Nothing short of a hunger strike will kill the black market. * * * If we could only look a hundred years ahead, we'd probably learn a few lessons. * * * I'm all in favour of planting flowers on the hillsides. What we need are chameleon creepers: to bloom red for prosperity, blue for depression, purple for the arrival of governors, and green for the return of those who insist upon returning. * * * So many people in Hongkong have been tried and found wanting: all wanting the same thing, if only a private cubicle. * * * 'Can we play store, Mama?' 'Yes, but you must be very quiet.' 'We will, Mama. We'll pretend we don't advertise.' * * * Fred: What is the feminine of buck, Dad? 'Doe.' Fred: Gee! I put buckshee on my exam paper. * * * As the maid brought in his early morning tea, the master of the house said: 'You might get my bath ready for me.' 'I'm sorry, sir,' she replied, 'but the bath is engaged. It's being used by the goldfish. Mistress said it was to have a treat on its birthday.' * * * TWO HOKLOS FOR GALLOWS ON PIRACY CHARGE Two pirates from the Hoklo clan, the gypsies of China, were sentenced to death by hanging by the Chief Justice (Sir Henry Blackall) at the Supreme Court yesterday. It was the first death sentence for piracy in Hongkong since the Haiching pirates of 1930. The men, Chui Man-sang and Li Tai, protested the verdict was unfair and swore they were innocent. Both pleaded not guilty and their defence was an alibi. 'I resent very much the decision arrived at by this jury,' Chui said. 'I'm quite innocent and why should I be found guilty and sentenced to death? I have never committed any robbery at sea. If you could prove that I have, I should have no resentment if I should be hanged.' Li said: 'I don't mind so much if I go to jail for this offence. I have been wronged, because I did not do this. I ask for mercy because I have a lot of people to look after.' The Chief Justice then put on the black cap and pronounced the death sentence. The story told in court of the piracy was strange and cruel. The evidence for the Crown was that six or seven robbers armed with knives, an axe and daggers, boarded a junk fishing between Lamma and Po Toi islands at 10 pm on May 29. They wounded a widow, her two sons and daughter-in-law. There was a fight between the robbers and the two sons who, facing defeat and afraid of death, jumped overboard. They swam to Po Toi Island. The charge alleged that with others not in custody the accused committed piracy with violence on Kong Mui, Chan Tak-keung, Chan Yee-king and Lo Kiu on board a junk, wounding them and stealing $60, eight articles of clothing, 29 feet of white cloth, 70 catties rice and 10 catties shrimps. Further charges against each of the accused of robbery and wounding were withdrawn. During the trial there were allegations by the accused that the police had obtained false confessions by force. Chui said he was beaten with a truncheon, one of the policemen holding up his toe then hitting him on the leg with it. The police denied these allegations. LEE WAI-TONG ON FAILURE OF SHANGHAI TOUR An action constituting a loss of about CN$500,000,000 to Madam Sun Yat-sen's China Welfare Fund was described yesterday by the idol of China's football fans, Lee Wai-tong, who represented China in the Berlin Olympic Games team. Together with 14 other Hongkong footballers from the Sing Tao, South China, Eastern and Kwong Wah clubs, Mr Lee left the Colony on July 17 for Shanghai on the invitation of Mme Sun, to play five matches with Shanghai and North China teams for the benefit of the Fund. Before they left, said Mr Lee, they received a letter from the Shanghai Sports Federation - which controlled all sport in the North China port - stating they considered football to be 'out of season' in July. However, after receiving a later letter from Mme Sun, they continued their journey. On arrival in Shanghai, however, they were told by the Federation that it would not allow any of its members to play. Mme Sun wrote to the Federation pointing out the dire need of the recipients of the Fund's assistance, many of whom were starving, and requested a special concession be granted since the Hongkong players did not want to continue the games when the Shanghai teams had not secured the Federation's sanction. Nothing was heard until a schedule was published by the Shanghai papers giving the dates for three matches and the teams the Hongkong players would meet. After this, a delayed letter was received by the Hongkong team from the Federation, stating the original ruling would be maintained. 'This', said Mr Lee, 'meant the [Federation's Football] sub-committee wished to take the organisation of the games out of the hands of Mme Sun and the Fund, and make their own arrangements.' All the Hongkong team considered this unfair, but they felt they had public sympathy in not playing under new arrangements. In fact, some of the Shanghai clubs wrote individually to the newspapers stating that in view of the Federation's action, they no longer wished to renew their memberships and would therefore not come under the jurisdiction of the Federation. Several days later Mme Sun gave a dinner party for the Hongkong team at which she apologised for the unpleasantness and said that in view of the developments she considered it wiser to cancel the whole scheme. Mr Lee said an estimate of $100,000,000 Chinese currency had been made for each of the five games, which meant the cancellation had lost the Fund $500,000,000 as well as the expenses for the 15 players' trip from Hongkong and their hotel bills in Shanghai. Fifty years ago, Hong Kong was returning to normal after Japanese Occupation. These clippings from the South China Morning Post reflect feelings at the time.
