, a quarter Is Australian Papus, and the remaining quarter of the ter ritory I visited was formerly German New Guinea; now it is mandated to Australia,

"The 92,000 square miles of jungle are valuable since the Australians opened up the rich goldfields in the Interior."

New Everest Attempt Next Year

Bombay, Mar. 5. Permission for a new expedition

to attempt the conquest of Mount

wor Despite these failures there are Everest next year has been granted

especially permanent league by the Tibetan Government, oficial, who believe that the Genöva“.. Wrapped in a white silk scarf, the

body'

ill health is merely present

document was handed, according to Hemporary and that it will emergo

news which has just reached here by again as a strong guardiani of peace. letter to a British goodwill mission United Press, NANA

in Lhasa, et a New Year party.

The tenth blew up, but did not harm a group of children a few yards

away.

The accident, fourth of a series of similar errors during French Medi- terranean manoeuvres in the last few months, Is believed to be the re- sult of a mistake by a gunnery off-

cer.

Vice-Admiral Abrial, commander Fleet, has of the Mediterranean brdered an inquiry.

Chlef previous incident was the accidental shelling of the Riviera resort of St. Maxime in July by the submarine Atalanie..

DEMOCRACIES

AND THEIR ARMS

An Italian Critic

COMPARISON OF ESTIMATES

Rome, Mar. 10. Signot Gayda, in the Giornale

·d'Italia to-night, criticises the amma- ment programmes of England, Amer- lea, and France as a symbol of armed democracy, against presumably the peaceful behaviour of Fascism. For the peace of the world evidently it is only the olive branch of the Fas- cist States which may rise from a forest of bayonets.

Estimates for Italy's war prepared- ness, however, reveal that Italy in-

tends to continue girding itself against all possibilities.

In the following table Italian estim- ates for the financial year are com pared with British estimates, lire be ing translated into pounds at 93.

· ITALY.

· Dire

BRITAIN

Total est!.

mates 2,840,407,904 £5,550,085 217,000,000 An Increase over Inst year of 127.014.500 7,821,911 -58,000,000 Navy 1,887.891.900 19,977.312 110,500,000 120,000,000 An Inert * over Inst

YOUT of I8,000,000 2,665,000 30,000,000 Ale Fores. 1,270,000,000 11.005.013 50,000,000 An Increase

• Oret last. Year

of 270,610,500 3,006,864

0,600,000

due for mill="

Of this figure

->tary auto-"

maules la 214,200,000 2,519,078

“Ayar “Ministry'

budget calle

¡mates..., *2; 3,512,860,964-27,016.618 $7,000,000 An Increase

200,00,00,150,87 8,800,000

similar

personal

£160 fer non-residents.

of £350 for residents, and

Thero in a further allowance of £150 for a wife; £75 for the first child, and £40 for other children up R maximum of. £255. The maximum allowance for dependants ja £100.

to

Special allowances are provided for farmers with a view to encouraging the development of agriculture Retter.

The proposal to introduce income tax into Kenya aroused bitter opposl- tlon among European residents. A cumpromise was eventually reached between the European elected mem- bers of the Legislature and the Colonial Secretary under which the principle of the tax pecepted, on the basis

wha

that

in Rhodesia, to produce annu- ally £43,000 instead of the £83,000 originally proposed.

Imperial Airways are scheduled to begin a similar twice-weekly, air mail ser- FOR NEW vice at the same time, said

BIGGER GUNS

Colonel Edgar Gorrell, pre- BATTLESHIPS

sident of the Air Transport Association.

He testified that a 42-ton plane is under construction to carry 60 passengers, and that in five years planes weighing 125 tons and carrying 160 passengers will be used.

the

CALIBRE DEPENDS ON

JAPAN

TREATY LIMIT OF 14in. NOT YET ACCEPTED

By HECTOR C. BYWATER In spite of an official statement that The northern route via Newfound-the new British battleships avill mount land, 3,600 miles long, will be in use 14 guns, it is far from certain that during half the year, and the his will be the armament of all the southern route, via Charleston, Ber-ve vessels now building or projected,

The first muda and the Azores, during

two,

the King George other six months.

and the Prince of Wales, were design- Negotiations with the, British, heed to carry 14in guns, and could not said "ure just about in process of be altered to mount heavier weapons being finished up agreeably." Cost Moreover, the 14in guns and mount- without involving great delay. of mailing letters by Transatlantic Ings for these ships are already air post will be 10d. to 1s, cach half-

under production. ounce.

But the armament of the three (Biggest planes at present in us vessels Included in the new programune

Imperial Airways routes are 18-tonners. The British Air Minis-may consist of heavier guns.

The limit of 14in calibre imposed try has a 35-ton flying boat for ex-by last year's Naval Treaty becomes perimental purposes.]

operative.only if it is accepted by all the Powers, Japan, however, still withholds her acceptance, and has only six weeks longer in which to make up her mind.

on

Duellist's Choice-

A Cannon

If by that time she has failed to give an affirmative answer, the American Navy, It is officially an- nounced, will at once order 16in guns'

In for its projected battleships. that event the British Navy might be cumpelled to follow suit.

SACRIFICE OF SPEED Most naval officers would prefer ta 'Budapest. Mar. 15. keep, to the 14in limit. The new gun

"I am a Christian, and therefore of this calibre is, they consider, of oppose duelling." sald Herr Karl suffelent weight and power for all Peyer, the Socialisi leader of Hung-purposes.

ary, when challenged to a duel. Its projectile of 1,500lb will perforate "But if I must fight, I demand the practically any thickness of armour at use of artillery, because this is the ordinary dighing ranges, and the gun only weapon about which I know itself weighs 33 tons less than the 16in place of 103 tons. The rate of fire anything."

is appreciably higher with the 14in

Duke of Windsor And Mrs. Simpson

The latest rumour about the plans of the Duke of Windsor and Mrs. Simpson are:

Montreal, Mar. 1.

weapon.

As our new battleships are restric ted to 35,000 tons, the "weight of

ot armament ds a factor

prime Importance. The heavier the arma- ment the less margin will be left for armour protection and machinery. A battleship of this size mounting rine 16in. guns must elther sacrifice ad- equate protection or be restricted to a speed of at most 25 knots.

It nine 14in. guns were mounted here, will, after his marriage to 65 to 70 per cent. This could be ap THE Duke of Windsor, It is believed there would be a saving in weight of Mrs. Simpson bring her to spend aplled to improving the protection and holiday on his Canadian ranch. It spoed.

has hitherto been understood that B-MILE RANGE of Heavy GUNS the Dulce, had sold his ranch to Mr. Lincoln Ellsworth, the Ualled States is duo Cess to the guns than their This marked difference in weight who explorer,

visited him

at mountings, which become dispropar- Palace on the first day Buckingham

tionately heavier as calibre Inceases. of the abdication crisis.

The total weight of nine 10in guns on But I am informed by Professor triple mounting is over 7,000 tons, Carlyle, the manager of the Duke's while that of nine 14in on similar ranch, that he is unaware of any mountings would be about 4.300 tons. decision, or negotiations, to sell the The following table shows the three ranch, or any part of it. Last year typos of heavy guns in our capital rich deposits of oil were found under ships bullt, and building: part of the ranch.

MRS.

Vienna, Mar. 1.

RS. SIMPSON is reported to have purchased a villa near Gaeta,

in Italy. Gaeta is an ancient fort!- fted town lying in a magnificent bay,

Calibre.

18in

15in

Muzzle Weight Projectile voloelly

ft. per sec. tons. ib.

2,053

· ́ ̄`2,461 103

07%

1,020 1,600 2,478

2,450

modern mountings' there is

with fine sands for bathing, on the little to choose between the effective! bonat road between Rome and Naples, ness of these three types, all of The district is extremely rich in anti-which shoot accurately ant ranges, quities and historical associations. exécoding ninò miles,

How

'Single' Whiskies

get married

seid.

"Here In Scotland," Johnnie Walker, "we don't marry the 'single' or separate whiskics until they have matured for long years in the

wood and are old enough to be blended as Johnnie Walker. The Blender then has a large number of fully matured whiskies at his disposal, and from these he achieves that blend of perfect harmony which is Johnnie Walker.

"Every time you drink Johnnie Walker you realise how happy the marriage has been, and so you will always ask for Johnnie Walker by name.”

JOHNNIE WALKER

Born 1820-still going strong

Sola Agents for China

QALDEECK, MACGREGOR & CO., LTD.

SILANGHAI O HONGKONO

COPIES OF

TENTSIN

PHOTOGRAPHS

by "Staff Photographer" appearing in the

"SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST”.

and

"THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH”

may be purchased at the Business Office

of "The Hongkong Telegraph” Morning Post Building, Wyndham Street.

THE

HONGKONG

· PENINSULA HOTEL;

HONGKONG HOTEL; REPULSE BAY HOTEL;

& SHANGHAI

ASTOR HOUSE; PALACE HOTEL:

HOTELS

LIMITED.

In association with the Grand Hotel des Wagons Lits, Poking

RUNNYMEDE

HOTEL, LIMITED, PENANG.

The most fashionable

and

leading Hotel.

Finest position with magnificent

Sea-front.

Private Cars.

Same management Crag Hotel, Penang Hills 2,400