1941-02-22 — Page 16

12

Saturday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

February 22, 1941.

Famous for its finer flavour

JOHNNIE WALKER

Many good Scotch whiskies go to make Johnnie Walker. Each one is most carefully selected for some special, individual excel. lence. Fine distilling, long maturing, really expert blending-these make Johnnie Walker the whisky that you enjoy above all others.

BORN 1820-STILL GOING STRONG

Sole Agents for China: QALDBECK, MACGREGOR & CO., LTD. SILANGITAL RONGKONG TIENTSIN

VIGNETTES OF LIFE

With Malice Toward Some

He served as a liaison officer and coolness against an over-

America, I Presume, by Wynd- slice of turkey is always

ham Lewis. New York: worth a place in an Ameri- in the last war, got to know the whelmingly numerous foe, and

Howell, Soskin. . $2.

LA

English well-so well as to thanks to whose determined and An- can society column.

portray, present and interpret courageous stand the Allied line other of the book's high them with astounding accuracy, was enabled eventually to fall ATEST British satirist spots is that wherein Mr faithfulness, liking and aym back and pivot upon in the re- times M. trent. He regards this as a mill- Lewis wonders why every pathy. I fear at to give patient Uncle thing in America is "sump ; but he and hosts of French- defence will become historic and Maurois is rather too foud of tary eple and predicts the joint Sam a good going-over is tuous and spic and span men like him are our true memorable, and may be destined Wyndham Lewis. Writing and bankrupt." He also friends. Anyhow, M. Maurois to forge between both corps a as an over-ultra British marvels at the calm with "jumped at the War Office's link of friendship and mutual major, Mr Lewis has spent which American millionaires offer and was delighted again to respect, as has sometimes, at join his old friends in the Bri- any rate in the history of the tish Army, many of whom he British Army, sprung up be a year in the United States, go to jail.

"When they are rich in knew. in the last war and so he tween famous regiments, result- during which he has man-

America, and when they crash, renewed old acquaintanceships ing from instances like these in aged to unearth an extraor- they go to Sing Sing without once more. dinary number of unplea-. any sant things about the coun- incongruity-a8| 'natural place for

Benso of

try, its ways and its inhabit- if it were the BOOKS

ants. Interspersed among them to go." He the criticism is a meager contrasts this

war.

I notice some

He describes a visit to Eng- reviewers have land and descants delightfully on judged this work British ways and humour, even none too favour when things are very serious ably. I like this with us, and on a debate in the essay, as I do House of Commons.

Hia

sprinkling of commenda- with Britain, where, he says, all those of M. Maurois. tions. But the book has a everyone feels uncomfortable sympathetic insight and vivid clever, fast style and much when a Duke goes to jail.

pictures of British Army- The fall of Paris is sadly re- of Mr Lewis's criticism is Perhaps it is unfortunate that oneers and men-could hardly lated and sadder still is the this book, which will not do be improved upon and he is a nuthor's appeal to England on founded in solid fact.

much to further Anglo-Ameri- highly intelligent and cultivated behalf of stricken France, when Although presenting his can understanding, had to ap- foreigner viewing us objectively. he reaches the island Kingdom, facts with a sharp wit, Mr pear at this time when the two It is true, as he says in his pre- having got away quietly thereto Lewis does not seem to have nations seem to be drawing face, he is describing a assimilated all of them well fr one were to make any recom- dise," this by reference to the

closer together than ever before. without a war" or "a fool's para- on a mission before Paris sur- Rarely has one seen the vir enough to avoid contradict- mendation concerning it, the seemingly wasted time of the ing himself. Thus he speaks sufest one would seem to be to French and British Armies on tues and faults of two nations so faithfully and well-portrayed on several occasions of the read it for its humour and able the defensive and settled in side by side, as-in this chapter. way in which the Anglo- satire, but not for its facts or fortified lines from September,

as one's first book on the United 1939, to the outbreak of the He tells us frankly, as a friend,

Saxon American is being re- States. placed by more energetic

*

and adaptable Americans of Battle of France. By Andre other origin; yet he sums up Maurois. The Bodley Hend..

7s. 6d. the Anglo-Saxon American as a "successful type. He is a type that has succeeded

and has stood the test of time."

"war

rendered.

storm in April of this year; but that our great fault is our in- curable optimism! He relates he is not, as a writer, to be con- how we calmly challenged the demned for this. He writes well

and with picturesque effect.

strongest military power in September, 1939, without being A Major Duncan," a cavalry fully prepared! To the serious- officer, often comes into the pic- ly-minded French, with a strong THUS author needs no intro- ture as the "fidus Achales" of enemy like Germany always duction in these columns, the author; again a mere N.C.O. alongside them and at whose or to British readers either. He and again Scottish and English hands they have so often suffer-, was asked by our Army Council troops, the R.A.F. and the in- ed, this is unintelligible and they Padre, that think we are far to easy-going. to accompany the British forces evitable, British

to France in 1939 as "official eye. cheery friend one ever finds on But he loves our nation" and Perhaps Mr Lewis is at witness" and this book com- war service. He describes the in this book "he has built a his best when describing the prises the sketches he then heroic and gallant defence of temple to it." One cannot but made of the time he spent with Arras by the Welsh Guards and commend and thank the author work. Vive la fuss Americans make over the B.E.F, at Headquarters and a regiment of the Zouaves, who for such

vied with each other in daring France! celebrities, saying that a with the British Armies.

Amateur Theatricals

BY

KEMP STARRETT

'MY DAUGHTER PLAYS THE LEAD

OR YOU CAN

GET SOME- BODY ELSE TO SUPPLY THE FURNITURE

DIPLOMATIC PRESTURE, PODS UD

IN THE DARNDEST PLACES AND AT

THE WORST TIMES.

IF WE KISSES VER I'LL KNOCK'UIM LOOSE.

FROM HIS HAIR

AND YOU TOO.

ACTR

CANT YOU

MAKE HE LOOK MORE. HERCE

"I WANT MY LIAR, DONE

LIKE KATIARINE

HEPBURN'S/

THEY SAY THE MAKEUP MEN ARE

MOST UNREASONABLE.

STARREN

MR.TELEDUONE GILDERSLEEVED AND..ER YELL I MEAN, I GUESS... ER...../

THE ONE AVAILABLE GLAMOUR.

GIRL MAY DROVE TO

BE MORE OF A LIABILITY THAN AN ASSET.

LEAVENS?

I WOULDN'T

BE FOUND DEAD IN THIS THING!

"WHY, IT MAKES

·HE LOOK FAT

HORE

TYPE CASTING.

AT DREST-REHEARSAL THE LAD VAIO STUDIED VIS- THREE LINES FOR TOUR WEEKT AND IS LETTER- PERFECT FINALLY HAS HIS BIG MOMENT..

Ledger Syna

A COSTUME IS WHAT ALWAYS HAŠ SOMETUNG THE MATTER, WITH IT. EXPECIALLY AT THE VERY LAST MOMENT,

236.

THE IRREPRESSIBLE

FUNNY MAN IS SURE TO HAVE LIX-

SELF IN STITCHET.