"Peking, to" KashmirBy Peter Fleming. Cape, London. 12/6.
It is pleasant to find that in re~ counting his adventurous journey across Central' Asia, Mr. Peter Fleming has lost none of those attrac tive qualities which brought him the allegiance of so large a body of readers. Indeed his style has improved. He' has shed some—but not allot the less effective mannerisms and In preserving the negligent alr of the explorer in spite of himself he has ut into his work more solid qualltes which add to the instruction and enlightenment of the reader. In fact, apart. altogether from the intrinsic Value of this book as the record of fu exceedingly brave expedition, the Feader Is presented with an authoritative, well argued and convincing pieture of the complexity of Central Asian polities. Mr. Fleming's gifts enable him to achieve this feat without ever relaxing into the dry-as-dust rethed of the purely politico stud-
'The now famous rook-rifle comes, of course, into the story, and Shang hal readers will be Interested to note from' the author's foreword that obtained from John and Tony Keswick in addition to the 44 which Sir Erle Teichman tent the intrepid traveller, There is a touch of what for want of a better word. might be called the Michael Arlen atmos) in Mr, Fleming's chivalrous yet play-fu) tributes to. Miss Bilo Mall (Kini), who was his partner in the enterprize, "His character sketch this young woman generously reveals how fortunate he was in having her company. excellent series of articles, illustrated, fof course, by really effective photo: graphs. Incidentally, Mr. Plemi Pays a warm tribute to Sir Er Telcaman's subsequent journey from Peiping to India, It involved, accord fing'to the younger man, much greater hardship and diftculites than Mr. Fleming and his companion experien: ced, andthe. successful "accomplish ment of that journey was a remarkable proof of Sir Eric's courage and powers of endurance, Unfortunately, owing to the strong grip which Soviet Influence Fos over Sinkiang, Mr. Fleming fears that Sir Erie's mission not have the political results it deserved:
He travelled valiantly but tu vain: rosso it seems atthe. time of Writing. "Not one of the pro-_ Iises made by the Provincial Gov-fernment has been Kept: and protests this, effect are merely. ignored. British: trade. enifers from, dleabllties ae great, If not greater than, those 'Which oppressed it when we were in the Province; and' the difieuities Which beset Great Britain's repre= tentative in Kashgar have "been cunningly, Snereased. Russiay though she can have "no valld. mauves for doing 20, fs bent on gelting us out of Soviet policy in Sinkiang is largely opportunist and Mr. Fleming Is of the opinion that it follows no considered Flan. 'Nevertheless, the commercial Infiltration, greatly' assisted. by im-Proved means. of communication, fives the Russians q strong advantage Which 1s not likely to be weakened.
Tu' the intricacies "of the polities of Sinkiang the posi lon of the Tungans is improved, although the future of their cause is Uneertain because of the conducting. interests of governing Russian policy.
Versatile Young Woman not every explorer's lot have with him a woman of Miss Malliart's versatility. The cription is justified in application tarted from Geneva in her teens to teach French in a Welsh school in complete ignorance of Eng Tish, and then appeared in the Olym. ple "Games as the representative of 'Switzerland in, the sailing competi tion. 'Thig, achievement secured" for hor the opportunity to sail other po ple's yachts, to act in a play in Paris, fo captain' the Swiss" women Hockey, to represent Switzerland in an international skiing competition, to play the lead in a skiing flm, to travel round the Mediterranean in a small beat with a crew of three iris, to help with excavations in Crete, 10 find in Berlin occupation in learning German, teaching French, and play= ing small parts in film studios on one meal a day, studying film production in Moscow,' where she rowed In the 'Alimentation' Workers' Eight, and then joined. the "Russian expedition eross the Caucasus, to be bitten by 9 dog, recuperate in the Crimea, and then return to her beloved skiing. 'Added to this, Miss Mailiart of cour Strengthened her hold on the journal Tistie profession and. then performed 4 spectacular journey through Cen tral' Asia which ended ina camel ride across the Kizil Kum Desert and eventual Honizing in Paris, That brings her career to China, where she BY. met Mr, Fleming and, according to his account, was thrust into his com= pany against her, as against his, d ire, The division of labour by these two, who literally faced death toge-thet in the course of their adventure, may be best learned from Mr. Flem: ing's own tabular state me Kin aid all the shooting all the cooking most" of the all-the negotiate all the medical tne and. veterinary most of the progress most of the tate ing in Musson and A Possible Triumvirate The possibility of the formation of a Ma Ho-san, at Khotan, and Ma Bu fang, at Chinghai, is mooted by Mr.
jeming; but in the meantime the Tungans have not been completely won over to the Soviet cause and General Sheng Shih-tsai, with Russian help, thas established himself at. Urumcht in control of Sinkiang. Mr. Fleming explains why Sheng Shih-tsai is more Inclined to ook to Moscow than to Nanking for guidance:
Butmalways excepting the Soviet Consulates at" Kashar and Urumenithe only powers the the Russian ad schod. (partly By renee: mullahs). but neither intensively nor with mitch success. The Turk Mhtherto almost entirely In character, "now perforce mentary petitieal training, and some hundreds of the children of annually sent fof charge, In Tashkent, their parents fand is not disposed to be dismayed the fact that his predecessor, Chin "Shusjen, is now in gaol in Nanking on the charge of illegally contracting a secret. oan with the Soviet Government. Moreover, Sheng Shin-tsai immediately "on his. access sion to power showed his independ-fence of Nanking, for soon after that event atone wang Musume. (vt Sentral Government's Envoy to Tibet) Sean sent into the Province "stem Nanking with, the large and hopeful {tie of "Pacifeation Commlasioner. Its reception was not cordial three of his sat" were "executed in his
Ina itis legitimate to suppose R's Teimate 10 suppose {the omelal" confirmation of" Sheng Shin-tat In fremunced So, Hanes een "te Government for ita emissary'
'And og for the relations between the two, Mr. Fleming may again' be quoted:
Kint was often irritated by me: and sometimes when I called her a bloody fool Tthought 1 meant it. But we Doth are. essentially. what the Fox: Hunting Man. calls "solitary-minded: and. the detachment in our natures ted' hhow valuable. the "other presence was, how trying the Journey Would have been" alone. Perhaps Were less, independent of each other than we felt.
It Is safe to say that should Russian favour falter Sheng Shih-tsai has not much hope of survival, and that is where the Tungan Mas may have their turn: an admirable puppet at Urumeht: ut [At prevent. Sheng, Shin-tal makes the time may come when Russia heeds something mere positive than puppet to further her' designs, and then, it may be, Ba, Chung-ying will return from exile. The standard of Hoslem revolt has often been raised, With. bloody consequences, by the ungans in North-West China; and It Russia wants it raised again she may congratulate herself on having secured the services of the best of all possible Standard-bearers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.