The Chit-Chat Club

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 20, 2 December 1927, Page 2

The Chit-Chat Club—

Points from Papers Put "Over the Air."

£Set Down by

Telanother

".Once again tle weather god had een unkindly, and on leaving his office Hargost, or "Blinks,’* as he was better known to his cronies, had to fight his way to the X club in the teeth of a howling southerly, Arrived there, he found that none of the wiretess "bugs" had so far got there, so calling for drinks, he settled himself with the oldest member. . 7 ¥' How would you like to have been) travelling in Morocco like that French >Jolimny, and get taken by the banidits?? said Blinks. -. "2 Hike to see the Moor that would ttake me,’ said the oldest member, wfiercely, "I know them. A dirty crew, "but, ‘show fight, and they’d turn tails guick enough.’" ««’Patking of Morocco," said Harrifison, eutting in, ‘did you hear the IimSpertal Affairs address on Morocco last *yveek 2?" *' @F did,’ said Larton, who had joinYed the little circle round the big open ‘fire. "The Moors are a pretty hard ‘erowd, right enough, and I guess it £32.35

ae will be centuries before they are propetly civilised. , fhey’re a wonderful crowd when , you think of it," said Blinks. ‘‘Think how the Riffs held the French at bay for years. Of course, the rough couu(try is in their favour, but, even so, they’re a hardy crow d, and don’t seem ‘to thrive unless they’re cutting someyone’s throat.’’ + "What the devil does Great Britain gwant to go poking her nose into 3 Morocco for?’ said the oldest mem"per. ‘"Haven’t we got enough trouble giwith the foreign countries we're provtecting already?" ~ "We've got to take an interest in it, " asserted Blinks, ‘‘because of TanyRier. Just opposite Gibraitar is Tan- , xier and if a foreign Power at war with jEngland had that place fortified they },could blow poor old Gibraltar to Smithereens." b ~.

"Tt’5 a wonder the Moors don’t object" said Larton. ‘Why should they let Britain have it?" "They don’t. ‘Fangier is an international zone, and has been so for years. We hayen’t got much change out of the Moors at any time, and they’re just as bloodthirsty and just as. fond of piracy as they were in the good old swashbuckling days_of which -we- read as kids. The ‘only difference is that, thanks to improved communications, they don’t

get the same chances to commit piracy. Iivery now and again some enterprising clef starts taking a few people captive and holding them to ransom, as in the case of the old boy who got £50,000 the other day from the French. "Morocco itself is nominally a French protectorate, but of course they have the devil’s own jeb trying to keep order there." ‘Wasn’t it over Morocco that Germany and France nearly came to blows in 1910?" queried Thribs, ‘Historically correct for once,’* said Blinks. ‘That was the Agadir incident, when a German warship showed up, but Britain showed that she was behind I’rance-and that was the end of that. Italy, France, and Spain are all interested in Morocco now, and at the present moment the two latter countries are trying to come to an amicable agreement. "Morocco was responsible for a complete change in the Spanish Government, for as a result of the heavy losses during the Riffian War in 1923, the Spanish people revolted, and the present Government was formed. The Span. ish, indeed, seem to be waking up, and perlaps they are going to come to the front as one of the Great Powers eventually."’ "Faded greatness is their long suit, I think,’ said Thribs. "It has heen," said Blinks, "but national feeling is a wonderful thing, and hard work may eventually put them en top again."

tar The address that appealed most to me last week,’ said Thribs, in rather pompous tones, ‘was that of Captain Hugo, Inspector of Fire Brigades, in which he toid of the enormous losses caused by fire each year in New Zealand."* "Got some. shares in an insurance company ?’"’ said Blinks. "As a matter of fact, yes,’ said Thribs. "YT thought so,’? said Blinks with mock solemnity. ‘You can. always rockon there’s some cash in it when old Winton starts moralising,’’

"But our position’s really atrocious," affirmed ‘hribs. ‘‘Our fire loss comes to 17s; 7d, per head-the highest in the world, except that of the United States, | where the German Jews are supposed to keep down the insurance compaties dividends througl successful fires,’ "We must have a damned lot of ine cendiaries here then,’ growled the oldest member. "No, Captain Hugo doesn’t think so. Not more than 5 per cent. are wilful fires, Fancy one and a quarter millions

going wp in smoke flere last year, It’s awful to think of it.’ ‘Half are due to careless women,"’ said the oldest member. ‘Go off chat. ting to their neighbours when. they shorid be home cooking the dinner. Leave the electric iron on--and away goes the house," "Yes, a lot are caused that way all right,’ said Thribs. "What's the solution, anyway,’ said Blinks. ‘As long as people are well covered with insurance I suppose they won’t worry mnuech,’* e "No, Captain Hugo thinks ithere’s only one way, and that is throngh educational work in the schools. Catch them young and drill it into them, and when they grow up they will naturally be careful." "Talking of getting them young," s@id Harrison, 'l heard another address on the humour of school life, given by Mr. ‘YY. R. Fleming, ex-senior inspector of schools, from 4YA, He points ouf that the child lives in a world of his own, and Santa Claus and other illusionary beings are very reak to. him. "Hm," said Blinks, "I think kids have a sense of hnmour of their own all fright. ‘eke the kids Who were discussing a question raised by cherch dignitaries "as to whether or not the "personal Devil" was iv existence. One kid asked another whether he believed in the Devil. ‘Na,’ he replied, ‘it’s just like Santa Claus, it’s your father." ‘"Must have been Winton’s kid,’ saidt Harrison. "TY heard that address," said Lartou, "and I must say it was pretty trite. There was dashed little humour in it to my way of thinking. I think if they have addresses, they want to make sure cither that they are of serious interest or that they are jolly bright. There's nothing quite so dull as a poor ahdress ‘over the air,’ for the fact that

probably makes you more critical," "T agree with you," said Thribs. "T heard an: address on ‘Flower Legends From Greek History,’ and I must say it didn’t appeat te me." "T thought it was excellent,’ said Blinks. "Perhaps it was too little materialistic for you, Winton "’ ‘How the devit do you fellows think the broadcasting people can give what’s wanted," said the oldest member irritably. "One of you wants one thing and one another, and it’s my belief that if they give you «solute tripe, you think you’re in elover." "What was the flowers address about?’*? said Harrison. "We dealt with various legends retating to flowers,* said Blinks, ‘‘and showed the way in which certain flowers haye come to be associated with joy or sorrow as the case may be. Since earliest times flowers have played an important part in the lives of people in every country in the world. The ancient Chinese used flowers to record the historic doings of other nations, aud Egyptian monuments bear

upon their surface a code of floral telegraphy which time will never efface. Down through the ages roses have come to be regarded as messengers of love, and anemones as imeaning withered hopes. ‘The lotus flower is held sacred by millions of the worshippers of Brahma, who believe that he was born amongst them. Flowers are very beantiful and very wonderful things, in a pretty mundane world, and it’s well ta be reminded at times that there are other things to think about than money-grubbing.’’ "And now,’ said Wishart, ‘to descend from the aesthetic to the ultra material, I might remind you fellows that it’s well after six, and your good wives will be waiting." Wieshie’s descent was the signai for a general hurried rising, and five minutes later, the bachelor member and the oldest member held the floor to themselves, and were, over a hot toddy, consoling themselves on their lack of home comforts.

a ee eee aes SSS a es _. THE WARLIKE MOORS. "T the middle ages, Morocco, in comanon with other portions of the North African littoral known as the Barbary iCoast, was the scene of a flourishing ‘and bloodthirsty system of piracy. ... dt: is only a few years ago a Moroccan -ghief, Raisuli, startled the world by the idaring of his exploits as a bandit." IMPERIAL AFFAIRS ADDRESS. ; From 2¥A.

-~ THE FIRE RAISERS. "In, some ethics of national life New Zealand. may justly claint,gthe credit of setting an example to the world, but. the enormous and ever-increasing loss by fire in this Dominion dacs not redound to her credit." CAPTAIN HUGO, Inspector of Fire Brigades. From 2YA.

PERTINENT POINTS ON: "TURBULENT MOROCCO." "THE FIRE BUG." "SCHOOLCHILD HUMOURS." "FLOWER LEGENDS."

THE LIFE OF A CHILD. "The achild lives a real life, a life of his own, and to him for the moment ‘make believe’ is real." MR. T. R. FLEMING, From 4YA.

FLOWER LEGENDS. "Since carly history, flowers have played an inpertant part in all Rucs of people in every country of the world. The language of flowers is almost as ancient and universal as that of speech.’ MR. L. A. GREFEFITHS, F.R.H.S. From 1YA.