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The 1939 Edition of the
CHINA YEAR BOOK
Edited by H. G. W. Woodhead, C.B.E.
The new edition will add another volume to the China Year Book series (dating from 1912), which constitutes the only complete contemporary history of China. It provides all material necessary for form- Eastern situation ing correct judgments on the Far and embodies all important documents and statistics of the year.
Among the 25 subjects dealt with by Foreign and Chinese experts are the following
Sino-Japanese Hostilities (Documented)
Who's Who in China.
Japan's Programme of Economic Development in China Communications during the Hostilities
Shanghai and Other Foreign Concessions
The Refugee Problem in China
Foreign Trade in China during 1939
Finance and Currency (including war measures)
The Kuomintang and the Government
Royal octavo, 688 pages, cloth bound, Shanghai $25 net Postage: in China 30 cents, abroad $1.40
Obtainable at all booksellers or from the publishers: THE NORTH-CHINA DAILY NEWS & HERALD LTD.
P.O. Box 707, Shanghai.
EAT AT
Jimmy's Kitchen
INEXPENSIVE SATISFYING
Bringing Up Father
YOUR WIFE HAS BEEN
INVITED TO THE RECEPTION FOR SIR. VASNOW AND SHE KINDLY ASKED
US TO GO -
WELL- SHE MAY HAVE ASKED KINDLY GO-BUT SHE TOLD ME HAD TO
BOO-HOO - I'M NOT, GOING TO THE RECEPTION
TONIGHT -
THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 5, 1940
SOUTH AFRICA GUARDS GREAT IMPERIAL ROUTE
(By A SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE) Introduced. But what has happened since Britain has a queer way of winning over should have convinced the most determined to warm friendship those who have fought | isolationist, against her, I remember during the last
THE LIGHTS ARE OUT
to
war talking with Arthur Lynch, that gift- "One of the most recent German raids on ed. Irishman who fought with the Boers shipping was almost of our own coasts, against us at the beginning of the century, within a few hours of our own ports. To- was tried for treason and sentenced
day the lighthouses round our own coasts death, was pardoned and became a popu are extinguished. That at Cape Town has lar member of the House of Commons, and
for 115 years swept its beams round the later served BR colonel in the British
bay. To-day it is in darkness.' Army in the war of 191 18.
hand
Hia prototype to-day is Colonel DencyB Reltz, South Africa's Minister for Native Affairs, who also fought against us in the Boer War, He went into voluntary exile rather than live under British rule, re furned to his country when it was given | Africans will take in the common effort self-government, is now one of the warm- est supporters of the Commonwealth, and to-day is in England as South Africa's re presentative at the discussions between British and Dominion Ministers to co-ordin ate the Empire war effort.
"WE HAVE SECURITY" Colonel Reitz is living laborious days. struggling with a programme which taxes I talked with even his dynamic energy. him at South Africa House, overlooking Trafalgar Square, in the very brief inter- val between a hurried meal and still an- other of the many conferences in White- hall.
"You at least have no doubts about the reality of South Africa's Independent status?" I asked hin.
"Independence?" was his reply. "We have more than that. We have security~} a security which could not have been ours were we by ourselves.
Colonel Reitz motioned with his to the darkened windows of his room. "The fringe of the black-out has extended over those 8,000 miles to Cape Town it- self. Is it possible for us to be neutral?
"Just what part South Africa and South
must depend on how the war develops. Our Government is pledged not to mend forces overseas, but we are building up our Air Force and Army as rapidly as we can, and, as the Deputy Adjutant-General to the Defence Force announced the other day, if the war is confined to Europe, if no danger threatens the Union and Bri- tain is in
the need of further men from
that Dominions, it is incredible
South Africans who wish to volunteer for service overseas would be held in their country against their will.
Are
OC-
We "Make no mistake about that. cupy a vital strategic space between the two hemispheres, as it were, a land with tremendous mineral wealth. In a world given over inore and more to aggression -look at the news from Finland-we should have been gobbled up long ago had it not been for our membership of the Common- wealth."
Colonel Reltz spoke warmly of his re- ception in Britain, of the feeling of com- plete confidence between the various mem bers of the Commonwealth, of the unity of] purpose and of the conviction of ultimate victory.
"I am glad," he said, "to have this ad- the ntti- ditional opportunity of defining tude of South Africa because I sense that in some quarters there is still a doubt whe
the ther the Union is wholeheartedly with rest of the Empire in this war. There could be no greater mistake.
are
RACIAL ISSUE DEAD "But you must remember that we are a young nation, still subject to growing pains. This State of English-speaking and Afrikaans-speaking citizens whom we gradually knitting into one race of South Africans has some way to go before we reach the stage which you have achieved in this country, with centuries of ordered history behind you,
THE COMMON PURPOSE
We
on
the
that
"At Brst sight this might appear to in- dicate limited participation, but there are three factors to which I would like to draw attention. The first
the is that we help common purpose by undertaking complete by responsibility, apart from that borne the Royal Navy, for our own defence.
a small nation of little more than 2,000,000 with a large country and 8,000,000 natives in our charge, and a huge coastline. Our own defence is our first consideration.
"Secondly, South Africa is situated what is, next to the Mediterranean, most Important Empire route.. On route South Africa slands guard against any or all comers. We have undertaken ourselves the defence of Simonstown, supremely important base for the Navy.
Thirdly, there are other Empire terri- tories to the north of us-the Rhodesias, Tanganyika, Uganda, and the rest-more thinly populated than ourselves, less able
defend
the themselves. To
defence equally of these South Africa is pledged to her last man and her last gun should the war ever come to Africa.
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"These, I suggest, are no mean respon. sibilities, and no small contribution to the effort of the Commonwealth."
GERMANY'S MISTAKE
Our talk closed with a final emphatic warning that people in this country should not mistake the significance of any divi- sion of feeling in the Union.
"We tend to be like the proverbial Irish- man-always 'agin the Government,' even when it is a Government of ourselves. We 'hive off' among ourselves. But Beneath all that we are united in a love for, and belief in, our own country, and in the ef- fort we are making to breed a united people.
ན
The traditional back-veld is a thing of the past. The motor-car and the radio have annihilated space and brought veld and town together in the same way of thinking. That is where Germany has made a great mistake. If there is still a tiny "anti-British" Unge in the dying embers of racialism it most emphatically is not pro- German.
that We have no illusions on
"But we are doing it. The racial issue is dead, except for a dwindling minority It represented by the extreme Malanites. played no part in the dispute which led to the resignation of General Hertzog and the appointment of General Smuts to the Prime Ministership. General Hertzog is no less friendly to this country and to the Imper- ial connection than before, ̄ ̄ ̄and" you will have read that an alliance between his party and the Malanites now seems less likely because he and Mr. Havenga refuse point. We know what would happen to us to revive the racial issue and to accept | under German domination." Republicanism and severance from the Em- pire as part of their political creed,
"I admit that the neutrality motion which led to the split was a staggering blow, but the proof of the reality and vitality of the new union of peoples which we are build- Ing up is the fact that we have triumphant- ly survived it, and that more and more South Africa is preparing wholeheartedly to take her full and proper part in the pre- sent struggle.
"General Hertzog is a great and deserv- edly respected figure in South Africa, We who have followed him and worked with him for so many years regret that on this occasion he decided on ■ course so divor ced from the feeling of the majority of his fellow-citizens. It is only a minority for whom he speaks now, but I venture to think that many even of those have fol- lowed blm mainly out of personal loyalty and not because in their hearts they dis agree with the standpoint of the rest of us. "How could we remain neutral? Europe is 8,000 miles away from South Africa, and the war might have seemed remote en- ough when that neutrality resolution
TURKISH DEFENCE
EXPENDITURE
Ankara, Yesterday.
The Turkish Finance Minister an- nounced to-day that of the Budget of £54,000,000, the sum of £19,000,- 000 would be devoted to defence.
This was in addition to the large credits granted by Britain and
France.-Reuter,
CANADIAN CONTRACTS
Ottawa, Yesterday. The Canadian Government has placed contracts worth £2,000,000 in Kingston, Collingwood and Port Ar- thur for the construction of sub- marine chasers. — Reuter, Was
WELL-FOR GOODNESS SAKE-WHAT
CHANGED YOUR MIND?
By George McManus
I HAVEN'T
THING TO WEAR!
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