RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30234, 12 September 1963, Page 20

RANDOM REMINDER

ANCHORS AWAY

Attention was drawn recently in this column to the highly unethical behaviour and tactics of a team, of golfers drawn from former, retired and discharged naval officers, who were recently pitted against “The Press,” and whose claim to a drawn match could not be properly substantiated five minutes after the claim had been made because the evidence had been destroyed much. we believe, in the manner the code books were sunk before the surrender of a ship; that is. if the Navy ever surrenders anything. But the published rebuke has drawn a smattering of small arms fire from the naval officers. It reads:

TO: Random Reminder FROM: H. Nelson, Admiral trtd i INFO: General Public Precedence: Top Priority. RE NAVAL OFFICERS v “THE PRESS’’ GOLF The scurrilous rep >rt in “The Press” calls for immediate action, and answer. The impression is given that the newspaper players proceeded down the fairways with the rectitude of a leading article while the Naval Officen (capitals, tacked haphazardly from side to side. The writer was obviously disgruntled by the fact that the top half of “The Press" team (one of whom bore a remarkable resemblance to Bob Charles, in some ways) was completely torpedoed by the leading Naval flotilla The balls; rattling among the branches of the Russlev trees with the chatter of a linotype machine were smudged -s muci with printer’s ink as with diesel fuel, while the sand billowing from the bunkers seem-

ed to be motivated more bv men intent on meeting a deadline than splicing a mainbrace. The oaths mingling with the flying divots were much more in keeping with the printer’s devil than witn the Officer of -he Dav A study of the log on the day of the engagement reveals a clear-cut tie. at least down as far as the group where a lone Naval Officer <of bunker famei was locked In single-handed combat with two men of the pen. If his score is divided bv two, as Is surely fair in the circumstances, It would give him two wins, but a, the copy-writing becomes somewhat Illegible due to the heat of the engagement It would perhaps be more reasonable to declare an honourable draw. Thus, sir. sre the bonds ol Empire held together Never mind about the bonds of Empire. Without recourse to the Naval archives, which may or may not exist, we propose to sink ourselves, without further trace.