FOR THE PROFESSIONALS WHO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT
ASIA
NOVEMBER
-
DECEMBER 1982
-r
IHE
Aúouchofclass
tl#ËEä
Holiday Inn hotels in Hong Kong are luxurious, stylish, friendly and excellently located. paradise. F unparallele hotels also
The Governor, Sir Edward Youde,
THE
setting, Bat elegance is
'T#EEä
and a specl
Holiday In
Published forthe Board of Governors of the Foreign CorresPondents' Club of Hongkong bY Who's Who in Hongkong Ltd. President:
HUGH VAN ES Ed
suBScRlPTloN TO THE CORRESPONDENT - Every member of the FCG is entitled to a free copy of the magazine. But non-members can subscribe to The CORRESPOITIóÉruT for $15 a copy - HK$90 a year for six issues' Make out cheques to Who-s Who in Hong Kong Ltd'
itorial Consultants : RAJ PAL GUPTA HOWARD COATS
Editor: KEVIN SINCLAIR Design:
officially declared the new Club premises open on November 9' It wæ a sparkling night for the splendid new premises. More than 600 members and sPouses turned up for the opening ceremony and there wæ still room for plenty more. Free drinks and food added to the spirit of goodwill as the FCC settled down into what will be our home for a long time to come. Si¡ Edward was welcomed bY President Hugh Van Es who pointed out that the Ctub in the pæt had resèmbled Damon Runyon's story about the oldest floating crap game in New York. The FCÇ Van Es said, had floated all over the face of Chin¿ Even in lhe 33 vears since the Club moved south to Horigkong, Van Es pointed out, we had moved from the splendored
-
ALEX NG nally
Production:
ANITA HSUEH Printed bY: CORPORATE
COMMUNICATIONS LTD.
Occupation (for office use only):
All correspondence should be addressed to The Editor,
The CorresPondent, Foreign Correspondents' Club 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hongkong.
Tel: 5'211511
Gt!nnrsp{lil0trT
came home
to roost in the old ice house we
now call home.
Van Es Paid tribute to those who had helped make the move suclua success. It was a role call of honour which included'the former Governor, Lord Maclæhose, his own predecessor as FCC president, Donald Wise' Club manager Heinz Grabner, the entire staff, and a number of other public seilants, board members and architects who had assisted in making an impossible dream become reality. Sir Edward unveiled a Plaque commemorating the opening. Behind the brass facade of the memorial there was a hard work bY scores Years had striven to for the nomadic se abode as a Club
through its history had stretched from Shanghai, Nanking, Chungking and Hongkong.
'What visitors saw on opening night wæ an impressive sPectre, indeed. The sports floor was hnally revealed; a snooker table, two pool tables, a bar, a lounge, a sawa, jacttzzt, gynasium and changing rooms. The top floor restaurant with adjoining private dining rooms is one of the elite eating places in Hongkong. But it wæ the main bar that drew most of the opening night crowd' and even with 400 people milling about there was ample room for more. Sir Edward sPoke to manY of the Members whom he might not normally meet in his daily wo¡k and his dealings with the press. He pressmen Club is m
pu magnates, diplomats
judges,
shiPPine
anufacturers,
Potcemen
and people from all walks
It
oflife.
was a triumPhant evening.
The wine kePt flowing deeP into the night. What was once a derelict old brick and stone building to hold ice shipped more than a thousand miles down the China Coast wæ transformed into a press centre of which all members could be Proud. After the Years of Planning, the long, slow months of wÒrk, the anxious weeks as the final touches were put to the building, the new Phoenix ofthe Foreign Correspondents' Club had risen from the æhes ofthe fire that last year razed the ceiling of what is now the main
dining room.
s
ll ht t\ e¿
tr;
o
à s
ABOI.J"T THE COVER:
L
The Govemor, Sir Edward Youde, chats with manager Heinze Grabner as Board member Michael Westlake looks on. The offïcial opening niglrt was a gala occasion.
GoldenMiþ
K"{¡,4o\ Ðrrrf
Hong l(ong TST PO Box 95555, 50 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: 3-693111.
Harbour view
\("e¡dq Ðurf
l-longKong TST PO Box 98468, East Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: 3-7215161.
o
.s .u
DOR TIID A<
PROIDSSIONAI.9
WHO TTI.I.THD WORIÐ ABOITT trSIA
"He's a belly-in-the-door journalist . .'
"
both agencies and has a top desk rating. ln for the long haul is an old Hongkong hand, Alan Thomas, 39, who was chief correspondent here
ASIATOOMSTARGER IN THD WORTII Of REUTDRS
from 1974 to 1977.
His wife Mary spent her childhood here, her father Harold Miller having been Government quantity surveyor for many years. Replaci ng Thomson after
Christmas is a veteran Reuter overnight
Reuters men in Hongkong are
afternoon local time as Europe wakes
disadvantages of the move. "lt will cost more. lt means some duplication
now running the world wires eight hours a day. Since mid-October, all the news
up.
of
cates international news editing and
that is fit for the world to print has been going out on the Reuters service
the journalistic relay as the London subs head for the 6.32 to Orpington. Macdowall identifies a whole raft of reasons why the switch makes sense: it makes it possible almost to eliminate the anti-social overnight turn in London; it means that during those eight hours the team handling the file are running with rather than against their biological clock; and it means that at a time when the key general news markets are in Asia the world file is being edited by Asian-bæed journalists closely attuned to Asian
could present considerable problems
through the agency's newsroom in Central.
"Asia has moved centre stage in the strategic thinking of Reuters," was how one old wire service man summed up the move. ln the past, the service originated exclusively from the London headquarters of the agencY.
It
is conceivable that one day New York might run the final stage
of editorial infrastructure. lt compli-
it
of liaison.
"But I've been allowed to Pick a first-class team to reinforce the Hongkong desk. lf they can't get this operation off the ground nobody can." The expanded Reuter team has an impressive record in terms of news agency experience.
world file to business subscribers during the London overnight. But the
needs.
general news switch was much more
personally feels is of prime importance: "Having the Reuter file edited for eight hours out of every 24 inthe heart of Asia will give us a fascinating opportunity to provide a balance of
News Editor Peter Mosley. 45. cut his teeth on UPI before joining Reuters 25 years ago. Since then he has run Reuters' UK reporting bureau, covered Houston in the days of LBJ and the pioneering days of space travel and been chief correspondent in Southern Africa before coming to Hongkong two years ago. Ron Cooper, at 58, has logged 32 years with Reuters. Like Mosley he is an old UPI hand;but his speciality
world viewpoints within
has been desk
Reuters general news desk team was following in the steps pioneered
by the Hongkong economic desk in 1977 when it took over control of the
complex. lan Macdowall, who has succeeded Chicago-bound Phil Wardle as Editor Asia, Australia and New Zealand, explained: "On the econ side stories are more self-contained and tend to be wrapped up more quicklY and concisely. On the general news side stories straggle in for hours, being constantly retopped with new developments or proliferating sidebars on angles that don't rate a mention in the trunk lead but deserve their own place in the sun.
"Problems of liaison with London on the handover to and from Hongkong are complex." The transfer to Hongkong of responsibility for the world file during the Asian day means that Reuters will follow the sun in desk terms. Hongkong will set the ball rolling as the new day dawns over the international dateline and pass the buck to London in mid-
He also stresses a point which he
a single
international news service.
"Reuter reports are written by the correspondents in the countries of the First, Second and Third Worlds, not shaped to meet the preconceived ideas of deskmen sitting in London, a First World Capital. But wherever a deskman sits his judgment on selection, lengith and
priority of stories must
inevitably be conditioned to some extent by the environment in which he is working, no matter how hard he strives for total detachment - and in Reuters we strive damned hard.
"The move to Hongkong gives us a very simple means of getting nearer our unattainable ideal of perfect balance in the news
file."
Macdowall is candid about the
work in which, says Macdowall. he has no peer in Reuters. He ran the London World Desk for many years and has organised and run
whole series of major reporting events overseas including several Olympic Games. Two ex-AP hacks are in town
a
for
the launch. Old Asia hand Granville (Bob) Watts, 52. was guest-starring on the desk for a couple of months after four years in New Delhi and before taking up his new post as chief correspondent in Seoul next spring. ln for a three-month secondment and promising to play unicorn at the FCC bar to Watts' lion is Ron Thomson, 55, who has a mere seven years in Reuters compared to Watts' 12 but, like Watts. has troubleshot a lot of stories for
copytaster, Dave Goddard, 39, on his f irst overseas assignment. His main claim to fame, apart from having just about the fastest pair of typing fingers in Reuters, is that for the last few years he has been commuting to work in London from Darkest Devon. Whether he will get the BCal red eYe special
to Hongkong remains to
be
seen.
The newcomers reinforce an existing team of 10 journalists -
three London-based and seven locally engaged.
Graham Lovell, 44, whose wife Hin Cheung edits the arts magazine Orientations. is the longest-serving of the old sweats. wilh22 Years in Reuters and four in Hongkong. Ram Suresh. a 39 year-old lndian. has been here 16 months, while Cal Ebert, 42, is a mere stripling in Hongkong terms, having come out in June as a premature refugee from the moribund overnight shift in London. Two veteì'an China watchers,
H.K. Chan and T.P. Lau, have set uP an Editorial Support Unit to provide local expertise and library back-up for the desk. The other staff engaged locally are John Ngai, who goes to Taipei as a correspondent next spring, Henry Chiu, Anton Ferreira. Rick Tomkins and Marc Rouen.
Although the fifth-floor office in Gloucester Tower is straining at the seams there's half a dozen more staff to be mentioned - the six-man economic desk. Under Editor-in-Charge Mike Topliss are Graham Hillier, Rory Channing, Adrian Wright. StePhen Addison and trainee David StamP. Macdowall himself, at 51 , has been24 years in Reuters which he joined after subbing pig prices and the Parliamentary report for The Glasgow Herald - "not so very different," he says, "although the pig farmers demanded a higher degree of accuracy than the MPs." He has been news editor in Bonn and chief correspondent in Beirut and
for the past decade first chief news editor and then editor general news of Reuters World Service in London.
UIIRIll
lRlllrilllü BY BARRY BURTON The Coonawarra enjoYs the
reputation of being Australia's best red wine region. The Cabernet Sauvignon is indisputably Australia's best red wine grape. Mildara is one of the best names in the Coonawarra. Len Evans, one of Australia's leading wine judges describes recent of Mildara Cabernet Sauvignons as having "develoPed a voluminous, lush, almost Petrus-l ike structured style. rich, mouth-f illing in flavour, with a very soft easy finish." The 1978 Mildara Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is a stylish but robust wine with a typical mintY
Ðr,
¡È Maxwell of the South Marrted recently were FCC members Søm and (Publicøtions Division) China Morning Post
vintages
mov
blackcurrant flavour. Excel lent value at $33 a bottle (360 a case). Perhaps even better is the 1979 Vintage, one of the great years for the Coonawarra, recently released and soon to be available in Hong Kong.
This wine has won six gold medals and scored equal points with the winner for the Jimmy Watson TroPhY for the best one-year-old red wine in Australia. Ring FCC member Robert McDougall at Garden City Food Services 5-782038 to get hold of some.
the extra care movers for international household shipping personalized service free estimates
Tel,5-778026
iltul$ïlHl' $ B0ilf $lltll )
YOT'R FAVOUNITEPÃPffi Everyone has their favourite paper. But which one do most people in Asia think is the best English-language paper in the region? The authoritative ASIA LETTER set out to discover the a**.t to this question and in a sulvey of its readers and of business executives in the Far East it came up with an answer that would surprise many people. Reprinted from the ASIA LETTER by courtesy of Charles R. Smith.
One of the greatest scoops in Asia in many years is described in some detail in a recently-published book Korea: The Untold Story of the lilarby the prolific historian and writer Joseph C. Goulden. It recalls how the world first heard about the invasion
of South Korea by their compatriots from across the 38th paralle1.
The "Bangkok Post" recently celebrated its 36th anniversary, and to commemorate the occasion, it republished the first editorial it ever ran. The editorial, which appeared in the paper's first issue on 1 August 1946, talked about the challenges facing Siam at that time. It also talked about the challenge facing the new paper "the task of filling the need in Bangkok for a good newspaper". Siam, now Thailand, has successfully met many of the challenges that it faced in that early postwar period. And the Post must have been doing something right, too, because it has turned out to be a very successful newspaper.
So much so that it was just selected as the best English language newspaper in Asia in a survey conducted among business executives in the region by The Asia Letter. The Post, which has not always been the best newspaper in Bangkok, was selected as tops in Asia on the basis of
its overall coverage and presentation of domestic and international news, its analysis and its range of coverage ¡n terms of the economic, political, cultural, entertainment, sports and other fields. The Post was a clear first place winner on the bas¡s of that criteria. The way the executives participating in the survey saw it. the second best English language newspaper in Asia was
Tokyo's "Mainichi Daily News". The "South China Morning Post" of Hong Kong was in third place, followed by the "Japan Times" of Tokyo in fourth place. Another Bangkok paper, "The Nation Review", was selected as the
fifth best English
language paper in the region.
ln sixth place was the "Times of lndia". Then came Guam's "Pacific Dai'ly News", "The Statesman" of lndia, Singapore's "Straits Times" and "Dawn" of Karachi to round out the top 10.
One interesting aspect of the survey results was that, generally speaking, executives in a particular city thought newspapers in other cities were better than their own local papers. Perhaps that can be described as the old hreeds contempt" synd rome.
"familiarity
One factor that figured in the rating of the papers was censorship or press controls. Many of the executives who took part in the survey felt that too many newspapers were not able to do a good !ob of covering domestic news because of the tight controls under which they were forced to work. That's one reason no newspapers from the Philippines, for example, figured very high in the voting. The same was true of China, South Korea, lndonesia and Taiwan. That doesn't mean many, if not most, of the papers selected in the top 10 listing do not publish under considerable constraints. Most of them do, including the "Bangkok Post". We'll be talking more about press controls and censorship in a later issue: and we also will be giving you the results of our newspaper survey on the selection of the best vernacular newspapers in Asia. Now, though, for your handy reference, here is the list of the chosen 10 best English language newspapers in Asia:
The newsman concerned was the United Press correspondent in Seoul, Jack James, a man who will be remembered by many of the more venerable members who were in Korea and Japan in the post-war era. James woke that fateful Sunday morning in June, 1950, feeling the effects of the party he had been to the night before. Despite his frail state he went to the bureau to file a quoting his excellent military sources as saying a story
conflict was unlikely. Meanwhile, the northern forces had started pouring over the bo¡der in massive strength and when James went to make a routine check at the US Embassy - still unaware of the drama 20 miles away on the border - he bumped into an
"Bangkok Post" (Bangkok) "Mainichi Daily News" (Tokyo) "South China Morning Post" (Hongkong) "Japan Times" (Tokyo) "The Nation Review" (Bangkok) "Times of lndia" (Bombay) "Pacific Daily News" (Guam) "The Statesman" (Calcutta) "The Straits Times" (Singapore)
"Dai¡¡n" (Karachi)
checking. As a former US Navy flyer and with years of experience in Asia, James had magnifìcent contacts among the Américan
officials in Seoul. While the officials frantically tried to check out the situation, James was in the inner sanctum with them. He filed as soon as the picture became clear. His story, slugged URGENT PRESS LJNIPRESS NEW YORK shot to America then came back on the cables to Seoul which was when most of the Korean press corps first heard of the invasion.
It
was a great scoop. Goulden's book is full of such lively anecdotes and The Untold Story is well worth reading for anyone who wants to grasp the inside story of what happened on the Korean Peninsula during the three gory years that f-ollowed James' exclusive report on the start of the war.
b €
È+
üE ÐE 4t+ @
fi,
IIE -J_
E
ß F t, '.k H *tr2 F. t:=
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
intelligence man dashing from the building. The official thought James knew what was happening and let it drop that the invasion had started. James immediately swung into action and started
rt
7t\ ^
4F TiI
o G
flkitttyf +
o
I
,,rtsà'fr:'--:. 54,1Kory
#
É ^m
nÇ
a Is,
G
Þ ñ
9âRßl
A eun\
"l'm not sure a London correspondent
y,tru
c4gs,y
t Þ
is such a
good idea."
News of the World, proceed past the Daily Mail f ront entrance and a few yards down Carmelite Street turn right
down a flight of stairs. Tell them you are from the FCC (with some Club identification) and you have found yourself a cheerful base in London.
OASIS IN ENGI*ãND This is the first in a series of articles about press clubs around the world in which FCC members enjoy reciprocal rights. One such institution is Scribes' Cellar, a brisk two-minute walk from the heart of Fleet Street and not far from the banks of the Thames' It is an oasis for H_o_ngkong visitors in London, particularly those unfamiliar with the British drinking laws.KS.
food and drink at reasonable prices and stresses something many press clubs have forgotten a welcome for the visitor -
from
overseas.
The cause of this is Geoffrey Van Hay. managing director of Scribes' (it is a business, although run as a club.) He is an Englishman of the old school, a wine expert,
A
high-powered gathering in Scribes'; (from left) Geoff Powell of the Daily Mail, Sir Edward pickering of The Times, lta Buttrose of The Sydney Sunday Telegraph, prominent Fleet Street figure lan Wooldridge, diarist Nigel Dempster and Scribesmen Gavin Hans-Hamilton and Geoffrey Van Hay.
A warm welcome awaits the Hongkong visitor if
he
drops into Scribes' Cellar, one of the two London media clubs with which the FCC is affiliated. Even if you don't know anyone in London, the staff at Scribes'give you a warm welcome and make you at home. But the chances are that there will be another Hongkong visitor at one of the two busy bars because Scribes, provides a home-away-from-home for visitors from the Far East. For correspondents and journalists, it is virtually impossible to drop in for a quiet beer without coming across some Old Asian Hand. The reason for this popularity is easy to see; Scribes.is run on a f riendly, informal but eff ¡cient basis, serves good
raconteur and wit. He has been around Fleet Street longer than most of the old, experienced newspapermen who crowd his bar, having started in the wine business in The Street almost 30 years ago. He began work at El Vinos, that remarkable institution which has been pouring sherry, wine and port into generations of reporters, subs and photographers, and when he prepared to leave there after 20 years, he wanted to stay in the area. "l knew Fleet Street and they knew me,,' he explains. To remain in the area, he started Scribes', much of which he built with his own hands in a basement beneath Carmelite Street along with the chef-director of Scribes,, Gavin Hans-Hamilton, and a few enthusiastic joûrnalistic helpers. The site was next to the offices from which he ran his wine business. The building work was completed eight years ago and since it opened in 1974 the Cellar has become one of the most popular meeting places for the Fleet Street brigade. Logically enough, since he has been in the wine business since he left Winchester, Scribes' has an excellent cellar with some outstanding wines at reasonable prices. (The house red is also very acceptable.) Pride of place, however. is a sparkling white from Luxembourg named Charles Le Roi, a name which Van Hay has taken care to register world wide. When Charles does become King, Charles Le Roi is likely to be a favourite on the British table, a prospect which does not dismay ardent monarchist Mr. Van Hay. He hurriedly points out that the wine must not be called champagne, although the French Champagne area is a mere
80 kilometers away from the Luxembourg vineyards in which Charles Le Roi is produced. At $70 a bottle at Scribes', it is good value. One cheerful aspect of the Cellar is the changing display of paintings on the walls. Artists, some distinguished, others unknown, hang their works on the walls. They bear discreet price tags and dr.inkers can buy them. This provides an ever-changing backdrop to the basement decor. The food is good, although somewhat expensive by FCC standards. But it is on a par with other London establishments. The membership of about 1,000 is divided between lawyers, journalists, publishers, public relations and advertising men. bankers and a variety of other denizens of
the City of London. To get to Scribes'is simplicity itself; walk up Fleet Street past the Express and the Telegraph, cross over and walk down Whitefriars' Street past the back entrance of the
Scribes' Cellar owner Geoffrey Van Hay sips a glas of Charles Le Roi wine as he chats with the man after whom the drink was named. He calls the sparkling white wine "King of the Bubbly".
TE TUSASTORY Every FCC member has a story. Share it with us. If you've been out of town, published a book, changed yow job, addressed some international conference or done anything else out of the ordinary, Iet other FCC members know about it- Just Ieave a note for the editor of THE CORRESPONDENT at the FCC office and someone will give you a call. The same goes for photographs. Taken a good one? If so, share it with us. Drop a copy into the FCC office. Best photograph submitted for every issue wins a bottle of wine.
CARTOONS
BY HECTOR BREEZE
oPIruþtus WAIUTDII Ullhat
do you th¡nk of the
new Club premises? Whether your opinion is good, bad or indifferent, The Co rrespondent is anxious to hear them. And we are prepared to pay for the privilege. Send us, in less than 200 words, your opinion of the new Club premises, compared
with the old Sutherland House homa. Hongftong's future o¡ lack ofit drew the
attention of British
-
cartoonists when Mrs. Thatcher was in Peking. These two are repro-
duced by courtesy of the Daily Express.
"Take it from me, Fotheringham - no one's going to lose any sleep over some little island thousands of miles
away."
"You see it'll all be over by Christmas 1997."
-
The magazine will award
a
bottle of French champagne to the person whose response is judged the most interesting, humorous, thought provoking or
nostalgic.
New Year is in Mid-FebruarY which allows a longer payment Period. It was also thought to be fairer and
MDSSNGD IROM THD TRDASI'RDR
painful if the Annual Staff Gratuity was spread over the entire
less
year, so that new members, or old members going absent did not receive disproportionate gratuity
bills. Therefore, beginning in March, a HK$I5 fee will be added monttrlY to cover the gratuitY PaYment for the coming year. The response from the membership this year to voluntarily increase their gratuity payment has been cluite substantial.
Recentþ, I have been asked bY members to explain in more detail the current financial position of the Club, and the new fee schedule we will be implementing in December, JanuarY and February.
Firstly, some conìments about the lurancial position of the Club. In general, we are in a sound financial position. Although the new Club premises will exhaust the moneY in the relocation fund, we appear to have sufficient in the Club Reserves and operating accounts to cover the piojected premises renovation and the fitting out expenses. The staffpayroll has increased due both to the increase in the staff to service the new Club, and cost of living and merit normal to the increases due to the staff. We have tried to keep these rises withi¡ guidelines;however, we are very much aware that good staffare hard to keep because of the increased demand for necessary
Two, old members should not be called upon to shoulder a disproportionate burden ofrelocation. The burden should be spread in an equitable way across both the old and new membership. Three, the character ofthe Club, although changing in the mix of its membership, should not change in the atmosphere it promotes. Four, the Club must be run on a sound fìnancial footing, taking into
consideration cuÍent as well
not an easy task, especially with
a
vocal and diverse membership. However, the Board has instituted the following new fee schedule to promote a's much æ possible the poücies listed above. 1. Monthly fees have been reduced, and new membership fees have been increased for Associates. The increase is substantial. A limited
number of corporate memberships will also be available. In this way we hope to shift sôme of the burden for paying for the new premises to
tion of the move very little was spent by previous Boards on uniforms, crockery, silverware and glassware.
new members. In response to fears that a significant increase in membership may saturate our new bar and restaurant facilities, we have also put a temporary ceiling on membership.
have to be purchased
within the next few months. There will also be other fitting out and settling in expenses.
However, at the moment we believe that we have the financial resources to open the new Club in a fully operational way without going to the membership for additional funds. The present Board as well as Past Boards has believed that the Club should beneltt the membershiP. We
long
To implement these policies is
trained staffin the hotel industry. During the last Year in anticiPa-
New supplies will
as
range commitments.
2. The Relocation Fund
¡ '
charge
will
be
paÍorize the Club shöutd enjoY the
reduced by half and renamed the Development Fund. The Development Fund will be established to make it possible to anticipate another possible relocation in five years time when the current lease runs out, as well as accumulate funds to spend on specific capital or major expense items, such as for example a new walk-in freezer, or
benefits of the Club.
repainting of the Club after two or
have tried to
fulfil this philosophy by
following four basic Policies. One, those members who
three years. The DeveloPment Fund will continue to be a segregated fund which can be sPent onlY for
limited purposes.
3. The food and drink will continue to be subsidized by membershiP fees. Although some items on the new menu will be increased, the PolicY ofpllowing members who use the Club facilities regularly to benefit from lower than cost restaurant and bar prices, will continue. 4. Part of the cost for major improvements in the new Club has been fìnanced by leasing equiPment rather than the outright purchase of the equipment. Such major items as the air conditioners, kitchen equipment and dumb waiters have been leased for which we paY a montlrlY leasing charge. In this waY, Part of the cost of our current renovation will be passed on to the membership over the coming five Years. However, our current rent Plus leasing charges are still substantially less than our previous monthlY rental bill at Sutherland House. 5. The I-ottery we haYe been running for the last year and a halfhæ been very successful in raising money, but also has come under some criticism as not being really necessary any more. The govemment license for the lottery runs out earlY in the coming year, and the Board will review the need for continuing the lottery at that time.
6. The Annual Staff GratuitY
has
always raised grumbles among the membership, mainly because of its size and timing eachyeat. This year we decided to integrate the gratuity
payment with the fee reductions so that members will not be asked to pay more during the holiday season. Fortunately, this Year the Lunar
Until the new Club is fullY operational for several months, we really will not know whether the new menu, the new fee schedule, the new facilities, and the new location will be successful. Our planning has been done with budgets that contain manY variables, and a few unknowns. But we are confident that we are close to the formula we need to run a successful and financially sound Club. We may need to make some changes later but we hope that they will be small. And painless. We have a new, exPerienced manager to run the Club who has been through all the pains of the relocation over the last six months. We must rely on him in the coming years to present the quality and quantity of food and drink you expect, and to maintain the atmosphere and standard of operation you require. The ultimate success of our Club will depend on the membership who use and enjoy the Club.
BILL SEITZ
GRACI{SIN
The new legislation Prohibits publication of "obscene, indecent and baseless" news repofts in the state of Bihar. The disquiet of the newsmen was that faceless pubiic servants and politicians w¡th something to hide were the people who were going to decide on infringements of the law. Penalties for reporters and editors who didn't toe the line called for jail terms
of up to two years. Naturally enough, the scribes were somewhat Perturbed bY these
archaic limits on press freedom. But when 500 of them went to see the state governor, they were confronted by a small army of policemen who promptly proceeded to bludgeon the journos into bloodY insensibility with long lathis, the leadweighted batons of the lndian riot pol i ce.
Such was the Price of Protest! And under the new law, theY'll probably go to jail if they write about
it.
PI.AYIITGITSAfE St+xpAnU
ffi
fldlnm rt¡dr'ß f(,ñ d,Ðr llrcn .¡flc 0,,ntcrrli of ¡2(t s¡lc dep.Fit lxtr(*
TRONGROOMI ANED OUT
STRONGROOM CTEANED OUT
I'crr¡ slrikc off
NOW YOU SEE IT
NOW YOU DON'T
There it was on the front Page of London's evening paper, The Standard, an advertisement for safety deposit boxes that boasted of their strong security value. Unfortunately, the banner headline above the advertisement did not tell quite the same story because robbers (who apparently do not believe
everything they read in the papers) had scooped the pool in a bank safety deposit room. They got awaY with more than the Great Train Robbers. But by the time the second edition of the paper hit the streets, the
PRESST.RDDINIM
HOUT TO
Those Hongkong journalists who sometimes complain about tight-lipped public servants should consider the manner in which newsmen are treated
l.l
advertisement had disaPPeared.
IINIDTHD
sil
elsewhere.
Take the lndian state of Bihar, for instance, where wayward repofters
The address is:
who irritate officials are chastised with slightly more vigour. A couple of weeks ago, a group of journalists staged a protest march through the streets of the state capital of Patna to make plain their
2Lowe¡ Albert Road (Corner of Wyndham Street,
opposition to a law aimed at censoring the press.
ns
union clrims viclor¡'
Foreign Correspondents' Club
Cut out the card and
stick it in your wallet.
Old Dairy Farm Building) Telephone 5-211511
FCG
fr" æ)v T ÁtÆ, É
I
Y7¡ Æ B[ H -f ìù
fr"
,h
+ ìE ås
EI
w I
_-t
I
THE
WHAT IS BARÍER. .
. for products ond servìces you need' process of exchonging products ond services you produce lhe is, simply, BARTERING
WHAT IS BARTERCARD. . . new concepl, compulerized lo enoble you to trode your Excess BARTERCARD ìs lhe modern woy of Bortering. A unique services you would otherwise hove to buy with cosh' lnventory, Excess Copocity or Excess Time for other goods ond
ALTERNATIVE
you don'l hove lo trode with lhe porticulor No cosh chonges honds, only merchondise ond services. And wilh BARTERCARD locol ond internotionol network of member with o business from which you received goods or services. lnsleod you Borter businesses. . .like
o Borter Bonkl
your busìness ot your Dollor:l rrode unit) in your occounl when someone borters wìlh goods receive Trode units or services your olher for Uniis prevoilìng selling prrce, be it wholesole or retoil. You con then spendthoseTrode business needs olso ol their prevoiling selling price' copiers, cors, otr you con lherefore hold onlo your cosh, os olmosÌ everylhing is ovoiloble wìlh BARTERCARD: Computers, your cosh free' keeps BARTERCARD few' o but holel occomodotions, controctors, ona clátf,lng, to nome
Why Spend Cash ... When You Gan Trade !
(l
you
1¡¡¡DE FOR EVERYTHING WITH."
trovel, resîouronis,
A TYPICAL EXAMPLE. . .
'il
I
business to you for you ore the owner of o men,s clofhing slore ond lhe Borter Exchonge System refers o mon in the prrnlrng Units' Trode for 500 in exchonge clothes. He purchoses $500 worth oi clothes with his BARTERCARD fhe exchonge' you ore then oble to buy 500 Trode Units worth of prinling or 5oo rrode units worlh of ony ilem ovoiloble in the clolhes' of And your octuol cost is $250, your wholesole invenlory replocemeni cost
THE BENEFITS OF BANTER. . . o Borter Exchonge System octs os your broker' publicizing youi offerings ond putting you in touch wilh othei Ρrms who ñeed whol you hove, ond hove whot you need. Through our Trode Brokers' we ore constonily exploring new morkels for you'
o Borter
Exchonge Syslem becomes on ociive distri-
butor for youi products or services through fhe internotionol borter bonk's computerized centrol cleoring house which guorontee your trodes Our compulerìzed listing service ond periodrc bulletrns odverlise you.
¡
Borter Exchonge System improves your cosh flow br¡ selling your product ol prevoiling prices .Your
thus, giving you liquidìty in o stognont morket
o Borter Exchonge System generoles new profits sìnce we increose soles without increosing fixed expenses
o Borier Exchonge System provìdes deioiled stotements eoch month showing the purchoses ond soles by your compony for lhe previous month' AII occounis ore reconciled on o doily bosis'
oåtuol cãsh inveslment is your wholesole or production cosl. You spend your products ond servìces ond keeP Your cosh.
Spend Your
GoodsAnd Servi Ges...
NOTYOURCASH!
ACT NOW. .
I om inlerested to receive more informotion
:
lf you own o business, write or coll our office todoy To see how THE BARTERCARD ALTERNATIVE con
help your business. lt could be very profitoble'
on
BARTERCARD. Nome Position
Compony Address Telephone
EXCIIANGE rySTEM.' BARTER ^.A. .lS,T.',, f I
KONG' HANG LUNG CENTER,2'20 PATERSON STREET, HONG 83175 HKBRo HX
rEL: 5-7718b1-3 TLX:
V
copy and the media cotnes under
journalists to take The Foreign Correspondents' CIub of Japan earlier this year invited youtg Asian The resultw¿ls Asia". part in an essay competi;ion. The topic: "The RoIe of Journalists in Contemporary from the Bangkok Post' a series of thoughtfuiand thought-próvoking articles, such as these two reprinted
attack for misrepresenlatton, mlsunderstanding, mistakes and miso uotes.
'
Foreign corresPondenls are the hub of the tatgets. Governments say manY of them do not speak the languages of the coun-
tiies in which theY are They decry the Penchant ol their editôrs to move them lrom based.
by- their rivals! iri the Pressure lor joum No less an space the bad news deadlines and sPace dóadiínes
Kandil quoted the editor^as
savins that
invariablv takes Precedenc€ Precedence over invariably the good-. He warhed. (hat i-rustra-
tion" among countries who
themselves õn the receiving end
see
of
this "discrimination" will onlY brins about what newsmen do not control ovet their r¡¡uri freedom to report.
countrv 1o country allegedlY with
eminent
told
durin that
We have
whelher we are as good as we think we are, noting thal in the
numerous i¡terviews he had given durinP. his visit, it was a rare one that h:ad accurately reflected whal he had said.
He only îeeting consideralion ol Perhaps now more than ever claim to thcir background. age of increasing and opini this in And there is the constant tensions and conflicts, we right can
ned to shift international focus frcm wars, tens¡ons and
FI
and more
oroducts.
' At one UNESCO meeting in Bangkok recentlY, Hamdi Kandìl, Faris-based director
of the
orsanisatìon's Division ol lnformatiõn Poticies, cited the comPlaint
in
self-righconsidered f freedom? Perhaps now more than ever this ap.e ol- increasing tensions
and con"flicls, we necd to shift international focus from wa¡s' tensions and disturbances to the sreater and more Pressing human
"piobtems hunger, environmental
with only rare rePortsof economic and social develoPment. "Is the news growing bad,
simolv rotting
earlY?
"
this
Kandil
the
astô¿. "Perhaps we journalists
the
should ask ourselves whether we
religious
ties.
the
of communications narrows and so does our abilitY to offer
basis
Though the Political
and
economic areas of media coverage are the most carefullY watched, the pgowth of
that his dailY job was to reduce the news of the world into a Page
has paved the w relations' ' oflt inte¡national is used and abused, but up of a small
shaoe
petition, the media is under fhreat'
The combination of Asia's political Problems Plus its commerc¡al strength has created a demand for enter-
pr¡s¡ng
iackof-all-trades
jou rnalists.
based mainlY unshackled cities
of
and a half.
that the rnedia @nnot
be
we thrive thngs w conflicts are the things on. We don't create them, merelY report them, but stil-l run smack
into official-claims that
we blow
them all out ofProPortion.
In the drive to sell our
stories and newspapers' PerhaPs we do. But in the long run, we wìIl have to ask ourselves whether we need to.
' is
tation. But what counts ultimatelY accuracY, understanding and
balance. in the inlerests of maintainine our lreedom' particularlv in a tóuchY region like Asia, thai cardinal journalistic rule has to be may more clea¡ bru te
the physical defencelessness of thc pen.
Afternoon tabloids, comPuter and travel magazines,fheAsian
Wall Street Journal atd
satellite-transmilted I n te nvt Herald Tr
the
Ìo
the
nal
sprouting grass m desire for corporate needs to find markets for their products.
Tlie combination of Asia's political problems plus its commercial strength has created a
the simple makes
reason
that it
for more exciting
Cimi Suchontan
lmtiaz Muqbil
divers
THD WINNING AUTHORS Two runners-up in the contest are associated with the Bangkok Post, CIMI SUCHONTAN is a subæditor at the
leads.
regularly contributes to this ne\ryspaper.
Indeed, the media
is
growing so rapidly as a busincss that it, too, is beginning to make news: rival¡ies between the two main English-lang
o
in Bangkok make Far Eastern Ec and Hongkong's Media
expression, camouflage lney clte
strives
"stability,"
developments
in a
market for information.
flourishing
IIRAGOIT
NAÙIPANT
Postl while lMTll^Z MUQBIL, a former Post staffer,
are always focusing upon the negat¡ve side of a story for
continued staY in Power. At the same time, communist governments, in sPite of
believing in the newspapers is gaining crdenGe among a readersh¡P convinced
everyth¡ng You read
and Singapore.
There is the constant official charge that many newsmen
freedom
l¡e
crack about not
Hongkong
demand for enterPrising, jack-ofall trades journalists.
countries. developirrg 'Thã soverntnents of certain Asian counÏ¡ies, which believe in
a
reDu
is the world growing sad, or am I
If there was ever a time when the Pen is Proving mightier than the sword. this is it.
of the 20th CenturY and the fe¡ocious drive to emulate com-
reoogn¡se
deals mainlY with disasters, couPs d'etat, corruption and civìl wars
BY IMTIAZ MUQBIL
respected. And PreciselY because of ìts new-foundPower, aided bY the telecommuniõations wonders
to
is told. The PoPular
relied upon.
àegradation, enðrgy shortages and
From Ira¡ian
it
Pointment
to the
problems.
when
task? Ar
greater Press¡ng human
disturbances
the newspapers is gaining credence among aieãdership convinced that the media cannot be relied uPon'
to covér
magazine,
Asia's news and
advertising industrY. Many journalists arc somcwhal bewildcrcd bY this Phenome-
non. Nol onlY are they watchtng history being made in Asia but are aJso hclPing shaPe it to some extent.
The new coat of arms on the Club menus was designed by Arthur Hacker (who also happens to be creative director of the Hongkong Government and the man who gave us Lap Sap Chung). The inimitable A¡thur is in charge of producing the wide range of designs, placards, posters and vinually every other creat¡ve visual device w¡th which the Government tr¡es to get public ¡nterest messages over to the public.
qgeìËsÞoNórS
iíóqQ¡ri
Brultt$ . [tA[11]l[$ )
I BY CIMI SUCHONTAN
We who are the Asia must speak its voice for it is one of hope. lt is this voice
ears
eYes and
of
which binds together all nations in Asia which are separated bY borders, cultures, distances and peoples. With this voice which speaks of prosperity, brotherhood
The pheomenal growth of
the media attests the
growing
demand of joumalists in Asia. In Thailand alone, the growth of the Press, radio, television, periodicals,
video and other commr¡nication systems has been spectacular. Wheteas 30 years ago there were
only a handful of newspapers, most populous region, we shall today there are more than 16 find a better tomorrow for dailies published in Bangkok and us all. 60 periodicals, newspapers ard As true agents of social other publications a¡ound the and peace on Earth in the world's
change, the journalist in contemporary Asia must guide Asians to
attain their economic, social a¡d political goals and achieve parity with the West. For we have in more than 30 years of service in Asia paved the road to modernisation: by incorporating parliamen-
tary government, by adherirg to the virtues of scientific education, and teaching Asians the wisdom of ìndustralisation.
Our work must be more than
¡ust accurate, our reporting
must convinoe our readen¡ of ¡ts
authent¡city. Consequently we have rn
these three decades trarsformed
country. And whereas the hrst radio broadcasting station was opened in 1931, today there are more than 210 radio broadcasting
stations nationwide. There
are
four colour television stations and
the sale of televisions has mush-
roomed with the coming of video sets. The media boom in Thailand coincides with the media boom in the rest of Asia. The development accentuates Asians' hunger for
news; and their curiosity about
their
societies and
the
outside world has never been greater.
We bring new words, new names a¡d new terms into the
living languages of Asia. We bring their leade¡s: Zenko Suzuki, Lee Kuan Yew, Mahathir, Deng Xao-
a Indira Candhi and Marcos of old dominated by ping, into their lìving rooms, we awaken foreign powers into a strong new their consciousness with social Asia. We have retumed to it its ìssues about illegitimate children, identity and sovereignty. We have the aged, poverty, prostìtution, shown holv the more dynamic of
weak Asia
these nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore have themselves mastered the tools of technology and have begun to tum the wheel of fortune on their own te¡ms.
Indeed, Asia today stands
in the linal
of
modernisamust strive to help
stages
tion. So we Asian countdes to
succeed.
Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia ca¡ see modernisation around the
corner while countries with great populations like India, China and Pakistan which were once thought
to be beyond hope, have
begun
laying foundations and building for a new tomorrow.
Thus Asia today needs journalists to guide it into the 2lst Century as it embarks on its last leg to modemisation. The work for us will never be more demaading, but as we succecd, our work has never been more satisfying.
child abuse, labour and women's issues, family planning, abortion,
drug addiction and diseases.
And today
venereal Asia debates
them publicly and openly
as
never
before. The willingness of Asians to confront these issues, olten regarded as taboo in the past,
reassures the journalist that the peoples in the region are ready to
participate in the government of their societies. Their actions reinforce our role as nation builders and their development is our true reward.
Of course our fundamental
role, as of journalists everywhere, has been to supply the public with accurate ncws. But we in Asia
have a more challcnging task. That is, ou¡ work must bc more than just accurate, our reporting must convince ou¡ readcrs of íts
authenticity. \ùc must report with greater effrciency, always getting, as far
as possible,'two sides of a story, and measure up to professional
standard. In Asia, our work will constantly be under observation, constantly scruthìsed and tested. We must accept and acknowledge that the Asian reader is no more an infant but rather a maturing youth. Like the maturing youth
entering adulthood, the Asian
reader
is at the
change. Thus he
crossroads of
is
questioning care and the
everything with quality and honesty of our work will reflect on his t¡ust in the media. We must not abuse his curiosity, for he will grow cynical and sceptical. We must not exploit
his hunger for he may
become
very selective and censor
that
which he dislikes.
Asian journalists should realise
the dangers of a chained or controlled
Press.
A controlled
Press will be disastrous for every grow¡ng nation in Asia
A controlled Press will paralyse all fields of development, in technology and science, in comme¡ce and industry, in education and the arts. It will reduce Asian minds to become ignorant, simplistic, gullible, superstitious and easily manipulated. The death of the freedom of the Press will ulti-
mately
kill free thought. In
the
long run, a cont¡olled Press in anY nation will mean both its political and intellectual suicide. History cautions us to be
wary of closed-minded societies. We have leamt from the recent example of the most tragic legacy from an isolationist polìcy -
China. Imperial China in the 17th Century reasoned it would close its doors to the outside world to keep its civilisation 'pure'. Those who saw the dangers, arguing for free flow and exchange of communication from the outside world were branded anti-Chinese and traitors; many were
persecuted. During the same period, Japan under the Meiji
which cannot afford to be Emperor opened its doors to learn shut off at the very moment what it did not have and share what it had. At the turn of this when ¡t stands on the br¡nk century, Japan remained free and of achieving modernisation. rose to become a world power Thus we must protect the integrity of our journalistic ethics and the freedom ofthe Press. Our reports must be accurate and fair
to allow for the future
existence
of the free Press. If our woÍk is
while China, once the most powetful nation on Earth, was through its closed door-policy, reduced to a pitiful slave, puppet of foreign
in this region. And losing the freedom of the hess is something we cannot afford for ìts embodìes the heart and soul of t¡ue journalism. We must remain free of outside domination and outside intercst in order
The voice of Asia sation process. -to us of a better fufuie-l r-foriß peoples. The tremendoui' success achieved by Asians in these past decades is evident that
all the differcnce between wrìting
news and writing propaganda. Furthermore, Asian jou rnaIists should realise the dangers of a chained or controlled Press. A controlled hess will bc disast¡ous
for every growing nation in
Asia shut
which cannot afford to be off at thc very moment when it stands on the brink of achieving modernisation.
.
wil]tt$
il0$il1tilffi
ufiifi[$llRPRr$t!
HBRt$BAltt
The Star's investigative reporter Agatha Ho has made a startling discovery that many FCC members
There is a good, old-fashioned newspaper waf in Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland. Rupert Murdoch's 1y'ews Ltd. has launched a new paper, The Sun, wl.j'cln is giving the long established CourierMail a rut for its money. The Deputy Editor of the new paper is a man who will be remembered by many Club members who were in Hongkong a decade ago, Bob Howarth, a veteran of the old China Mail. The pre-eminent Couríer-Mail, of course is edited by old Asia lland Harry Gordon whose associations with the Far East go back to the Korean
have long suspected. What further breathless
revelations can we expect as the tabloid continues its forthright drive to keep the public informed of current trends?
1ne
SIÁc rjor!,0^i.-tueid;i ¡"öiir-iõ.-r's-s?.-til ir Or'
whv mofe y0ung
giils
War.
Harry is the author of a truly magnificent book Die Like a Carp which for the first time tells the story of a mass escape by Japanese prisoners of war f¡om a camp at Cowra in New South Wales during World War II. The book is an outstanding piece <if reportage and should be a must on everybody's list of books that have to
now
go oll
lhe w0y w¡rh
lheir boys
r
e-PãiÀ
-
ls FUN
our work as agents to social change and as nation builders has been fruitful. It has also
--..,
Pfft[l P0ffl? OPPED
The zoo keepers at London Zoo have for years been attempting to put their two giant pandas in the mood for love so they can boast ofhaving the
encouraged us to strive and forge ahead to bring prosperity, brotherhood and peace on Earth for us
first ofthe creatures outside China to breed in captivity.
forces which may harm and block
to the frustration of the biologists
all. We must guard Asia from its growth and bring to Asians the knowledge to awaken their minds, stimulate their senses and cultivate
their thoughts. We must, with our hearts and with our
minds,
play our role to make the dream of contemporary Asians a reality.
pandas' attempts at procreation, were in vain; on the next stop of his trip, in Paris, he lost his camera.
r11
UÏrlt[$810ull
rlt
All$Itilt[
it
4rl'
speãks
"I couldn't tell if they were fighting or fornicating," says Art. "So I grabbed my camera and took some shots hoping that NancY Nash would be able to tell me when I got back home." Art's scientific enquiries, like the
papers. When I¿mb dispatched a memo to the man involved, joumalists claimed
be read.
secure freedom of communication if Asia is to complete its moderni-
the pandas acting strangely when he took his wife and chldren to the zoo during a recent visit to London.
One of the biggest purges in Australian newspaper history recently hit Rupert Murdoch's fTagslip,The Australian. After a row involving a sub-editor on the paper and the newly-appointed editor-in-chief, Sir Larry l-amb, the joumalistic staff stopped work. The argument involved the sub stringing for London and South African
sEx
We must learn from this sad period of Asian history that no nation can survive without the
free flow of knowledge. We must
without fear of threat or persecution. Freedom of the Prcss makes
ltHlllill$
powers.
sloppy, biased and partisan, we jeopardise thc future of the hess
that we may carry out our job
.
Alas, all these efforls have failed (and, presumably, the pandas). So it was with some excitement that Art Miller (formefly of The Asia Letter and now public affairs executive for Du Pont Asia-Pacific Ltd.) witnessed
wæ insulting and demanded it be withdrawn. This was refused, the staff walked out for five days, management threatened to close the troubled paper if they didn't return to work - and when they went back to their desks the axe fell. No fewer than 39 joumalists, most of them senior staffers, were sacked. They included such veterans as Philip Comford, a well-known figure around the Asian news beats and p ossibly Australia's b est-known newspaper reporter. A management statement said later the staff cuts had been necessary. Only if the most stringent economic restraints were imposed could the paper continue as the country's only national daily. Murdoch is estimated to have lost HK$600 million on the paper since it started publication
l8
years ago.
BT[llt$
. Bïllllt$ ilmilill$ llflllllllts mlil]lt$ .
.
BllGltltY'$ Gll[]lGI 01t
¡t !t-t
uÍllllllllG IllI$ 0llt
Noted American Political com' mentator William F. BuckleY gave a c ontroversial SaturdaY luncheon speech at the Club during a brief visit Mr. BuckleY, noted for his conservative viewpoint, was in the Colony afler 136 hours in China during which, to his bemusement, he had been invited to give lectures to elderly passengers aboard a cruise shiP. The spokesman for the right wing point of view confessed to being puzzled about whY he had been selected, but made the most of the
opportunitY. During the cruise, he outlined what he saw as China's shortcomings in many fìelds from education to health
to nutrition.
From left, Ihittiam F. Buckley, Derek Davies, stephen lØang, shum choi sang and Penny Byrne
He also had some comments to make on the purges and Persecution of the Cultural Revolution - and claimed large numbers of Chinese were responsible for atrocities committed during the period. This claim brought some swift reaction from the audience, notably from Derek Davies, editor of the .F¿r associates and subsidiaries and a list
BII$IIII$S SERIBI$
IllRI| Bll$llltssiltll Two FCC regulars, finance journalists Jim Walker and Gary Coull, have fled joumalism for a crack at business publishing. Walker and Coull,
through their companY, Promedia Consultants, have teamed up with the Printrite Group in a 50-50 joint venture to produce a comprehensive
of
relevant trade information. The data is then fed into a large
computer which turns the information into a variety ofstandard and useful indexes. The result is the most detailed and easy-to-read breakdown of Hongkong business information available
today. Walker is a former finance editor
of the South Chinø Moming Post and founder of Promedia. Coull is a former assistant business editor of the F¿r Eastern Economtc Review and he joined Promedia in May.
series of compuleized business
directories.
Known
as DataBase
Directories,
the series will eventually cover virtually all relevant industries, trades and professions in Hongkong. The directories focus on sPecífic trades and industries. The DataBase team researches a detailed "master entry". on each company listed. The entry includes a detailed breakdown of key operating Personnel, a list of related statutory and party informa-
tion,
a
breakdown of affiliates,
ilr$$ilil|t$I0RT BllIllIIIRIGll One of the most brilliant foreign reporters ever to work in the Far East must surely be Theodore H. White. He went to China at the start of his illustrious career, reported the Japanese invasion, the heroic Chinese defence, the horrendous famines in
Eastern Economíc Review and, like William BuckleY, not a man to mince his words. A livelY exchange between the two - Davies on the attack and Buckley defending his statements led to what was ProbablY the most notable luncheon gathering in the new premlses. Central China during the war and the eventual surrender. As a friend of the famous (Chou En-lai, Henry Luce etc.) TeddY White saw history in the making' When he went back to America, he recorded a good percentage ofthe political history of his native land in the marvellous series of books
"Making of the hesident" which began with the 1960 camPaign and carried on until 1980. His latest volume in this series is
"America in Search of ltself: Making of the President 1956-1980."
It is a Provocative, deePlY-felt
book in which White looks at the changes that have taken Place in
America during the last generation. One of the most sinister develoPments, he says, has been the creePing Great Inflation ofrecent years, and he recalls the panic that gripped China during its own Period of fantastic inflation in the mid-l940s when a
five million yuari note would not buy a loaf ofbread in Shanghai.
Talking about the end of the wat, he writes: "I recall even more
ff[[l|]lt$' llilllllllt$' wfllllt$
It was rejected by W.H. Allen, Cassells, Collins, Michael Joseph and
vividty the scramble among the younger war correspondents, like myself, to get on the plane that was flYing to JaPan to witness the enemy's surrender. That was the great professional prize of the waf
Hutchinsons.
Forsyth was broke and resigned himself to a life of toil as an underpaid reporter before Hutchinson thought again and hesitantly examined the manuscript a second time. It finally did okay on the book-
.
"But
to Hongkong.
.
several
ofthe olde¡
correspondents, wiser than we, hung back. "They wanted to fly in to the liberation of Peking. "They left for the reconquered city with musette bags crammed with paper money, to buY valuables at nominal paper value. They returned with bags full of Siberian sables, Chinese mink pelts and art objects which had piled up in Peking during the war years. "They had missed seeing the surrender - but they were rich."
$[TIllü illNll(T0ll Former president Donald Wise put in an enormous effort during his two years in office to find our new home. There is no way members can thark him sufficiently for the backbreaking (and often hearl-breaking) hours of frustrating toil.
But Donald Points out that others also deserve some recognition, notably another former office holder in Hongkong, retired Governor Baron Macl-ehose.
In the twilight of his administration, Sir Murray (as he was then) went to a great deal oftrouble to help the FCC team locate suitable new ptemlses. To show our aPPreciation, Donald arranged for two handsome shooting sticks to be inscribed and sent to the Maclæhoses at their home in Scotland. Both Lord and LadY Mac are keen walkers, despite health problems, and all FCC members will wish them well and hope the sticks aid them as they amble through the heather.
Now, what about some consideration of a similar suitable memento for Donald?
stands.
And
as a movie.
Forsyth now lives in luxurY, partly on the profits made from The
of the Jackal. It is refreshing to realise the editors oi the publishing companies
Døy
[11
llillIllIlilllG Back in town recentlY for an all-
too-brief visit wæ the vivacious Nene King, former women's editor of the old China Mail and now dePutY editor of the very successful New Idea magazine of Australia. She was in town on a tourism promotion with a Shopper of the Year
competition. Nene didn't have too much time for shopping for herself. She spent a fair amount of the time in Hongkong at the FCC where she was amazed to find so many old faces. "They look a bit older after ten years' absence," she said. "But then, so do
I."
rlil[Rl[1 ltGr$1011$ All of us who have had our priceless literary works of art rejected by philistine publishers should reflect that those who Put out books are not infallible. Ex-BBC newsman Frederick Forsyth likes to recall the response he got when he sent his first book to the experts.
It
was promPtlY rejected. The manuscriPt had "no reader interest" according to one publisher.
are still hard at work.
$rHt$[1ll $l0Jl[$..... Australian (and British and American and New Zealatd) newspaper proprietor Rupert Murdoch comes lrom the State of Victoria. But the New YorkTimes rccenILY described him as "The Tasmanian
Devil." The Times maY need to brush uP on its geography but it obliginglY published a description of a Tasmanian
Devil for the edifìcation of its readers.
"Extremely voracious marsupial. Its expression appears evil and it hæ a fìerce snarl. It is very strong for its size and preys on animals larger than itself. " Perhaps Ihe Times fears that Mr. Murdoch maY have further expansionary visions in their backyard, where he already owns the New York Post.
In Britain, where he controls a vastly-successful empire headed by The Times, his operations have not endeared him to rival Fleet Street proprietors who have dubbed him The Dirty Digger. Still, as long as his PaPers continue to sell and profit, it is doubtful that Mr. Murdoch is going to "vorry about being called names.
Keith Johnson Hack I I Bolt Cou¡t, Fleet Street, London EC¿IA 3DU Telephone: 0l -353 9362 Telex: 23849
A membership ceiling has been placed on entrance to the Club by the Board and entrance fees have recently risen considerably. But many people continue to apply for FCC membership and this is likely to continue as the Club's fine ambience and facilities continue to gain fame. Recent new members are:CORRESPONDENT
a6
,ú¿/"
nadz:' Uaø/i..
ørâ14,u
Vateile Taylot lnternatíonally known diver, lilmmaker and conservation¡st in her Foreword to
The Dive/s Guide to the Philippines David Smith, Michael Westlake
,
The finebt in Creative Writing since 1980
Porfirio Castaneda
WITH 7,'107 magnificent islands,
and
crystalclear waters, the Philippines contains the largest collection of superb diving sites of any nation in the world. Here is the first ever guide to this divers paradise. 128
full-colour pages packed with colour
photos, maps, diagrams, suggested dives, details of dive operators, hotel listings, pre viding everything you need to plan your whether in Sstar luxury or a vacat¡on back-to-nature cottage on a deserted beach.
-
The authors tell you (and show you)
where to go to get the best diving and have selected 153 varied dives to start you on
your way from abundant reefs and drop offs to cave dives and wrecks. Dives are
-
keyed
128 C0L0R PAGES ¡'DIVE' BAG'10"X5%" FORMA]
.
31 180 C0L0R PLATES MAPS, CHARTS, DIAGRAI\4S 153 DIVE PROFILES . 45,000 WoRD
7
&
TEXT.
HOTEI DIVE OPERATOR DIRECTORY. METRIC CONVEBSION CHARÏS o FIRST AID GUIDE
to
maps, and symbols tell you
whether a boat is required, quality of marine life, current warnings depth, etc, But the book covers a lot more than ¡ust diving. Nondivers will use it as a practical travel guide with sections on the history of even the Philippines, Manila nightlife useful phrases. Added to this are chapters on marine life; diving medicine, underwater
-
photography, metric tables and emergency information. All attractively packaged in a rugged, laminated hardbound book designed to fit into your suitcase or dive bag.
T0: Unicorn B00ks Ltd., 6th fl00r, 224 Wesüands Boad, 0uarry Bay, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-636251
r
¡rn
Dlease! Send me a coov 0f Tho Diver's Guido i0 fte Philippines. lf nbi understa n'oi delighted, deliohred, I understand Y that I can returnn iÎi after 10 days davs and you vou will refund money rn in full. ruil. mv my I prefer to pay as follows:
Eù
E
tr
I am enclosing payment of IJS$16.45 (US$14.95 plus US$1.50 postage/handling) or its equivalent in another curency By Visa Card Cald No
ABC News
Kevin F. Simpson Fraser Símpson & Co. Ltd. Christiaan N. Steenkamer
Peter Ebert
Mo
Reuters Jean Malet ABC News
H. von der Tak BBC Brown Boveri (HK) Ltd. Duncan Kiþour HK Govemment - Legal DePt.
William Thomæ
Expires:
ütffiG[R[$ The cards one sometimes receives are pompous in the extreme with people who hold down extremely humble jobs being described in highly elevated terms. Not so the card of Austrahanborn, London-based j ournalist Keith Johnson.
ilülün011û
ll0lltïil0011 Hongkong survived (only just) a retu¡n visit from Old Hand Udo Nesch. The CBS cameraman was in town on honeymoon with his stunning English wife, Karen. Asked what a nice girl like her was doing married to Germany's
unofficial ambassador of couth and culture, she said: "I married him as an act of mercy." Udo has a lively sense of humour but he was unimpressed with the security guartl at Bangkok airport who was going through his hand baggage and came across a photograph of
Dorothy Jones Business Iileek Peter Smith Alexander Zilo ABC News Ian Macdowall Reuters Caroly Hubbard Fairchild News Service Khark Singh The Associated hess Ronald Cooper Reuters Ltd. Dick Fung The Associated hess Tse Pui Shan The Associated hess James L. Wallace NBC News Barun Roy A sian Finance Publications
Mui Tit Ngai JOURNALIST
"You have a very pretly daughter," the guard said, somewhat to Udo's chagrin and Karen's delight.
Address: Signature:
Co.
Yvonne Brogan Emphøsis (HK) Ltd.
Diane Stormont Emphasis (HK) Ltd. Cheung Ling
Emphasis (HK) Ltd. Agnes Lin Trade Media Ltd.
Felicity Duke Communication Manag. Ltd. Ian D. Markham-Smith South China Morning Post ASSOCIATE
Karen. Peter M. Howell Stevens Elmswe & Co.
Raymond Day
Autoflash Company
rient
S erui ce
s
Home Pack Transport (HK) Ltd. Jose C. Tesoro Baker & Mackenzie Jane C. Plumptre HK Government - Legal DePt.
Anthony R. Eccles Messrs Fairbairn & Kwok Lawrence Iæung
B. Green Co. Ltd.
Christopher Holmes is on the public relations staff of the Hongkong Tourist Association. An important part of his job is telling both local and overseas reporters about Hongkong's attractions as a tourist destination, Newsmen have found him not only helpful, but knowledgeable. Wife Stephanie, a Mexican-born American; is a highly-regarded book edito¡.
Julie Chiu Luen Sun Investment Ltd. Philip Chu Gulî Oil Chemicaß Co. Nigel H.F. Tasker University of HK David M. Kerly Marples Rídryay Ltd. Stuart J. Garrow Jacobson Van Den Berg HK Ltd.
Nethersole Hospital B¡ian Nairn Co laurt eknik Lab oratories ( H K)
Charles Conroy
Ltd.
Baker & Mckenzie Sally Joseph Baker & Mckenzie Peter Schlipe
Central News Agency
Ioo
O
Jim tIarvey
Freelance
Felicity Stapley HK Comm. Broadcasting
ndial
TATI{ING TOTIRISM
Kenneth Chan
Selina Chow B rain
chíld hoduc tions Ltd.
Bruce Aitken First Financial Services Ltd.
Albert Kwok Tai Sing Engineering Co. Ltd. Gilbert Collins Robertson, Double & Boase (Solícitors)
I¿i Kwok Fun
Cluistopher Holmes
Foo Hang Jewellery Ltd.
Iimmy's Kitchen Ltd.
HK Tourist Association
Christopher Palmer
Claus Dehio
Richard Ellis
Lufthansa Airlines D.G. Roberts HK Telephone Co. Ltd.
N.M. Rothchild & Sons Ltd.
Abavel Caparros Rivers Colorm¿te Inc. William Hoare The Chartered Bank Luis Vas Royal HK Políce Adam Morgan
Susan
Rifkin
Asian Community Health Action Shum Shuk Kuen N e w sw ee k I n ter n a tional Juergen Kracht Continental Eng. Products Co. Ltd. Martin Dixon Jardine Fleming & Co. Ltd.
Dorothy Iau Citícorp. International Stephen Vickers
Royal HK Police
Lillian Chan Pierson Helding Pierson N.V. Clement Ng Continental Group of Companies
Peter Johns
Peter Chan PPA Desígn Ltd.
Desmond Keane
Barrister Shannon Philip United States Navy Jeffrey Henderson Centre of Urban Studies & Urban Planníng Djang Eng Hua Security Pacífic National Bank Charles De Boinville Legal Aid Dept.
Gobind Sadhawani United Concern (HK) Ltd. Donald Woo Continental lllinois Bank Ltd.
Norton Rose Botterell & Roche Rita Reid Londsdale & Kírkby Michael Steynitz Bond Global Ltd. Samuel Tsui Bank of Nova Scotia Carol Hagerty Coudert Brothers Wilson Chung Arral & Partners Ltd. Lex D. Webb C.B.C. Int. Finance (Asia) Ltd.
(contd.)
I'
Rhona Panayi F.E. Economic Review
Wong Cho Hor Five Oceans Manag. HK Ltd.
Kellv Yu Melítta Mkt. (HK) Ltd.
John P. Heìly
G. Alan Whitehead
Mark F. Pace Royal HK Políce Simon Chung Indosuez Asia Ltd.
Security Pacific Leasing CorP' Anthonv Morias The Poit Production ShoP Lee Yong Sun Kerry Trading Co. Ltd. 'War¡en W. Williams R.J. Reynolds Tobacco
HK Gotternment
William Nesbitt Royal HK Police Debbie Chan The Associated Press
Nigel P. Taylor Sinclair Roche Paul Simpson Giles Kídder, Peabody & Co. Ltd. Scott Gemmell
Banv Kirkham
Glo'õal Village Comm Ltd. Bevis Ensland Corporoíe Co mmunica ti ons M.G. Ahuja Mf S Coronation (HK) Ltd. C.D. Datwani Father & Sons Ltd. Norman Tomlin Cathay Pacific Airways Eddy Khoe Eddy Khoe Architects
PORT STANI.ET PINS.UP Our Man in the South Atlantic otherwise known as John Edwards of the London Daily Mail - outs¡de the main hostelry in Port StanleY, the Upland Goose.
L t d.
Da tab
as
e Publi cat ions L td.
Wons Tse \ryha
Fedäration of HK Industries Christine McPherson Reuters
F.K. Pereira HK Polytechnic
RT'GGDIDWORK -
Edwards says the UPland Goose to the Falklands what the Caravelle was to Saigon and the lntercontinental was to Teheran. "Minus women", he adds thoughtfully. is
He reports that the cover Photograph of Hugh van Es and Don Wise was not exactly in the same class as "Hustler" and "Playboy" as far as the British soldiers on the lsland were concerned. But a number of old Far East Hands gathered in the bar of the Upland Goose and sent best w¡shes to collegues
"in that other British Colony".
HIS DMINDNGD TDTI.S ATI.
A number of Club members were recently on a dangerous asslgnment in GermanY - travelling uP the Rhineland tasting the local wines. It was perilous work. as can be seen above where Neville Chesney
ln
Old buddies Norm Marcwann and Richard Hughes relive the lively days of post-war TokYo.
Someone has finallY done it. Australian newsman Norman Macswann has Published his book on his old friend Richard Hughes.
The Man Who Bead the East Wind has been selling well in Australia where the venerable Richard is regarded as a
Since then, Norman has been
heading,4 ust ral ian Associ ated Press offices in his native land and took to writing the Hughes' saga ¡n retirement. He spent several weeks in Hongkong while researching the book and, to his surprise, he lived to tell the tale after surviving the tremendous strain on the liver, kidneys and other
1947 , he was based in
Cologne. The city was in ru¡ns after the terrible pounding it received in wartime bomb raids. The onlY building in the centre of the city to survive the RAF and USAF raids was the cathedral'
Style is sometbing you don't notice - unless A good reading lamp, a spacious desþ, and comfortab le surroundings.
it is
missing.
Its '@/ty ysu'll nlways ctmc taú ro tla Slumtun,Hmgl(ons
vital internal organs which are an inseparable part of having lunch with
Ayers Rock or the Sydney Opera House. Norman and Dick were buddies in Korean War and Japanese Occupation
His Eminence. The book has received tremendous reviews in Australiã and is a great idea for a Christmas present for former Hongkong residents who will remember
d ays.
D
national monument somewhat akin to
of
Hongkong Tatler, Jim Shaw of Off Duty, Kevin Sinclair of the South China Morning Post and Dennis Philips, freelance, find themselves in a wine garden in Koblenz. ChesneY was no stranger to the Rhineland, although it was 35 Years since he was last there as a Young airman in the RAF.
ick.
E(sJ
SÌrcrafon- Hong Kong Inobl SHERATON HOIELS & INNS, WORLDWIDE NATHAN & SALISBURY ROAOS, KOWLOON,HONG KONG TEL'3-69f11
Shrewd business practice A business flight shoutd be something you look forward to. Not something you have to recover
drinks and increased privacy and legroom. But the one overwhelming róason why more
from.
That's why Cathay Pac Polo Clasi seats are rp.ði"lly designed to relieve the stress
ly work.
And that's not just shrewd travelling. That's shrewd business. For the ultimate in business comfort You can depend on us. *
On all 747 routes
o o o N
BUSINESS CIASS The Swire Group
o o
þ