THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 14, 1941.
CLOTHES AND THE CLIMATE
CHINA MAIL
WINDSOR HOUSE
DAYLIGHT RAID
The brilliantly organis ed daylight raid upon Cologne, the first to be delivered against a city in Germany's vast interior since our bases were thrown back from North- ern France to the British Isles, is a sign not merely of Britain's growing air strength, but also of mounting British con- fidence in ability to as- sume the heavier ris; of daylight onslaught over hostile territory. With it, the Air Ministry's dis- closure that Germany this summer has been - bombed as heavily as Britain was bombed in the gloomy depths of last winter, emphasises Mr. Churchill's terrible pro- mise of mid-July that "We will mete out to, the Germans the measure and more than the measure they have meted out to
us.
THE MAN WHO WENT THE WHOLE HOG
A Breath Of
I have had the goud fortune to
hundreds of letters from practi-
be allowed to look through files of cally every corner of France, oc- cupied and undecupled, written since the German invasion of the country. The correspondents be-
French Air
More than the Mosaic eye-for-an-eye, tooth-for- a-tooth is involved here. More than the human impulse to strike back lies behind this promise, more than hate answering hate. Many British people are convinced that the best hope of ending the war is to convince the German long to a great variety of class,' stake is life or death for the lion of France. If there were sad age and condition, men, and wo-civilised world. And remember: defections In a few places, f people that they will
men, old and young. Only one is whom you are dealing with. The certain leaders were not equal tų,
the their task, in- S. we fought. welk suffer increasingly as it is a French Protestant; the majority, German is very humble in
without mentioning their religion, presence of the strong, but his Facing the Germans and attacked. prolonged.
casually slip in the mention of brutality has no limits whenever in the rear by the Italians, in There is also a growing thereby supplying indirect evid- be killed.
or some devotion, he is the stronger. It is-kill or spite of inferiority in numbers and: Be brave, cheerful, and equipment, aur soldiers held out. conviction that merely ence that French Catholics think set a good example to your And they, cannot resign them!
liberation first, of France's
selves to the surrender of the
saint
of men.
destroying the Nazi pow- her moral and religious regenera- "In T-, I do not know for what country, and are all eager and,
and the Square
"AS
er will only do what tion as only secondarily possible, fault, hostages were marched to ready to join you, whenever the 1 bomb was moment of liberation will come, the destruction of the however desirable. One can read
the feeling between the lines that thrown into their midst. I did In our villages General de Gaulle Hohenzollern dynasty did although decrees on divorce, re-not see it, but your mother and is the legendary hero who has letter saved the Empire and will save last time--bring after a ligious education; political honesty, I heard it read out of
agricultural reform and so forth that came from the place."
France. We will wait, no matter time a revival of Prussian may be useful and hopeful diver.
In one French city, the women what we suffer, no matter what militarism in some new sions, they will mean little until have combined to write.each in our sorrows are since we can once?
the day Erange is, free.
turn to the "Legionaries," and to again raise our heads. I would! form. Many Germans It will be remembered that Gen-
keep the correspondence going also like you to know how admir themselves have said that feral de Gaulle, on the eve of the some of the letters, or at least able our clergy have been, at a New Year broadcast to all one, reaches the Free Forces. to time when we thought every- the German people who Frenchmen the request to stay tell them-how all the women of thing was lost, and before, your have not felt the foot of indoors on January 1, in protest France: take their inspiration from broadcasts came to bring us the an invader since Napol-ainst the armistice and the octhem. Here is one of these late certainty that you were carrying Here is a letter writters: "Legionaries: We are a on the fight. It was our clergy, church pulpits; eon's day-must be cured ten on January 5, and despatched group of French women who daily who,, from our of dreams of national from one particular French town draw our strength to live from told us to put our trust in Eng- in the names of the women, your faith and your sacrifice, We land; and when we held our glory based on their re-whose husbands were at that mo- also want to serve, after your annual pilgrimage to St. Francis ment held as war prisoners: "Gen-example; and we shall serve, each de Sales on a small hill of C. markable military effi-eral de Gaulle, Your orders have where God has placed her, how over 4,000 people prayed last ciency.
been obeyed on New Year's Day, ever tiny the place be. This we September for the victory of and in the whole town of only swear to you, who are worthier France and her. Allies. This view is reflected in greens (des verts, ie. Germans) than we, But we thought that s to you, dear British friends Mr. Churchill's state were seen in the streets. This over there, in spite of the friend- how can we express our deepest means that the whole of France liness that surrounds you, you gratitude for your courage, and ment:
is behind you” These ladies may miss a breath of French air; especially for your magnanim write in the same letter: "It is this breath we wish to send you never a word of blame for our "It is time that the
In the name of group of admir and that is why-we meet. We shall desertion, for the calumnies, Germans should be made ers of General de Gaulle in that write to you each in turn, It may fill our newspapers, for the
I venture to express our 'complete be that many of the letters will wrongs we have involunt to suffer in their own confidence in you. We also thank not reach you; but we shall leave caused you. Our deep admiration homeland and cities some all the soldiers who have answer no means untried! were but oho goes out to the brave population thing of the torments ed your appeal and rallied round of them to break through and re of London. We marvel at
you to bght the enemy and re- call to you the face of a mother, a heroism." they have let loose upon deem Franor's honour. We all sweetheart or a little daughter, From other letters, which wo their neighbours
and know that, under an energetic led we shall be happy enough and have not space to quote, interest
der and a true Frenchman like shall have attained our objecting observations ore casually, upon the world "
you, France will see her day of
made on the RAF's, raids over Human punishment is victory. Our spirits, Their Legendary Home France, as for instance that "Brit
very low, have risen since the
Ish bombers aim well, and we are still based on experience day we heard of you and found.a That the humblest Frenchmen not nervous "We buried which teaches that mor- hopeful future to look forward to are thinking in terms of the larg- some victims of a British air raid
Let us keep your courage intact, er issues, is shown by a letter Que voulez-vous; c'est la guerre. tals change slowly and you to beat the tnemy, we women coming from, a corner of France " and other remarka, showe
known for its pinturesqueness and ing that the aims of British hos after many lessons in to face the difficulties of life."
its chivalrous traditions. It is tilties over Franco are clearly suffering. Those who have
addressed to the British. "Bent
realised to be for the eventual, under the shame of the armistice liberation of France; and that the not been bombed are not
and our disloyalty to you, dear French people are willing to pay in the best position to
British friends, wo were very the price. оррове
"British demands who
near despain whon General de that the German people ces: must be made to suffer. that, Yet they may hope that
will
The Stake Is Civilisation
min Frenchman to his sons, have joined the Free For
When in your turn you
1-remember. into action,
you are in command, the
Gaulle and his soldiers saved the These are but a few quotations, honour of FranceThanks Aith but they are representative of