1947-11-29 — Page 6

FERTILISING THE SEA

By Ian Cox

N interesting experiment has recently been concluded in Scotland, showing that the animal population of the son may be increased and the growth of indi- viduals speeded up by the addition of chemical fertilisers to the water.

་

On land it is easy to see that all animals feed upon living things and that ultimately the food chain ends with the kinds of animal that feed on plants. Plants on the other hand build themselves up from the same substances -carbon dioxide and mineral salts-under the influence of sunlight. It is then that they can be said to support the animal world.

This is no less true of the sea than of the land, with the difference that the individuals muleing up the great crops of plant life in the seas (known as phyto-plankton) are invisible until we use a

Nevertheless they are there in the water.

microscope.

In the upper layers of the water conditions are suit- able for plant life. Sunlight is present, there is carbon dioxide dissolved from the surface, and there are mineral sults, As the minute plants grow they do not incrense, so much in size as in number, for when each individual has reached its maximum It divides into two and will go on doing this repeatedly, producing new individuals all the Lime so long as conditions are favourable.

Upon phytoplankton hosts of tiny! unimas (ced, and it b these that forin the food of the herring, the sprat and of the small Ash. These in turn serve 10 feet the larger & 1 such an end, hucklock or plaice. Our own sea ved therefore deja els ultimately on the phyto-plankton,

s

PEAK PERIODS NOW in nature the degree to which

tiny plants multiply limited by the availability of samka

f errtain alpruespily nitrogen, phoepla rue and pot iem

Hund

the e

D

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1947.

T

SOVIET POLICY BASED ON FIRM EXPECTATION

OP US. CRASH

E

"MY, AIN'T IT GOING TO BE TOUGH FOR THOSE GUYS IF SHE DON'T COLLAPSE"

The Men Of

official ESPITE the

10- Licence of Moscow on the inner machinery of its working, the world at large is curious to penetrate enperly through the thick wall surround- ing it in the Kremlin. For it in the form of phos pitte" zuinitra e There are tes peak, pedorts in the knows that what is happening yeur when phyto-plukion ercurs on there, behind those thick walls. the course of a grand rele-spring and autum. greatly affects Within a month or two of the sprint events outside. And it instine- peak, however, the supply of varianttively feels that some strange in- are at work there, salts is greatly reduced a the upper fluences layers of the water, and mixture with which appear all the more sinis- the lower layers from which

ter as efforts are being made to plenishment could be effected prevented by reduction in the specific keep them from the gaze of the

uninitiated. gravity of the upper layers by the

little There is, for instance, a warmth of the sun. It is only when

designed to en- instructional book upper layers start cooling the autumn that the mixture

re-

Is

in

selenes

גניז

ard

Comertant in all CounZIA)

BY HAL BOYLE

THOSE ENGLISH

AGAIN!

ALCOHOL is variously regarded as a temporary

passport to a golden realm of good will, a crutch for the inferior and fearful, and a ticket to perdition.

But wherever it is used, or for what pur pose, it develops its own ritual.

In Paris if you don't, what an opinion they would have of you!-you go through a long and complicated ceremony. First you must consult at length with the wine waiter over brands and. vintages, weighing their different merits as re- lated to the meal at hand.

If you don't have a real knowledge of wine, you only make yourself ridiculous by pretending. The sensible thing to do is consult with your guests and ask their advice. They will take this as a compliment and respect you for an amiable ignoramus instead of despising you as a pre- tentious foreign phoney.

Men Of The

The Kremlin

By ZINOVY M. PREEV

An observant

l'arty.

needed

in

When the wine arrives, the waiter first pours a small portion in your glass and waits expectantly. This

the moment of high dema every French.mtal. You take a sip,

: it around to savour its bouquet and every eye at the table is on you. you no at the waiter and give in word of praise, the serving have accepted a flat sour bottle. The auests will politely drink it, praise It with high adjectives and hate you the rest of their lives.

If

drive when left practically to him- misses for the great effort of Indus-gots on. But woe nwalls you if you self during the long and bitter siste trialisation. Also, time was

power of the of Leningrad, where he was mid still to consolidate the is in supreme control (ominally Com-

The men of the Politbureau so- Secretary of the Leningrad

A French guest can forgive you mitten of the Party). He is un-parently believe that, in a few more

trongly eiruch to do without

gc-he can never forgive you for viel hierarchy, though not a "show farcim diplomat plans, for they are deliberate and doubtedly, a coming man in the So- year the Party will be entrenched for mutilating nis beloved langu-

rob- al-ahead. Already it is "Urealdering him a poor bettle of wine. His ruthlessness prob- personality. sent at one of these conferences painstaking planners, bolh of national

stood him in

in good stead when Stalin" and the "beloved Komparty." as this summed up for me his im- "enemy and party stratagems.

an almost forlorn Scon if may be just Kommarty, Let us take Molotov, for instance, he had to fight that "power beblad"

'he most rominent amen Soviet polley:

the battle in practically isolated Lenin- słone

bitter Mental Isolationism gradh, but it also left some (after Stalin himself), if only be

Minister cause his job as Foreign

memories in those who survived that brings him more in contact with the cruel, long-drawn battle.

utside world, and possibly because by all appearances, he revels In limelight.

of

UT

seldon descend to inches

11

Stalin Build-Up

sid

the

of

mts-

to be more cor-

have

hiu

an Arab

chieftain,

from

БОП

entertain him

O all is acknowledged faults Fon

and enemies, quor is still the tur greatest dimeulty in dealing can with th Pershing Is that we

Whatever credit may be claimed by chief sucial lever around the world for this determined body of men who ing strangers from many countries never feel that we are drating direct

the onto a commen. though often tem- with min fully empowered to neg

have isolated themselves in Elder Statesman international

Kremlin for turning their backward porary, level of rosy understanding, tate

industrial which, after all, must be

travelled in fifty-one Of the remaining members of the peasant people into an

great out by means of mund-table, give-

A man not without personality-- When you though not pleasing to many, compromises,

Is Politbureaus, perhaps Klyment Voro- nation, it is certainly a

are fortune for world peace countries Jn the last five years, and roin euch there always was a host who Mr massive jutting-out chin speaks of shiley and Lazar Kaganovitch and-take listen to Mr Molotov's

Varoshilov 15

that they should be M oncration Vyshinsky's formal

(they stubborn determination. He may be the most outstanding.

It is heart-to- described, without undue

B "hero of the Civil War." un-

of outside. Steeped in the doctrines of alcholic beverage.

the had "Marx-Engels-Lenin-Stal n"

In Tunislu It is sald impression that they are speaking revolutionary movement.

the Poles in 1921 (since Trotsky had can take lighten Russian students of political heart discussions), you get a strong charitableness, as the carecrist of the who is erudited with the defeat essfully morant of the rest work felt obligated to serve some form of

wisdom-they the organisation of to rigidly prepared "brief," written that Lenin had no high opinion of his been relegated to obscurity) just as official source of all politico-economie bound by the Moslem feithi

are imbibing alcohol, served an ortho- for leadership by some other hand than theirs. 1 place, and then, although the phyto-government in their country.

and Stalin himself is credited with the knowledge and

dox feust. But since the chief guest of Generals Denikin, Kolt divorced from the main current of the "best office defeat him as plankton has it: sulls, its reproductive!

Strange to relate, this interesting do not link their proverbial "no" is described

was an American army officer who I believe it is clerk" (kantsellarist) in Moscow,

and Vrangel, He hud served human thought and progress. chunk activity will only peralat so long as little manual on the organisation of entirely their own.

To be sure, they have at their dis- bought several thousand dozen egga government does not even mention more often a monosyllabic dinlaston

In striking contrast to him stands for years as Stalin's War Minister,

modern-minded the sun supplies cruugh energy.

Politburu, of Impotence." the existence of the

the lips k

Lavrenty Berla, a swarthy Georgian Now In his sixties, he is looked upon posat a vast network of worldwide a week from the tribe, the old chief- The Scottish experiment concerned although its name is on

in whose hands, then, is the real and an old friend of Stalin's from his ag an Elder Statesman of the So- und highly organised information toin had

services, both siliciul and unoficial. take the party into town inter for a millions of the better-educated

early revolutionary days in the Cau- Vinovitch happens to be not Here, again, we meet with a pecu brandy night-cap. itself with the effects on Soviet citizens, who know vaguely power in Moscow, Inchiding un

casus. He is sparsely built, olnost and policy making?

Russian-or, to

has behind,

able industrial organiser the Harly only

man Wherever the white nitrogen and phosphorus artlacially

that it is the power

cadaverous in appearance with deep-

his flag, the natives who during the relatively non-productive think and

speak of it with

ly set, tired eyes from which the is an engineer by training) but also reet, Bolshevist characteristle. All periods, with a view to maintaining respect because, probably without

revolutionary fre

chooses usually wonder; he has

has marriage. Stalln

learned they have Soviet re- a high degree of multiplication all the knowing all its members, they know

leaders of the all- Popular opinion, both inside and burnt

served for years as Chief of the him

In their smaller ways, omatic, on his own level. They have learn- organisa- presentatives abroad- year round, and hence a constant and that top-notch

economic and industrial

lved to pour hospitality from bottles, cic-are as exclusive plentiful supply at food for the fish powerlul Communist Party, headed outside Russia, is incllard to view it out. And I seems to have Stalin's brother-in-inw by his first the Information caching the Krom-carried

CALIMBALEtco. of Joseph Stalin as the modern "autocrat N.K.V.D. (late O.G.P.U. lata Tcheka, for the most difficult tasks in is either incomplete or one-sided, I want to do business with him have they of all the Russias." Certainly, ever late Okhrana), But Stalin has a high tion. He was chosen, for instance, commercial,

to put in order the railways worn and secretive as the members of the of his administrative skill

war.

the civii Politbureau themselves. They segre

People from the temperate and the liquidation" of Trotsky, opinen since

out by the 1914-17 war and Soviet mismanagement in gate themselves from the communities He is now one of For no report of any of its met Kamenev. Zinoviev and uther op- and values his specialised"

variously perience.

Their northern clinics are least educated pusted, to which they are

in the use of alcohol and abuse it or decisions ever ponents of what is now

Deputy-Chairmen line" or, eight

of the

His hand are now

most. "didac I began in March 1912 under thes, discussions

ically

"Marx-Engels- Supreme Soviet as well as a mem

task of organising the production of ganised official apartment houses or are after all-official-organs-of the more line direction of Dr-Gruss of the appears in Izvestia or Pravda, which called the "rue Stalin

-aro sentia. Communist Lenin

Lenin-Stalin ne tremendous ber of the Politburont).........

building materials for the stupendous stels. Their children University of Edinburgh, in a very Government and the

efforts have been made to build up

reconstruction "Soviel" schools established for them ("Komparty"

buliding for

short)

postwar Other Members small arm of Loch Sween, one of the Party

programme. Nevertheless he has by the benevoleat Governant, to fjords on the west coast of Scotland. respectively, and any Soviet citizen Stalin into a figure of titanie propor-

There is nother fellow been impressed into the Politbureau, keep them "uncontaminated “ This arm is about a quarter of a mile would feel himself completely "out tions. The entire press, radio and reading screen have been mobilised for the

until

A Soviet Lament today Generalissimo Crucasian, also an old personal as an expert on industrial long and of rather less width, 11 was

purpose, Stalin appears, not merely as a Chie! friend of Stalin'-Anastas Kikoyan, He is not much of a speaker, and colourful platform dammed across its mouth to eliminate them. Littal effects. Nitrate of soda and

of State, but as an all-powerful die- an American and, by all accounts, certainly not a tator, benevolent though he may ap an able executive. With his nose to personality, taperphosphate were then added to the water at intervals, being shovelled

pear in the eyes of millions of simple the grindstone at the Commissariat motor

years Now there is no

modesty Russian peasants and workers who of Foreign Trade for many In behind the propeller of a

specialist not call him (as they used to call their past, he is Cssentially a boat to ensure adequate dispersal. about the Komparty. It does

the After this, large quantiles of young believe in hiding s fight under a sar) "Little Father."

member of the Bureau, not in State-headship class.. plaice and flounders were introduced, bushel. On the contrary, full

mleses an opportunity to take

More sophisticated Soviet citizens-

The same applles, clearly, to An- Examination of the phylo-plankton credit for any "achievement" of the journalists and novelists, speakers at during following_sumer months regime. In fact, whenever Stalin's public meetings and deputies of the dreev (whose full name is, curious-a

whether thowed that the effects of the treat-naine is mentioned,

in Supreme Soviet alike seldom men- ly, Andrey Andreyevitch Andrecy) platform positive. The ment

speeches or minute format

In tion Stalin's name without prefixing and Nikolai Vonessensky, Both are or or suitxing it with such thuditory ap pent, businesslike not colourful references in the press wok up the dertilizers ex- casual

ex- casua traordinarily rapidly and the spring at small local meetings, a reference relations as "our great leader," "our figures. Andreev is

of multiplication, instead of to the "wise leadership of our great wise teacher," or "our wise and be of Molotov and was his

labours

in which we are so vitally interested. FIRST EXPERIMENT

meet

by Stalin himself, are members this compact body, and that #verecy,***

were

of touch" #f

he missed

No False Modesty

false

It never

a great

the

the early days of the with the stuffs are housed in specially or-

man during the great drive and ureau's real, power-that in

the

2

down, was maintained. The teacher" is usually bracketed with loved leader and teacher," etc., etc. collectivisatlon of peasant hnical specialists, there are no apologetically, "we are not supposed

planis

peak dying minute animals feeding on the plants references to the "devoted

direction also Increased to a marked extent. and brilliant

of our be. The effest of the fertilisers on the fish loved Communist Party." Yet the was equally pronounced although Politbureau which is the kernel

seldom brain-is party its longer term. It was found that the that

must awkward mentioned, though the Party flounders grew twice as fast as those me

FISH GROWTH

ceal it

ing

om the

of

Shy, Awkward Man

а

1*

Ds well-

โร

n bld for 1 ✦ are

A Latin child drinks watered wine

DAVID

LANGDON

CARTOON

Volga

or bear almost from birth. Later in life it is an occasion for him to take take a drink of brandy, To three or four would ordinarily be, and that of his own view 1 recall a conversation I once had in his with 21 member of one of the neighbours, a wasteful sin. The Armed Services

numerous Soviet commercial delega-

The Russian's capacity for vodka sons. It started in his offee, on

the So is There is, further, a General Bul- purely official business, which had is highly overrated. ganin-a professional soldier, though to be cut short owing to the lateness American's capacity for whisky.

Put fifty from each country in not a field commander-who acts as of the hour and the legitimate claims military member of this inner of the office cleaners. To finish it I

for a "bite or a drink" I should men trained in foreign service, and leader, Marsbul Boudenny.

In the end of the evening the fifty cabinet, as does also that old cavalry, suggested an adjournment to my club drinking match with fifty English- Russians would be singing "Old It is most significant, however have known better. The poor fellow and an ample proof of the Polit- oked startled for a moment, und Man River," the fifty Americans

then apologised awkwardly for de- would be bouncing "The council of ministers comprising 50 clining my invitation.

"You understand," he explained Boatman" off the rafters. members, many of whom are highly

And the Afty Englishmen? They'd un suberly wondering: 1.e. forcing them into the He is now without an administra- seals provided for representatives of to accept any invitations from busi-

"Why are those chape making such offlec. His is another Deputy the hugh Soviet Army, the great Air ness acquaintances, or visit them in tive

'inconsiderable their offee. Personally, I think it a

damned racket?" -- Associated watch this shy, Chairman of the Supreme Soviet, as force ant the not It is enough to

man, Joseph Stalin, in

Press. (Continued on Faze 10) is also Vasnessensky, who holds in Navy. There is only one Minister bad pulicy and not to our advantage. public-do see him fidgeting, uncom addition the post of

Chief of the for all armed services, and he in the neighbouring Loth Sween, and be supposed to be proud of its brain, fortably at a milltary parade in the

State Planning Office.

Stalin, who combines this office with But even the formidable political estimates showed that they would

Red

Dim Square, or posing before

the chairmanship of both the Coun- reach marketable rize in three years, figure of Joseph Stalia cannot con- camera with an air of bored impa-

Both may be described

cll of Ministers and the Politbureau. figure

fcom public gaze, because

use once, as opposed to six, the normal

It is equally significant that such as if saving, "Enough of this educated, efficient executive offleers at international con- too often

somewhat Ministers as those of the Interior, for natural conditions. The place only

*nse," to realise that he is no staunch Stalinlies, but

Security and Justice, grew to 10 inches in two years as ferences, Russian delegates, includ- strutting peacock, or megalomaniac of "ordinary without much "platform National against the four or six which would

Auch

shots" as political

without usually considered key Ministries in the, Hitler-Mussolini type. There Is manner" and seemingly. be required in a normut ses loch.

Molotov, and Vyshine

have to ask no

pront or any sign, of his personal great political ambitions. Both are for a two-day or three-day ad- Journment

in the before

their giving

Initiative, er direction in this stupen in their late fortits. So neither of other countries (especially when the answers to some question of

dous Stalin build-up, though it could them has any of that glamour which Communists are making

governmental control) attached to quite hardly have been carried out with his la

the old revolu hands of quite undistinguished party HE next stage in the experiment minor importance, such as any other tacit acquiescence.

lo, Merkulov and tlonary" type.

{Kruughla}, was to apply this experience to plenipotentiary delegates are usual-

Whichkov respectively) whose names The New Formation

Hre even less known to the general For bat be isolated from tidal effec's.

leagues" "realistic" idea that it is good

publie than those of the other mem this the neighbouring Kyle Scottish,

The same thing has happened in for the Russian people to

and bers of the Politbureau. And not Sul younger are Malenkov with an area of about 100 nemes, was Moscow, with Stalin in his office a human incarnation of Communist

because they deliberately shun -pub- selected, and each inonth 38 ewt. of

Just round the carner, when one power, to worship and obey it un Zhdanov-too young even to re-

member much of life under the old city like the latter. Here, again, is fruc mitrale of soda (or.30 cwt of sulphate would imagine that a private chat critically; or rather that it is good regime.

They are "Bolsheviks" of clear indication where the ammonia)

cwt of during the luncheon adjournment for the Communist party to be so the new formation"-lough, fanail- power le concerned, superphosphate were added. Thur

con- would be sufficient. Yel Mr Molo- worshipped and obeyed in a

eal, narrow in their outlook. treatment, viewed on a per annum lov needs as much time in Moscow cretc, flesh-and-blood form, instead. Malenkov looks every inch a per acre basis, is rather less than most as when thousands of miles away, of in a corporate (party) form, which "tough guy" real "boss" type. Ho modem farmers would apply on the and he needs it no less than Mr is still beyond the ecmprehension of

is big, with the neck of a bull and

Seeing that there are no signs of. land. The results there were just us Vyshinsky or Mr Gromyko under mcst,of Russla's teeming millions. an

scowl eternal

on his

any of these men being groomed for. encouraging as on the closed one of

of similar circumstances. the loch. Losses of nutrients due to The truth of the matter is that This largely accounts for the fact Amateur speculators in political for succession to Stalin, one may won- Uttal water movement were in- there is no such thing as ministerial that the small body of men-the tunes tip him for Stalin's successor, der who is at all likely to succeed significant, and during the summer discretion, or ministerial responsi- strong silent men of the Politbureau perhaps for the following two rea- hun. It looks as if the Politbureau is

succeeded Stalin in r the minute forms of sea life and the bility, in a "government by commit who really run the government of 500

the role of dictator. This is no new Inrger inhabitants of the sea were ter;" and the Polltbureau is that com- Russin are content to rule without the post of Secretary-General of the ecoming "the Party" as a whole for are Communist Party (n post which his dea in the Soviet political concept. as in un-inlitee. Every detail of polley and being seen or talked about. They are Com

action is fully debated and decided evidently prepared to run the risk of chief was content to hold before the For many years prior to the war the while he was wielding doctrine of collective activity, coffee- one day which war even By the second year, it was found sitting in conclave, mostly after mid-, must so to the idol of their creation frequently follows

upon collectively by the 14 men Anding themselves

power), and he five come inexorably without a tremendous political

Immediately be itty had been

control and collective responsibi that the place and fry grew at about night.

Kaining ground.

It spread even to fields of activity five times their normal rate in- their

This is an intriguing problem in poll- hind Stalin when the Intter makes first six months, and were

one of his rare public appearances. where Individual inspiration and in- tical paychology, eight inches long.

It is not quite impossible that this dividual expression are usually con- A pound

early nocturnal meetings are What sort of men are they? There burly, physically powerful, compara sidered essential to creative effort.

(in his 18 months.

The war and the need for a figure- are 14 of them. It would be idle to tively young man. ware allowed to follow thele natural much in favour in the Kremlin atterunt to place them in the order of forties, oft maybe late thirt'es)

head of herole impressiveness to The helination to migrate to deeper water tradition of the old revolutionary, their importance, or in the probable combines his quite important party inspire a patriotic fervour in but had they stayed in the fertilised conspiratorial days when heavily dis- order of their succession to Stalin duties with those of Stalin's personal masses were largely responsible for predthey would probably have gulac comrades met in secret in the There are really no signs that any of bodyguard.

the Stain bulid-up, though it had reached minimum marketable size In dead of night, when even the waleh- them is being groomed for Stalin's Zhdanov-equally young, but not begun much earlier, when there was -two years as opposed to the normal fod ove of the Onrana was closed, or role, and there would to some sign to tough physically has proved an almost equally great need-for

at least half-closed.

of such grooming if that were in their himself a man of great resource and keying up the backward Russian

TH

an arm of the loch which had not ly ready to answer off their own Apparently he shares his col

of.

and 12

three times as numerous treated water.

ΟΙ

Karee.

7

Nocturnal Meetings and a quarter

At this

weight after

stage

These

have

face.

men

Party As Dictator?

'Bang goes my Christmas box if this one blows up.