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THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 22, 1941
CHINA MAIL
***WINDSOR HOUSE
WHAT WILL JAPAN DO?
The American press and radio commentators have been recently pointing out that a Far Eastern crisis could easily lead to war between Japan and the United States and, incid- entally, Britain. The day warnings are each taking on a graver tone and surprise is expressed that the Japanese do not realise the danger of allowing such a critical¦ state to develop.
Unfortunately Japan is at the moment under the influence of the German clique in Tokyo, which is actively engaged in an at- tempt to dominate Japan-,
their ese politics. From
point of view, in order to. relieve the growing pres- sure on Hitler, it is essen- tial that Japan should; participate by bringing the war to the Far East,! and Mr. Matsuoka's some. what feeble effort to ex- plain the presence of large numbers of German "technicians" in the coun- try, indicate that he is bc- ing pushed step by step towards the abyss into which he could so easily plunge his country. Japan cannot hope for any as- sistance from Germany, and as one American com- mentator puts it:
her naval power is broken, China will make short shift of Japan's commer- cial and military posi- tions." Under these cir- cumstances Japan's fate would be worse than that of Italy, now eating the! bitter fruits of disillusion- ment. so different from the day but a few months ago, when Mussolini, in grandiloquent speeches,
Mate
G.B.
[N.E.}
FOUR-SQUARE: You weren't thinking of starting something, were you?
BeatingGermany
The war may drag on fur another two years or more. bul, in my opinion, Germany lost it with the loss of the Battle of Britain as surely as she lost the Great War with the Battle of the Marne.
The German assault has been terrific, but it has failed to break British morale. Well do I remember the first fierce onslaught on Saturday, September 7.
It was a beautiful afternoon. We were looking from our windows, watching the 'planes aloft in the clear sky, when sud- denly a salvo of bombs came down quite close to us. We immediate-
declared that Italy's mili-ly fell flat. Then, when the last tary, air and field power was indomitable.
en-
Food On Wheels
4 a.m.... Not perhaps one's fav- ourite hour for rising, especially when the All Clear hasn't gone. But here we are, scrambling out of impromptu beds, loading up the mobile canteens with tea urns, mlik jugs, cakes, sausage rolls, etc. Cramming stores into the vans, tea and snacks into ourselves, tin hats on to our heads. Pushing and with blundering about sleepily heavily-shaded torches, hoping to goodness that bombs and bar- rage won't break over us and the
vans,
Then we're off for the East End shelters
of which the Ministry Health has asked us to serve.
Groping our way in the blackness we pause for each unfamiliar red
-By- Lorna Lewis
hight on the road. Maybe it's a road diversion due to a newly fallen unexploded bomb; or rubble and glass on the road from bombed houses; or a fresh crater. Any- how, better treal all red lamps with respect.
My particular goal is down in one of dockland's most battered quarters. This shelter holds any- thing from 1,000 to 1,200 people and is under a big warehouse. Outside its entrance we open the side of the van, let down the counter, get out mugs from the drawers, by the light of a very small electric lamp. Then out of the darkness appear pale faces, the faces of men, women and chil- dren looking up at us. The sound of distant gunfire is drowned by coughing and a clamour vo.cest "Tea, miss .. Three teus, mate, and three nice cakes.
Tea, ma
Five cups of you-an'-me, please
Two very speshul teas for this lady, dear.
of and a sponge cake and bar milk chocolate and a large wood- bine."
of
From our van alone my collea- gue and serve in under three hours about four hundred cups of tea. Soon the counter and the cash box are i
mass of crumbs and stickiness, the floor is a flood of tea drips, Wushing up is done in a small bucket and is on primi- tive lines; we can only hope that what the customer's eye doesn't see the heart doesn't grieve over.
Sometimes there's a lull and we can have a little conversation with our clients.
"Well, what sort of a night did
of the "stick" had exploded, we, rose early on Sunday morning to you have?" went downstairs in the midst dust, debris and broken glass.
The door bell rang. When We opened the door, we found a man covered with dust and blood. He was quite unrecognisable at first. but as we brought him in I rea- lised he was a neighbour, anothe: doctor. I attended to him, and he
By Harold A. Moody, M.D.
clear up.
Those memories of my own experience will serve to illus- trate the sort of thing people go through.
In my many contacts with
people of all sorts I am struck by the courage and determination of
everyone.
"We Must Bear It Bravely"
Those who have been bombed out of their homes-some of them twice-are facing life calmly, even cheerfully,
"Might have been worse, miss. We had three more houses down road and they at the end of the chipped the bridge ever at the back but we didn't do so badly." "Couldn't say, mate, I slept right through." "A better night, thank Gawd, and I'll take a meat pie and a doughput please, miss. How was it up your end, miss?"
So clarkness turns to light The All Clear has sounded. People go off to work, which begins here anywhere between 6 and 8.30 am. the Mothers and children and old Even more impressive is courage of those who have lost people, armed with strange bun- their families.
dles of night wraps, trail "home. yes, but will it still. Today I saw a young mother Home. whose baby was only seven weeks be there? How many have come felt better. He told me his house old. A month ago, while she was out of that shelter of rest or rest- had been struck. He, his son, and still away from home, her hus-lessness to find that their house their maid, had been in the cellar, band, mother and father were all is a heap of ruins? Maybe it hard- worth keeping; but and so were saved.
trapped in a raid and killed, Herly seemed
peor and dilapidated as it was, it Huge fires had been started at only comment, when I tried
was home, and it was all they had. I go into the shelter to collect the docks, and along our main road comfort her, was "We must all try there soon began to roar fire to bear it bravely.” aighting machines from every part
That is the spirit of everyone in cups and am led to wonder what the catacombs of ancient Rome of London. All ordinary traffic Britain. The habits of life have roked like. This shelter is divid- | was stopped or diverted to make changed. At dusk the streets are ert by hall-partitions into, three way for the never ending stream empty of people. They are now to compartments. Part is dark, part be found in the shelters, in their is light. Here are the very old and own basements, or even perhaps the very, and often wailing,
to
It is interesting, though now at stake. Britain, tragic, to follow Japan's frankly, is heavily course since the days gaged in Europe, but hap- when she was a sincere pily not to the extent ally of Britain. Her his-that she cannot fully pro- torians and writers know tect herself in the Far that it was during that East. The British Goy- of fire engines.
That was our first experience period that Japan first ernment has stated that of the Blitzkrieg. We then decided sleeping on the floor under a young. Here are family parties entered upon a golden "if conflict comes, we can to fix up bedrooms and living
lying on benches, sprawling on Traffe is sometimes congested heaped bedding on the floor, hud- surrounded age which should to-day face the issue with con- rooms in the basement. We have
due to bombing, dling into corners. lived there ever since. Bombs have by diversions
with babies, baskets, teacups, have been nearing its fidence," and as the policy still continued to fall around us but girls on their way to work fruitskins, toys, all the impedi- peak. All evidence, how- of laying the true facts almost every night, and guns still can be seen cheerfully climbing on menta of people gallantly trying boom nearby, sometimes shaking lorries if the buses are, crowded. to make themselves comfortable ever, suggests that this before the nation has, the house. But we sleep sound- Everyone makes a joke of it, in in the most dificult circumstances. cluding, of course, the bus con- But there's company and warmth, progress has been arrest-hitherto been followed, ly and, I may say, peacefully.
One night we were roused at ductors, whose increased difficul- much cheerfulness, comparatively ed. To those who have the British people know 2 a.m. to help fight a fire which ties have not dimmed their hum-a feeling of safety; and the pro- mise by the authorities of better lived in Japan and admir- that they have every rea- had broken out next door as the our
result of an incendiary bomb. The The spirit of neighbourly help things to come. ed. the Japanese people, son to believe what is told fire out, we went, back to bed, is everywhere.
It is, I admit, a relief to come the country to-day
into the open. again and breathe pre- them. Japan, is being lur- while the raid went on.
On another. night, a Saturday, People have suddenly discover- the morning air. And now dawa sents a sorry picture of ed by many golden pro-
a Church within 200 yards of used a unity and comradeship un-has turned into daylight, the sun is rising, the sky is streaked with unhappiness, hardship mises, but Mr. Matsuoka, was completely demolished by a der the strain and stress of war.
These ordinary citizens are its friendly glow. What were dim bomb, and distress. These are patriotic as we think he
There were about 500 people in Britain's front line soldiers, whom bulky shadows turn out to be ships and warehouses. Already a new not elements with which is, should weigh the con- the crypt at the time, but the only the enemy will never defeat.
day's work has begun for many. to start a new war and sequences of a plunge ew who were at the door of the
people killed and Injured, waren is a privilege to be among them.
Another night has passed; and I believe that all the courage,
we're all here. Japanese statesmen, on from which there can be crypt at the time, watching the confidence and energy of the Brit-
"How d'you think we're doing?“ whom rests the grave res- no return except through falling dares that preceded the ish people at this hour is an ex- I ask a young sailor, a factory pression, of an inward, spiritual girl, and a stout woman in ushawi ponsibility of steering the the path of bloodshed, we bad more windows blown force. There has been a redis-who are poring over to-day's pic- country into war or peace, horror and misery, Is out of our house, and more cell- covery of true values..
ture paper, ings, brought, down, and, we were The things that matter now are "Oh, we're doing all right," is should carefully and with Hitler, who thinks nothing almost suffocated by dust for a not material possessions, which the reply; and a homeless ware-
safe while, but we were
will miss; I reckon 'e didn't know what!
'e was up again,
bomb..
Citizens as Soldiers
It
out prejudice insofar as in of selling an ally, worth sound, and, after a quick survey spiritual treasures,
and may disappear overnight, but houseman joins in: "You know,
them lies, weigh the issues the risk?
of the house we went to bed, and' endure.
a batoperti
which