1939-06-28 — Page 30

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THE HONGKONG TE LEGRAPH, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 1989.

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The

Hongkong Telegraph. Wyndham St., Hongkong

'Phone 26615 June 28, 1939

Blockade Threat

THE REASON for Hongkong apprehension that Britain will not insist that the Japanese blockades of Canton, Kongmoon, Kulangsu. Tientsin and the Yangtse River ports should not be extended to the treaty ports of Swatow, Foochow and Wen- chow is evident when an examin- ation of the trade figures for these three centres is made.

The 9.10 from Manchuli

ACCOUNT OF THE WORLD'S MOST EXCITING RAIL JOURNEY

by Lawrence

WICE a week, at 9.10 of a morning,

Th

•

there pulls out from Manchuli, on

the Manchukuo border, one of the world's most remarkable trains-the Trans-Siberian express.

I have just travelled home from Peiping to London by this exciting overland route, and my diary of the trip has some strange entries now I come to look back on it. Here's a sample:

We are a motley gathering, as we leave, Manchukuo. Mostly women, some with children, wives or daughters of men who are remaining in Dairen, Tientsin, Shanghai, or Hongkong, to watch their business interests at this critical time. One or two among us are business men dashing to London, Paris, or Berlin to inform our office headquarters of conditions in the Far East.

We have our baggage turned topsy-turvy by the Manchukuo Customs oflleials, and now submit to the same critical examination at the hands of

the Soviet “comrades."

What they expect to find in it is hard to imagine, as the items which attract most atten- tion are a book of family snapshots and any form of personal letters, which they endeavour to read with the utmost interest.

Money, of course, is counted and recounted and entered on an official form signed by botli parties. And then we change our sterling at the rate of 12 roubles to the 1s. 8d. per rouble at frontier value.

One unfortunate woman has

unguardedly allowed her porters to carry a box of chocolates, a tennis racket, a bag of oranges, plus her suit-cases, and protests bitterly at a bill of 12s. for porterage.

We who are wiser festoon our-

selves with packages. A police officer from Hongkong strides manfully along with a dozen bottles of beer in one hand and

Any stoppage of shipping with any of these southern ports will have a serious effect on this Colony, not merely from the point of view of trade, but by virtue of the fact that we are now almost entirely relying on them as our sources of food supply of whisky and gin supplies for the abnormal popu-will have the laugh on us later. dangling from the other. He lation we have to support.

Trade figures for the first six months of 1939 are not available. But an examination of the official figures for 1938 is illuminating. The total import and export trade of the three ports last year was £5,743,530, comprising £1,- 647,962 imports and £4,095,563 exports. Of the exports, Hong- kong took over twenty-five per cent., this Colony's total being £1,717,932.

when we get to Soviet Russia, where beer costs 6s. 6d. a bottle and is unbelievably bad at that.

A Woman Alone

WE

VE sort ourselves into our compartments, and fresh complications arise, A British woman is alone in a compartment, as also is a British down on this waste of space and Iman. Soviet authority swoops

demands that they share a coupe.

Impey

If you wanted to travel from the Far East to London you could choose one of these three

routes:

1

--By TRAIN to Manchuli,

there to join the Trans- Siberia Railway to the Polish frontier. Total time, Hongkong to London, 16 days. Fare £32 if bought in yen, or £55 if bought in sterling.

3

By SEA liner to England via Suck Total time and

weeks. Fare £115.

By AIR. Hongkong to

Bangkok and flying bont to London. Time 7 days Hong- kong to London. Fare £145.

GRIN AND BEAR IT

By Lichty

Diely, by cheud Posters Syndtekin Kos

"We may as well be practical while teaching Junior

to walk!"

1942

will see this

BALANCE

of Naval POWER

By Lt.-Commander HUGH LONGDEN, R.N., Retd.

THE THE United States is'taking.

steps to become the Mis tress of the Seas, and it is suggested that she is going to form an Atlantic Fleet-which might be an excellent thing for the peace of the world.

We must admit that she is Mistress of the Pacife, but Great Britain is still Mistress of the other Six Seus

Amerien has just announced ofcläl- ly that she has ordered three 35,000- tons battleships, and we can assume they will be ready in about three years. In addition to this I lenen- though it has not yet been officially stated that she is about to lay down two 45,000-tons batleships, and these will be the biggest in the world.

A

T present the United States Navy luas 15 battleships in commission and two almost completed, the North Carolina and the Washing ton, which are similar in size and armament to the three that have just been ordered.

The United States Navy has no battle cruisers comparable with our own Hood and Renown.

Great Britain has 12 battleships and three battle cruisers in commission. ve battleships building (due to be ready in 1940), and two more authorised and about to be laid down. Thus In two years' time we will clearly be superior to the United States Fleet in capital ships, though they will have caught up with us by 1942.

Starting with the future and work- ing backwards, we have the Lion and Temeralre, the- two. battleships nuthorised by the 1938 programme, but not yet ordered.

They will be of 40,000 tons- slightly smaller than the two unborn but projected American ones-and will curry 10in, guns.

THEN last year we lald down the Ave I have mentioned, which are known as the King George V..type. They consist of the King George V., the Prince of Wales, which

Anson, Jellicoe, and ounted

will be 35,000-tonners,

with 14in. guns and 21in torpedo tubes. and will carry aircraft. It is offelally stated that "their anti-aircraft armument will be extensive," but I cannot yet tell you their speed,

Then we come to the latest battle- ships in commission, the Nelson and Rodney, twins, both just under 34,030

ions.

These are of course, the most powerful-battleships--in-the-world; which is not surprising as they each cost £7,500,000 to build, and the an- nual cost of their maintenance in full commission is approximately £350,- 000

It is interesting to note that they are the only ships in any Navy with torpedo tubes of more than zin. The range of their guns is 1714 son miles, and the cost of airing one tri- ple salvo is £700. (In the event of war, taxpayers please note!)

Next in order of seniority we come

our

three battle cruisers, the Hood, Renown, and Repulse, of which the Intest is the Hood, completed in 1920- the most powerful battle cruiser in the world. She was built under the Wor Emergency Programme at a cosi of £0,000,000, or £145 per ton, as she la 42,000 tons.

to

It is an interesting fact that, during 1938, Hongkong took 95. per cent. of the total exports of The suggestion is bitterly Foochow and Wenchow-food-opposed by the woman. The stuffs valued at £514,348 out of Soviet reply, "In that case we a total of £520,825 from the may have to put a Russian man and not only caviare but cham- und lorries are to be seen at all former, and valued at £402,480, in your coupe at some stage of page is on the menu of three the larger stations. The crops out of a total of £444,483 from the journey; you had better put officers at the next table. Awed are better, there are cattle in the latter.

up with your fellow-country- by this extravagance, we whis. the fields, and peasants are per to each other that they working on the land which was Any Japanese blockade of man." these ports means, therefore,

must get a rebate or a pass, the untilled before,

THE Renown, and Repulse- To which the woman, confus- more so when we discover that that Hongkong has to turn clse-ing the issue, skilfully counters, the champagne costs £3 10s. a counted for by the new Soviet class, the Ramillies, Royal Sovereign,

Much of this is probably ac-

are smaller, 32,000 tons. Next are the five Royal Sovereign where for its food supplies. And, "A Frenchman or a German or bottle. with the Japanese net graduallya Russian conceivably, but an

policy of sending divisions out Royal Oak. Revenge, and Resolution, drawing tighter along the China Englishman

But the three officers seem to the East together with their completed in 1010-17. never. It would coast, there is nowhere else to get all round town, and my re- the meal they produce wads of them on arrival certain tracts of

quite happy, and at the end of womenfolk, and allotting

And finally we have the five good to old ships

of the Queen Elizabeth class turn.

putation would be ruined for notes and pay up in the normal of land, which they are

*Jutland fame-the Queen The United States, Nether-over."

en-Elizabeth, Malaya, Vallant, Barham, lands East Indies, United King-

manner, which leaves us more couraged to cultivato for their and Warspite. They all carry four This diplomatic evasion be- bewildered than ever, particu- own benefit.

aircraft, with catapulta, except Bar- dom, Australia, Canada, Ger- wildera the Soviet, who retire larly when we are told that a

ham, which carries one. many and France are all inter- to consider the matter, and colonel gets only 1,000 roubles Troops Trek to the East ested in the import trade of the finally compromise by producing or so per month. three treaty ports threatened by a Russian woman with two chil- Japan. Last year the United Kingdom exported goods to the value of £308,900 to Swatow, £7,630 to Foochow and £34,108

build

Theso ships cost £3,000,000 to build originally, but since then they SIX months ago there were modernised.

have been considerably altered and £16 a Pair of Shoes

said to be at least half We have flye aircraft-carriers in million Russian soldiers in commission, including the Ark Royal THE whole way across Eastern Siberia. And to judge Just An

(just finished), and five building, in- Russia this problem of by our own experience, this ordered). The new

the cluding

Implacable

Just will

dren, all three to occupy the upper bunk.

The train departs well behind to Wenchaw. Her imports from time, but nobody seems to care, prices arises to confuse and number has been largely aug. 23,000 tons plightly bigger than the the three ports amounted to and presently we go along to wayside stations costs Is. 8d. a four days which our train takes will each carry about 50 'planes.

aggravate us. Milk at the mented recently. During the Glorious and Courageous-and they £86,274.

the dining-car. Here we pro- Next to Hongkong, however, duce food coupons bought out-pint, and even bread is about to cross Siberia we pass on the

The United States Navy has only carriers in commission and

the principal country interested side. Russia, which entitle us to ing at 10 of Cabbage is sell. average three trains an hour three bulding.

at 10s, a lb., a pair of shoes proceeding eastwards and carry-

in the blockade is the United a meal at reduced rates.

States, which from Swatow alone

imported goods to the value of

£1,132,067.

Caviare With Luck

cost £16, and no one outside the ing munitions, aeroplane parts, ing Bin. guns, and 45 mounting old. As for cruisers, we have 15 mount- Army wears boots which are fit tanks, lorrics, and motor guns, as well as 14 building and to be seen.

launches fitted with light arma..

seven ordered of these. The United two even THERE aro

Women's dresses must

States be menta,

has 10

18, mounting tin. guns It is this very important trade

categories of tickets ob- fantastically dear, for we can-

(one building) and 10 mounting Gin. To this must be added bne guns (two not completed). that Japan is now seeking to tainable, the better grade on- not find a single well-dressed cavalry and one infantry divi- Of destroyers we have 157, and 32′ destroy and divert to herself, as titling us to cavlare with our woman-by European standards slon, plus various auxiliary

building (most of which will be she has already done in other meal, supposing there is any during the whole of

rendy Inte next year), whereas the our troops. parts of China...

To-day our luck is in, and the journey.

United States has 210 in commissionT It seems that the Soviet and 35 being built. It behoves not only Great caviare is forthcoming, enabling There is, however, a vast in authorities intend Siberia to be. Lastly wo come to submarines, Britain but all the interested us to look down our noses at the provement in conditions all a self-contained military area,

torpedo, boats, and submarine. Powers to see that the rape of passengers whose tickets do not along the line since my last trip for the railway from Manchuria We have 52 submarines, and 12 their trade in Canton and the

entitle them to. it..

in 1937.

to Omsk is double track, with building. America has 91, and 10 Yangtse Valley is not repented But, to our astonishment, the Roads are being bullt, houses tunnols and bridges doubled building. She has. 18+ submarine

proletariat are up and coming, are going up everywhere, cars PLEASE Turn To Pago 5.

chasers, and we have a MTDs, and 24 building.

on the coast,

+

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