THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 9, 1941
CHINA MAIL
WINDSOR HOUSE
THE THREAT FROM VICHY
Shrouded by a familiar smoke screen of rumour, the men of Vichy are moving toward fateful de- cisions. The precise form which these decisions will assume cannot, of course, be known; it is doubtful, indeed, that the Vichy Cabinet itself is certain of its course, if the tales of dissension in its ranks are true. But the extent of the demands which Hitler and the Hitler-minded of France are making upon Marshal Petain may be judged with some accur- acy from the Paris press, and the willingness of the Vichy government to meet those demands seems to be reflected in recent statements by prominent
• members of the regime. Should the shadows cast against the sky by these twin portents be trans- lated into reality, there can be no question but that the United States will be faced by the grav- est problem yet to arise from the European con-
flict.
Yistes
THE GREER INCIDENT
LESS TALK THE BETTER
E
A Bomber Short
IT is strange how regrettable a you see anything of him?" I would be a more accurate word. Reports from abroad clear sky can be when one is "He was with us till we Game At the same time It staggers up- answers one wards, trying to get into theatr suggest several reasons waiting for R.A.F. bomber aircraft out over Dunkirk,'
engaged on a daylight raid to re- of the observers. "They put up again." Something has; gone for Hitler's present man- turn to their station. One be a devil of a packet from there wrong and the pilot is trying to' oeuvres in Vichy. He is comes imaginative and projects and I saw 'J' go down in a gentle snatch a second attempt. He is believed to be seeking in- one's mind across the Channel to glide. He didn't appear to be in going to hit the hangars.
much trouble, but he must have enemy territory.
We wait for the impact. He creased industrial aid, I, too, have flown over Bethune, been, because he broke formation.has missed them and disappeared from France because of and the picture of our Blenheims I didn't see him after he started over the roof approaching their target develops to go down."
No one made any comment, but the strain of the Russian in my mind. I can hear the crack
of anti-aircraft defences, and the we must dll have a vision of three war; a diplomatic victory, and whistle as little black of those laughing boys crashing too, would be helpful in puffs of smoke appear all round restoring some of the the aircraft, and fragments of tear through the prestige which the Reich air.
Suddenly the formation swings has lost upon the eastern
and swoops. The bomb aimers are
stomachs, plains. But for America prone on their
their A hand the most dangerous aspect eyes glued to the sights.
reaches out. A lever is pulleri.
sailing down, foes
and
bursting shell
of the current negotia- Death tions in Vichy is that flashes, followed by heaving deb-
ris and clouds of smoke, teil
C
*
b
By RICHARD HAESTIER
*
*
Perhaps they
The drama is repeated. But.. something has gone wrong again. This time it looks as if the Blen |heim is going to charge us,” and, | without a word, the crowd on the
tarmac turn and run, ducking as | they go. But the Blenheim has" missed us and the hangars`again."|
For the third time it comes in, sinks lower and lower. First feet, three, two. Will it never stop hovering and 'land?
There is a gasp from the ground) and then a spontaneous choer and handdlapping. The pilot has
with magnificent skill
J
Like a relay rade we all start, across the aerodrome, The Sta- tion Commander, is there first.
But relief that is anti-climax three heads appear and thres smiling men climb out unaided
"Everyone" all right?”. asks the Fine!" says the pilot, while Station Commander.
ance.
.
which relates to the where the bombs have landed. into the dancing waters of the put his wounded craft down
"What time will the boys be English. Channel. French colonies. The press back?" I asked the Intelligence are floating there now, hoping to of Paris, which has so omter.
be rescued. "Four o'clock," he replied, with_ faithfully reflected the
out hesitation. These raids are In the interrogation hut the views and desires of the run with railway time-table pre-Intelligence Officer is about to Nazis, has demanded mili-cision.
question the crews when there is a commotion. The word goes round| tary collaboration be- It seems a long way to four that the missing aircraft is safe, tween France and Ger clock, possibly because no one and the whole station seems the other two grin their reassur- many to "protect" Dakar here at the station knows what rush out to the tarmac lining the is happening in the interval. aerodrome. First among them is and, apparently, the Radio silence is always maintain the Station Commander in his
But before we realise what has French possessions in the ed during daylight raids. Signals car. The fire engine has also ar
might give information to the rived and is waiting while the happened the one good engine has Western Hemisphere from enemy.
crew climb into their asbestos started to smoke, But the fire- men are foo quick to allow a the "Anglo-Saxons." The In a quarter of an hour now the 'fire-fighting suits.
tension will be over. We shall The medical officer is doubling mishap now. Two thick streams example of Indo-China is know the best and the worst, up from his quarters, and the of white foam are pouring, from
hoses into the engine cowling: not reassuring in this re- I am allowed to climb the con-ambulance is there,
trol tower where the Duty Pilot
Dodging the spray, we examine Meanwhile, the missing Bien- gard, and, clearly, Vichy's stands looking out to the south-helm has approached the aero the engine. It has caught a attempt to distinguish be-east, searching the sky as a sailor, drome at about 2,000 feet. All "packet.
"It was all right going out, I in the crow's nest of a ship. Now eyes are turned toward it as if tween the position of the and then, he puts his binoculars in answer to our gaze, the rear guess," says the pilot, a youn
gunner fires a distress signal; the way after we got over the American.. "It was cloudy all Far Eastern portions of to his eyes.
Back goes the answering signal the French Empire and. And then: "Here they are!”.
Far over the horizon some tiny from the Duty Pilot, and we all Channel. I thought we should those in other parts of the specks can be seen shimmering strain our eyes to see evidence never be able to find the target. dully as they catch the sun. The of damage. The bomber comes Then, by luck, someone had made world has failed to satisfy Duty Pilot Strains his eyes to inver, in a gentle Circle, and a a hole for the job. It exactly the State Department, count the home comers...
great jogged teur can be seen in framed the target.and we plonked Moreover, the hint which missing. Blast the
"Hell!" he exclaims. "On the site of the fuselage, everything through it.
The Almost immediately it can be. “But coming back, out over emerged from Vichy to breeze bears the end of the sen- seen from the way the pilot is Dunkirk they were popping stiff manoeuvring that he cannot get up like mad. The stuff I got was the effect that Germany tence away.
his landing gear down. He will meant for the leading formation, would be granted port The crews are now climbing have to use all his bill to line but they missed it and I went in- facilities and transport into the tender that will take the aircraft on its belly, It's a to it. I immediately went dowi
ogation tricky business, and if the pilot is to sea level to get out of it. privileges in the French hangur. go with
wounded
TORTA E Approaching Ramsgate asks Presently, when about only bort prop disappeared and possessions has an omin-What happened
thow station commander. "Dia 500 feet up, the bomber takes afront of the engine fell out.". qus ring.
wider sweep
"Why didn't you put dawn at In in, in it comes lower, low-Manston?" asked the Wing Com
them back to the
If these "port facilities marines at Dakar, the and transport privileges Nazi menace to the West include, as well they may, ern Hemisphere will im facilities and privileges to mediately become a stern German planes and sub-actuality
er, lower Will the pilot, by bad mander.
HotWell," drawled the American luck, hit a small ridge and turn
oyer? The palms of my hands I took the thing up from
horo
become damput The aircraft is and I guess I was going to put it nearly down. No more than two down here again gauzak
foot from the, ground!”. Suddenly. He grinned. That is the way
hap the RAF' boya figurb things
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