THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 23, 1940
CHINA MAIL
WINDSOR HOUSE
EVACUATION CHARGES
If Government reveals no sign of embarrassment in answering the Hon. Mr. Leo d'Almada's questions on evacuation in Legisla- tive Council on Thursday, their primary value will have been lost. For lack of embarrassment will ex- pose how completely out of touch is the Govern- ment with public opinion, how little it is acquainted with the blunt-spoken views of the man-in-the- street. It puzzles him why more and sharper questions are not to be asked.
DID IT TO ASSURE YOUR DESTINY "L
(Copyright in All Countries)
Can Hitler Leap
was not given to "the Army of
heart
the
Ditch?
increase
daring,
chances of
By J. B. FIRTH "
91
¡ses right." He happened to guess Villeneuve's destination amiss when he broke out of Toulon, and was led a long and fruitless dance to the West Indies which occupied him during the summer of 1805. Napoleon, jubilant at Villeneuve's safe return and at the junction he had effected with the Spa..ish
The truth is not pleasant. The circumstances and conditions of the evacua- tion arrangements have roused the bitterest of feelings, not only among those whose wives and families have not been evacuated, but also, and more resentfully in many instances, among those whose homes have been broken up.
It is doubt- "It is a ditch that shall be leap- ful, indeed, if thered when one is daring enough to has ever been a time iny. So said Napoleon, looking from Boulogne to England across the modern-day history of the narrow waters of the Chan-
ael in November, 1803. the Colony when sympa- Yet the leap was never tried, thy between public and though the order to break, camp Government has been so England" "ll August, 1805. Not Britain 1,250,000 Regular troops Trumpet-Major pages of Hardy's feet from Cadiz, sent peremptory some fragments of orders that he should hurry north strained.
certainly for want of "daring," and 500,000 members of the new novel, and It was considered neces-
for in that quality Napoleon was Local Defence force. If there were military science into the officers to give him the command of the never deficient. Nor for want of no more than the trained divi- of Jane Austen's Loamshire mili-Channel which he so urgently de- sary to hold a public meet-will to strike at his most implac-sions of the British Expeditions tia, but Napoleon had good justi-sired, Fixing his last review of ing to stimulate the warable enemy. No, wisdom camelary Force we might still, in Lordification for assuming that if he the Army of England for August once famous phrase, could but leap the ditch his 5, and the embarkation for the.. by waiting: he learned at last Fisher's effort of the Colony, said that he was not the master of sleep soundly in our beds." All troops would brush aside the op-ath, he thought the stage at last on London was set for his dashing project. own terms one representative indi-the sea as he was master of the the large remainder will improve posing forces, march
every and dictate bis
of Villeneuve spoilt it all. Land. The trident was firm in in quality and equipment "China English hands.. vidual
day and will also
in peace.
Though bombarded with orders to the
" JUST TO "SLIP ACROSS$ to lose no time in joining forces Mail" yesterday, there is After 135 years another formid-aumbers.
with "I put all to the hazard, he with Gonteaume and Allemand, much more reason for a with rage and fury in his
able conqueror glares at England. Compare these figures
those of the British Army of 1803, said afterwards. "I entered into he delayed at Ferrol to carry out meeting to clarify the and debates whether if he screws depleted, as usual, after the pre-no calculation as to the manner repairs, and evidently was scep- a of return. I trusted all to thetical of Napoleon's assurances public's frame of mind courage to leap the ditch hecarious. Peace of Amiens by
can transport sufficient of his le-British Government whose prin-impression that the occupation of that England had only four ships Even for the benefit of the Gov-gions to make good his
the capital would have occasion-of the line in the Downs. and works out the
He was, in fact, so absolute- when he put to sea and sighted ernment.
ly sure of rapid victory that he Allemand's frigates he mistook their safe return.
in them for British ships and turned Mr. Leo d'Almada is This problem is much more ur-cipal care was to cut the military caused medals to be struck
honour of the "Descente en An-and entered harbour at Cadiz.
inscription "What a navy!" 'exclaimed the chiefly concerned, in the gent for Hitler than it was for establishments to the bone.
Napoleon. The Emperor could' Thus when war broke out anew geleterre" with the
experienced the "Frappce a Londres, 1804." The Emperor in his rage. "What an questions he is putting, decide at leisure. He could safe- the War Office
It in obtaining other side showed Hércules crush-Admiral! All hope is gone.
is all over. He will be blockad- with the distinction drawny keep the weak British Govern- greatest difficulty
inent guessing-Addington had sufficient recruits for the Regularing the sea monster.
And yet, not only was no des-jed." So, without more to-do, Napo- between one British succeeded Pitt-and he kept them Army even to maintain the dim-
jt is inished total of the preceding year. cent made upon England but, be-leon finally scrapped the whole subject and another, be-guessing. But for Hitler
The Militia Ballot Acts, owing to side some practice embarkations, project and by August 28 tween the wives and fam- He is halted by the sea-which the want of uniformity prevailing no attempt at a descent was evorlarmy had quitted Boulogne and ilies of some British sub-is not his element. If he is to in the different districts and the made-largely because Napoleon was on its way to Ulm and Aus-
Villeneuve's and terlitz.
combined invade England at all his
system of allowing knew nothing of sea power best preposterous jects, and the wives and chance is now, before the first the practice of substitution, failed sea warfare and was reluctant to French and Spanish fleet came to quotas learn. He wasted-for his pur-an inglorious end a few weeks families of others. It would orcath of autumn and the waning to produce the expected
year, before the air power of in quantity, and the various vol-pose-a whole year while he clung later at Trafalgar.
of The faint-hearted of to-day be an error, nevertheless, England receives its ever-increas- unteer forces, raised locally and to the vain idea that flotillas
cor-should take strong comfort from from assumed,ng reinforcements were it to be
across numbering about 380,000 in Great "prames," sloops, gunboats,
Britain and the Atlantic, while there is still a
80,000 in Ireland, vettes and fishing boats - nearly the story of "The Great Terror" trans-and the complete collapse of Naph- from the manner of ap-chance of finishing off the war were a motley collection of a fight-1,500 craft in all-could
with horses, leon's project of an invasion "o proach, that there is without calling on the Germaning value which ranged from fair port 115,000 men,
Ipeople to face the rigours and to deplorable, described by the guns, stores and munitions, across avenge six centuries of. insults," Consider the balance of advant- wholesale anxiety to get shortages of another winter. best historian of the British Army, the Channel unobserved,
as the late Sir John Fortestuc, They were just to slip across. ages and disadvantages: IT WAS A "TERROR" THEN
undisciplined and If intercepted they were to cut For the first time in history the Those who drew up the French "unorganised, Armistice terms had manifestly a for the most part useless." their way through-Napoleon cas-chances of war-adverse in all act other respects have given us an coming invasion of Britain in their "If Napoleon had landed at the ually observed that he was minds, and were bent on using end of September or the beginning customed to lose 10,000 men in immense preponderance of first- as the ports and fleets. of France for of October, 1803," says Fortescue, a single engagement. An English class troops at home over have that purpose as well as for block-"he would have found little to op-admiral described the gun-power invading, force or forces which ade. Hitler will try the Icap, pose him but a half-armed, un-of the flotilla as "completely con- Hitler may try to throw Into Brit- been in more amiable beyond a doubt, from more than disciplined rabble, composed in temptible and ridiculous". There ain. mood had Government ar-one place probably and with vary-many instances of fragments of was nothing to prevent an English, We have a naval superiority no ranged, without dis-ng degrees of strength. Britain's corps whereof part had marched minn-of-war from running them less absolute whatever role may answer to the threat is, "Jump out to meet him while the remain-down and sinking them by the be played in the adventuro by tinction of race or creed, and be damned!"
der, agreeably to their terms of score, while at the landing bea-units of the French fleet.
If invasion is attempted at two, for those to go who want-recall some features of what was out of their military districts." mercy of the British artillery.
It may not be unprofitable to service, had refused to march shes they would have been at the
three, or even four points, and in ed, like authority, "to be known as "The Great Terror" of Buch were the troops "fit for Abandoning the idea of "slip-whatever strength, it will be a unobserved, the miracle if the German transports on the safe side.'
1603-4-5 when, ds now, the Eng-little else," so Fox declared, "than ping across" It is lish people dwelt under the shad- to be set on a hill and looked at Emperor next based his project are not intercepted and many of probable that just aslow of a threatened invasion. which Addington and his Min-jupon the hope of obtaining for six them sent to the bottom.
An Irish expedition might eŋ- many women and child-do so the more confidently be-istors would have opposed to the hours as a minimum the mastery
cause it would be entirely wrong best army that Napoleon ever com- of the Channel. As he did not ex- counter least resistance, both on ren would have gone as to apply such a description to our manded, seasoned veterans of the best to scoure this by defeating route and on arrival, but Hitler have already gone. It is situation to-day,
wars of the Revolution, of Italy the English fleet in A sea, battle, would also find that he had achiey- In one important respect. we and of the East, Sir John Moore his plan was to outwit the Eng-cd something hitherto beyond the the sheep and goat soro in an incomparably stronger and Crawford would doubtless lish admirals who were blockad-power of British atatesmanship to accomplish: that of uniting business that has got so position than was the England have done the best and infused ing the French naval bases.
of 1803-4,8% According to the their own ardour into the Ill- "The world attaches wisdom,"Ireland in a common cause many a goat!
Prime Minister, there are in Great trained rustics who figure in the wrote Nelson, to him that gues- against him.
away. The essence of the complaint is the invidious distinction made.
The community
a
whole
would
now or never.
•
the
any,