1938-09-22 — Page 22

10

DICK

And

ANNIE

M

R. WILLIAM CAMERON clearly knows... He is a young man of 32 who has gone hungry in the East End of London, has experienced being turned out into the street with hi family by the landlord, has seen the inside of a workhouse.

Ho lins earned his living in the fac tory and, no linerant conjurer and inwker with a barrow, in the street.

And to his first novel, "Common People" (Gollancz, Os. Od.), is the real thing-n good story and a truo picture,

Boy-meets-girl is very properly the core of the plot, Dick gets off with Annie at the pictures, But the caUFO ef their gimarret (which they make up In time to get married and live an happily ever afterwards ILM the capitaltat syslem will allow them tu) could only arise in their own world: Dick gives away the thirty bob they bavo Kayed together towards their wedding to the mother of his former aweetheart, Connie, to postpone the inevitable eviction of her family from their tenement home.

☆

DICK and Annle belong to the com-

paratively

prosperous working- class. That is to say, they have jobs. But Connie's family iven in the sluma, Her mother buys her clothes second- hand in the street market. Her father Is war-victim, shell-shocked and epileptic.

And Connie, doomed to die in hos pital after her health has been ruined In the steamy heat of a talloring awest- shop, proves that plecework has its vic- torles no leah than war.

A grimly struggling world is given colour by such characters nò Boi Kur. anaky, the streamer of the tenement, stalwart Red fgliter, who spends his nights pacting softly through the back streets carrying a bucket of red paint and daubing the walls with slogan warnings of the wrath to come.

THERE are funny charnelers, too-

the g-man with his impudent Cockney humour, and Uncle Ike, the super-salesman of Peilleont-lane.

The dramatic peak of this book is a vividly described eviction scene. These few pages leap from the book like a fat shaken in the face of a cruel economic system.

But the novel is far from being perspiring protest. It is a book about people who are so rent, so human, so pathetle and amusing and attractive tunt the reader is concerned about their future and the kind of world they inhabit.

And so it is the reader who supplies the indignation. Which neems to in- dirate that Mr. Cameron la a clever novelist of whom we shall be hearing some more in the future,

W

HEN I was a lad I was taught to take my hat off to the girls. Why I should take off my hat to them I never inquired.

I just did it. I still do it--but this week I've been wondering why.

"It's so alily," sold Harold, who la a Koreman in a workshop and has forty girla in his charge. "I these girls really are the equals of us chaps why should we take off our hats to them and give up our seats in the tubes and pay for them at the pictures and so on?.There's no senso in it.”

But are thoy our equals? I wondered.

In some things," sold Harold grimly. "they are. When it comes to swearing, for instanco, they ccr-

tainly are." He looked round the shop with some hostility. The girls

sat At their machines, singing

THE HONGKONG - TELEGRAPH,

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1938.

THE

away at the top of their voices. What they were singing I couldn't tell. Probably, said Harold, it was as well.

The language these girls use," he said, "would make a Thames bargee blush with shame. I've worked in factories with men, but I've never heard anything like the atur these girls come out with,

"Come on," he said. "I'll show you round,"

What they were singing, at least on this occasion, was the latest dance tunes. As alternatives they glggled, or exchanged views on the latest nims. Some of them, un- doubtedly, were outspoken...

WENT, then, to the staff manager of a big West-End firm. He didn't hear much bad language from his giria, he told me. But that, he added, might be because he could never tell more than half of what they said.

He introduced me to several of them and I

8001 Kaw what he meant. They either talked in ellpped imitation American, or with ultra-retained" veneer over their natural Cockney which was decidedly trying. Sometimes the American was in the ascendancy, sometimes the vencer.

an

And some of them were so at- tractive to look at that it didn't matter. There was one girl, Mabel --but that, of course, is beside the point.

'Girls are like sheep," said the staff manager. "One day they're all one way, and another day just

GIRLS

the opposite. And talk about catal" he Bald. "My God! You've no idea of the sort of thing that goes on when you get a crowd of girls to- gether. Individually, they have their points (he closed one eye, gravely), but in crowds they're the absolute limit.

They've no sand, that's the trouble. Superficial, that's what they are, from the tips of their painted toe-nails to the tops of their artificially waved heads of hair, The modern girl is skin deep."

But whint a skin!-I thought as I took one last look at a roomful of them, bending over their type- writers.

It's the girls, a cinema manager told me, who keep the standard of films so low. Only the silliest and slopplest flms get the patronage of the girls. And the boys, of course, go where their girls want to be taken.

"There's not a decent flim that's

G.O.M. of

Romance

FOR reviewers this time of

the year is usually the emptiest of the season. But

re's no need for me to hunt desperately through my shelves this time, for the Grand Old Man of Historical Romance has just written one of his most ex- citing tales for you-Königs- mark, by A. E. W. Mason (Hodder and Stoughton, 78.6d.). Seventy-three, and with more than forty years of authorship behind him. Mr. Mason splendidly looks the part. Something of the aristocrat, Bomething of the sailor. Something of the sahib-with some of the sahib's limitations. But there is a sensitiveness about his work that would surprise you if you didn't know him,

He realises as well as any novelist of his generation that, in his own words, "nothing in this world comen off absolutely.” Llic and cir- cumstance and chance have the last word,

*

*

You remember, for instance, Harry Feversham la The Four Feathers (you'll soon be seeing it again at the cinema). Ho redeemed three of these foolish white sym- bols, but one man died before he could take back his charge of cowardice. His creator deliberately cheated Hurry of that final feather. Nothing in this world comes off absolutely. Nathing is perfect....

From which you will see that Königsmark was born to be one of Mr. Mason's heroes. A handsome, Béventeenth-century soldier of ad- venture, nervously brave and dam- boyantly faithful, he wandered and fought across Europe, entered the service of the Elector of Han- over and met the lovely Sophla Dorothea, who, but for him, would have been an unhappy Queen of England.

Hopelessly in love with her, young Königsmark assisted her in ong or two futile attempts to escapa her destiny, was discovered, seized and, as the encyclopedias put it, disappeared from history, probably

BY

ROGER

by assassination, on the night of July 1, 1694.

Btill a good disciple of Dumas. period live for you not Mr. Mason makes the man und bis what he has written as in what he much in

has suggested.

The story is alive with romantic, glowing scenes. A homeman rides through the night, a treason irlal sets Stuart London agov, an am- bitious statesman feeds his greed, n witch of a woman satiales her hate-and Königsmark is trapped and murdered in the darkness.

Such plctures will tease your mind's eye. But Mr. Mason's inter- pretation of his hero will rouse your imagination. For the shadow of Harry Feversham), a sword and cloak Feversham, falls, in a sense, on Königsmark. He also has a

fear to overcome, a self-conscious- ness to challenge, a self-esteem to satisfy

And, again, "nothing in this world comes off absolutely." Cer- tainly not for Königsmark!

As for the writing, let the first paragraph suffice.

*

"Chancellor Schultz leaned com- fortably back in his cushioned chair and crossed his fat little legs. He laid his fat little hands side by side and palms downwards on the big mahogany tablo in front of him. He slid them apart over the polished surface to the full reach of his arms.

"Not a paper remained to re- proach him. It was hall-past clovon by the gilded clock against the wall. In a few minutes Duke George William, with his hunts- men and his'dogs and, his horns, would conic clattering back from the mborlands.

"The day's work was over and,

PIPPETT·

for Chancellor Schultz, his life's work, too. The tablets of his ser- vice were clean now, and he was pleased to think that, though much written upon during twenty years, they had never been smudged."

Never was there a quieter, more arttully staged opening to a tale of intrigue, treachery, torture, horror and too sudden death,

Which reminds me that I have a quarrel with the dust-cover of this book, depicting the stabbed and dying Königsmark pointing an accusing finger at the hideous Clara von Platen. The colours are extremely pretty, and our hero looks as though he is about to faint. His clothes must have just come back from the cleaners, for they are spotless,

I looked in vain for a clot of red on the lace and the velvet. But Mr. Mason didn't forget the blood. He's too old a romantic hand for that!

No, Mr. Priestley!

I AM not myself a regular member of the J. B. Priestley congregation, but I fancy that even his staunchest followers will consider The Doomsday Men (Heinemann) a very poor seven- and-sixpenny worth.

It s liko a soumé made with pat- meal.

1

A cmok scientist, a disillusioned business potentate and reilgious fanale, all brothers, build themselves -'n fantastic home in the middle of the Californian desert and plan. by selentino means, to bring the world to an end was morning.

Improbable, but admissible for the purposes of story-telling. But I found Mr. Priestley's characters so unreat.- his technical devices so clumsy and his style so heavy that only a reviewer's unflinching sense of duty kept me faithful to the end.

a 8. F.

Count the "TELEGRAPHS" everywhere

No old argument on equality, this.

Just the thoughts of someone who in the past few weeks has had to meet Lots of girls.

wwwwwwwww

FRANK TILSLEY

ever been made that hasn't been a fallure." he said, "and they've been failures, because they've been a cut above the silly heads of the modern girls.

"The cinema industry is now de- liberately organised to give the public what the shallow-minded modern girl wants to see. Do you wonder we rarely see flims really worth seeing? "

T

HAT gave me an idea, and I called round on a political organiser.

"Oirls know nothing about poll- tles," he said, "and don't want to know anything. Girls and women alike they've not a scrap of poli- tical responsibility.

For all the good that their votes do, he told me, they might just na well not have them. If they're mar- ried, nine out of ten of them vote the same way as their husbands. If they're single, they vote the same д their fathers-when they take the trouble to vote at all. They've got no minds of their

own.

*

*

*

I thought it time the parents had their say, and called on a man I know who 18 postman and the father of a very modern young miss of sighteen,

"I'm not going to talk about modern girls," he said, disgustedly -and talked about them, with two brief interruptions, for an hour and a half.

There appeared to be "no doing no good" with his own daughter. When Helen wasn't at the cinema

she was dancing, and when sho wasn't dancing she was gadding about with fellows on motor-bikes. And she was always polishing her

• nails or titivating up her hair. And the money she wanted to spend on clothes! The thirty shillings a week sho earned not only didn't keep her. It didn't cover what they had to spend on her,

"And on top of all that," said the mother, coming to the crux of the matter, when Eric wants to get engaged to her she turns him down -Eric, mark you; as nicë a lad as you'd moet in a day's march."

"Yes," said the father, "and him earning eight quid a week. Eight quid a week at his agel Why, if she'd marry him she'd never have to want for anything again as long as abe lives.

L

ATER in the evening. In the garden, I got Helen her own. She is

on

a trim, good-looking girl, with meticulously kept blonde hair, coloured nalls, and a miraculous capacity for looking expensively dressed.

T

'I suppose you're in love with somebody else? ': I grinned.

"I'm in love with nobody," she said, tossing her head, pertly, "but I don't see why I should marry a man who irritates me just to make sure of an income of eight pounds a week."

"You don't?" I said.

"No," she replied, "I don't. And that's all there is to it. So good night."

"Good night,” I said, and took off my hat, I took it off and meant it.

ROMANTIC TANTALLON

BLUE day at

sea, the waters charged with the electricity of A mirroring the sky. Gulls like near-hand thunderstorm.

A

tiny white clouds drifted on the Inside the castle the stairways scarce moving waves, or wheeled grew darker than ever, and full of above, calling loudly.

tragic mystery, while sinister The sen was so calm that, as the shadows seemed to creep here and birds flew above it, their reflections there, and vanish away again. lit up the azure water, us with the The stairs down to the dungeons, Incandescence of passing white which were lit by two paraffin lamps, appeared peopled with a procession

flames.

An ineffable peace seemed hover- of prisoners descending into the Ing over the ruins of the old castle depths below; one could almost feel of Tantallon where sen pinks the air heavy with their hot breath flowered in profusion on precarious Ings.

cliffs, while crowsfoot and other flay The wind sighed through the gun- sweet-scented plants drifted their holes and screamed past the win- veil of many colours across the hord dows, as suddenly the storm broke, face of the rocks, they passed like in a terrific crash of thunder, which an echo of many long forgotten ro rolled like the sound of a cannon mances, which had been passionately through the ruined building: Ught- Ilved there, even amidst the war- ning followed, darting in and out, Ilke influence of the ancient keep.

revealing hidden corners which ap- passed through into the peared full of struggling combatants. uilding

wiilch has been so wonder- And then the clash of steel, and restored of fate years, the at- bayonet seemed to join in, and re- mosphere of the past enfolded me as sound everywhere: shrieks arose, as

of with a mantle; I was no longer my- the battle cry the Douglases rang self, but back in the olden times, out, amidst a deafening roar of can- breathing in the spirit of a hundred non, the whole place seethed Douglas feuds,

with a multitude of opposing forces.

As I

in its volco,

The

•

BURNS PHILP LINE

Passenger & Freight Service To

AUSTRALIA

M.V.

"NEPTUNA

due WEDNESDAY 28th SEPT

sailing

MIDNIGHT, SATURDAY,

1st OCT.

For

SAICON. MADANG,

SALAMAUA,

RABAUL,

SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE.

Excellent passongor accommodation with a large number of single cabins at по supplement. Built-in Swimming Bath and Spacious Sports Deck. First Class to Sydney:---

Singlo-£47.10.0d. Roturn-£76,0.04.

Passenger & Freight Agents:- GIBB, LIVINGSTON & CO., LTD.

Tel. 28031

P. & O, Bldg.

SWEDISH EAST ASIATIC

SERVICE OF FAST MOTOR VESSELS

(with limited, but excepilonally good passenger accommodation) TO PORT SUDAN, PORT SAID, ALGIERS, ORAN, CASABLANCA, ANTWERP, ROTTERDAM, (AMSTERDAM), HAMBURG. COPENHAGEN, OSLO, GOTHENBURG and other SCANDINA- VIAN PORTS.

HOMEWARDS;

M.V. "NAGARA”

M.V. "SHANTUNG"

OUTWARDS to: Yokohama, Kobe & Osaka.

NLV. "TAMARA"

M.V. "FEIFING"

Passenger Rates:

To London or Antwerp

Hongkong. GILMAN & CO., LTD.

Phone: 30060.

OUR

26"

Agents:

Sailing about

29th Sept.

20th Oct.

13th Oct.

13th Nov.

£53.0.0.

Canton. G.'E. HUYGEN. Phone: 11400.

BRITISH CROSSWORDS

ACROSS

1 Mony ladies consider that to

this

(0).

a horse gives them this

3 The

sort of vessel to "suit" a man? (6).

Out and out or in though (3). 10 Was red the favourite colour of

this old master? (0),

Distinctly nasty but useful (8).

11 Disu 13 Summons that seems ungallant

(0). 14 Part of one down (3),

16 A shade of mending perhaps

(0).

10 Boys are never christened with

this Biblical name (?).

20 Try nie" (anag.)`' (8). ·

20 No weakling he (6),

27 Part of your car (8),

28 This geographical feature is ob-

viously not sea (8).

20 Giving away money and ending"

in dobi (8).

Climbing the dark, twisting stone

For long it continued, till it al- stalra, I come out to a higher view of the wonderful scene siretching most seemed as if the ancient walls 21 Sul (3)·...

and crumble below, with its heaving tide, which into atoms; and then, as suddenly

must break through had now begun slowly but steadily as it had arisen, the thunder to pour In, with a deep warning note stor

sform lessened, the atmosphore lightened, and only in the sea was rugged stone windows op- upheaval visible, where, the grey pealed strangely to me. I felt the waters and the foot of the Castle; bolled and surged and presence of other faces, who in by-

hissed round gone ages had looked out from them hungry. angry waters that drove alao, with the same hopes, the same against the rocks, with the gathered atirrings.

the

some restlessness; while just two miles out to sea was the past centuries.

sness; up congested fury, as it were, of all Buss Rock, like a faithful com

the

Yet, ne I looked down, I could see panion which had stood the strong in one of the gunholes of the Mid

of a long friendship,

est, of

Elving now TONGA

a peculiar feeling of protection to

the ancient ruin.

the white head of a fulmer petrol peeping out, like a dove of found it all a place full of even in the midat

which had found sanctuary peace dreams; but as,

of the warlika

I

time forgotten, turmoil, while the sea boomed on,

wandered on, a spattering shower of Its wild voice echoing through the win began to fall, srey clouds, scur- lone strongholding

ried across, while the sky became

30 Girl who can never start being

and (0),

31 Not quite in a rare fashion ap-

parently (8).

DOWN

1 This branch of science causes.

sunburn in the lad (8);

2 An old military title in Japan.

(0),

3 Mediterranean island (4).

4. A bit of AR.P! work pèrhaps

· (0)..

d Epithet for accounta⠀⠀ of much

Interest (8)

7 "Get thine (anag.) (8).

The remains of Sunday's joint is of course this to bo this (B). 12 A little walk to show a relative

(7).

15 Not this but n definite part of

1 down (3).

18 Negative form of 15 down (3). 17 Does this on cheques, make them go from bank to bank? (8).

18 A tree valued for its decorative,

flower

19 A

(8).

22

This

acid

man of law (8).'

:

is an astringent (0),

23 Strength: (0).. 24 This conflict is quite common

in the end (6), 25 Unsteady (a rum affalę?),‹ (0).· YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION |BOOKMAKLE PAT BY ONEMO OVEBRATED I OR 8 IN N MOTHEAT EN

TUMBA

18

NOBN

G-AB U

OBOW

EHAB ST

APT