The Washington times., 1933-04-05
-:---:- STAGE AND SCREEN
%
Broadways Of the World
AAADX LEI IhI%ED
By MARK HELLINCER

bay, India.-This is a strange
and fascinating land. Under
its present rule, it is one of the
most discussed countries of the
world. Under its present rule,
it is also one Of the most
disgusted.
1t is not my intention, how
ever, to write about the politi-
cal situation in India. In the
first place, it would take a
years intensive study to
understand it thoroughly-and
then you'd probably be biased
one way or the other. And in
the second place, I don't believe
the average American gives a
hoot whether the British con-
tinue to control India-or
whether it falls into the hands
Of the Armenians.
Story Material
Funny thing about the place,
though. Drop an author any
where in India for a couple OF
weeks and he can't resist the
temptation of writing a book
about it. Talent or no talent,
knowledge or no knowledge, the
author goes to it with a
vengeance.
The results, of course, are
pretty awful. Without knowing
too much about the subject, I
would say that India has had
more misinformation printed
about it than any other nation
in the world. When an Indian
writes a book on India, he is
biased. When an Englishman
writes the book, he is biased.
When a radical of any nation
writes a book on India, he is
most certainly biased. And
when an American tourist
writes a book on hearsay-well,
those of you who read Mother
India" know the sad results.
All of which is quite enough
along these lines for the time
being. Because the British
policy is a tough subject to
avoid in these parts, IN proba-
bly, do a piece on it one Of these
days. And the chances are
that, when I do, either Great
Britain or India will bar me
for life.
And maybe both.
Now let'e get back to nor
malcy. If you like mysterious
hotels and shadowy characters
who disappear into the no
where. this Tai Mahal place is
your meat. If this place doesn't
give you the creeps, there is
something wrong with your
creeps.
In the first place, the hotel
has the most sinister looking
room clerks it has ever been my
misfortune to gaze upon.
Sinister Clerks
They positively do you a ia
vor when they give you a room.
I've been glared at by plenty
of room clerks in my day, but
on this occasion I had plenty
of baggage and my name wasn't
Smith.
How long you Stay?" growled>
the Indian clerk.
positively" was my answer.
He nodded, proving conclu-
Sively that he had no reason
for asking the question in the
first place. He finally assigned
me to a room and turned
abruptly away. I tossed him a
sigh of relief-at least I hope
he thought it was that-and
went upstairs.
The Tai Mahal is a ire
mendous place, and it seemed
to me that I walked miles be-
fore I reached my room. I saw
numerous Indians sitting along
the different corridors but I
thought nothing of it. I got
rid of the bellboy, closed my
door. prepared to wash-and
turned around to find a sickly
looking Indian standing at my
elbow.
I'll confess honestly that I
haven't been so frightened since
I first saw Mae West. I rubbed
my eyes, harboring the strange
feeling all the while that the
Indian would disappear and in
his place would be a pink ele-
phant or the little man with
the long, white beard. But no.
10 was still there. I call him
Lo because he seemed to be a
poor Indian.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. do you
want?" I asked.
He extended a hand.
II to be Sahib'S servant. I be
VerV 1OOd for InaSter Give keVR.