THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 30, 1940.
CHINA MAIL
WINDSOR HOUSE.
MOSCOW MOVES
Caravan
While I stood and stared about
The days are longer now and the countryside gay with colour. This morning, after walking a dozen miles or so around the food of Titterstone Clee, I stood for a while in the garden of a half- timbered cottage, a cottage that Had Britain and Russia is the post-office of a small ham- been able to agree on alet half-hidden in a leafy hollow. formula for the Baltic re-the garden, I wondered how gion, war in Europe might many men in the city would have morning's work-al have been prevented. Al-elve-mile tramp with a post- most certainly it would bag and considered it a pleasure. There arc days when work have been postponed. But seems easy, when the wheels of the fears of Poland, life seem well oiled. This was Lithuania, Estonia, and just such a day. A cool air, good or walking, flelds well-farmed Latvia had to be consider-and quiet contentment all around, ed, in London's view.birds singing and the sun warm- ng the soil. For almost four hours, These States feared Rus had been walking through fields sia as much as they did and woods and lanes; calm, un-
rufled pleasure had been mine. Germany.
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Hours rest, four hours freedom.
Now a tragically ironic] Before starting back on my re- circle is completed as Rus-uum journey, I had about four sia "takes over" the three wandered slowly to the out- tiny Baltic States, to push skirts of the hamiel, where a farm- er's son whom I know was pull- Russia's frontiers still
As ting up a post and rail fence. farther outward from passed under the window of the
| small" "Stone-büift school, 1 stout:
it was
"I wish I lived in a caravan,
man;
knows,
Or where he goes to-but
he goes."
These simple words set thinking. I walked on to find the farmer's son had gone
post and leaned my
fixed in the ground.
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1
THE HARMONY BOYS
Mussos PRESS
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FRENC
*
PRO-NAZI PROPAGANDA
who
(Copyright in All Countries.)
Moscow, as they have al- for a while. It always gives me ready done in Poland. The great pleasure to hear little child- Soviet leaders are obvious-ren singing in unison. This ting
lesson not a singing ly engaged in that realis-heard. A volec, hardly more than
to tomed to such a life and
One of the gypsy boys, a lad of tic kind of defence which whisper, droned off into nothing-conducted parties; they want.
ness and all was quiet; then an-see the world, or a good part of knows all the tricks of the bro-feighteen or so, had an old gramo- begins beyond national other voice, childish yet firm and it. But give me a caravan and therhood.
phone and he said he was sure I would like to hear ill that goes with it, and freedom]
some good borders. For the Ger-clear, began-
to roam where I will. I would I remember one morning, not music. Where he found the re- many that they set loose With a horse to drive a pedlar-be my own master; time-tables, long ago, 1,walked down an old cords is more than I can tell, for clocks, watches-I'd have none of lane, one never used by ordinary they were cracked and worn; but upon the world when they
green track they were good old-fashioned Where he comes from nobody them; the sun would be my guide. traffic-just a wide signed Herr von Ribben!
There is. I think, something rest-it is, with tall straggly hedges songs I had never heard before. trop's pact is a more dan-
onful about the pace of an old horse. that have grown high and, here He was proud. of his "music box"
there, become All my actions would be govern-jand
Не interlocked as he called it.
told me a gerous power than the
way good deal about his way of liv- meled by that pace; I would escape overhead, and so made the
The ing., I mentioned what I thought Russians supposed.
that the mad rush, the ever-increasing a "tunnel of green gloom." and speed of life that seems to lead only people I have ever met in were some of the advantages of Had the war reached a left his job unfinished. 1 sat on nowhere at all, unless it is to more this lane are a family of gypsies.living in a house and being in re stalemate or continued asja
employment, and I asked back and still more speed. By going came on the camp, and what algular
they were cooking! him if he ever felt any desire to a war of attrition, Stalin against another which had been across the country, sixty times as breakfast
last as another man, one does not Hanging from a tripod was a great leave the road for some sort of could have considered.
see sixty times as much. The slow-frying-pan, a wood fire crackled town or village life. He smiled
probably sees abeneath it, and in the pan a and shook his head quickly. "I wish I lived in a caravan.#moving” “man himself the winner with-Well, there is a good deal to bahousand times as much as the young gypsy girl had what looked "No," he said, without any hesi-
fast-moving man. out making a move. But said in favour of such a life. No
I hope one day like good home-cured bacon. Itation, "I'ull never change. Full taxes. And to be able to experience the joy had some talk with this girl and, stick to the way I lives now.". events have not followed rent, no rates, no
man came Does he still live in a carayan? what freedom! A little house on of living and eating in the open after a time, the old
the I am sure he does. the Kremlin's. désign for wheels, not cluttered up with altair, not as a novice, but as an old and played his fiddle while
SIMON EVANS and
jhand, one who has grown accus-little children danced. them. Russia's world manner of lumber
useless odds and. ends. No-just the position is not being en-necessary things of life. And, if hanced but jeopardized by I lived in a caravan, I would keep the success of German roads; although it would, I feel
away from all towns and armies. In an unpredict-sure, give me some real pleasure able
to drive slowly through a busy situation Russia
[little_town_ now and then. must look to its fences. would enjoy the contrast-the
the Italy's declaration of war is an Italians in recent weeks that they vive. If they have to fight for a That is the explanation hurrying, scurrying people
swiftly-moving
buses; cars and
event which, like many others of would desert at the carliest op- longer period, they of the Baltic move, an ex-haste, flurry and competition
sible against their own country inj planation which suits for everywhere, while I would lead recent weeks, has been abundant-portunity and bear arms if pos-opinion lost.
my steady-going old horse I'vely foreseen. Many efforts were the hope that this enterprise of Italy is at the present moment Bessarabia and which the heard that a good half-legged 'un made to prevent it, including ef- Mussolini's would be defeated. the most demoralised and anarch- ical country in Europe. I met no- present administrators of is best for the job-through all forts by, numerous Italians. That and rush of traffic. this event has taken place at all,
same story from body whatsoever of whatever the Dardanelles must read thankful and glad to leave it all is due to the will of one man. Fascist officials, from people in rank in society who believed that with growing
Mussolini. Not long ago I was in Italian ministries, from people this desperate plane of attack concern
I wonder there are not more Italy, a country I have known and who presumably are the instru-would succeed. What is more, I now that the role of sinis-
caravans on the road. There is, loved for twenty years, where I ments of this policy. But the main met nobody who believed that ter bystander no longer it seems to me, still a good deal have many friends, where some source of my impression is the Italy would be better off if it did of romance about them. When aspects of life appeal immeasur-peasants and fishermen whom I succeed. I am talking of all kinds serves Russian interest.
I see a gypsy
with his coloured ably to anybody who values the have known for many years, who of people, from fishermen to men Europe and belong to no political party and of very high rank. Mussolini's will van, I always think to myself culture of Western "Where he comes from nobody the United States. Italy, France, care nothing whatever for power alone has pulled this trick and: it knows, or where he goes to, but and England are, in fact, the three politics. They hate war. They are on he goes." Even about the countries which have created our an ancient and profoundly civilised was the last despairing throw of a ruined gambler. He was ruined I don't think anybody people. They have never been whether he came in or stayed out Hitler has still not aban-holiday caravan that moves in our culture.
dash of the real gypsy, the world bulions of the Germans nor of the siring conquest. The theory- that war, although he con-wanderer. How does part of that Slavs to the general civilisation. they are the heirs of ancient Rome tinues, perforce, with pre-grand little poem go? parations for an attack on "Last week in Babylon, Britain.
*C
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PEACE OFFENSIVE
the maze
behind.
main
I
Italians Don't Like War
I heard the
.............
are in my
doned hope of a truce to/English lanes there is, for me, a would wish to rule out the contri-warlike people in the sense of de and, he is playing everything...he
What ground he has for hoping Britain will change her mood to suit Berlin's we do not see. No peace could possibly be lasting on totalitarian terms.
Last night in Rome, Morning, and in the crush.
Under Paul's dome.
Under Paul's dial
You tighten your rein- Only a moment,"
And off once again."
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A caravan! Surely, there can- not be a better way of seeing the
at
has on the chance of German vic- tory in which he firmly believes. The great fact that German vic- tory would be the end of Italian
By Vincent Sheean independence has been clear to,
And yet it is true that the pre- the western culiar character of mind has been influenced very little by them. There was only all history who one German in talked our language and his name with all its appetite for glory is was Goethe, If he were lying one of the most foolish delusions to-day he would be either in of the Fascist delirium. They have concentration camp or cking never been warlike. out a precarious exile.
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all of his helpless subjects for a long time. It is apparently still
not clear to him.
Out of The Past
the
The most important and signi- ficant fact about Mussolini is that he no longer knows his own peo- ple. He did have at one time an Mussolini has decided that the almost uncanny' sense of what For France, life under country. When the world is
wanted, but for peace, cruise would probably be Italian nation which belongs by they felt and Hitlerism must be more interesting, or a tour of the Europ nature to our world shall fight eighteen years he has occupied A strong and healthy constitu- I'd like to the semi-godlike position in which tion is the first thing to look for; intolerable than was Na-can capitals-sa many people against democracy.
of the many testify that in my recent, three he cannot talk in ordinary terms poleon's domination for crave to join one
weeks in Italy I met nobody at to ordinary people, and knows and it is better to count on Germany. If some sort of conquer outworn 'Nazi all who shared his view. I know nothing whatever about them. Ivigour which comes of good gov- lots of people in Italy and plenty as at American, a foreigner, can ernment than on the resources a "peace" be patched up concepts of rule by force. of Fascists among them. No mat-
people which he, the Duce, has now it can only mean a Daily these ideas are gain-ter how firmly they had support-set dhe the kind of talk with his great territory furnishes.
ed Mussolini's course in interior na chance of finding ever again.
It may be added that there have been known States so constituted later renewal of the strug-ling a stronger hold on affairs they did not like this Ger-
alliance and the war
that the necessity of making con- tol gle. Napoleon won victory men who will fight for man
quests entered into their very after victory but could not them. For Britons which it was inevitably leading..
at
constitution, and that, in order to I believe that there will be de-
The and sabotage finally conquer. Europe: least, Nazi victories do not sertion, treachery
Fascist organisation can maintain themselves, they Neither can the Nazis. make despotism-more in the Italian army, navy and air carry its present desperate enter-forced to expand ceaselessly.
Tored beyond anything-hitherta prise for a short time, I think amay-be-that they congratulated The eventual victory palatable; they only known to the experience of men very short time. If it is possible themselves grently on this fortun- toate necessity, which none the less rests with ideas and the awaken a new apprecia-in war. I am quite poslitve that for the Italian armed forces in indicated to them, along with the
out their programine the ordinary people of the coul-carry
France, free peoples are possessed tion
Gibraltar, limits of their greatness, the in- democracy, a try will do everything they can Southern
(1712- by ideas whose truth and deeper determination to contrive to help their alleged Tunisia, and the castern Mediter-vitable moment of their fall.
enemies to win. I have ranean within six weeks or two Jean Jacques Rousseau vitality must inevitably defend it.
been told over and over again by months, they may possibly sur-1770), in "The Social. Contract
of
ތ
were
It