1947-12-15 — Page 1

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VOL. II NO, 372

The

Por; the Připetetorat HONGKONG TELEGRAPU, for and on behalf of SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, LIIL

thanh

Printer and Avillaber,

Dino

At the

hongkong Telegraph. G

BRITAIN IS

BEATING

BACK POVERTY

Striking Production Figures RECOVERY CORNER TURNED SAYS MORRISON

London, Dec. 15.-Increasing evidence that Britain is beating back poverty has brought a new surge of optimism to these islands. Deputy Prime Minister Herbert Morrison broadcast on Saturday night that Britain has rounded the "recovery corner,'

"Let's look at the facts and figures and be proud of ourselves as a people," he said. "I am a last to start cheering before the game is won," but "it's not going too badly."A

Hand-To-Hand Fighting In Kashmir

Over 320 raiders were killed by Indian army troops in the Uri ea of Northwest Kashmir alone in the last three days.

A spokesman for the office of Sir Stafford Cripps, boss of Dritain's economics and Anance, said: "Things are on the up and up." Headlines which once told only of now ration cula. and new crisca, now hail good

news.

were

were

MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1947.

slowly creeping upward. So is mine mechanisation. Employment in steel and heavy metal trades is consider- ably above prewar levels, and still; going up..

a

The Late Earl Baldwin

Lord Baldwin

[

Dies In His Sleep

The same story can be told for others-automoblies, gas and elec- The most spectacular bright spot trielly, public transport Is In coal production. It has risen Production is climbing too. Iron steadily to the point where experts and steel output is bowling along at

Arthur renewed.

Horner,

rate of about 14,000,000 tons Communist general secretary of the year, edging above its wartime re- National Mineworkers. Union,

.cord. the country can export 14,- Employment and production are New Delhi, Dec. 14.-Hand-000,000 tons next year and regain down from prewar levels In БОТО Others to-hand fighting and night at her prewar volume of 50,000,000 industries-chielly textile tacks on hilltop positions, tons in two years. Britain promis include tailoring, paper making, manufacture, reminiscent of the past Indian ed to export 10,000,000 tons next publishing, furniture

shoemaking, and the commercial, troops played in the mountain Fear under the Marshall Pina.

Even the black spots in the in- Anancial and distributive businesses. warfare in Italy, have marked dustrial picture are brightening a LONG TERM SIGNS a weekend of fighting in Kash-Ittle. The shortage of rail cars is

On long-term plans, electricity so bad It may produce another crisis

and Increased

farm generation mir,

before spring. But volunteers are production are major items. In the of this year, helping to make up for the decline "first" seven "inonflis in rolling stock

Britain produced enough electricity oul RESURGENT SPIRIT

generating equipthent to turn

than This resurgence

Kilowatts — more of the wartime 830,000 Tonight's Indian Defence Ministry spirit to work batter is dimcult to twice last year's total production of

Worcestershire, communipuc. which

coat such equipment. Agure in statistics.

Stourport, figures, added that indian forces also board spokesman said

Mechanisation of this factor

agriculture, Dec. 11-Lord Baldwin died in suffered casualties.

up during the war, 1s Indian troops cleared a hill posi- was largely responsible for coal pro- speeded. tion of raiders south of Poonth, induction exceeding 4,000,000 tons in proceeding. The output of tractors his sleep last night at his home

and ploughing. planting and here. He was 88 years old. Southwestern Kashmir, and two four successive weeks.

economic harvesting machinery is at record! Better known to the public as greatest Britain's

de levels. Fertiliser is produced parties of raiders were shelled in

nt plain Mr Stanley Baldwin, he was foreign trade headache-her

created Earl Baldwin of Bewdley Jhongar-Kaochera arent

Indian army and Kashmir State felt would be greatly eased if the twice the prewar rate.

There is a Marshall Pinn

effect.

self-sufficiency, links with public life.. Government spokesman. He was a leading guro 1948 levels. But sald boosted well over 19 vastly higher prices abroad curtall Manpower is a key problem on the abdication crisis of 1936 when the 'RAIDER'S LOSSES

farms. German prise nets-of-war, newly crowned King Edward the 'Force

planes the purchasing power from this in-

used Royal Indian Air

as standby help, will

be Eighth left the British Throne to Marshall Plan would .carried out reconnaissance Blights come. The

virtually all gone by summer. Ahis brother, the present King.

of recruiting volunteer over the Chakothli-Domei Road (in help carry the dedcit burden until

the Programme

The Prime Minister held urgent reaches production

the worker to spend their vacations at ond the Akhnur-export

ctions

with the Northwest)

the heads of of the 1938 farm work is under way.-Associated

had Elmbar-Poonch area (in the South goal of 175

the Dominion Governments, is the official level Press. west), the communique added.

audiences with the King himself and Anally went to the House of Com- mens with King Edward's message- of abdication.

force patrols cilled.

Kavu

11 rakiers

these

Kocs

But

inte

Soviet Currency Reform

SURRENDER OF ROUBLES FOR CERTAIN DEPOSITS

Fixed Retail Prices

For Commodities

́London, Dec. 14.-Soviet currency is to be reformed on Tuesday, December 16, under a decree broadcast by the Moscow Radio today, which said bank deposits of "overwhelming majority of the de- positors" would retain their previous value.

The decree was issued in the name of the Coun- cil of Ministers of the Soviet Union and the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party, which declared that the reform necessitated by wartime developments would leave unchanged the Soviet obligations under agreements with other countries.

The Soviet State faces the tasks of carrying out a currency reform for the purpose of strengthening the exchange rate of the rouble as well as the abolition of the rationing system for supplies and of proceeding to expand trade at unified State prices," the decree stated.

It recorded that during the war the circulation of money increased while the production of consumption goods fell, adding that the monetary circulation had been swelled "false money" issued by the invaders during World War II.

by

The State prices for rationed goods had been maintained constant, but freo market prices had at mes rise to to 15 times the prowar level-situation exploited - by speculative elements" to accumulate great quantities.

EXCHANGE RATES

two encounters in Jammu Province. Britain's export production has been gramme of incre step in a pro-1 in 1937 when he severed' most of his 1'3,000 roubles at par value.

percent

volume,

This

A band of raiders,, 1,000 strong, for self-support.

in a two-wave attack four miles Britain is mending her foreign on the main West trade fences with new agreements.

south of Uri,

Read from Srinagar, the Kasimii: Last week, an agreement "in prin- CLARA And

capital, to the Pakistan frontier, ciple" was reached with Russia to bring England 500,000 tons of vitally 200

needed grain.

lost

killed and 100 wounded,

n Reuter despatch from Jamma re- ported today.

There was hand-ic-haht fighting before the tribesmen were driven back-Router.

EDITORIAL

EXPORT PRODUCTION Steadily Increasing industrial employment is helping production

export. Mine

for

manpower

Accommodation Problem

EY Money" for vacant liv-

Kine quarters has been de

clared illegal under the Landlords aut Tenants Ordinance, but the racket

variants continues. Its perlips

being somewhat

more

JIOW

subile and aurreptitious.

A

One' result is that a considerable `amount of habitable property on both sides of the harbour remains Here empty--or apparently so. arain the frustrated searcher for accommodation is thwarted. Any Landlord Is secusation that keeping his

Premista vacant until

is produced can.. and is, casily countered by the Owner

putting in a couple of "stores" to represent tenants, and the property is to all intents and purposes no longer empty. There should be some method of officially putting a stop to theso tactles. The demand for accom- modation is as great today an i was a year ago, and there is no excuse for properly being unin habited. One

has suggestion been advanced before, and it in.

Government should

гореве

***

fully

bestell: comple a register of all property owners and nalisty #iself that all houses and flats in

habitable condition

occupied. Simultaneously Government

of re a register should compile a sidents seeking accommodation, and where it is discovered a landlord has falled fully to let hts: property, or wholly decupy It for himself, the Authorities should have the power to pat la tenants drawn from: iis verlater. It is not denied that such a pro-

greatly

UNRRA Hitch

delicate

connec-

Tientsin, Dec. 15-A situation has developed in

on with the exchange of CLARA

on the

For

Reservationa

Tel: 27880

Price 20 Cents

Unified prices of other foodstuffs would be maintained in general at existing levels. Wine and vodka would remain unchanged in price.. Unified prices for industrial goods would be at a rather higher level as compared with low ratlon prices| although reduced by an average of one-third as compared with. com mercial' prices.

UNCHANGED PRICES

fish, fats, sugar,

Prices of meat, tobacco, confectionery, potatoes and other vegetables, would be the same as previous ration prices.

fixed for New prices would be milk and eggs.

Details of the proposed, exchange Tates for the new money were given

The decree was signed by Marshal s follows: Bank deposits up

to Stalin and M. Andrei Zhdanov, the Bank secretary of the Communist Party deposits between 3,000 and

10,000 central eommittee. Toubles; 3,000 roubles ut par, the The exchange of the money would remainder at three old roubles...le beeffected generally in the week beginning December 16, but in re- mote districts a fortnight would be allowed.

two new roubles.

new

Romance Of A King

Lausanne, Dec. 14. The Rumanian Government's view on the possibility of a marriago between 26-year-old King Milchael of Humania and Frin- cess Anne of Bourbon-Parma, wero brought to Switzerland today by Count Daniel Negel, Mamahal of the. Rumanian Court.

Count Negel, who will convey these views lo, King Michael, travelled by, train from Bucharest.

He was expected to arrive te- morrow morning in Lausanne, where King Michael is staying with his mother, Queen Helen, and Princess Anne,

King Michael will spend to- morrow In conference with Count Negel and an announce- ment may be made afterwards. --Kenter.

►

DATENCENTRU PRIKLOTZ

World Rice Harvest Prospects

Washington, Dec. 14, The world's rice crop for the harvest yrar of 1947-1948 Is expected to be 150,000,000 bushels greater than last year's, but will still be 350,000,000 bushels below. the prewar average, the United States Office of Foreign Agricultural Re-

tatlons said to-day.

The 1947-1948 crop, it was es- timoled, will be 7,050,000,000 bushels compared with 0,000,000,000 bushels for the previous year, with most of the production increase coming fram Asiatic areas affected by the war.

planted A record acreage has been in Europe, where production will

exceed

prewar. North alightly American and African crops are above the high level of the previous .is year, but a production decline. possible in South America.

Asta's production was estimated 1946- at 6,580,000,000 bushels in 1947, and 7,100,000,000 bushels pre- war..

Excluding India, the acreage of the Asiatic countries has increased by two million to three million bushels.

*BURMA'S PROGRESS

of some TC- Primarily becauso duction in India's acreage and pro- duction, Asia's total harvest shows relatively small rise. In the pre- war surplus areas of Burma, Slam and French-Indo-China, the total production might be 60,000,000 or 100,000,000 bushels

laat year, During the exchange period, old all money would be accepted for payments at the rate of one-tenth of its face value.

Old money not changed would be cancelled on a fixed date.-Reuter,

Deposits over 10,000 roubles; 3,000 roubles at par, 7,000 roubles at the rate of three old roubles for two roubles and the remainder at two olil roubles to one new rouble.

Money in co-operative under- takings and organisations and col- lective farms: Five old roubles to four now our issued before LONG POLITICAL LIFE

State loans Another event in his long ad To be consolidated into a "unified distinguished carcer

a public loan' the basis of three servant, was his leadership of his

roubles in previous loans for one Government through the dark days!

new rouble in the unified loan. The of the 1028 general sirike.

decree pointed out that this was a Lord Baldwin was In his youth,

rate than was his family's from more advantageous associated with

of lold down for the conversions accush. foundry. He

as

11 was

before

on

1047:

old

Canada's Cost Of

Living Soars

the

course chosen

government held

Frenter

than

The greatest progress, in Increas- was in Burma,, where ing acreage nearly 900.000 more acrca were planted. Siam's production is about but there is 25 percent greater, some decrease in French Indo- China's production.

China's production is only slightly higher with an acreage still 1,400,- 000 acres less than the prewar average.

The South Korean crop is 15 per cent higher. Japan's acreage is wenther Ottawa, Dec. 14-A steady up- higher, but unfavourable

cost of has reduced the production below ward march in Canada's and UNBRA personnel following entered political life as the Con-

living brought increased pressure last year's. The Philippines' pro- the arrival from Shanghal of three servative Member for the Bewdley While the currency reformi 19 CLARA members and two

groups for duetion exceeds the prewar average today from consumer em-division which he represented Im being effected the wages of workers Parliamentary intervention. How- and 80,000 more neres have been ployees to join up with Tientsin.

ever, Parliament for 20 years, during 12 and employees as well as the in-

to its planted in Malaya.-Reuter. "The CLARA

group are reluctant of which he was Prime Minister. come of peasants from State de- to submit to a baggage examination

of avoiding any Lord Baldwin had been suffering liveries and other labour incomes of and decline to hand over documents from a slight cold for a few days all sections of the population, wil general imposition of price controls. delegation of more than 75 demanding an apology from local

SENT BACK. HOME and was found dead by a servant not be affected by the reform but housewives from eastern Canadian Harrison authorities for restricting who went

call him early this will be paid in the new money at cities called on Finance It was learned later today declared.

day the previous rates," the statement Dougins Abbott on Saturday. morning

London, Dec. 14.-Clement A family meeting was held tonight

told him they wanted prices rolled Michaliand, 20-year-old Frenchman, at Lord Baldwin's home at Astley Bank deposit transactions would

that be suspended on December 15, 161 back to the pre-1945 level, general described as the owner of a Swiss Hall and It was understood

restoration of price controls, and hotel, was sent back to Switzerland reinstitution of subsidies on flour, today soon after he arrived at a cremation would take place in Bir- and 17. mingham. The actual day and

milk and fuel. They asked relin London airport from Zurich, will be decided by the new

officers time

position of the excess profits tax Earl-Reuter.

and establishment of a price control board-Associated Press.

And

Piracy Report

ecdure would involve a consider- abtc amount of patient work.

their freedom of movement. but if it succeeds. In helping to

Consequently UNRRA's Interna- foxial group

at Huitsalyu comprising stop the "key money" racket,

two Americans including one wo- the and at

same time puis

man, one Briton, one Australian and needy tenants Into possession of

three Soviets, are viriually hostages accommodation, it will be well worl attempting.

pending the satisfaction of CLARA There i

terras in Tientsin. another problem connected with accommodation-the high hotel and boarding houses charges. They are much too severe for the average European and middle- A man will bls. class Chinese. wife and child has to pay up to $700 a month for the use of one room-probably equal to 65 per- cent of the family income-and then he faces other

in. creased living costs which absorb every cent ho earns. The experts have computed that if man has to pay more than 33 percent out of his wages for rent and taxes, he ле ferced to live on on un economic level When, there- fore, a a family man in Hongkong has to surrender angiling up 70 percent of his income on food and lodgings his economie blight in obvious. It is not suggested that hotels and boarding houses

become charitable should

In- stitutions, but where they are Accommodating families whose Incomes are in the middle level class, and who can Qud no alter- native place of abode, they could, offer somewhat more berhaps, reasonable terms. We suggest that Government re-approaches the proprietorn to` discuss a TEŠ vised Gentlemen's · Axrcément › for accommodation charges;

STATE RETAIL PRICE The confused situation is being

The decree announced that in kandied by Tientsin's (UNRRA re-

future the difference between the presentative, Mr Hannan, but ne-

"commercial" (freemarket) price gotiations appear to be deadlocked

and the "rationed" price would be may ultimately require setile- Reparts were current in Hong abolished, making way for a single

that the JCJL State retail ment of a

lovel higher

kong this morning.

It instructed the which Meanwhile an American, Mr Jack ship, Van Heuist,

left the Flintstry of Commerco to fix in ac- Dodds of the Friends Ambulance harbour yesterday for Swatow and cordance with the reform, now Unit, who is supposed to return Amey, had been pirated,

prices for food products and indus- from Communist territory with the.

The Telegraph was informed this trial products. The new schedule, bodies of

however, would not apply to colles- tive farm markets.

of Captain Harley Moore and moralus, both by the Manager of crew, is unable to leave the Red ICIL and the Water Police that no area without UNRRA personici. buch report had been received by

Captain Harley Moore was co- them. ported killed with his two Chinese Subsequent information is that crew members when the plane he the ship is returning to port this piloted crashed in Communist held afternoon. A message is reported to lerritory. Reuter.

have been received from the master of the vessel stating that the piracy [altempt was unsuccessful.

Cultural Convention

Joku, Dec. 14-The

Government delegation headed by

South China No Albanian Longer Restless

the cultural convention with Bulgarian Government.

Hedin,wearing a uniform

The decreo. promised that the lessee incurred by ปล over-

Minister They

Emigration

questioned film and found his papers were not in order-Reuter.

British Sub's Remarkable Submerging Achievement

London, Dec. 14.A British schnorkel apparatus and with other The schnorkle put

In

The new uniform prices for in-submarine remained submerged secret devices.

into service on board U-bonts dustrial

an for several weeks then sur 1943 both purifies the air in sub- goods would be on

eliminates engine average less than one-third of the faced under her own power math pur present commercial prices.

with her full crew of seven odours, but even with it installed on men in good submarines, 48 to 72 hours of sub- officers and 60 whelming majority of working health, the Admiralty said to mersion was the previous limit.

The only anxious time camo when the people through

conybrsion day.

ona sailor complained of pain. Ap- would be "short-term and in-Two to three days was the pre-pendicitis was suspected and it was significant,"

while

would hit, first

fcared the test would have to be of all, the

privileged elements."

Admirally suspended. But the man's condition The

working

vious limit of submersion.

British A succinct

Shanghai, Dec. 15-South China would be fully dogsea announcement reported that HM improved and two days later he was by the Submarine Alliance, of 1,250 tons at fards the end of the longest General Enver Hadja, Premier of ports bave lost that restless feeling abolition of high commercial prices had returned to its base at Ports Albania, arrived here today to sign witnessed during the war, Admiral and the reduction of existing rallen-mouth after a cruise in the tropical underwater cruise on record excite-

cercals. bread and the Charles M. Cooke, Commander of cd prices on bre

off the US Western Pacific Fleet, said However, "the"

test living conditions on board a the submarine broko surface sacrifece re- submarine during prolonged dives Treetown, officers and man seram-

bled up uired, "especially, as this will be in tropical waters."

up the conning tower to greet of a Chinese reports. Colonel General, and his wife, were Admiral Cooke has just returned the last

An Admiralty. grented by M. Georg Dimitrov, the to his bana

At Sofia rallway station, General In. Thingtao yesterday, according to some of the "must hearwaters of Sierra Leone, Africa "to ment mounted among, the crow. A

་

in Tsingtao following The rationed prices for bread to disclose. Roty spokesman declined the sun,

long the submarine "We were appalled by the stench

would be reduced by the averago was submerged.

..

of marine growth with which, our Bulgarian Prime Minister members a prolonged tour of Southern Asia, of the Bulgarian Cabinet,and during which he called at Hongkong, of 12 percent and for cereals by ten It was Icarned; however, that the ship had become embalmed beneath diplomatic representatives in Sofia Singapore. Manila and Formosa percent, Beer. would be about ten Alliance had been fitted with an im- the sea," one officer said-Associat-

Router. ➡utcutor.

percent chenper...

proved voralon of the German ed Press.