THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 21, 1940.
Page"
CHINA MAIL On Being British
WINDSOR HOUSE
HITTING BACK
By W. J. MONKS
Chairman of the Shanghai Club, in a Broadcast
Jare we symbolised by a som- nolent ploture of sweetness on a treacle tin but by a living animal, with head held hight, fongs: bared and tall swishing, ready and will- ing for the fray, not for any rea sons of selfish conquest but as de- fender of the articles of the code in which we bellave, faithfulness to our friends, decency in thought and action, freedom and security for all, great or small, and assured
"On, being British-just a· pég! Jon which to hang, a few. random The decisive superiority thoughts, so much at random that one hardly knows which one to of British fighters has hang up first. One that is just been proved by the failure passing memory of that peculiarly
flitting by at the moment is at of the largest enemy1008 and All That, in which sc English book and play entitled bombing raids so far to many of the events, recounted with such humourous distortion, cause much material were declared to be Good Things.
With all this unholy business that another nationality, a. German, pears beneath him in that parti- of the eventual establishment of damage to important ob-is going on in the world just now who also considered this to be a cular setting Out of the strong the common right over bestial it seems to me that in these times British characteristic, for was it comes forth sweetness. It is just might, however long and fierce the jectives. The German to be British is a Good Thing: not Bismarck who once said, after that attitude which, in normal struggle. losses in machines and not than that, it is definitely the bringing of successfully a typical times, makes us so incomprehen-
Best Thing,
piece of German duplicity. The sible to other people who can see men have been heavy "But what is this business of English will always be fools but in it only laziness in thought and friends will begin to understand "Perhaps in this stage. our being British? The answer to this we shall never be gentlemen Afaction, indifference to many of the us a little better. We shall fight in enough to make Goering question would be easier if we remark which, as to its latter half things which they consider vital, our own, way and we shall play,
were endowed with the faculty, jat any rate, testified that B'marckja general disinclination to be dis- cricket' as long, as we can, aban pause and pause again as Robert Burns put it, of seeing knew his own people thoroughly turbed in our easy-going, com-doning no rule until such rule no
ourselves as others see us. before intensifying his course, he did not put it that way gentlemen. And if the spirit of to the point of permitting what plete expunging by opponents who. Of for certainly they never will be fortable way of doing things, even longer exists by reason of its com- daylight raids. He must at all but I don't speak his langu- playing cricket as the express they consider indignities to be of-strap without compunction all the
age very well and I prefer to be sion is, is from the German point fered with impunity. look round for otheron safer ground and use an En-of view synonymous with being mostly miss, of course, is the un-when it becomes
What they rules of God or man. And this is glish translation. But since we foolish, then the first half of the derlying Basis of it all, our British task to keep on being 'British." a little harder means of breaking Brit-have not the faculty in question, remark is happily true too... code of conduct, ain's resistance and un-merciful acts of Providenor de we might go on and pick out alply aren't done and a reluctance it all the more difficult to breuk which is undoubtedly one of the "So there are four opinions, and knowledge of the things that 'sim-clean and stick to the rules makes the instinctive Our natural instinct always to play dermining the morale of signed to spare us what might good many more..but it begins to amounting almost to refusal to them, even whom the other side often prove to be an unpleasant (loolt as it we should get very little believe it possible that some other deliberately and shamelessly plays her people, whom every spectacle, the next best thing is out of them but the one obvious people do them. And because of foul.
to listen to what others have to say fact that nobody seems to under-this basic attitude and mode of ourselves to believe that machine- We somehow cannot bring bombing raid makes more about us and try and get the pic-stand us and that the way they thought the British Lion seems gunning refugee women and chil-
ture that way. grimly determined than
see us presents to them only anfunperturbed and almost oblivious dren, sinking a shipload of souls unsolved puzzle. It seems there-to all that goes on around him, in. the open oocan without warn- ever to fight on to the end.
Take It As It Comes fore that we shall after all have only occasionally giving a dab ating and without means of survival, to try and take a side glanes at a more than usually unpleasant bombing and burning a country The enemy is, of course, here, for a number of years have
"Most of us who have lived out ourselves.
tormentor but not bestirring hin-village, shooting down mercilessly self unduly and treating most those minimising his losses and acquaintance with a large circle
engaged only in acts Puzzling Qualities of people of other nationalities
things as just nuisances to appear. mercy and the relief of suffering, And what is it that eventually i can possibly help us to gain the caused by the mass raids of free and easy exchange of re- curious mualities at ours which so what really is going on? Not the there is a point when we are
ships sufficiently close to permit being British?
Now what is this business of arouses him to real attention and final object. We refuse to hit be- these causes him to look round and see low the belt although forced to on London. But the world liar
marks on the others fellow's pecu-puzzle our neighbours of other na-extra twist given to his own tail
take foul blows ourselves. But national characteristics.tionalities? will prefer to believe the chap who does not wait for a
There's always, too, the sort of that makes us
What is it about but the urgent cry for help from brought to the realisation that all hard to be one of the smaller; inoffensible and the rules have gone by the board, understood by other people, even defenceless animals wantonly at mad dogs and that their destruc- British version of the re-tanceship before handing out some wards us? In a recent speech one the people who do the things
very advanced degree of acquain-those most friendly disposed to-tacked by the hyenas and jackals, tion must be sought and encon
that one cannot play cricket' with sults of every air fight, for fairly blunt opinions.
there's one thing about being Bri- expression which I believe sup-long as only he himself is being which will be discarded immedi- Well, of our political aders used an which simply aren't done. As heartily detest in the using and passed by measures which we shall it is well known that Nazi ish, we can take it all as it comes plies the answer to these combined bothered it doesn't seem to mat-!
Jand generally and it rather amus- propaganda has always ng. Now what do some of thein questions as nearly as it can beter, much, but this bullying of the still be British enough to use such ately the job is done. But we shall summed up in one single word; it weaker ones is quite a different: been based on Hitler's say?
"I well remember the remark of, we must admit that a good, round. It is then that he bestirs himself players on the other side and hot 'is our British complacency. And matter and must be looked into. measures only against the dirty theory of the "moral" one of the old-style Chinese busi- smug complacency can be just and takes stock of the situation, as long as they stay outside the against the crowd on the side lines, knowledge of about the most irritating of at-only to find that during his too ropes. And when it is all over we value of disseminating lies our language was confined to the titudes.
long siesta the unclean beasts have shall be able to have a wash and of colossal dimensions,
picturesque pidgin' "This complacency which English. It was in 1927, when the habitually exhibit is found in al-suaded themselves of his impotent unpleasant but necessary job of multiplied rapidly and have per brush-up, as we do after any other Meanwhile British suc-arriving here and he had
units of the British Division were most all our works. The most senility and merely deride his at-work, and know that our hands cesses in the long-range watching that fine battalion of that British Empire is the lion, but do quietness again. All peacemaking the temporary soiling of them has
generally accepted symbol at the tempts to bring about peace and Coldstream Guards marching past
are as clean, as before, and that bombing of enemy terri-his premises on Broadway. Hiwe ever, depict him, in the ordin-arguments having failed he decides been with the filth of the advers
ya!' said he, this Genial Duncan way, as a rip-roaring and at long last that it is high time to sary and not our own. tory cannot be concealed. 'long dam foulo!'
fearsome-looking beast? As a mat-jump off the treacle tin and to give On enquiringer of fact he is usually more re-a hand to the decent animals in These-raids by the R.A.F.plied 'How fashion he bling such
why he should think that he re-! miniscent of the label on a well-defence of their common security. must convince the Ger-largee man this side? So big man oblivious to the swarm of insects
known treacle tin, lying lazily Ready For The Fray
"It is in these circumstances that man people of the futility him that it was the other fellow buzzing around his head and "And-now we are in another we have to resolve more firmly who would do, and take, all the typifying the quotation which ap-Istage of being: British. No longer than ever to be British, refusing of Goering's boast that hiding that was going, but he was
nagnifying the damage and in many cases personal friend-
ness men, whose
Igood,
old
been
never can makee hide!' I assured
the Reich would always of having six feet odd of body to quite unconvinced of the wisdom at-be potted at when he fearfully be-
lieved that his own five feet noth-
be immune from air tacks. According to neu-ing was more than enough. He went away muttering in all be- tral reports, industrial life wilderment This Englishman, my in the Ruhr and Western
never can savee hel
Germany, including coas-
French Opinion
•
་
What are
So
We
Camp Hospital
Firm Resolution
of
сап
to believe that any cause eventually be won by lowering the standard of our code but steadfast- ly sure that the clean strength of right will assuredly prevail over the bestial brute force of might. There is a song, which says and England shall be free,
The Military Invalid There'll always be an England,
After only a few weeks in the must make your down bed and land means, as much to you as Army I have had my knowledge scrub your own locker. Other England means to me.' That is the of Army life improved by spend-wise this is like a pleasantly con- spirit of being British in these tal towns, has suffered "Then there was a French friend pital as a prelude to a mmor there are no distressing cases and we must sustain with all our heart ing some days in a military hos ducted cottage hospital whereumes, that is the thought which of mine who served as a liaison operation in a civil hospital near no disciplinary mania. serious dislocation. Dur-officer in the last war, who told me by. To me military hospital" is the hospital might induce a ten with all the tenacity of the British Indeed, and soul, to which we must cling ing August British mach./now. horrifled he had been on one name that has always suggested dency to hypochondría in those bull-dog, which never slackens its
of the first occasions that he visit-Scutari with Florence Nightingale who have seen it. ines dropped 32,000 bombs a British sector, to find the stepping carefully among Bodles, the boredom of lying idle, in bed dead and the British bulldog does. Apart fromi grip until either he or his foe is roops singing with the greatest for, less unreasonably, modern there are many aspects of hospital not die! There'll always be an over Germany, as com-susto, and with apparently the hospitals with discipline stepped life here which make it the England as long as you and I and
nost poisonous venom, an English up to an almost penal degree. In most enjoyable pared with 7,000 dropped translation of the German Hymn this camp hospital. I have found For one thing the food is better. Empire believe in our British des- place in camp all the countless millions of our Hate. The way in which they neither Impression confirmed. The beds are sprung, the pillows tiny and never relax our deter- by the enemy over Britain pat out the word 'England as True, the first thing you get to fairly soft, and the sheets are mination to be, and always to be, The RAF attacks have him and it was with difficulty that ents in military hospitals for-cocoa and biscuits twice daily.
he object of their hate appalled read is a list of "orders for pati- white. Between meals, there is British. always been directed atle was made to understand by bidding all the things that make Even the odd nation of planning "In conclusion I would like to specific objectives and joyed the humour of the thing, but it is soon obvious that these on one side and an open rife which appeared in a recent issue English officers, who naturally en-life worth while in illness, the hospital with a sewage plant repeat to you a few short llnes pressed home with the uthat it was all a demonstration of rules are not strictly interpreted. (range on the other causce no dis of Punch.' which set forth, in the most vigour, against vital oral affection for Blighty. But he No doubt they would be if the comforts, for though one is rather simple language of the man in the nover could understand it and hospital were full of seriously noisy the other is fortunately not the village pub; the essence of military targets whenever was still puzzled over it years wounded men, but at present it noisome.. they are discernible. No however, was that when he was miscellany of civilian ailments. talk, I find it easy to get to know grip fast until the job is done
afterwards.
that spirit of determination to What he did learn, holds soldiers suffering from a Since there is more time for hold on at all costs which we must. bombs are wasted by be politely addressed by British col-At any time there is almost mure people in hospital, Soldiers have "It's better by far, sez Sam to me, ing scattered indiscrimin-signity any personal interest in a recruit whose boots have proved versation-they are easy to guess.
leagues by h's own name it did not to be a septic. foot in one bed a few favourite subjects of con- as we drinks our ale at "The ately or dropped on open him, but that if they called him too much for him. Three beds Home comes first and the joys of
Mulberry Tree," fields. Here again supe-really had begun to like him.
old Frog Face it meant they recently contained cookhouse civilian life. Army experiences
"It's better by far, I've allus said, casualties one food poisoning, come next. We spend a long riority of training and
One more opinion, that of one gastric catarrh, and myself, time exchanging grouses and hints
to lose yer at than lose yer Dutch friend of mine, given Where I am concerned the coolt's methods of getting round the When things goes off the rails a
ead. morale has made up for
quite recently. After some com-gullt is a matter of dispute (and less important Army rules, ways numerical inferiority. And plimentary remarks on the Bri only contributory), so the least of keeping boots under control,
bit some makes a song and when the R.A.F. hits back ofincerely expressed, he said that malarial Irishman, a
tisfy effort in this war, very said the better. We have had a how to wash socks and shirts, how
dance of it:: with renewed vigour, after he was very afraid that when one, and still have a stomachic much more important to the rank
bronchial to get on with N.C.O.s, who are It's the blitzkrieg against the Allies had knocked seven The nurses are V.A.D.s, the
the whole business.waw.over and Glasgweglan, h
er than the highest officers. Britain has failed Hitler bells out of the Nazi brutes, we doctors are in battle dress, and achievement, and if it is at all This camp hospital is a great British would as usual turn soff- the orderlies too, but there is lit typical" of the normál military will have a grim account,
hearted and, as he put it, do tle military stiffness. You have to hospital I think no soldier has to settle with his own
this 'orickat-playing stuff." - standestul or sit still and stop anything, to foar from entering It's better by for, you take my "I might have reminded him of whatever you are doing if on those once forbidding places. people.
he historie, remark of a man of omger comes in; if you are at you
--INFANTRYMAN..
better by far, I do declare, to lose yer shirt than lose yerə fair:
man be like to look a fool ns can't be keeping calm and cool;
tip, to lose yer pants than lose