1937-11-04 — Page 18

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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1937.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1937.

F somebody could only persuade Mr. Cordell Hull, who is the Secretary of State (an office which corresponds to Foreign Secretary here), to stop speaking in lofty generalities and to come down to brass tacks he might yet lead the world back into the paths of rea-

son.

But it is not in Mr. Cordell Hull's nature to come down to brass tacks. He doesn't like them. And he knows that the people of the United States of America would be very cross with him if he did.

He also knows-and in this, among the Foreign Ministers of the world, he is almost uniquely wise-that politics and econo- mics are indivisible to-day; and that if you remove the causes of economic discontent you are go- ing a long way towards suppress- ing the philosophies of political violence.

But, because freckled Mr. Cor- dell Hull is a Southerner, he doesn't think that time matters

Secretary of State Cordell Hull is another personality in Philip Jordan's series "of

important Americans

be a tidy document with no loose ends. Mr. Cordell Hull likes formality and dcapisca sloppi-

ness.

In ten minutes with him you will meet with greater formality than in an hour with any of his colleagues; and if he doesn't want to answer a question he will tell you so: he won't beat about the bush, as most men will, pretending that he is answering you when, in fact, he is doing nothing of the kind.

He won't tell you, for in- stance, exactly how far the British Government will go to achieve this vitally important agreement which the Foreign Office would obviously welcome but about which the Board of Trade has always been ridicu- lously sticky,

But although he will tell you nothing, although he will em- phasise and overstate the Bri- tish case, which means the barrier of the Ottawa Agree- ments, he can't help giving you the impression that we are being rather silly about the whole thing and that we won't see that the political sido id what matters; and that the

HE WORKS FOR ANGLO-

U. S. FRIENDSHIP

very much; and because he is an men: I do not know: I only behind the terms of any Anglo- trade side must in any case be COLONIES AND American, and therefore remote suspect that he has for them the American trade agreement would comparatively unimportant.

from Europe, he doesn't know same kind of amused contempt lie an unspokert, unattered and In a month of Sundays he MANDATES

that the pace of history is ac- that Stendhal had for America; unwritten political alliance, by wouldn't admit that the politi celerating all the time; and that, and that, as Stendhal knew, he whose strength not even Hitler, cal side of such an agreement Germany is about to fling the perhaps, before he can say "Jack knows that to attempt to thwart not even Mussolini could fail to is what really matters, because that would be a betrayal of Colonics Issue into the forefront Robinson" it will be too late for America's synthetic popular feel- be impressed.

of economic Indeed, it would not be de- those principles of affairs in Europe, despatches him to postpone a war into which ing is to kick against the pricks.

he knows the United States of But Mr. Cordell Hull knows manding too much of any Bri- nationalism to which America from London warn. Backed by

America will once more be drag- that there are ways round every- tish industry that it should, if still pays lip service.

Mr. Cordell Hull used to be Italy, Hitler intends to re-

ged.

thing; and that the shortest road need be, sacrifice something to pudiate the remaining clauses of

But if he speaks in lofty gen- is not always the best one to achieve the completion of that an economic nationalist; and agreement upon which, I believe, it will always be remembered to the tattered Versailles Treaty, cralities with his white hands take..

Mr. Cordell Hull has set his his. great credit that in old age he abandoned fallacious theo- condemn the mandate system, it clasped in front of him like a

heart, bishop's he does so because he is stated. Just how seriously has a lofty mind which sees a

His policy of making trade When Mr. Cordell Hull, im- rics and went on to reality. A Germany intends to strive for great deal further than the agreements may be the longer mensely tall and pale, stands rare quality in any statesman.

exquisite the return of colonies, lost when minds of almost any one of his road, but there can be no doubt over you and, with

precisely. It would be an odd fate if colleagues in the Administra- that if he is allowed to completo courtesy, tells you she signed the treaty which

tion; and if his opinion of man- it, and that if the folly, greed nothing, you begin to wonder if, history were to make him the ended the struggle of 1914-18, kind is rather higher than man- and short-sightedness of the after all, his detractors are not saviour of the British Empire no-one will feel inclined to guesy.

kind deserves, that is something Average British Protectionist can right and that he is, perhaps, by perunding her, in her old Lon the credit side of Mr. Hull's be overcome, it will not be long nothing but a woolly old gentle age, also to abandon fallacious But to press the matter at a

personal rather than political before the people of America man in whose company it is a theories and to turn to the time like the present, when

urgent realities of the agċ. It ledger.

will welcome what, in its poli- pleasure to be. nations are bending every effort

tical effect, will be little else than But later, when you think over would be an odd fate if he, of Mr. Cordell Hull believes-and

an Anglo-American alliance. what he said, and when you be- all men, were to save capitalism. to put a stop to bloody conflicts in my opinion believes rightly-

If Mr. Cordell Hull can bring gin to ferret about in the cor- by admitting into its practice that the one sure guarantee of of an Anglo-American trade ridors of the State Department, precisely that

part of the Or it may be that the time has peace in this troubled world agreement, however slight may you realise that he knows what Marxian doctrine which is cor- been selected, with the object of would be an Anglo-American be the provisions which it con- he wants and that equally im rect-the indivisibility of poli............ deliberately confusing the situa-alliance. But Mr. Cordell Hull, tains, he will have achieved portant-ho knows just how far tics and economica, tion by adding yet another bone for all his lofty generalities, is something for which the demo- he can go to get it. And within of contention to the pile where very far from being a fool, and cratic peoples of the world will those limits he has fitted nations even now are wrangl-knows that the temper of the never be able sufficiently to framework of his desires.

American people being what it thank him.

If the Anglo-American trade offended if a future generation ing.

is, he might as well ask for the

Mr. Cordell Hull, with whose agreement-which we so'foolish- were to raise a statue to him But it would have name in this instance must be ly threw away when Norman In Whitehall. coupled that of the President, Davies Inst carne, to Europe to be very classical and very is well aware of the fact that should ever come to pass, it will traditional in design.

in Spain and China, seems folly.

it

moon.

Perhaps Mr. Cordell Hull de spises the bulk of his country

But it wouldn't be a bad fate. the I have an idea that the shade of Mr. Cordell Hull would not be

I Wrote 70,000 Words

And 10 Words Were Used

A NUMBER of authors who have written over. 70,000 words, of which

worked for film companies have ten (ten words, not ten thousand!) found in their experience material were eventually used.

I have written my first script and for satire. Fiction-stories have ap- peared successfully satirising (to the had it received with enthusiasm, only lay mind) the nerve-storms of stars; to and that it has been handed over the violent acrobatics of a director the next day to a writer who was on the set: the incompetence and not even on the staff. ignorance of producers.

+

its small significant actions, so that author, A scenarist's job is to take

instead of being an Integral part of a story and adapt it for the screen. whal screen-con- the story it has become an unhappy lie understands ghost wavering through several thou- tinulty means (the narrating of the

of celluloid.

story in a cinematic sense si opposed sand feet

I have worked from nine to nve to a literary sense) and what makes

clerk in an office, clocking-in telling situations, like and clocking-out. I I have worked at: He knows how to link up his and to "fade through the night, laying down my sequences, when to "cut" to "lis pen at dawn, and at a ten o'clocit solve," to "Inde in"

ut." But that doesn't make him un the whole out." story conference' torn

nuthor. He's a film-technielan. He work up. And I'm not grumbling.

Although it has never been confirmed, there is good reason to believe that France and Britain have already offered Germany Tanganyika, the Cameroons and Togoland-at a price. They asked Germany to come back into the League of Nations, abandon the sinister Four Year Plan and enter into a séhene for freer world trade, is popularly believed. Hitler is said to have refused. Germany did not want the colonics badly enough to make concessions, the atory goes. Many would jump to the conelu- sion that Germany did not really want these three not-particu- larly-valuable tracts of land. On the face of it the former German African colonies are not The worth quarrelling about. only reason that Britain is opposed to surrendering the mandate is that they might pro- vide bases from which her trade routes and her own African possessions could be threatened. From Togoland 'and South-west Africa the sea lane to the Cape-

From Tangan- is assailable. yika, facing Kenya, the Suez la within striking distance. Land forces from Tanganyika, work- ing in conjunction with Italians could force the pace of presentsile homeland's exports, Simi- only two solutions possible for interit through to shooting-script

iminigration in In Somaliland, Ethiopia and

South-west larly, in raw materrals the Ger- Germany's difficulties," says von complete with dilologue, is rare. a strangle- Libya could apply

Africa (1,000 a year) and Tan-man colonies could only supply Ribbentrop, "olther through a have heard it said that such a one is hold to Kenya, Uganda and the

ganyika (300 a year) ten-fold, a fractional portion of what return of her former colonies, gifted above his fellows. I don't be or through the German people's eve it. I wish producers could be Sudan. Moreover, South Africa

what is that compared to hor Germany required. is adamant against restoration-450,000 a year increase in popo- Prestige is the only other own strength." That sounds made not to believe it,

lation? What is such a Aguro heading under which auch a sub- very like a threat, and while

The cause of fallure of a great compared to the "ten, twenty, jeet can be treated. Admitted. British instinct is to help the yes, thirty millions more popula-ly the winning back of a Colonial nation "down in its luck, Br many pletures in because the story odd way in itself is trivint, unconvincing, com- have tion" for which Dr. Goebbels re- Empire might brighten the Nazi tish feeling has an

monplace. Too many cooks they stiffening against hard words.

the turgid cour. The former: If Germany wants her former stirred

lost, conception has been cently appealed, adding: "We pride. They could, any

original will know where to and room for and recovered what a

the colonies aho would be wise to the flow of the tale muddied. Tom, them." Not in Africa, surely, regime had lost. But le

As for trade-If in 1913 the possession of these lands worth support the mandate system Dick and Harry have added their German African colonies had a struggle at this time? Is it which the majority apparently little bit.

cut outlining of a situation has be~ bought all their goods from worth disturbing further the approves, because on that basis Germany the total would have relations of Europe in order to alone is she likely to obtain at Harry, Dick and Tem. The clear- represented just 0.7 per cent, of win this point? "There are them.

of South-west Africa to Ger- many; claims even restoration of Tanganyika would threaten. her security.

As to the intrinsic value of these African possessions, it is For white relatively small settlement all but South-west Africa are virtually impossible. Only a half-caste or native stock can survive, it has been sald. But even admitted that Germany.

They make good reading and good fun on the smallest basle of truth. But this astonishing business of making talking pictures lends itself casily to such leg-pulling.

I have developed stories to lead to a definitely built-up climax, only to find the completed picture has "en- tirely missed the point.

I have evolved a character and I have been through the mlli. 1 worked up essential detail, to find the have worked for, at company and character remains, but stripped of

I am not rumbling at all. And is adapilng inaterial into which the has already been the reason I believe the author has breath of life got to play in British pictures of the breathed by its original ercator.

Now there are scenarists who exist future a far greater part than he

They are not an have authorship. has been permitted to do in the part in England and who at the same time

A script-writer isn't necessarily on

numerous, The man or woman who enn originate a story, put it info carry the treatment-continuity,

The cutting-room has sliced away

(Continued on Page 5.1

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