1937-12-11 — Page 42

18

A TRAGEDY

OF LOCH EARN

ST FILLANS is

famous for the Saint and the goodly deeds he did in and around the village, but this that was done on the isle of Loch Earn was fully eight centuries after his life, when it seemed though lawless deeds were the ac cepted custom of the day.

ដន

The M'Naba, who lived at Kinnell House on Loch Tay, were apparently the rulers of the land stretching

around them, and their main enemy was the Chief of the Nelshes, who lived on the islo on Loch Earn at St Fillans.

The why and wherefore are un- known. It is auch a tiny island, with many stones from the ruins on it, that one can only conclude it has sunk steadily during the last five hundred years since the Neishes were in occupation.

It is told that at the beginning of the sixteenth century there was a terrible battle between the M'Nabs and the clan of Nelsh at Chenbolta- chan, which divides the two hills rising due north of Lochearnfoot and it was believed that the latter clan was wiped out. A Inrge stone marks the spot where the Chief was slain. But the Neishes appeared to come to life again, for they are heard of in the time of James V. making hrald on some servants of the M'Naba,

Wrath of the M'Nab

Christmas time was drawing neur, and it had been decided at Kinnoul to send for special food and drink St which took the servants down by Fiilans. News of this reached the Neishes, and on the return journey servants were set upon and des- polled of all their purchases, includ- ing some special wines.

the

The wrath of the M'Nab was great when the servants returned beaten and

bereft. For some time after ticaring their news he walked in his courtyard and came in "with an un- social humour," contemplating "the doing of some desperato deed." He recited to his sons twelve of them -the wrongs done to his servants by the hated Neishes, and ended up dramatically by saying, "The night is the night, if lads were but lads.” MNab's sons thereupon started up, and buckled on their pistols, dicks, and

their claymores. Receiving father's instructions (he was too old for the venture) they went forth to the creek at Loch Tay.

The twelve shouldered the boat, marching off down the narrow pass of Glentarkin, then following a mountain sircam to the edge of Loch Earn. Their

boat

was launched again, and with sinewy arms they shot forth, plying the cars silently until they came to a cove on the north-east end of the island, where

they disembarked."

Solitary Survivor

The twelve M'Nabs crept up to the house, and fluding a hole in the wall, peered through, and they Jooked into the very room where the Neish was sitting before a Are,

It did not take long for them to find the entrance, and the eldest son of the M'Nabs rapped at the door, Old Neish had heard the steps, und quickly guessing whose they were, felt that with such the worst would happen.

"Who shouted. There came the answer. "Who would you liken worst were there?" Then came a volce of des- pair that endeavoured to aneer. "Smooth John M'Nab,"

There was answer. derision from the other side. "If he has hitherto been smooth," said a volce, "you'll find him rough for this ORC night," and the door was smashed open.

knocka at the door," he

the was anari of

A horrible struggle took place, until finally Neish's head W #13 revered from the body and made

ready

for taking back to Meantime the rest of the brothers went into the dining hall of the old gloomy mansion, and there

N the heart of China--Arst in the middle provinces south of the'great' Yangtao. 'then in the far North-West there has been for ten years a land of Lost Horizon.

It was the territory of the Chinese Soviet Republic: founded in 1027, voluntarily dissolved in the summer of this year.

And in all those ten years, unti Edgar Snow' "Dally Herald "correspondent-walked out with a muleteer from Yenan In Shenal, through No-Man's Land Into the hills where the Red outposts challenged him, no outsider had visited the Un- known State.

You could, hear by rumour and report of enemies and of romantic sympathisers any- thing you wished to believe. But the facts iny behind an impene- trable vell.

Even the existence of the Soviet State was questioned, Nanking Government propa- ganda denied it. According to the Chinese Press, and to most foreigners in China, there was nelther Soviet nor State, only some gangs of "handits" and "brigands" whom Chiang Kai- shek's armies "destroyed" or "liquidated" overy few months,

When they were not being destroyed they were murdering and locting

and burning: ruffians and desperadoes of the vilest kind.

On the other hand, there wero Moscow legends of a great, organised Communist State of 60,000,000 Inhabitants, with a powerful Red Army which would at any moment advance to the conquest of all China.

Somewhere between lay the truth. But just where no one knew until Snow went in to see and report. Just in time. For

ho came back in October of last year-only a few months before the strange end of this strange State.

So "Red Star Over China" (published by Gollancz at 18s.) is and will remain an histor!- cal document of the first order. It is also as exciting and en- thralling a tale of exploration as anyone can *****

"By seven o'clock next morn- ing I had really left the last Kuomintang machine-guns be- hind, and was walking through the thin strip of territory that divided Red from White....

"There was no road at all, but only the bed of the stream that rushed swiftly between high walls of rack....

***Tho-lal' the muleteer, shouted suddenly, as the rock walls at last gave way and opened out into a narrow val- ley, green with young wheat,

We have arrived.'

I-saw-in-the-side-of-a-hill a locss village, where blue smoke curled from the tall, clay chim- neys that stood up like long fingers against the face of the clif.

"A young farmer wearing a urban of white towelling on his head and a revolver strapped to his waist came out and looked at me in astonishment...

That was the beginning. I you want to know what hap- pened then, buy, beg or borrow "Red Star." Because here 1 the inust say something of

Sovlet Republic itself. Kinnell.

It began in 1927 with the

they

"dealt with all they found," and all they found were drunk.

Every person they found in the house they killed. Triumphantly. with old Nelsh's head packed safely for their father, they entered their boat again.

But they had not completed their work. A small boy, a grandson of Neish, had hidden himself through- out the terrible slaughter, and how

THE HONGKONG-

TELEGRAPH. SATURDAY,

DECEMBER

· 11, 1937.

The

Lost Country

where only

ONE WHITE MAN

HAS TROD

One of the "Little Devils" of the Chinese Red Army, who are ireated as mascots. Above are the frozen plains of Sulyuan.

great spilt in the then victorious Kuomintang, when Chiang Kai- shek and the Communists quar- relled, Chiang began a merciless White Terror against the Left, and all Nationalist China broke into a welter of warring fac- tlons.

In those days Mao Tse-tung, son of a Hunan peasant, now 34 years old and a Communist leader, organised a rising among the Aercely exploited, miser- ably poor peasantry of Kinngsi and Hunan.

He had a handful of "rebel" troops, the Hanyang miners, It the peasants themselves.

seemed an insignificant move- ment. But it was rooted in the realities of Chinese peasant life. It grew swiftly. Other risings, under. other leaders followed and merged with it. By the end of 1927 large areas were under the control of Red Armies: and

By

W. N. Ewer

where the Red Armies wore, the landlords were ousted, the land given to the peasants. A Soviet Government was proclaimed at Cha'iin.

Out of disorder and revolt Mao and Chu Teh and the other

· leaders gradually got order and organisation. The Boviet State (which was in fact a peasant state) got itself formed, with a population of some 9,000,000.

Chiang Kai-shok, now dic- tator in Nanking, took alarm, launched his armies on an "Extermination Campaign." They were well and truly beaten. He tried again. All through the years of the Japan- esc conquest of Manchuria, Chlang devoted himself not to resisting invasion, but to trying to destroy the Soviet Republic,

Five:campaigns-he-launched.- He had tanks and aeroplanes and heavy artillery, German advisers, British and Ameri- can money. The "Reds" had little but Indomitable spirit and brilliant leadership. ald of any kind from outside -not even from Russia, which applauded but gave no support. At last the slow pressure told. The position became. impossible. The Red Armies vanished. The landlords came back with the executioners. White Terror swept the land. And Nanking crled exuitantly that the Soviet Republic (or thebandits") had been ex- terminated.

was a new beginning. Now came a fantastic, incredible thing.

The Red Armies broke through Chlang's encircling troops, and marched away to the West. Month after month they marched, on foot all the way, fighting most of the time. West and west until they were nearly at the fron- tler of Burma. Then North and North into Shensi. thousand miles!

8lx

It is one of the most astounding facts in military history. They lost thousands on the way: but they re- erulted thousands more: for

the everywhere

peasantry greeted them as friends and liberators.

And at the end, in Shensi, well out of Chiang's striking range, they rebuilt their Soviet State. What that State is like, let Snow tell you. It is an im- portant as well as a fascinating story. For though the Soviet- Republic is now dissolved in name, the system remains in fact and it is the model on which (because it is a peasant land) all China will one day be rebuilt.

The Soviet Republic has been dissolved: the Red Armies have become divisions of the national army, because of the impera- tive need of unity in face of Japan. These Chinese Com- munists are passionately Chinese. Again and again, they offered peace to Nanking, -peace-and-union-against-the-

Invader.

:

No

his

But it was not the end. It

Always Chiang refused—until kidnapping by Chang The Hsuch-Ilang this summer. facts of that fantastic tale, too, Snow tells for the first time. The upshot of it all was that peace was made, the "Bovict Government" became "Spesial Area Government," and that, just in time, all China was at last united in resistance to Japanese aggression,

а

It is an eple story, superbly told. "Red Star " is going to bb one of the classic books on China,

Why a Parachute Costs so much Money

A

he came out sane it is dimcult to but think of the work that pound weight is attached to it and imagine. But we hear that he did,

GOOD parachute any faults. After it is packed it is tested again by being fixed to a dum- costs about £80. Ex- my and dropped from a 'plane. -pensive, perhaps-

In a test for a new model a 400 Is dropped from a the whole lot 'plane diving about two seconds from the time the ripcord is pulled for a parachute to open out fully.

and continued to live in the neigh-goes into it. bourhood of St. Fillons. From him raust descend the Neishes day.

of 10-

I. M.

Nế

A BROKEN DOWN SYSTEM. This is a condition fer disowna) te which many TERZOEKTO LÍFUR but few vasily understand." it da simply weakness-a break down do it work, - of the vital fordon that sustain the systuen. - MARIOT WRAL may be its masses they are almost wumbersono), lin upażytome are much the samej the more promiooni Being Riesglossmens, kering of prostilon or wearioses, ́depression of wirls and want of averty for 451 the ordinary Tales of Lila, Now, what alone la masaccial in mil soch onser la Inoreased vitallip-vigour, wita) strength and energy to throw all thear morbid seslings, and as Right #DORMECH the day this may be term oncteinly meburad by a dogŕse st THE HEW FAXNOH REMEDY,

THERAPION NË. 3

thes by any other imows sombinatian. So surly Is takne in mobordance with the printed issions will the chattered edita berpe THE EXPIRING LAMP OF LIFE

· LIGHTED UP AFRESH GIË NATË KRIMeson Impacted in plebe at what bed po kiely soomad worn-out, whed up and veine- Less. This preparatios 11 amitable for all ages, monitori and mandlilera, far stiker neu y una di so dimonie to irskine a dimeve or dovas:POMEMA whose mala Fonturo ir weakness, that will not bo spoedily and pirkesangir qywsomu by khi sweepestifea #uninong walch i čestinal to past PMwide-aprond lamourgs of humanity,

Each parachute needs sixty to seventy yards of finest pure A small pilot parachute Atted at silk. In the *canopy alone the top of the largo chute helps it ninety-six

sections to open quickly and also draws It separate have to be accurately sewn to- away from the airman so that he

won't fall into it, gether.

The rate of fall varies between One faulty stitch among the quor sixteen and twenty-four feel ter of a million stitches in a para- second. chute and the whole thing has to be returned

a

It is not considered safe to jump to the workshop, because from leas than 250 feet up, though the examiner will not pass it.

many successful jumps have been The size of the standard parachute made from a much lower height, It Is twenty-four feet diameter. It can is pretty certain, though, that when you read of a parachute that failed be a lot more, but it can't be much

la open, the jumper siarted off too smaller to be safe.

near to tie ground.

Besides the alik there's the har-

nows and 400 yards of cord wanted. They always Open

The cord shroud lines are stretched to a tension of more than 600 pounds before they are newn of an equal pull all over the marickute and, con- sequently, an even drop. Tested three Times

DEFORE the parachute

BEE

parachute

THE American

people who handle the business for most of the air lines and nir fores in the world claim that noi one of their parachules has ever falled to open.

The British branch of the firm pos- more than 10,000 recorded

is racked into a 18in. x BCSICS

Bit, container, it is tested twice for drops without a failure.

Dest parachute jumpers are the ground. For the arrival will be like Russians, for parachute jumping, is leaping from a ten-foot wall. one of their favourite pastimes. They queue up at the special parachute How to Land lowers and jump from the top with absolute safely, for the parachute is already open:

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GOOD jumper lands Lect Arst, knees slightly bent. Ho lets himself fall to the In the latest type of tower they ground and so lessens the chances of even start from the bottom and go being dragged along by the canopy. up. A powerful draught blows them His next job is to deflate Into the air. Then, when they canopy, either by rolling along to it, reach the height when the force of and pulling on the different throud gravity overcomes the upward effect lines or by running round to get the of the draught, they start to float chute between himself and the wind, alowly down.

Then and not till then-docs he at- tempt to take off his harnices,

Strangely enough, a necessary thing to have in a parachute is a - hole. It has to be in the right place, of course at the top. The hole of vent at the top of every phṛachute provides an outlet for the air that collects in it, and so stops the swing- ing that once used to distress all parachute Jumpers.

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