A Firing Squad Assembled For Him

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 10, 15 September 1933, Page 44

A Firing Squad Assembled For Him

Beat Chinese by Bluff-No Reason for Fear of Japanese Aggression in Pacific — Some Sound Teaching for Rugby Referees -Saturday a Real Sportsman’s Day.

T the concluding talk on his experiences as aeronautical adviser to the army of Chang Tso Lin, Captain Talbot Lehmann subscribed some exciting instances of Chinese perfidy. Having cause to distrust his . White Russian and Chinese subordinates, he wisely adopted Oriental methods and distributed largess where it would have most effect. The final ~ breach came when he was: ordered to bomb the enemy, an act that was not included in his agreement. Threats of immediate. execution: were parried by bluff, although the firing squad were assembled in readiness, and the speaker now knows that he is fortunate to be alive teday. Ultimately his resignation: was accepted, but the menace to his life did not cease until he left the country altogether. . . @ s. s [t was given as a personal opinion that there is nothing much in the alarm of Japanese aggression in the South Pacific. For fully 20 years Japan will be fully occupied in developing her possessions in Manchuria and presumably Manchukuo, which no other country recognises. But what is 20 years! It is almost 20 years since the Great War broke out, and that may have been prevented if others had recognised with Palmerston in the sixties of last century what the logical outcome of the German-Danish war would be. The Japanese military party are aggressive toward all the world, and one foot on the mainland fortifies them with hope born of initial achievement. . Pxclusion acts have made a virile nation a pariah, and it is the acme of nonsense to blink at obvious facts. ; . 6 « e HE description of the Continent of Europe, particularly France, given by Mrs. Lola Maries, might lead the uninitiated to believe that the chief industry was tip-chasing. It is strange how so many foreign visitors to Paris become surrounded by a windmill of outstretched arms, and fail to observe

menial: supplication in their homeland. It surely must be due to fear.. Among strangers they possibly feel it polite to be polite, and if they were as solicitous for approval in their own country they would probably find. Paris little differentto London or- Wellington. . That’s my experience, anyhow.

IKD charity, history should begin at home, said Mr. P. J. O’Regan when opening his most interesting address giving an account of the exploration of the West Coast by Heaphy and Brunner. It was asserted that while many in New Zealand could tell something of the Norman Conquest or even the number of wives that Henry the Highth acquired, few could tell much of Cook, or who our first premier was. By our history Mr, O’Regan no doubt meant pakeha history, and so many are

of the opinion that it began in the Old Land that to begin with a study of British history is essential. I was glad to hear Mr. O’Regan state exactly the truth about the coming of the settlers. They came to acquire land, which was not available to them at home. Liberty and freedom had nothing to do with it! © s * N the mediaeval ages the monastic orders kept learning alive until the universities supplanted them, stated Mr, A. D. McLeod. Men who voluntarily incarcerated themselves needed mental diversion, and this they found in books and writing. The monks deserve well of the world. To them a book was a sacred thing, and the illustrations of some of the priceless manuscripts indicate the love attached: to the work of production. Mr. McLeod gave a most fascinating description of the Vatican library, which he said epitomises a description of every old library. Although the library has been long catalogued new discoveries are frequently made for, vellum being scarce, a second and later work was often inscribed on an original, Among the interesting documents the speaker saw in the Vatican library were the order making Henry the Highth, "Defender of the Faith," and 17 love-let-ters from Henry to Anne Boleyn. * * * HP review of the Austrian situation "Ss given by Dr. Guy H. Scholefield was timely. Of the total number of German people about one-third live outside ‘the borders of Germany, most

of them in Austria. After the Peace Treaty Austria was shorn of much of her territory, and the empire that had evolved in conjunction with and by subjection of other races, resolved itself into component parts. The heterogeneous nature of the Austrian empire had been both her strength and her weakness. Bismarck was cognisant of both facts, and foresaw the danger of a strong Austria within the Germanic federation, but a dismembered Austria is an entirely different matter, and the Nazis recognise that a unification of the German peoples would add strength -to their aims. s Rr = ey the concluding talk on how to referee, Mr. Dan Mackenzie dealt largely with the positions that a referee should occupy in various stages of the game, and gave cogent reasons in support of his suggestions. He was most emphatic in urging referees to keep in training in order that they may keep _up with the game, for the laggard inspires no confidence in either the players or the spectators. Very sound advice was given respecting contro] and discouragement of intolerable illegal tactics. Although the state of affairs is better this year than last, Mr. Mac_kenzie is not satisfied that the ball is invariably "gently impelled" into the serum. Obstruction is still rife, and firm and immediate penalty was advised to stop such actions-which are not in the true interests of the grandest of team games. * * GATURDAY was truly the sportsman’s day, a welcome relief to interminable concert, and it is a pity it couldn’t happen every Saturday. Racing, foot-

ball, and boxing in one day--that should satisfy the longing of any normal man. If not, he should cultivate content by confining himself for a time to snakes and ladders. Mr. George Aldridge said he was giving verbal expression to actual happenings only, and that is how it should be. Most of his hearers would have anticipated the verdict in each case from the description of the bouts, although by lack of action the middleweight contest would have had many quite disinterested. No boxer goes into the game unless he loves it, so when they will not fight radio listeners, at least, would be glad to hear the referee declare a "no contest."-cham-pionship or not.