1948-02-21 — Page 12

12

BAO DAI ON WAY BACK TO HONGKONG

Paris, Feb. 20.--Bao Dai, ex- Emperor of Ammum, today left) Cannes, on the French Riviera, by plane for Geneva. He in on his way do Hongkong.

Dno Dal went to Cannes last week after was announced that bin projecled discussion with M. Emile Bollaert, French High Commntaloner for Indo-China, on a French cruiser In the Day of Along, off the const would take Indo-Chino, of North place shortly.

Last week in Paris, Bao Dai had with the French conversations

Premier, M. Robert

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1948.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

ARMED COUP PLOT REVEALED

Government Crisis

London, Feb. 20.-The discovery of a plot to carry out an armed coup in Czechoslovakia was announced tonight in a joint statement by M. Vaclav Nosek, Czech Minister of the Interior, and General Ludvik Svoboda, Minister of Defence, according to Prague Radio.

Schuman, and SPORT:

the

other Ministers and officials on terms

settlement In of peace French Indo-China, where fighting has been going or for over a year between French forces and Chinese Nationalists.

In January,

Boo

Indo-

Dai met M. Bollaert in Geneva for talks which were believed to include the return of his throne.

Complete Independence

LUCKLESS DISPLAY

BY M.C.C.

The two Ministers and they discovered the plot in the past week while investigating allega- tions made in the Czechoslovak Socialist newspaper, Svobodne Slovo,

ele- that "anti-State ments" held offices in the Government.

The plot was said to have been organised by adherenia of General Prchala, who was deprived of his rank in 1945 after opposing the exiled Czechoslovak Government in England during the war-Reuter,

Ministars Resign

Prague, Feb, 20.An early dis- Con- solution of the Czechoslovak stituent Assembly and the election of a new Parliament is expected here tonight following the resigna- tion of six non-Comraunist Minis- ok Coalition ters in the 19-month Cabinet.

Georgetown, British Gulana. Commenting on the recent con- Feb. 20. Lasing Len Hutton to

in Ports versallons

between the the fifth ball of the day without

the French Premier and Bao Dal,

addition to his Thursday score Vietnamese (Indo-Chinese National- of 138, the M.C.C.. apart from Lat) newspaper. Dari Minh, today

J. C. Laker and J. II. Wardle. shaped an Enid it had reason to believe that

disappointingly that Bao Da bud asked for complete In-

they were all out for 332 run unified Vietnam, dependence for a

In their first flugs galut including the sovereign administra-

Belilah Guiana

the second tion

diplomney.

day of their match herë. TC- and Anances, it was economy ported from Saigon,

In reply. the home side has

slovakia's Communist Premier, Js scored 144 for the loss of four expreted to offer the resignation of wickets by the close of play,

at

Vietnamese

On the French military offensive recently launched in the Plaine des Jones (the marshland west of Sai- gon), the paper sull that the Frane- Indo-Chinese problem could not be

settled by the army, but pencefully.

only

French A large-scale

offensive, even if successful, would not neces - sarily entail political advantages, the paper wrote,

It added: "Is it the French Gov. ernment's idea to exercise diplanu- tic, pressure on Vietnam by means of milltary victories?"-Heuter.

FINDLATERS

DRY FLY

SHERRY

A gracious way

to welcome your

guests

Gilman & Co., Ltd.

TELEPHONE 31148

NOTICE

THE "STAR" FERRY CO., LTD.

Notice To Shareholders

on

Most of the tourists' batsmen did not appear at all confident against steady bowling, and six wiekeis fell for the addition of only 63 runs to their overnight sence of 269 for four. Of these runs, Laker true 48.

35.

Laker. who was seven aut overnight, mude n seful 20, white Wardle, in a bright knock, scored I. P. Bayley, the British Gulana- captain, who toured England in 1939, in the home alone remained soltd side's innings, and by the close of play was still unbeaten with GU to

la cre-Router,

Sheffield Shield Match

Melbourne. Feb, 20.-The bowling of Douglas Ring. Willian Johnson and Sam Loxton for Victoria aganist South Australia, who scored 281 for six, on the first day of their Shellek Shield match here today suggested that they were fortunate that the team for England had already been

chosen.

|

M. Klement Gottwald, Czech-

five-party Coalition

And

**L

of

Laws Disregarded Explaining thele resignations, In a letter to President Benes, they safe that

some

offlelais, especially the police, disregarded the lows

and Government decisions,

"No Turkish, Sir-only Virginia."

HsinKong

So Findings

(Continued from Pare 1)

in- deemed portions that it was advisable to open the lower hatch (thereby allowing additional air to enter the hold) with a view to as certaining the cause of it; and all that was done was to play two hoses as well as possible on the hatch and hope for the best. Apparently there pres- fairly reasonable hanes had a sure of water to begin with, but the anct pressure gradually dwindled eventually

failed altogether about 9.20

ไป

the hand

The People's Party executive, in

official statement,

expressed Fegret at being forced to conclude Chat was not possible to go on working in a Government which did

CAUSE UNKNOWN

fire, Rot respect its own deck

decisions.

The cause of this second added, however, that the party which eventually gutted the vessel, The Chinese unknown. iso of cuis in the necessity operation between all the parties in crackers, which was the only item of dangerous goods on board, were stored in the forward 'tween decks. took no part in the initial

It

Russian Accusations

Called Tiresome

Mili-

Berlin, Feb. 20-At today's Allied Control Council, Governor Lucius D. Clay, the American tary Governor of Germany, described as "tiresome" the repeated Soviet charges or delay in demilitarisation,

current

dc-

The Western delegates at to-1 Austria, however, desperately an- dlay's meeting-General Pierre xlous to get the foreigners out of the

favours nh country, strongly Koenig (France), Lieutenant ceptance of the latest terma. General II. C. D. Brownjohn, Russia's claims amount to two- substituting for General Sir thirds of the

oil output, Brian Robertson (Britain) and two-thirds of the oil prospecting Austria for 50 General Clay-said the four- rights in Ensterti

years and an oil refining capaelly equal to 430,000 fans. power inspection in principle Only had not been rejected.

Russin is also claiming ali nasels the plan put forward at a pre-

by vious meeting

Marshal of the Danube Steamship Company Sokolovsky had been turned Hungary, Rumanin and Dalgaria, 25 percent of the company's assela onerous In Austria and the most

down.

They had rejected the plan be of all-the transfer 10 the Soviet in its Union of £50,000,000 in convertible

Cause of Soviet preamble.

accusations

in n General Clay sold today,

the Brillsh which statement willh and French Milliary Governor as- sociated themselves, that he was not disposed to discuss a document con- taining accuations such as those in the Soviet plan.

of

"We hear constant rumours

places like ship construction in

mining in Rostock, of uranium

wor Saxony and of questionable

In the being produced equipment Soviet zone," General Clay said.

Though these were only rumours. to were helping he declared they destroy four power confidence, and good thing to clear It would be them up. Reuter.

claims to German

assets

German Assets Claim

United London, Feb. 20.-The States delegation to the ecaference of the Big Four Foreign Ministers deputies opening here today thinks Russia's excessive, it was learned here today. The United States is affected ns 10 of source the

economic ald Austria, and the impression is that Americans consider Russin's the

for the terms

steep price evacuation of foreign troops from Austria.

too

Akh

were

time Some

prior 11.471.

officer chict Cabinet

the this.

the steam when he reports to Dr Benes, the

states he turned

but he was of valve. President, on the resignation of the

smothering other Ministers-three members the opinion that there was little or This was Dr Benes Czech Socialist Party and

no steam in the pipes. three People's Parly members.

not reported to the engine room, as The Cabinet would then be askerl

It was apparently assumed that, as Wardle to remain u office until and

a Keneral

the steam smothering system was efertien is held.

part of the auxiliary supply which The first to resign today were the

was on at all times, there must have three Czech Socialists-Dr Peter

This Zenkt.

sence of adequate fire patrols; fire Vice-Premier. Professor

been no steam in the boilers. Jaroslav Stransky and

Dr Prokop appears to be rather extraordinary

were considering the first fire had been drills for crew (especially bearing In

mind the frequent changes) Petina, Minister of Justice,

out and seldom carried

In- ton Then the three People's Party extinguished at 7.30 am. when there pressure; al-

One witness members-M. Franusek Hala (Posts was 60 lbs. of steam

of water dedequately conducted. and Telegraphisi, M. Adolf Prochazka thou

though the pressure

said he never

drill. any dre (Health)

Most witnesses. In this cane, when Monsignor Jane

creased soon after the hoses were

use asked to describe a fire drill, pro- Sromek, AL Vice-Premier handed applied, no effort was made to use as by this time pump

time needed to describe some sort of pro- their resignations to M. Gottwald,

(about 9 a.m.) the smoke from No. 1

cedure whereby everybody look to the life bonts as fast as they could. hold was increasing so much that it

We gained the Impression in this was felt it would be ineffective. The

case that the senior officers were not Chief Engineer also feared by this

tank might sufflelently aware of what was go- time that the settling

thair ing on in the vessel under

and.

not enre. and explode. No flames were seen any- It was decided to abandon

in particular, where.

kept properly advised of the pro- ship at 1.30 am. Flumes were first seen coming from the forward partgress of this fre. There was a TC- grettable absence of communication of the ship about 19,30 m, an hour

of information from one department after the abandonment.

initiative on to another, and lack

schior officer::. the part of the

in a pro. There can be no excuse

for the perly organised vessel. failure of the master, (through the chief engineer) to ascertain import- that the boller ant facts, such as, pressure at 7.30 .. was 80 lbs. offeindly announced, though they The

It is within our knowledge that knocked off him without taking a will be reported in tomorrow's news-spread of the fire, although

a chlo fire on papers. but the Czechoslovak news abandonment. and the re became

this is the third agency reported that the Cabinet

generalised, they were heard

which has occurred in the waters the meeting, expected today, was not ploding. Throughout the enquiry,

of the Colony during the last year. PETER KANE LOSES

held because the Czech Socialist and

possibility of the No. 1 hald bulk-

And. In our opinion, the time has come for a review of all existing Manchester, Feb. 20.—Peter Kane Stovak Demuerat (Catholic Conser-head becoming red-hot as a result of the first fire with the result that of Great Britain. declared by many

either the cargo next to that bulk-regulations and instructions on the subject of fire prevention, especially as the outstanding British Bihter of 1947, Jost lus European banlamı-

Earlier Elections

head (or near it) or the oil in the

on ships of this class. weight tile_to.Guido Ferracin,__the_| The_Cabinet_was_to have met in settling tank, or the communicating Italian champion, at Belle Vuc, Alan-

an effort to compose its differences pipe, becoming-ignited,-was-kept-in. no concrete chester, tonight by a point decision in the light of a warning from the mind. But we have

President of the Republic after 15 rounds.

evidence of that. That may be

of the cause of this Ferracin's

victory must have been resignation would mean i dissolu-explanation

We do not know. But by the narrowest of margin, but few tion and elections earlier than those second fire.

It is, to say the least of it, regrettable would Quarrel with the verdict. due to take place in the spring.

board which ended Kane's

M. Gottwald had promised t amazing "comeback". In the past 18 months Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that thought it worth while to give or-

ders that the

વો. the Communist Minister of the In-

compartment he has won all his fights,

at WHS R

would answer Tonight, Kane

much more terior

today's joining the area of the first fire, be subdued boxer. Gone was the old meeting, charges by some of his kept under observation as from say.

Di zip and fire, which characterised his colleagues alleged "bolshevish- 0.30 a.m. If that had been done, even fire had threatened to de- mare recent ring battles.

tion" of public posts.

The Although Kane adopted tacties i The Social Democrats were trying

at, say 7.30 a.m., with GG lbs.

feel familiar to himself by pressing his today to reach a inst-minute agree-of steam pressure then in the steam opponent ut every opportunity, be ment to save the Coalition.

smothering system,

belief that that strained to the found the lively Italian too skilful and too fast,-Reuter,

second fire need never have been nitowed to develop in the way that

The Victorian Belding, as well as the bowling, was below standard. and P. Ridings, whose 113 not out was the only colourful feature of the day's play, was missed three times, Ring took three for 78, Inu John- son two for 54 and William Johnston one for 45. Loxton harci 36 runs

wicket.-Routes.

Soong

To Become

Premier?

(Continued from Page 11

their

free hand in naming his cabinet. Political observers base predictions along the following lines:-

With American aid about to be- a reality, China needs her most able economist and her best-known and

respected

statesman abroad to handle this end of American aid.

come

I

believes

the Government Coalition.

The resinations have not been

be

vative) Ministers did not arrive for

that, a

A

Between them. the Communists i

and Social Democrats have 150 scats in Parliament and the two Slovak Labour Party members usually vote with them.

parties hold The renisining

148 seats.Reuter.

Knives, Hatchets

In

Camp Fights

that

no senior

པས

officer

on

"aller

cx-

con-

A-muster-of-a-well.organised ship is entitled to assume that his sub- ordinates will act, in an emergency.

with In accordanter

pre-arranged But rules and established practice. it cannot be loo strongly emphasised That the ultimate responsibility for the safety of a ship, and all aboard her, rests upon the shoulders of the master; and while we commend the master of the "Hsin Kong So that. in the result, there was no loss of life, we feel strongly that had ade- quate orders been issued early, dur

of the first fire, to ng the course Inspect the vessel, more especially the surrounding compartments in- eluding the forward No. 1 hold, the second tire would have been de- tected in its initial stages, and might have been prevented entirely from developing into the conflagration which

the ultimately consumed entire ship.

MASTER'S OMISSIONS We also are of the opinion that the fire fighting equipment on board was not used to the best advantage. For example, we consider that the Chief Engineer should have taken people immediate steps to bring into opera

tion the steam smothering system to the stokehold fire. Again only two of the six hoses were used at any

loaks. those

right into

the after

stokehom, shed, did not

did

Bearing in mind, of course. (a) the fact that repairs to the heater. tubes, jointing and other parts were carried out as recently as 27.1.48, (b) the fact that No. 1 Atter. (Mak Kum Chun, although he did not go round tightening all coupling Joints during the few days subse- quent to 27.1.40 wuS satisfied therm

werd

(c) 167) that fact who actually did first fire was see any evidence of the bulkhead being red hot, although blackened. one time. At least one smoke helmet was on board. I was not in fact (d) the absence of any

other evidence

used, and we fral it difficult to be Indicating definitely a nexus between

love that it was at all material times the first and second tire and, (e)

inaccessible. (while making allowances for the Chief Officer's inexperience

smelt what an all fire looked and to

as like)

the fact of his repeated sertion. in a general way, that the smoke from both fires contained "gas," we feel bound to say that the possibility of incendiarism cannot bo definitely ruled out.

Marseilles. Feb. 20.-A fight broke out today between 100 Indo- Chinese workers residing in the That the talents of the Governor camps of Ruomettes and Mazargues, are wasted in the rehabilitation of near Marseilles, the police reported Kwangtung at a time when Chingtonight. has not the financial resources to The workers attacked one another with knives, hatchets and other carry out any large projects. NOTICE hereby given that The

Six recent

of weapons. "private"

were injured--three to be taken Wu Tel-chen, Secretary- | gravely-and had the forty-sixth Ordinary Yearly | General

in, Marseilles fallowing Meeting of the Members of this General of the Kuomintang Party, hospital

police Intervention. has also aroused much interest. Company will be held at the The same gources predict thent Fifteen Indo-Chinese were taken Ollice of Mesin Jardine, Mathe-should De Soong relinquish his pre- to police headquarters to be ques- son & Co., Ltd., on Wednesdayent post, his most likely successor fioned.

visil

would be General Wu, who was The police refused to disclose the the 17th day of March, 1948, at Governor when the Japanese oecause of the fight. Noon, to receive the Report of the rusled Canton in the autumn of 1938. Board of Directora and Statement | -Beuter.

of Accounts for the year ended 31st December, 1947, to efect Directors and to appoint Auditors,

Notice is also given that the Transfer Books of the Company will be closed from the 4th March, 1948, to the 17th March, 1948, both days inclusive.

By Order of the

Board of Directors.

C. E. TERRY,

Manager & Secretary.

Hongkong, 20 February, 1948.

CHURCH NOTICE

GOSPEL HALL (Duddell Street, Hongkong) Delween the Bank of China and the National City Bank of New York).

Sunday 11 n.. Breaking of Bread. for Bellovers only), Gospel Meeting.

Sunday

Tuesday Thunday

Bible Study.

pita.

All

friends English

Prayer Meating. apçaking

ort

welcome.

A

contingent of

kido-Chinese workers from these camps was to be repatriated from Marseilles on a

of

Owing to the very recent engage- CEYTV ment of a new engine room and the irregularity of their algning on, the Court was on its

quara French troopship next Tuesday-throughout the enquiry to test the unna fides of this aspect of the mat- ter,

There seems to be little room for any suspicion on that score. Indeed, some of the most specifie and enlightening evidence was given by these new hands.

Reuter.

Cairo Rocked By Explosion

INADEQUATE FIRE PATROLS

A review of the existing Instruc- tlons on the subject of fire and other Cairo, Feb. 20.-A terride explo-emergency precautions reveals that sion rocked Cairo tonight.

some of these are either relaxed, or

the The police rushed in strong force are not enforced with to the Darb El Ahmar district out- | stringency in some of the smaller side the city, where they stated vessels plying in what is known as

casualties" Printed and published by FerGERICK "many

FRANKLIN for and on behalf of Other details were not available.

feared. the "river trade," as in occan polug vessels. In the present case wei are South China Morning Post Limited The explosion occurred outside ontlaßed there was a complete ab- at 1-3 Wyndham Street City of the headquarters of the Moslem

Continued at Foot Victor.a in the Colony of tlongkang Brotherhood.-Reuter.

were

of Next Column

|

|

|

In conclusion We ore of the opinion that while the master took timely and adequate steps to pre- vent loss of life, his failure, not only to ensure that the best possible immediate, use was made of all avaliable Bre fighting equipment, but also to issue orders for, the inspection of the compartments of the ship adjoining the seat of the first fire, contributed to the loss of this vessel. His omissions in our opinion amount to default within the meaning of sub-section 8 (a) of Section 10 of Ordinance 10 of 1890. The chief engineer also failed to make the best use of all fire fighting equipment in the case of the stoke- steam hold fire, In particular the smothering system.

a

While his responsibility cannot be considered so great as that of the master, his omissions also in our opinion amount to default. This is n Court of Investigation into casually, not a Court of Inquiry Into churgen of Incompetence or miscon- duct; and, as we are at present con- stltuled, in view of the provisions of section 19 (2) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinanco, we may tako no further action except to record our censure of both these officers,

currency in two years.-Reuter.

They Answered the Call

Have You?

your

Send donation to

the

HONGKONG

WAR MEMORIAL FUND

Hon. Treasurora Lowe, Bingham & Matthews Marcantile Bank Bldg.

GRAND OPENING

BEST

TO-DAY

FOODS!

BEST DRINKS!

COMFORTABLE SURROUNDINGS!

Come and try our

FAMOUS AND DELICIOUS

FUKIEN

FOODS

Specially Prepared by Our Expert Cooks.

Also

BAR AND SODA-FOUNTAIN

VICTORY CAFE

(Hong Kee) 351-353, Nathan Rd., Kowloon,

SEE

Tel: 58880.'

NORGE

BEFORE YOU BUY

NORGE

"ROLLATOR" REFRIGERATOR

Available in 7 cu. ft.

and 4 cu. ft. models.

The only refrigerator with the "Rollator" Mechanism

NORGE ELECTRIC RANGE

NORGE

OIL-BURNING HOME HEATERS.

L-Shaped Heat Distributor

With 40% More

Heating Surface,

Four surface elements --

Three utonsil drawers

Large oven with uniform

heat and

other many

special features -

TRAS ASH

NORGE "RO-TA-TOR" ELECTRIC WASHER

Saves cost, saves time, and

gives better quality, in laundry

Washes, cleans and dries clothes

more quickly and with better result →→→

SOLE AGENTS:

JONES & CO., LTD.

HONGKONG BANK BLDG.

TEL: 25803, 27217”- SHOWROOM: No. 14, Fenwick Str., Wanchal.