THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 4, 1941.
VICHY BUILDING RAILWAY ACROSS SAHARA
(By A Correspondent Of "The Christian
Science Monitor")
(WHILE FRANCE talked of a trans-Saharan railway for 40 years but never built it because economically the project did not justify itself, to- day the project is being rushed through under Nazi pressure but at French expense to suit the strategy of Berlin.
How this great project, which will bring Nazi troops from North Africa to Dakar, facing the Amer- ican continent, is being put through by the "slave" labour of impressed refugees and others, was related by one who worked on the line, but managed to escape to the United States).
Across two thousand will enable Nazi-controlled troops miles of Africa's greatest west coast of Africa, from where from Europe to be carried to the
desert, one of the world's they can threaten the American
Continent without the interference
biggest railroad engineer-of the British Navy. ing feats is now under way. It is the outcome of France's collapse and the product of Hitler's desire for conquest.
SOVIET AIR PLANTS DECORATED
The Presidium, of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R) has decor- ated two aircraft plants with the Order of Lenin, and 233 engineers and workers with other orders "for having carried out in an exemplary manner the orders of the Government in the construction of 'planes and engines," it was officially announced.
The two aircraft factories were the "Voroshilov" ond "Frunze" plants.
The construction of this great railroad is one of the more som. bre tales that darkens the black finges of this war, It is being bulit practically by slave labour. Twenty thousand men are now working on this project. Many more are likely to be drafted as 000 the prison and internment camps of southern France are combed of their Jews, their democrats and enemies of
the Hitler regime. Every sort of person makeš uc this conscript labour corps West Spanish republicans, unwanted
Colomb-Bechar, lying on the fringe of the Sahara Desert, hus been so far the terminus of a rail road running south toward the de- sert from Oran. It is the point of departure for the
trans-Sahara Railroad which will link the Medi- terranean with the great African port of Dakar
- - -
·000001
"CHANGE GOVT."
guests of the French since the "One of the reasons for For years this project has been spring of 1939; hapless refugeca under consideration; but ever from every country and members the many blunders We since the first inception of the of the Foreign Legion who joined have made in the war is idea 40 years ago,
its fulfilment up to fight for France and Free- has been postponed. There are dom. important reasons, partly econo- mic, but mostly strategic, which have kept the question perennial- ly alive, but its progress has been barred by the consideration of ex- Many of them have been pense-5,000,000,000 francs as the gathered by "press-gang" met- lowest estimated cost of construc-|hods. They have been picked up
tion.
Few Economic Advantages
From the economic angle the advantages never were sufficient to warrant this vast expenditure. There are, for instance, the coal fields of Kenadza which have just been linked with Oran when the first extension of the line from Colomb-Bechar was completed at the end of June.
Press Gang Method Used
the fact that we have a Coalition Government in- stead of having the Party system which brings criti- cism and healthy com- petition."
--in hotels, in lodging houses from Sir Herbert Williams, Unionist Nice to Perpignan-taken to MP. for South Croydon and for- ships, often without being allowed mer Parliamentary Secretary to to say goodbye to their families. the Board of Trade, said that to Others are refugees who fled for Croydon Chamber of Commerce. safety to Morocco or Algeria, only to And themselves arrested and marched off to the desert labour camps..
"In a Coalition Government you get rottenness and inefflelency and men are picked for the wrong reason," he went on. "There must In the old-war davs, the one be no crit'es in a Coalition Gov- great stumb ing-block that always ernment. What are wanted are stood in the way of this trans-toadies and yesmen.. Sahara railroad project, was cost. To-day this is no longer a con- In the past, even with the pain-sideration, when the Nazis demand ful process of mule, camel, horse that it should be done. This con- and some motor transport, about script labour, which has among its doctors, 100,000 tons of coal was exported ranks professional men, from Kenadza every year. With engineers, artists, musicians, busi-
this nessmen, as
well
as
the provision of a raliroqd
ordinary traffe is expected to increase im-workers, is paid between one and mediately to 300,000 tons, and in two francs a day for a 10 to 12- the course of time it is hoped to hour day.
top the million a year mark.
Whether this coal can be mar.
keted without a subsidy or a
Military Station
Live Like Beasts
"The longer you have А Coalition Government more and more deteriorates the standard of the administration of the country. Half the Ministers of the Crown I would not hire in business at £500 a year. would nol, hire half the War Cabinet at £600 a year.
"Inefficiency
Appalled Me"
བླླ
"Because you have a Prime
State monopoly is doubtful since Apart from this meagre wage, under normal conditions soar the French authorities have little Minister of great genius and Normal housing capacity for inspiration, that is borne coal from the British Isica else to spend. can be landed at a cheaper cost does not exist. The workers work no reason why his acts should go
in without criticism." In the Mediterranean basin than in groups of four; they live
"It is a real peril to this coun- the product of the Kenadza ditches dug by themselves in the mines.
desert soil, surrounded by a small try that Mr. Churchill should be embankment of sand to break the regarded as a man beyond chall- force of the desert winds. They enge. or criticism, as a sort of Still further south from Kenadzal cover these holes with strips of inspired demi-god. It is bad for there is Beni-Abbes, an important, canvas to give some semblance of him and it is bad for you. military station and a trading ce- protection against the desert sun. "I admire Mr. Churchill and I tre serving the vast potential mar-For warmth they are provided have defended him in debates, ket for European goods in the with one thin banket, a flimsy but I think he must get a better African hinterland, and exporting covering where sometimes in the team around him than he has got an estimated annual quantity of winter the temperature is five if this country is to be better about 100,000 tons of African pro- degrees below zero, duce. At the moment this import
་
and export business has no ade- quate outlet or inlet to and from the Mediterranean or the Atlantic port of Dakar.
• From Bent-Abbes, over 100 miles of desert to Dakar, there Is nothing that could justify" a railroad except dire strategic necessity.
served than it is."
The food is monotonously In-Sir Herbert also said: We have adequate--In the morning tolerated in our Government de- black coffee, a hunk of bread partments inefficiency which has and one sardine; at midday appalled me, soup, a small plece, of' mutton: bono, por one egg; at night-a stow made from lentils or beans added to the remains of tho noon time meal.
Water, which in some cases has
"Until we get á Prime Minis- tor who will say, If you don't do your job you will be fired," things will not improve.
"I see no reason why the inter- ests of this country should be
Before the war, it was the to be brought from distances of sacrificed because of men who French military authorities who over 50, kilometres, is inadequate cannot make up their minds," kept the question, of the construc- for drinking and washing. There tion of this railroad open. In case is no sanitation, teh mot
there is little hope of escape until of need it would enable Erench Above all, the strictest military the war is over and Hitler defeat- Senegalese troops to be carried discipline exists, under the super-fed. Liberation costs 10,000 francs, safely to the north African terri vision of army sergeants and cor- requires a certificate of domicile tories, even though enemy Sub- porals, with invisible officers at and a contract for labour.else- marines had cut the route by seasome far-distant headquarters, where. If any of these men had from Dakar:
For the majority the day's work had 10,000 francs, they would consists of breaking stones for the never have been thore.. Ballast of the permanent. way.
Built For The Nazis
With the collapse of France, this strategie necessity would seem to
No Hope Of Escape
Daily, the trans-Sahara railroad is gradually stretching its stool fingers across the desert. It is being built by the enemies of
have vanished. But since Vichy Is Severe punishments are given Nazidom, so that the Nazis con not now concerned solely with for offences which are often more easily spread their menace purely French interests, the rail- trivial, such as lack of skillsŝta over Africa and bring their threat rond has been: undertaken under complete a task.
sotho thousands miles nearer the German pressure. Its completion For the majority of these men i phoren of the Western Hemisphere:
"You're picking winners well today- see if you can tell this whisky *
* White Horse, of cou
I could tell it blindfold
The rare and subtle character of White Horse sets it apart from any other whisky. You can tell it by its exquisite bouquet alone. But it is the perfect blending of fragrance with mell. owness and smoothness which makes White Horse Whisky the équal of a fine liqueur,
The millions of gallons of finest Scotch whisky matured and maturing ensure that the quality of
White Horse never varies.
WHITE HORSE
WHISKY
Sole Agents for South China: JARDINE MATHESON AND COMPANY, LTD.
BAGGAGE
Telephone 27761
to Engage our Service
TRANSFERS
Efficient and Secure CHINA PROVIDENT - LOAN & MORTGAGE CO., LTD.
FELLOWSHIP
OF THE
BELLOWS
JULY SCORE
435