THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 6, 1941.
CHINA MAIL
-WINDSOR HOUSE:
NOTHING OR EVERYTHING?
"Germany demanded nothing of England and France." Once again Hit- ler has stressed this point. It apparently mystifies him that these two coun- tries should have declared war on the Third Reich. He speaks as if he cannot. understand such a situa- tion. It is possible he can- not. That may be why he refers to it so often in an attempt to justify the Nazi position.
Herr Hitler speaks of Poland. It was not Poland that was so important to Britain, but a stable in- ternational society in! which all nations, larger} and smaller than Poland, could live in security. Po- land was the final line drawn by the British after the trial of Nazi good faith in Czechoslovakia had brought disillusion-
ment.
As a matter of strategy. the drawing of the line in Poland was not attractive,' It was drawn there be- cause public opinion in Britain would not wait until after another retreat to make a stand against aggression. So far from "thrusting Poland for- ward," as Herr Hitler charges British
RESERVED FOR SOUTHERN ADVENTURES
पाणपाण
Fleet
PEACE TERMS
THE NEW PACIFICISM
Sgid.
Seeks The Enemy
We had sailed from our base ou leaders a winter's evening capitul ships. The sky with doing, Britain show-cruisers and destroyers.
was grey and lowering, and the ed that she would have weather forecast none too good. welcomed a peaceful set-
Soon after moving out lo sta tlement of the German through the narrow entrance in claims against Poland if the boons, one felt the ship curt- seying to the first of the swell. this could have been ach-The wind freshened and the ieved by anything ap-under the tee of the land. Heavy increased as we drew out from proaching real negotia- spray, soon to be succeeded by tion.
gea
By "Taffrail"
Just back from a spell with the Home Fleet.
are probably the hardest worked most comfortless. ships in the fleet, and among the
Ready To Meet The 'Foe
to urins.
We had hoped; but were disappointed. Full daylight came to reveal a horizon, barren except for our own ships.
Continual Guard Against Air Attack
Visibility was extreme, with a sky heavily dappled with cloud. While some of our crew were al-t lowed to leave their action sta- tions the anti-aircraft armament remained almost wholly manned, We were not out of range of enemy bombers or reconnaissance 'planes.
It still blew half-a-gale, with a heavy, breaking swell rolling down from the horizon.
decasionul green seas, came surg- ing over the forecastle to deluge Statements that "Ger- the foremost gun turrets. The many demanded nothing|great ship started to pitch slight-
ly, to roll a little.
There was little real sleep on of England" must be
board our ship. Most of our meant for German ears An hour or two later the clouds armament was inanned and ready
had started to disperse. Through for instant action. In spite of our The weather faces of the swells alone. They do not help the masses of frayed out cirrus deep movement, a few shrouded were all furred and ruffled by the
moon figures dozed beside their
and guns, wind; their slopes streaked Nazi propaganda among driving overhead a bright
and clusters of stars shone down while their fellows, connected by patterned with a delicate network free peoples. In fact, the upon us.
telephone to the control positions, of yeasty white. The ships, par- statement that "Germany
remained alert and wakeful. ticularly the destroyers, rolled and good when The visibility was demanded nothing of
'pitched and tumbled as they drove the moon was clear in the sky, High up on the bridge, more to windward. Breakfast, with day-
complicated instru- England" is one answer and a few cables away I watched filled with
light and full visibility, had all 11 destroyer, ments than any telephone ex-
brought comfort. Yet a sense of, to fence-sitters in the the black shape of
silhouetted sharply
against a change, officers and lookout men
disappointment remained. United States or else heaving, silvery sea, plunging like kept their ceaseless watch sweep-
ing the horizon with their glasses. We had hoped, with all the fer.. where who suspect Britain a maddened thing.
In a brilliantly lit room near-vour we possessed, that, day- of fighting "another im-
The seas cascaded over herby, with every chink of light rig- light might bring the welcome more officers sight of enemy masts and funnels perialist war." Had Brit- forecastle as she dipped her bows orously excluded,
under. Sheets of shining, irides- bent over a chart, marking down stihouetted against the pale sky ain been content with the cent spray swept high over her this and that. Messages came over the horizon, But it was not
It was flickering through the ether to the to be, sort of Europe Naziism bridge and funnel tops.
beautiful to watch; but supreme- wireless cabinets, to be translated was aiming at, it need not ly uncomfortable for her. Few into language of significant pur- have feared Nazi de- on board that little ship can have port. mands, according to Herr slept during the wildness of the
night. Hitler himself.
I remembered
I was glad to have the chance. of seeing something of the work of the Home Fleet at sea, for it is playing a most important part in the war.
In the engine, boiler and auxil lary machinery rooms more men drove the ship through the 'grad- What particularly struck me that this must Then why is Britain be only one of the hundreds of ually rising sea. In a score of was the great keenness and cheer- different places in the 'ship, in the fulriess of the officers and--men, fighting? For the same such nights she had spent royers bakery and galley, men went who are having a tough time with business. Passing plenty of work at sea, in one of reason, evidently, that the since this war began. Destroyers about their
through the darkened messdecks the, most, inhospitable areas in United States is aiding
on my way forward I saw no the world. more than a few oilskinned or
I met some who had not set Britain's fight. The posi- of free peoples in the kind dufflecoated figures stretched un-foot out of their ships for six bha tion of neither of these of world Naziism would easily out on the deck or the eight months. Yet I never heard a grumble, though not a few were in a spirit of self-sacrific- chill and President Roose through the loudspeakers herald-rades in the Mediterranean ing altruism. But both velt speak of fighting fored the changing of the watches at having all the fun. They were 'midnight and 4 am. Overhead all so intensely keen to come tð have developed a view of the rights of small na- the wind howled and the tens grips with the enemy. their own self-interest tions they are talking of a came crashing over the forecastle. My chief, impressions were those The long night moved slowly ́on, of silent watchfulness, and each that inevitably includes cold fact, not of a warm The smell of breakfast pervaded man doing his job. the self-interest of other wish. The kind of world the ship tn hour before dawn. The The vigilance and readiness of meal was finished before the first the fleet were borne in upon me, nations as well. Both are America and Britain need, pe gleams of wintry light came again and again, and I was at seu opposing Nazlism because is the kind of world in filtering through the clouds on in three different ships des they are not sure they
the "first defence of readiness", Some day that eternal vigilance will be safe the naval counterpart of standing must be rewarded.
Countries is taken wholly create. When Mr. Chur-mess-stools.
Bugle calls and orders coming a little Jealous because their
1
jere
could exist as free nationschtmass well as the eastern horizon. We assumed troyer, a cruiser, and 'a Battleship.
W T F