1951-01-12 — Page 7

ان

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1951.

The Churchill Story: 19th Instalment,

VICTORY AT LAST

No

old cavalryman, least of all Winston Chur-

And

when was he unhap-

By Colin Frame plest? Probably when. he

heard,

over the phone/at his that the battleships Prince of Wales and/ Repulse been sunk by the

chill, is content with mere render" and the Normandy in bedside, defence.

Glimpses of his peerless war leadership therefore are bound -to show his ardour in attack as well as his defiance in defence.

Throughout his Premiership he sought to lay Germany low,

the from

first audacious pinpricks to the mortal blow.

i

Special Craft

vasion.

had "Dingy Object" AMONG these life-and-death Japanese.

Cautious Note

"I was thankful to be alone." directives he found time to

wrote in "The Grand write also little notas

asking he whether the Admiralty could Alliance" (Cassell and Co). "In not afford a new flag instead of all the war I never received a the "dingy object"

direct on their more

shock... As I over and twisted in masthead, or chiding a pedan-turned. tically prosy official by return-bed the full horror of the news ing his minute scrawled with sank in upon me." ON June 6, 1940, with all red ink: "This is English up with

his which I will not put.” France falling about ears and isolation and invasion of Britain staring him in the face, Churchill drafted a minute asking Chiefs-of-Staff to pro- pose measures "for a vigorous, enterprising and ceaseless offensive against the whole Ger- man-occupied coastline."

Those five years of attack UT, whether the news was conducted good or bad, he squared were by no mean's

His his shoulders in the House to entirely from Whitehall.

it, and although at urge to see things for himself break

times there was bitter criticism was as strong as ever.

His wartime journeys out-of his handling of the nation's side Britain totalled 150,000

affairs there was never, for a miles.

of moment, any likelihood He appeared before the desert his being supplanted. In that minute there is the

Even when things were first wartime suggestion of the troops

very well indeed Chur- special craft which, known as showed New Yorkers his siren

going suit. He crossed the Atlantic

to LCTS (landing

strike a craft,

chill managed tanks)

cautious note which kept the nosed their way by hundreds ten times. He went to Moscow,

Normandy on to the

nation on its toes. beaches Ankara, Athens, Algiers, Cairo, four years later to the day and Cyprus bare the means of victory Iceland.

а

year after that.

The first suggestion? was in existence Churchill minute

sunk to form harbour.

an artificial

weather.

It's date? July 10, 1917.

Ruthlessness

as "Mr Bullfinch." He

and Canada. Italy,

are

-117-

EDITOR PRESS SERVICE SING

* NUEVA 106

20% FLEXING PORE

"Mr Flavel, here, of the shipping department, has asked me to marry him and I don't need your old job

I quit !" any more

FOR THE BUSINESSMAN

a few days of using US Silk Import

as

an

Within the words "brilliant prospect" His Duty

about one action he apologised There THESE trips were not without to the House for his wording the asked instead for another hazard. Guy Eden, in his and

mellow suggesting vivid

of "the biography acceptance wartime bullet-proof barges with a draw-Portrait of Churchill” (Hut-light of victory."

which could chinson) bridge

described in front

Alamein he states- reports that carry tanks to land, and also

the end, not even the be- urged Mrs Churchill to not men concrete barges which could be try to stop his flying in bad girning of the end--but "per- haps the end of the beginning." Her eyes filled with

But the end came at last. tears

for him "Lots There was but she replied proudly of young men.

at this hysterical welcome in liberated moment risking their lives for | Paris, and a more phlegmatic

will cause. Winston

do but

one no less affectionate ET Hitler, a corporal at the the

time

duty whatever this strategic inven- his

on the banks happens. from the troops

he made for

the Rhine, not

me to over of tiveness was at work, boastedIt is

V-signs from an armoured car of his intuition.

persuade him."

river like a The

crossed the ruthlessness Churchill On some trips he took with and

to eat & sandwich showed in attack, the great risks him a heavy pistol-"I'll take | conqueror he took to.

Montgomery in a grapple with the a Hun with me, anyway," he lunch with the enemy,

his deci-used to say.

shattered Rhineland village. way sion alone swayed the

From

What one trip he nearly

famous Churchillian and

remark, ment of troops

people wonder, guns, failed to come back.

After

Stalin in he meeting

make when he the replacement of admired and

the Teheran in 1943

end he fell ill the

and enterprises with

for there pneumonia

YET

well-loved

abandonment

generals, of

move-

never

as

did realised had come? Surely but his- was a brief,

immortal statement,

which had already cost much several days fought for his life (toric and

sun-bathed villa on the There blood and treasure, the launching in a

was not, Churchill's first of new enterprises the result of Bay of Tunis.

remark on the outbreak Britain which no man could foresee-all

knew

have how of war is reported to these facets of his war leader- desperately ill he was. "If this been a cheery reference to the ship take several books to des- cribe, as he has begun to show in his war memoirs, already it 400,000 words and not yet Carthage." complete.

D-Day

gasped for breath, "it is fitting should be within sight of

Increasing

New York, Jan. 11. Final figures from the American Silk Council showed that 1950 raw silk imports totalled 71,412 bales, compared with 29,-

1949. 690 bales in

In December 5,817 bales were received, including 4,823 from Japan, 1,008 from China and 121 from Italy. Stocks on hand on Dec. totalled 11,587 31, 1950 bales with another 838 bales on the pier. Estimat. ed deliveries of raw silk during 1950 including, re. exports amounted to 67,- 214 bales, compared with 30,551 bales in 1949, -- United Press.

London Rubber Market

London, Jan, 11.

is the end," he said as he air-raid siren which imme- Prices in the rubber futures diately followed the radio market here closed today as news that war was declared-follows: "You've got to hand it to the No. 1 rubber (in cents per lb.)

March blighter-he's punctual."

HE

washas

HIS Yea or Nay upon which Il so

much depended never lightly given. It is wrong to picture Churchill glorying in freely handing total war and out total decisions.

Unenviable Task

still

"Very Interesting" insisted on seeing official papers. Guy Eden SIMILARLY his comment when a good story of Cabinet at Chequers he heard that had offered to sur- Ministers politely declining the Himmler

unconditionally is not unenviable task of trying to render

to reach stop Churchill working on his likely

the history books. It was: "This is very, sick bed,

Finally Brendan Bracken, interesting." Mr Harold Nicolson, a friend

then

Come Minister of Information,

what may. VE-Day who has practically grown up

must stand as the climax of with him, has described watch-agreed to have a shot.

He walked into the room and the Churchill Story. At that said bluntly, "You are going to point in time, for the man die... You can either live in who had devised the means of anxious the interests of your country or victory, his life saga, rich in hours was not the face of an you can die a martyr to your themes, varied in success and insensitive warrior; it was the red boxes."

failure, reached its topmost visage of human anxiousness; "You

go to hell!" said an pinnacle.

Churchill-but he sent the red boxes away and his took things carefully for time.

ing Churchill on the morning of D-Day.

"His face in those

, י -

it was utterly drained of blood. astonished

"Nor are his decisions as im- mediate or impulsive as some have supposed; he will pace the room for hours seeking to make up his mind."

To this victorious moment had destiny strange amarched

since that November day 70 years earlier when, in His family, in their several the home of brilliant ances-

what every tors, he had first ways, exemplified

gulped patriotic British family did in greedily at life. those stirring days.

Shall we therefore now leave Mrs Churchill, so often the the spotlight on him? to Ladysmith" graceful foil to the thrusting, inquiring V-signing Churchill, (Odham's Press). "Amazing

worked hard at medley of the glorious and the

many good

Forty years earlier Churchill had vividly put on record what he thought about war. "0 howible. war," he wrote in

"London

/

May 8, 1945

squalid, the pitiful and the causes, but at none harder than TT is May 8, 1945. He hurries

If

sublime.

modern men of light and leading saw your face closer, simple folk would see it hardly ever,”

for

her Aid To Russia fund

in four years, which,

At Harrow

WHEN

Churchill has seen war's face closer than most men. Indeed, he has gone out of his way to exchange glares with it.

He, better than most, knew down to the Jast

detail what place the big de- appeared

was involved in

1

to the House of Commons

him-and

the the

raised "the only thing of which the immense sum of £8,000,000 Winston is afraid" they say of for medical supplies.

aniles through his tears as members stand on benches, wave

order papers and behave in most un-Parlia- was Churchill hap-mentary fashion to cheer him.

One piest in those days?

He leads them with solemn where he certainly face and bent head to St Mar- to throw off thegaret's to give thanks for the cisions he made-the ruthless cares of office and relax freely victory. His face still tear-

drives stained, he

to sinking of France's battle fleet, was at his old school.

He sacrifice of the Calais

went back Harrow Palace, blowly, because garrison, denuding Britain of regularly each year during shouting grasping crowds press much-needed tanks so that the

war to take part in the round his car. Egypt might be saved, sending school sing-song in Speech There between his King and

Hall.

Queen, a year later 250 of the

Princesses Latest tanks through the There beating time with waving to a sea of faces, he Mediterranean in a grim race his hands on his knees, he stands in that familiar black against time and the enemy's sang the old songs, and when suit with unkempt bow-tie planes and U-boats, the transesome. boys forgot the third and ornate watch-chain slung fer of a victorious desert army verse of "Forty Years On" he across his ample girth, - Y to face defeat in Greece, aid to sang it for them in a gusty He does not wave. But just Russia, "unconditional

- solo.

once he bows very low to the

the

very

with the

NEW YORK COTTON MARKET

New York, Jan. 11. The diminishing fears of im- mediate price control action and the strength in the stock market. combined to send cot- ton

futures sharply higher in the last half-hour. The final trading carried nearby March contract to 44.18 cents a pound, the highest level in eight years in the history of the New York Cotton Ex- change.

The background factors in aiding the rally included the rumour that the E.C.A. shortly would allow cotton purchase to Spain, this followed the Announcement

had Agency granted

to $1,000,000 credit Australia with contracting to begin

also on January 17,

that traders understood

the

country by country breakdown of the remaining 600,000 bales of cotton for export would be announced on Friday.

The market opened up 1F to 20 points and closed up 6 to 34 points. Prices closed today

5814-34

April/June July/September October/December

5614

5212-53

494-4

United Press.

follows:-

March (1951)

STANDARD BRIDGE. Dy M. Harrison-Gray

Dealer South North-South game

N.

A J 10 9 3

Spot

May

July

October

December

March (1052) May

as

44.20

44.10-44.32

43.66-43.68

43.24-43.30

40.22 - 40.25

39.31 39.60

39.40

-United Press.

NEW ORLEANS MARKET

Closing rate

January 11 44.15

AQ 74 2 48753

W.

E

4 6 5 2

Spot

10

8 30

March (1951)

K J G 5

May

44.10-44.11 43.64 - 43.60

10 2

$ 9 6 4

43.18

S.

40.23

A AKQ87

39.70

30.64 bid

KJ 76

→ 9 3

AK

This slam in a match- pointed duplicate pairs' con- test was easily reached after South had bid One Spade. West Two Hearts and Nortli Tharée Spades, followed by cue bids of Four Clubs by South and Four Diamonds by North. If South now bid Four Spades. North could

In show his vold Hearts enabling South to bid Six Spades with confi- derice.

West led Q and the play for 12 tricks was a simple cross-ruft. A few declarers. however. tried for an overtrick and top score by finessing Q. at trick 2. East won and. realising the position. returned a trump. It was now impossible to set up the Dunimy by establishing Diamonds or to make enough tricks on a cross- ruff, and South suffered an ignominious defeat.

Landon Express Service

July

October

December.

March (1952) May

39.31 bid

-United Press.

LONDON TIN

MARKET

London, Jan, 11,

The tin market had a firm and active morning session today. Turnover was 210 tons, including 125 tons for cash.

Prices closed today at the end of the official morning session as follows:

1.275 1,280 1,275-2,280

Spot tin, buyer Spot tin, seller Business done at Three-months tin, buyer 1,265 Three-months tin, seller 1,270 Business done at Settlement

1,275-1,285 1,276 --United Press.

New York Rubber

Britons multituditious

who

New York, Jan. 11.. Hubbor futures closed today shout his name far below.

An hour later, from the 175 to 205 points lower, with balcony of

the Ministry of sales tofarting only 3 contracts, Health in Whitehall, he meets Prices closed today as follows: the crowds again. "It is your Spot victory" he said.

Jisty

(Conclusion: Monday.)

70.

----United Pres.