OBITUARIES jargon.
'Written by a minor angel' Alan Chalkley 1918-93
He could explain inflation, reflation, devaluation, demonetisation and a myriad of themes which were becoming important features of the economic landscape of the
post-World War ll world, so that
the least literate reader whose pocketbook was effected by one
or other of these economic
lan Chalkley, one of the best-
24
THECORRESPONDENT MAY 1993
or
Kong, died in Washington DC on Febru-
ary 11 after treatment for a brain tumour. He was ô0. Conley was sent to the United States in December last year when it was determined that he had a massive tumour.
well.
It was partially removed at George Washington University Hospital and he was undergoing radiation treatment. Ed was an active member of the FCC Japan and headed the media committee, which looked after the problems of journalists in Japan and elsewhere. He was a correspondent for VOA for 32 years, much of it in Asia. He helped cover the last days of the lndochina war in Cambodia and Vietnam while VOA East Asian bureau chief in Hong Kong from 1973 to 1975. He was Tokyo bureau chief lrom 1977 to 1981 and from 1989 until his death. Conley also covered the State De-
Alan was more than a "mere" economics editor. He was THE most accomplished all-round journalist in the world. He could set up
a
newspaper singlehandedly if challenged. He could take and crop a photograph, draw a chart, write a news piece, subedit it, fit an interesting headline over it, set it up on one of those barbarous linotype machines we had, and fit it into the page design. He went back to London after a spell in Colombo and when the Press Foun-
dation of Asia needed an editor for
ome 43 years ago I placed a wanted ¡otice in The Econo-
Depthnews,The weekly package of news features on developmentthatwe started in 1968, I sent him a cable (those were the prefax middle ages) saying "Come". He cabled back saying "Where? What? When?" I replied "Manila. Edit development economics package. Now." And, within a week, he was on his way again to Asia. I asked my colleague Betty lldefonso if she would kindly meet him at the airport with a garland of sampaguita. She did. And that's why she is here today. Later when I was editing The Asian, Alan and lshared an apartment in Hong Kong. At breakfast we had a daily up-
mist and' The Sfatisf for an economics editor lorThe Ceylon Daily News.
which was bitingly criticalof every coun-
The publisher had flown to London to pick our man, and we interviewed six
try in which The Asian was sold. They were so sensitive about their nation-
candidates. We chose Alan N. Chalkley, not because he was a very competent editor of lhe Economics Dþesf of London but because, during the half hour he spent with us talking economics, he did not use a single word of economics
hood that they would ban the paper at the slightest hint of crit¡cism.
were both funny and usually well di-
Chalkley's writings had an impact comparable with the columns of Richard Hughes, then regarded as the doyen of the Asia hands. Above all Chalkley was a consummate pro. "You had a problem, a storyto write, the deadline half an hour away, and Alan was your man," an old colleague said with reminiscent affection. "Give him a few cuttings and the day's
Hong
-
schoolboy and the columns now have a distinctly dated look but his barbs against the foibles and follies of Asiatic leaders
some malodorous cell, ln their time
Edward F. Conley, a veteran Asia corre-
spondenl for the Voice of America and active member of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan and Hong
that meant lndia and Japan as
Some of Chalkley's humour was
would have sent reporters straight off to
The Book of
monetary decisions, could make sense of it. So Alan Chalkley became the first-ever economics editor in the Asian press and
known, respected and loved Asia hands, died on April4. He was 74. Though he had been in poor health for some time he was stillwriting columns for various magazines right up to his death. Allhe FinancialTimes he rose to the backbench and became chief sub-editor. By his Ff colleagues Chalkley was regarded as the complete professional journalist, able to turn his hand to any job and sort out any crisis. But then he left Britain to become one of the founding members of the Press Foundation of Asia in Manila, which in its time did much to encourage the news media throughout the continent and develop young journalistic talent. ln the middle 1970s Chalkley wrote a weekly column lor lhe Far Eastern Economic Review, Report from Amnesia, under the byline Nicholas Dutt. Chalkley also wrote a popular Hong Kong column, The Book of Hong, in the style of the Bible, which was later turned into a successful play.
rected. He got away with comment for which some of the continent's dictators
Ed Conley
Alan Chalkley news and he would turn out a story that seemed to come from the world's expert in the field, written by a minor angel.,'
Chalkley's widow Betty said that,,living with Alan was like earning a double PhD. Whenever a word came up, he was able to discuss its etymology, its history and various uses. lt was a learning experience spending 25 years of married life with him."
Kevin Rafferty, The Guardian
roar preparing the Amnesia column
So we invented the Sovereign Repub-
lic of Amnesia which we could criticise with impunity. lts Prime Minister was Sir Portly Rumbel, its currency was the
Twit, its language was Krit (sans krit, you see?), its capital was Rapacity, its hillcapitalwas Mendacity, and its airport was Skyjack lnternational Airport. Alan did most of the lnventing and I did most of the laughing. Sir Portly Rumbel dispatched a high level delegation to the lnternational Scatalogical Congress. lt never reached its destination. The Amnesian delegation to the United Nations General As-
partment, the White House and the
sembly consisting of many of Alan's
States.
friends was skyjacked and blown up just as it took off . Alan was certain that each
Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ed was a 1954 graduate of Boston
United Nations during tours in the United
one of them reached a place in a far
University. He and his wife, Joyce, a former VOA correspondent, were the
away galaxy that is reserued for special people. I hope so. Because that is where Alan is bound and he likes merry company.
parents of four daughters.
The Foreign Correspondents, Club of Japan
Tarzie Vittachi
Guest policy in the
Guests shall not be entitled to credit facilities which the Club may provide to its members. lt is the responsibility of members
Members may entertain guests the Club provided they observe bringing guests to ensure that their followingArticlesand By-Laws. Mem- guests do not make use of clubcredit bers bringing guests ¡nto the Club facilities. shall be responsible for
their'observ-
ance of the rules and liability to Club if
any.
the
lf a guest makes use of such facili-
ties the member bringing the guest sha¡ be tiable to pay a¡ chargel.
THECORRESPONDENT MAY 1993 25