LE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 5, 1941.
NAVY RINGBURIED 19 YEARS IN YANGTZE RIVER
(By BESSIE HACKETT)
ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO a young ensign, fresh out of Annapolis, lost his class ring while serving his first tour of duty in China. He searched, but when he sailed back to the United States, his ring was still "somewhere in China.”
To-day that ring is on its way back to its owner, Lieut. Comdr. Donald Francis Smith, commandant of Floyd Bennett airport in New York. The ring arrived in Manila recently in the possession of Lieutenant (jg) William J. Lederer Jr., who rescued it from a Chinese who claimed to have fished it out of the Yangtze river, where it had apparently lain for about 19 years.
cargo.
Last December this Chinese was visited by misfortune when his coal unic sank in the rapids | of the Yangtze river Dredging
his lost
the to recove Chimme joed an one load of coal and sand a glittering object which he peenghused as a Navy ng He took the ring to the end, of the USS Tutuola, anchored 1 the Yang'ze Hiver at Chungking, and suggested that perhaps one of the officers would care to
ISLAND
TAKES
FIVE HUNS
While Devon fishermen and their families looked Approached by the cook, Lieuten-on, five German airmen
buy
ani Ledeter recovered the ring by paying the Chinese approx
mately ten dollars gold.
Despite the years it has been
knocked around in China or been burled in the silt of the Yang tre river, the ring is in good condition.
Set with a translu
were landed from a naval patrol vessel on the little stone quay at Appledore and taken away to be interned.
cent, sea green stone, the сл. They had been captured by the graving 8 clear and identifics (handful of people eight or nine; it as belonging to the class of men and their wives and two! 1921. Inside is etched "Donald | land girls who form the popula- Francis Smith, United States tion of Lundy Istund, in the Navy."
Bristol Channel. Their bomber crashed there after being shot down.
Odd Coincidence
Lieutenant Lederer has
The 'plane. a Heinkel 111 com- |twin-engined bomber, was burnt municated with Lieut. Cdr. to scrap. The crew escaped in- Smuth and will deliver the ring jury, but though
armed,
they
when
to hom in New York when he had no fight left in them reports for duty to his new the islanders went out in a body station in Kearney, New Jersey. to round them up. in July.
B.B.C. WAIVE WEDDING BAR
The B.B.C. marri- age "bar" to women members of their staff has been waived for the duration.
Before the
war, members of the staff wishing to marry had to obtain permission. Cases were consider- ed by a board and if applicants had key positions, and it was considered their domestic life would not interfere with their jobs, permission was granted.
Now that the "bar" has been lifted, large number of B.B.C. girls have married, and some already married ore being taken on.
NEW-TYPE
CARRIERAHOPE FOR BRITAIN
"They seemned terribly frigh- The U.S. Navy's experi-| An oxid coincidence is the tened about what we would dol fact Lieutenant Lederer lest is to them," an islander said. "We ment in converting own class ring while on duty in gave them foot and kept them standard cargo vessel into
Chungking this past year,
'TOTAL NEW ORDER'
in a barn unt!! the naval vessel arrived."
CALLED NAZI AIM HE GIVES
The
send-offcial commentary Dienst au: Deutchland. discussing what it called British reports that Germany has certain obscure designs concerning Spain, Portu- gal,
Turkey. and
coined the phrase: "The new unifled Europ- ean order is indivisible,"
The commentary said the war had started as internal differences
but had grown into “a war for a
G.M. TO
HIS MEN
a
an aircraft carrier was viewed by unofficial observers as a possible future boon to Britain's raid-menaced shipping.
If the new earrier proved suc- ces: ful It was suggested, Great Britain might receive a number of these craft to marry fighter planes which could combat German bombers preying on North Atlan- tie shipping.
Pursuit planes operating from such a carrier also might locate and attack
Experimental Carrier
German submarines A former deputy-chief them with depth charges, between Poland and Germany, A.R.P. warden, awarded] Lotal European new order." and the George Medal for res- cuing people from wreck- buildings and for
adder:
"Unilication
of the
continent'
as the most important fruit of the ed
war must, according to the Ger- dangerous work in bomb
1:14101
conviction
can hold aloof.
be total, and
which stand
(something) from which no land disposal, has given it to the men who manned All countries of the continent, his post. includ ng those indecisively between the fronts. He is Philip D. Whilting, of W.. now a pilot in this respect face fundamental Hammersmith, decisions."Associated Press. officer in the R.A.F.
"It belongs to them as much as It does to me," he says.
The medal is to be framed and exhibited in turn at all the A.R.P. posts in the Hammersmith district
This will be inscribed in frame:
Ruth Hussey "rising›M»G÷M/ featured player: has just been picked by University of Michi=" gan alumni as their “idpal girl." Mics Hussey is from Providence, R. 1. and her out-”. standing 1940 rola" of the part year was in "The Philadel- phla Story."
the
The U.S. disclosed ton
Navy recently that the 7,886- Mormacmail was being
converted
at Newport
Nows.
Couldn't keep my eye
on the ball to-day!"