CHINA MAIL--and they're finding
WINDSOR HOUSE
AXIS
JAPAN AND THE MUS Londoners
mil-
too tough
The unpleasant conseq uences to Japan of her de- cision to enter into a
Hitler is trying to make London of business Londoners gave the tresses, and baby buggies, piled into a hell for its inhabitants. He best evidence that Hitler is fail-household goods, reminded me taken shelter. In this district Every one but rescuers had itary alliance with the has succeeded in making it into aling in his task of terror. "Our painfully of the French roads last shelter caves are the only inhabit- hades of hatred for himself. Lon-windows are broken, but our May and June. But here they able places leth For blocks Axis have again been doners are too tough for the con- queror of Czechoslovalda, Po-
are not running away, they are around there is nothing but rub- brought home most for- land, Denmark, Norway, Holland,
only movingTM out. until they ble. cibly.
straighten up." Belgium, Luxemburg and France.
H. R. Knickerbocker
famous U. S. Journalist now In London cent this story to American papers
To-day, after touring hours by As though the swing of daylight and hours by night feeling in the United which formed part of the heaviest throughout the City, during raids States was not enough, city except Rotterdam, it is the assault ever perpetrated upon any Italy and Germany have considered opinion of this obser-
ver that no people ever stood up spirit is not," was the inscription taken action in Europe, in better under cruel punishment,
that they will never surrender to on a semi-wrecked clothing store. invading Greece, at once mere pain and terror, and that
Past us drove a truck filled with
Hitler will not achieve either of his
Stumbling about in the midst of London has not got the faintest these gruesome ruins my foot idea that Britain might fail. Yet struck a tattered kindergarten the tragedy of this furious attack school book darkly stained. I read on civilians can hardly be exag-“Many, many years ago men lived gerated.
in caves. Men found caves very uncomfortable. They learned to build houses. 'Tell what your house is like."
Finally I reached a hall where women, and children upwards of 500 refugee men, were im- prisoned in the ruins, from which I looked about me. Now for only about 100 were extricated, the first time, in thousands of years. all dead but one. A fresh air raid in this era of Hitler's Luftwaffe
original dwellings.
setting Japan the need for two possible objectives which refugee children smiling. Other signal sounded as I approached men have at last returned to their anxious enquiries as to are first, through killing and trucks laden with furniture, mat-this colossal nortuary.
J
of
maiming the population, so to in- demand for peace at any price: second, through dislocation communications, railroads, docks and public utilities, to starve and demoralise the people and the armed Services until invasion can be attempted.
a
is
how deeply events may in-timidate them as to bring a mass volve her against her will. Turkey and Soviet may be next in the field of bat- tle, for the indications are plain for all to see that Greece is intended merely Returning last night from as a stepping-stone for two-day cruise with the Royal further action, including the present giant air offensive
Navy brought the impression that seizure of command of the indeed the prelude to invasion. Straits. Japan, therefore, may be called on to meet her obligations, in spite of the fact that the Axis did Thames estuary not consult her before attacking points right and left of the river mouth, with the inter- pursuing a policy provok-tion of surrounding the City. In the words of an authority well ing opposition.
qualified to know, "I hope to God he does try."
It is thought most probable they may be planning soon to try to capture London, directly or in
directly, by trying to come up the as well as by
The Air Attack On
London
London tral observers have recorded that
there has not been the sign of panic,
least
Mass attacks on the Docks caused greal damage but none that seriously affects food or that the other supplies. Nor does it mean docks have ceased to work, as is proved by the passage of convoys through the Straits of Dover since the attack started.
The dock area is admittedly a legitimate target, and it has al- ways been realised that the ad- joining working-class would inevitably suffer.
district
|duce public opinion to bring pres- sure on the Government to aban- don the raids on Germany.
Indiscriminate attacks are 2 sign that Germany is in trouble, for it has always been expected that she would not resort to them except as a last desperate expedi- ent.
Raids On Germany
Some effect on morale at the first onslaught might have been expected, for experience has shown that it is the early casualty lists
The constantly increasing which produce the greatest shock. weight of R.A.F. raids on Ger-
Germany Cuts Losses
many, although confined to milli- tary targets, has undoubtedly caused their adoption. There is no The price the enemy has paid in fear that pressure will be applied daylight moss raids was, as they to reduce their scale or that the The district has suffered more have admitted, extremely heavy. Government would yield to it if At the same time, Japan
than it need have owing to the Since then, they have adopted a any section of the public demand- is compelled to
unwillingness of the Germans to new technique, using successivered their cessation. There is more. First-hand observation of Bri-fly low enough for accurate bomb-raids in small numbers, mainly fear that the public may demand consider the situation from the fences against such attack leads
tish naval, military and air deing.
by night, to reduce losses. The casualties caused, though Pacific angle, and sees neutral observers to agree that it very distressing, are, on the whole selves to the doct aren er to let
longer confine them- is almost certain to fail. nothing to encourage. aj
surprisingly small and casualties timate military targets but bomb in the future are likely to become the whole of London indiscrimin- hasty decision, to. say the
less, as the evacuation of families least.
takes place.
The effect on morale has been mainly to cause anger, and neu-
พ!
and is.
A
*
*
ately.
This technique definitely ime plies an attack on the morale of the nation and an attempt to in-
The Spirit Of Britain
indiscriminate reprisals with con- sequent diversion of attacks from more important military targets. arouse American sympathy still If anything were needed to
of London has supplied it. further, indiscriminate bombing
The Invasion Threat
Meantime, German transport and barges in Channel and. North Sea ports are constantly attacked by the R.A.F.
A four-hour trip by railroad throughout blacked-out England Japan's entry into the in the midst of the most furious Axis partnership was, in air raids taught me that British resilience is not confined to Lon- fact, from Britain's point don alone. It also taught me that of view, the most useful this line at any rate is undamaged blunder Japan has ever
operating normally.
This is being written in the no automatons, but men with in Britain preparation to meet made in extending the alert area every light. In the train bombardments that London has man's right to grumble is one of plete, and weather conditions at
The moment, we entered the midst of one of the heaviest air minds of their own. The English-attacks dally become more com Scope of its aggressions. was put out, bat the huge engine yet experienced Eight million his most precious legacies from this season are unlikely to become Until Ribbentrop's little pulling our crack express con- Londoners, except the very dear, the fight that his ancestors fought more favourable.
tinued to feel its way at a fair the very deeply sheltered. coup of a couple of months speed into the, terminal station of those with plugs in their ears, are British people in grumbling stood is to be attempted it cannot be and for freedom. The practice of the If invasion on the grand scale London. ago, the United States
hearing this shattering slip-the them in good stead when the much longer delayed. The Ger- and other nations - were
crackly burst of the anti-aircraft | bombs 'felt." Immensely significant that at guns, the flat thuch of their ex-thing fresh to grumble at.
It was just some-mans are reported to have glider troop-carriers in readiness, but it sleep...
s
midnight, on the fourth night of ploding shells, the high whine of They were not ignorant of the is unlikely they will be used un- the most savage air raids, it was the falling bombs, the deep roar dangers of air raids or the strength less there is a prospect of support possible to find a taxicab within and crash as they burst Some of of the enemy Their rulers had by sea-borne troops. three minutes. More significant those eight millions are rather not fed them with lying" beasts. In any case, their prospects of that a driver was willing to take frightened. We are not all men that the defences of London were achieving much in a cou
a fare anywhere one liked..
of iron. But not a British heart impenetrable, or the enemy -al- pared to deal with them quails or thinks of compromise ready at the point of submission: small;
By Britannicus
Contrast
pre
are
The horror from, the skies did not If invasion is not attempted, a mean a violent breach of thith purely air attack may be pro- between themselves and those in longed, and winter nights-tend to authority over them.
facilitate indiscriminate attacks.
Our raids into Germany and to Italy will, however, be able penetrate still further during long nights, and the great superiority of the R.A.F. in night navigation confers immense advantages.
of interruption of munition pro- The main problem prolonged air warfare presents is the prevention duction during the periods of raid gallantly faced by all sections of warnings. This problem is being
workers.
They slept while Japan cuttled the last vestiges of its restoration-born lib- eralism. They slept while Germany set fire to the When daylight came 'I started iterature and the con- thirty miles through the hardest-with the enemy who has brought out again, and drove possibly titution of the Weimar hit districts and summed up this terror,
the German people, Republic. They slept while London is still not as bad as Rot and resolution hardened.
Fears are mastered numb, voiceless and stuffed with terdam, where 20,000 were killed-
lles. What resilience of spirit, taly defined civilisation by the Luftwaffe in twenty min don. Nor will anyone who loves ship, could be expected of them
They call this the spirit of Lon-what growing sense of comrade n terms of the bombing utes. But it has now suffered this great and ancient city grudge when the R.A.F. began to ham- f an almost defenceless experience in Spain, China, Abys praise for fortitude and good hu- factories and rallways? They had worse than any other city in my the Londoner his special mead of mer nightly at their docks, their eople.
sinia, and France.
But the spirit of London is been told that Berlin would never the spirit of Britain is part of the ed night after night, their con part of the spirit of Britain, and be bombed. When Berlin is bomb
fidence in their leaders is gravely Pirit of all free men.
shaken, and If that confidence cracks, what have they to fall back on? Certainly not the faith of free men in an ideal that can
be destroyed."
If placed in a continuous row, And amid these slumb-the destroyed houses-90 per cent. rs, the United States working class-would stretch for reamed of isolation.
Those dreams were udely interrupted by the ollapse of France and the
miles.
But during hours of visiting
damaged districts. I saw only one injured objective which could be considered military,
Standing in the midst of the
mour.
They Give All To Save Freedom
hcreasing demands on ruins of their homes and places ance drivers, men he British fleet in the At- antic and Mediterranean,
The Fresh Air Of Britain
The Mediterranean Route
Out on the streets of the Em-not pire's capital are air-raid wärdens,
One of the most encouraging stretcher-bearers, auxiliary fire-
[features of the prosent situation ja men, demolition squads, ambul-
the domination of the Mediter- and women
ranean by the Navy. It is safer every one of whom has volun- !. When the RAF. bomb their for British convoys to traverse teered for a dangerous job in the targets in Germany, the effect on the whole length from Gibraltar service of his fellows and the de- civilian morale is lite puncturing to Egypt than it is for Italian hrusting upon the Unit-tors would go to realise fence his country. They do their an oxygen tent. The inmate, with transports to make the short pas-
States the full burden their ambitions.
jobs with courage and grit, not his artificial respiration Impaired, sugo from Italy to Libya. driven by fanaticism nor coerced inexorably perishes. But the pea The power of reinforcing in the. naval diplomacy in the Japan has made certain by discipline, but moved by the ple of Britain are surrounded by Middle East from Britain relieves acific. And Japan, sign that American opinion all to save freedom for themselves, When they in turn take their pep. felt about the Middle East situa- spirit of free men who will give no such artificial atmosphere, | anxiety that might otherwise be ng an agreement patent-will support whatever their neighbours, and their sons, pering," they may be wounded, but|tion. It opens the prospect too of ai directed against Ameri- steps become necessary to But it is not only in the world wounds heal, and shields can be recovery of the initiative for of-
of these volunteers, and of the found against the worst injuries. Tensive action." swept away whatever safeguard the United policemen, fremen, nurses and They are not deprived of the In the air war, it is a welcome ngering misconceptions States from the now too- civil defence forces, that the spirit These are profoundly important Pollsh, Czech, and other. Allied Father professional members of the fresh air that they breathie, eign of growing strength. that ay have existed over the familiar tragedy of letting of free men is displayed. The damn facts. They may be decisive In airmen are gathering surgin o tent to which the dicta-the aggressor strike first.
spirit is breathed by the whole determining how soon the war freely as their British and Do nenetion of the people. Here are will be won.
mirion comrades,
.
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