THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 19, 1941
CHINA MAIL
WINDSOR HOUSE
STATUS QUO
When all the signs point to an early intensi- fication of the world crisis' with, possibly, a vast extension of the field of conflict, it is of interest to examine the arguments. of those who justify an attitude of non-resist- ance to aggressors on the basis of a lofty contempt for the status quo. Brit- ain, they say, is fighting to maintain the status quo; United States aid to Britain assists her in that! fell task. These cranks employ the expression accusingly, as if, for example, the existence of Holland as a democratic,j capitalistic state were necessarily an evil, because Herr Hitler found the little country lying athwart his path to em- pire; as if, since the phrase, "Whatever is, is right, is admittedly fal- lacious, the opposite must be true.
But aside from this trick of logic, which is probably only the usual result of over-simplifica- tion of terms in debate, there is a more serious objection to the facile use of status quo as a re- proach. This is the un-
KONOYE
WANTED: A LITTLE MORE PLACE IN A LIT TLE LESS SUN.
London Defies The Fury: I
don and the British Common-
cause it is the centre of resistance
By
Gottfried Keller
J.
London Correspondent of the "Basier
without
light, without water, without gas, without electricity, that the postal services were no longer functioning, the telephone was cut off, whole streets could no longer be used, the railways were completely disorganised, the food 11 shops had no goods to sell, more stuff of this kind.
and
In my daily cables I have tried
to correct this impression and Nachrichten."
to
describe from day to day condi- tions as they really are.
!
The purpose of these articles is to give the neutral reader a pic-
derlying assumption that London is the first city in the the democratic
powers, world to have suffered for six the "have" powers, seek months the weight of German air attacks and to be still breathing, -to freeze the present state ving, working and producing.
of mankind, the bounds of its habitation and its The capital of the United King- way. of life. Any such wealth has become the chief tar- assumption is false. With-get of the German air force be- in each democratic of the English speaking countries. organism there are con- It is the symbol of everything that servative
links the British Commonwealth and radical
of Nations together. tendencies, maintaining a
Englishman to be only what he ture of life in London. to-day, tension that is often cost- beating heart of a nation fighting It is the strong and regularly
expected.
after six months of blitzkrieg from the ly, to be sure, but always with all its power against subju-
air-without embellishment. The average Briton is surpris-or propaganda, without adding to
· fruitful of change. By this gation by totalitarian conquerors.ed that neutral observers per- or subtracting from the facts. process the British dom- The silent courage of London-petually wonder at his ability to
Dealing first with communica- take such punishment." inions have evolved from taking so much upon themselves
tions, în a few cases these have been slowed down, in a few others the status of portions of without grumble or complaint has
During the last six months Lon-interrupted for a short time, but an empire to partners in often been noted by this neutral onun bave certainly provided in no case have they been stop- reporter. Many observers have anal proof that England is not-ped entirely. Here and there, a commonwealth. By this asked themselves about the real the propaganda of her enemics when a station or a line had been hit, delays were overcome in an process the United States background of this almost incon-has asserted again and again
an overfed, decrepit, weakened, astonishingly short time, ceivable will to hold out. is encouraging the growth
At the beginning of the blitz of a new nation in the Far The fact that England is to-day
the mall was often delayed, but this defect, too, has long since not merely resisting, but hitting East-the Commonwealth back and more certain of victory
been overcome. of the Philippines. than ever, is considered by the Through all the territories of the great free States
ers who have taken and are still
nation.
As a reporter I have been live ing in London and its immediate vicly during the blitz. I have
watched life in the shelters-have taken refuge in them.
As far as the telephone is con- cerned, for a time, the rule was that no unofficial calls whatever I have seen the damage in West, should be made during air attacks the evolution of the such forcibly held territ-South, East and North, as well as or alerts. This rule has now been principle of government ories in a world where law at the docks. I have journeyed revised. The telephone authorit
along the South Coast. I have les have become more accom- by consent of the governed and a fair opportunity to talked to innumerable victims who modating and the calls continue, has been under way-and trade abroad prevail. By have lost their homes. To-day alarm or no alarm.
more than ever I am firmly con- It has happened that here and it was accelerated during upsetting that law and vinced that war in the air alone there one of the many London ex- that very post-Versailles denying that opportunity can never succeed in breaking changes has been affected by the period when the democra- the totalitarian powers the British will of resistance. age was repaired and normal ser-
no
blitz, but in most the dam-
upset a
two cies are accused of sitting have, indeed,
[vice resumed within ́one or 'Only a successful occupation of
days, on the lid. of a bubbling world order-but it was England by a gigantic hostile army
could subjugate this people even drive in unbelievable numbers As ever, the famous red buses status quo.
not a static order; not an temporarily, and waiting for this through the streets of London; now To be sure, these
order of forcible repres-invasion attempt are, as Mr. Chur- their number has even been in- developments had
sion such as is now in the chi has said, not only the Concreased by additional buses from ernment but also the fish in the the Provinces. Where a street direct effect on the "have making in Europe and channel:
has been blocked or its passage Asia. not" nations, but the fact
As is generally admitted, Eng-street running parallel with it is made unsafe by a time bomb, the Should this new order that of her enemies is not. Dur-
lish propaganda that the "haves" were
1s poor, while
lused, steadily divesting them prevail, the real evils of a ing the last weeks, however, Bus traffic has not suffered; selves of the power to status quo maintained by in descriptions of conditions in by the introduction of express enemy broadcasts have indulged lately it has even been improved exploit their possessions force, with no outlet for London which have made Lon-routes.
measure of the protest, no instrument of doners happy with laughter. In The undergrounds necessity- which Germany, Italy
is
a
Japan insist upon
change save the sword, and will be visited on the
of world.
also are
these radio reports wish is father functioning day in, day out, to the thought.
These despatches appeared in The Londoner was given the the Swiss newspaper *Baaler opportunity to hear that he was Nachrichten"