1937-10-28 — Page 6

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1937.

WHITBREAD'S

PALE ALE

BRITAIN'S

BEST BEER

THE PRODUCT OF A BREWING EXPERIENCE EXTENDING OVER 200 YEARS AND THE BIGGEST

SELLER IN ENGLAND TO-DAY.

Sole Agents:-

A. S. WATSON & CO., LTD.

SALE OF RECORDS

We are offering a large number

.of.

VICTOR and "H.M.V." RECORDS

at reduced prices.

Catalogues

are

available

on application

THE

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CLUB SEDAN

FOR FIVE PASSENGERS

MAY BE YOUR CHOICE

"A TOP-QUALITY CAR” LARGE AND ROOMY MODERATELY PRICED

Inspection and Trial Invited

Hongkong Hotel Garage

Stubbs Rd.

SHOWROOM

The

Phone 27778-9

Thongkong Telegraph.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1937.

Twentieth Governor Of Hongkong Hongkong to-day welcomes another Governor and his Lady! -Sir Geoffry and Lady North- [cole.

They have been sent to this Empire outpost at a time when history is being made around it. The map of Asia, pitted and stained by another ruthless war, may suffer a painful shift ing of boundaries, never too secure, during Sir Geoffry's stay here. The responsibilities of

office which he shoulders when he takes the oath to-day

S. MOUTRIE & Co., Ltd. may weigh heavily upon him at

York Building

WithWW |

Chater Road

HAIL YOUTH AND LOVE:

FAREWELL WESTERN FRONT...

The ROAD

BACK

"The`onqual se "All Quiet wo the Western Frant"

by Brich Maria komarque Sdeen Play by R. G. Sharrifi.

anal Charles Kanyan

OPENING

QUEEN'S

UNIVERSAL PICTURE.

featuring pres JOHN KING, RICHARD CROMWELL, SLIM SUM-

MERVILLE, ANDY DEVINE, BARBARA READ, LOUISE

· FAZENDA, JOHN EMERY,

HOAH BEERY, JR.,

MAURICE MURPHY, ETIENNE GIRARDOT/

A JAMES WHALE PRODUCTION Associate Producer Edmund Grainger

SATURDAY

& ALHAMBRA

some later date, for Hongkong has an important part to play in Far Eastern affairs, and may have a still more exacting one. For one thing, the Governor of this Colony has a task such as

а

British diplomat is rarely called upon to perform, in the administering of the War Relief Fund at present being raised in Britain to ease the suffering in Chinn.

WHO'D be a

CHAMP?

could one

obtain

the Vote of every ambitions youngster in English-speaking coun- tries whether he would prefer to be a President. Prime Minister or a world boxing champion, I certain that an overwhelm- ing majority would declare in favour of ring stardom.

om

It is no exaggeration to de- clare that big-time boxing is infinitely more International than racing, football, cricket or any other popular pas- time. Thousands of boys have been ardent hero-wor- shippers of an Alex Jumes or a Jack Hobbs. Millions have enthusiastically discussed the qualities of Joe Louls, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Georges Carpentier or Tommy Farr,

have

Youthi- and Age always been fascinated with the prowess of a champion pugilist. But the real magnet is The Big Purse.

£ £

£

They remember Tunney's stu- pendous share, £247,612, when he defeated Dempsey the second time at Chicago and Dempsey's £117,250-at the rate of £30,000

minute when he knocked out Lab Angel Firpo, the Italian- Spaniard from Buenos Aires. This

was the most sensational of ali Dempsey's Aghts, when the powerful ex-bull fighter sent the then world

through the ropes clean out of the champion crushing

ring; Dempsey's £16,000; Carpen- tier's £50,000 for the greatly dis- cussed so-called battle of the cen tury at Jersey City in 1021.

It is this fantastic flight Anance that intensifies public interest more than the actual match. Nowadays match-making is such a commercial art that boxers" managers generally arrange for a percentage of the “gate," car park, bars, programmes. Some of them havo oven demanded and received their cash income tax free.

£

£ £

Because of the enormous sums paid to a few world champions you will frequently hear the inane remark: "I wouldn't mind being knocked out by Louis or Farr for £12,000! Proving that

the speaker has covetousness, but not courage,

How many, I wonder, would be ready to take a cheque beforehand

by

James Butler

for $12,000 for an awful hiding such as Dempsey Inflicted upon Carpentier; the ruthless ham- mering Mickey Walker dealt to the plucky Scots battler, Tommy Milligan, at Olympia; the mas- sering which the Benegalese Negro, Battling Siki, administered to the French idol, Carpentier, be- fore thousands of fashionable Parisians of. both Bunday afternoon!

Onc

Ring romance and ring trage- dics talk side by side in every championship night. The champion of 10-day is the discard of the morrow is a truism of the sport. It is a paraphrase of the age-old tag: "The king is dead; long live the king."

£ £

£

With the exception of perhaps Tunney and Dempsey, most of the former champions are for- gotten... some of them broke. While Joe Louls was defending his title against Farr at Yankee Stadium, New York, the founder, shall we say. of the "big purse movement, Jack Johnson, so it was stated, was an exhibit in a alde show at a nearby amusement park.

Tunney can thank his lucky star that he was given an excellent education. Also ho had the un- usual experience for a boxer of obtaining commercial knowledge while employed as a clerk in a store. This proved of incalculable value in the years when he was to become a championship conten- der aat champion. Whien he đạo cided to retire for good he settled up his indebtedness to his agents, Hla fortune was thus protected from the grafters.

£

£ £

Dempsey has become the most popular Aghter in America, but he lacks Tunney's Hair for keeping the "dough." Two of his greatest friends told me that the old Mauler." as he is affectionately called, made over best part of his ring carnings to his former-wife, Estelle Taylor, the film actress.

Dempsey has few illusions in life. His description of his romantic carcer is picturesque: "From Rags to Riches," and is more or less true.

A youngster must have remark- able assets if he hopes to reach the top of the boxing world. The hide of a hippopotamus; the diplomacy of a Disraeli; the courage of a cougar.

Because there are heartbreaks

ALL I I WANT IS

I THINK it can be pretty well taken

alone.

want

It is fantastic fight finance that intensifies public interest more than the actual match, says the writer of this highly topical article, in | which he helps to answer the question: Į "Do Boxers Earn

Their Money?".

Tommy Farr's experience is that of most boxers who have oventually reached big money.

at every corner of a boxer's life, Managerial problems. The risk of accident. The possibility of being blinded... and maybe some per- manent injury.

Jack Petersen has retired with a fortune. Ho la Too"wise and care- ful to squander the hard earned money that nearly cost him tho sight of an eye,

Tommy Farr is anything but a free spender-indicating that he possesses, among other qualities, wisdom. The champion, to make a lot of money, must look after the pennies as well as the pounds. Len Harvey

another brillant Britisher who is a comparatively rich man.

is

£ £

£

Gershon Mendeloff, more familiar to readers as Ted (Kid) Lewis, son of a cabinet maker in East London, must have received nearly £200,000 for his many Ane fights In America. He has told me that sometimes he believes it was more.

He never kept any records or books to show the aggregate of his carnings. What an extraordinary life story is his. I recall him as a

IS SERVICE!

I own nothing, but I willingly pay for the privilege of possessing things. and any rise or fall in their value is the concern of their owners-who, responsibly of ownership.

This may seem a pretty tall order, and in a way it is; but I have no de- sire to have a single cent behind me incidentally, have all the trouble and any kind. What I want is to be able in the way of money or property of

the use of things as I go through life. to earn a sufficient income to pay for

the fact that they have so much to

sklany-built youngster boxing for purses of less than half-a-crown.. He crashed his way to the top by sheer strength of will as well as: physical power.

Had he been able to possess some degree of Philosophy and "thrifti- ness, the Kid would still be well of.... But he spent money almost as fast as he earned What a grand fighter was he at his peak. An example to

1.

every boy who starts in the game. Ounce for ounce I regard Lewis as the equal of Jack Dempsey, Mickey Walker, and Jimmy Wilde.

£ £ £

Sporting Jewry has reason to be proud of the fighting spirit that- carried Lewis to a world cham- plon's litic.

Yet, while these champions I have mentioned provoko admira- tion from followers of the fancy. what about the thousands of boxers who haven't anything to show for their heroic battics- except thick CATA and broken.

noses?

I meet these pathetic derelicta of the ring hovering about the entrance halls when big fights are being staged. These are "down and outs" mostly because they lack Initiative or have not been taught some trade or businesa,

It is a tortuous path to a cham- plon's title, a long way even from serving an apprenticeship among the novices, to becoming a six and ten-round preliminary fighter, Every boxer has his tough times.

others. some of them much worse than

£ £ £

I have known many inds who

on an empty stomach....some- times with only the sustenance of a cup of tea and a slice of bread and butter.

Their wages have varled from 38. 04. to. £1 out of the latter num half-a-crown commission is. collected by the manager; a shll- ling or two seconds' money; and, farcs.

While war rages near this Colony His Majesty's repre- sentative must be prepared to use his good offices in other ways than in relieving misery.

for granted that

The first reason I can fully appre-

price of the frame concern me no more nearly every cinte. It is common to everyone secluded village. Financial rampa than the rain-gauge readings of some There is the broad, and to the human being has a passion for own-nnd some animals.

(whatever they are) and bogus com- layman, terrifying problem of of two reasons.

ing things-and this for one or both But as for the second reason, I pany flotations make very interest-:

There is a very nn-confess I have never had the slightesting reading, but they can never be n diplomacy OVOL to the fore.tural desire to remove the dread of desire to own things for themselves reality to me. Generally speaking, in mutters actual want, and/or there is a very encumbrances. All I ask is service

look upon possessions Trammels of Property have provided thrilling.battles human desire to own things for the-everything I want the moment of international significance, a

sake of owning them, Governor is spared the neces- sity of making a decision. But ring. The story of East Africa, in times of emergency it is the with all its sheer romance and man on the spot who must act, beauty, is also Sir Geoffry's;

I plly people of properly. Besides very, often. It is reassuring to for ho literally grew up with the

lose and so little to galh, they can never give complete the people of this Colony to country. Sir Geoffry participated Free and Unfettered

expressfori to : thoir Individuality with their lies have for their chief executive in no small way in the building

and trammels. Their movements in- I do not want to own a car; I want volve such tremendous uprootings. a man of auch calibre as Sirp of sound administration, in to be able to hire one when necessary. There is always so much to be "con- I have no desire to live in my own sidered" before they make a change, [these, until Geoffry.

recently, remote house with my own furniture; I pre- parts. He

There are no restrictions placed fer to rent a furnished house of apart- was made Chief ment, and when I tire of it, to be ab- upon my tastes and preferences; I Only 56 years of age, Sir Secretary in Northern Rhodesin, complete change in my sur- Perfect service need not necessarily travel through life without luggage. rolately free, unfettered-and Geoffry has spent thirty-three 1928-1930, and was Colonial roundings by renting anoilier, or per-ponder to whim or fancy--but it does allow full freedom for one's cultural of those years in Colonial Ser- Secretary of the Gold Coast, hape ve for a time in a hotel.

development and change of habits. 1930-193-4. In 1935 he vice, since leaving Oxford, From

house than to own a public square,t I admit that I may be an extremist. made Governor of British although I am perfectly willing to but it must also be admitted that the 1904 until 1935 he served in Guinn, with Georgetown his pay for the use of both.

vast majority of people are slaves to Africa, spending most of his

their possessions, and hence to their picturesque scnt.

Service, I think, is the substituto environment. Within the limits of time in Kenya, formerly the

par excellence for property,

my income, I make a choice of en- East African Protectorate. That twentieth Governor. He may means or it means to me that one them.

Sir Geoffry is Hongkong's

vironment, moving about as free an Acquiring property means acquire air, and enjoying the good things of ing reponsibilities and anxiety. It fe without the trouble of owning

Wag

1 have

no more wish to

to

own a

•

is what Who's Who says. But be gratified to know that he can't sleep sound of nights. No linbi- that period of East Africa's takes the Colony out of its vice. Stock

lities are incurred when you buy ser- Own nothing and you own the Exchange quotations world, own something and you own history is among its most stir "techs."

have nover sent any cold shiver down little else. my back, and fluctuations in the

Rod Handley

Tommy Farz has a vivid alomory· of his struggling days and nights, when to used to fight without a meal; now and again he was able to Indulge in the luxury of a kipper! Farr's experience is that of the majority of boxers who have money"; there havo naturally eventually reached the big

been exceptions-Jack Polersen, Len Harvey, Jack Hood and others.

Yet, what of the box-the countless legion-who fall in their quent for fame and fortune? They pass down into the corridor which İcada to oblivion.... battered and punch drunk ..disillusioned .... unequipped for decent work. just to join the growing army of unemployables.

Today's Thought- WHEN the gods tuisks to punish us they answer our prayers, OSCAR WILDE.

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