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FRIDAY, APH, 1, 1938.
SOMEBODY BLUNDERED
Foreign military experts now commence to believe that the Chinese claims of military' auc- cosses in Shantung and Shansi have good foundation. For some time pust news agencies have been despatching thousands of vic- words concerning Chinese tories, but few but the Chinese themselves appeared to give much credence to the accounts. These will now be more readily accepted since the foreign mili- tary men in Shanghai have ex- the pressed the opinion that present series of reverses auf- fered by the Japanese will probably prove the most "cost- ly" phase of the campaign of invasion.
There is justification for this opinion. While it is possible
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entirely strategic, devised to trick the Chinese armies into some sort of error, it is more likely that the Japanese them- selves have blundered. In the first place their troops welieved they were invincible and they may have been prone to take risks as a consequence. It is also true that they under- estimated the Chinese capacity for resistance. It seems they are to become aware of their mistakes.
Hunt the Gowk
Another
Mile*
O
Fall the months of the year nohe is so sportive as April. It is as way-
·ward as a kid with its hooves kicking up above its crinkled horns.
These weeks are the weeks of natural rejoicing over the re- turn of the vernal equinox, and it may be that this accounts for the fact that the custom of April Fooling on the first of April is so widespread.
It is a custom as well known to the Germans on the Rhino with their in den April Schicken as to the French on the Seine with their poissons d'Avril, as for that matter to the Hindus on the Ganges with their Hult festival.
On this day alone the frolic frivolity of Nature, with her playful showers, her chirping newly-arrived warblers, and dancing daffodils is so infectious that oven pomposity man is casily persunded to lay aside for once (though only in play) his notable moralities!
There was published in the yeur 1001 a work entitled "The Twelve Months." It is very clear that the author of this volume understood well the old couplet:
"When April blows his horn, It is lucky to be born."
This is proven, I think, by tho following quotation from the month of April:-
"The little Ashes lie nibbling at the balt, and the porpoise plays in the pride of the tide ..the aged feel a kind of youth, and youth hath a spirit full of life and activity; the aged hairs refreshen, and the youthful checks are as red as a cherry. The lark and the lamb look up at the sun. ... It were a world to set down the worth of this month; for it is " Icavan's blessing and the earth's comfort."
To send the credulous on a fool's errand is the proper diver- slon of the day. The less good sense there is to be found in the object of the journey so much the better.
King John's henchman, dis- covered the wise men of Gotham
-To-day's Thought- THE First of April, some do
807.
is set apart for All Fools' Dau: But why the people call it so, Nor I, nor they themselves, do
know.
--UNKNOWN Poor Robin's Almanac, 1700.
TYPICAL ALL FOOLS' DAY HUMOUR Urchin to Algernon; "Look at yer coat-tails, mistor." Algernon looks, Elther there is a plece of paper pinned to them, or there isn't."
In either case, urchin cries, "April Fool," Angelina giggles, and Algernon's dignity is badly ruffled.
by
Llewelyn Powys
gravely occupied in an attempt to drown an ecl, and in the sober days of Queen Victoria it was a favourite amusement of a genial good man of the house to dispatch his children to the bookseller for the History of Eve's Grandmother, to the apothecary for a pennyworth of pigcon's milk, or to the cobbler for a little pot of elbow grease!
It has sometimes come about that this ancient fashion of careless human jacosity on April 1 has been put to a very practical use.
ல்
لله
This was the case With Francis Duke of Lorraine, who clean escaped from his captivity In Nantes on the jesting day,
3
He disguised himself as a bricklayer with a hod over his shoulder and his Duchess as R washerwoman with buck- basket on her back. Then, just as the great gates of the town were swinging open to let them pass out, up jumped a wide- awake citizen who recognised them and was away to the guard shouting at the top of his voice.
The sentinel with a wise grin merely called back "April
A Schoolmaster
Looks
Ahead
sons!"
for a set
¥
*
Fool" and this cry was re- peated by the rest of the soldiery until the zealous loyalist, un- able to convince a single man as to the truth of his story, took himself off in a sulky mood.
Even Dean Swift was not the im- above · engaging in memorial rogueries associated with this day, On the evening of March 31, 1713, with Dr. Arbuthnot and Lady Masham.. he merrily diverted his scorpion mind by contriving a most gross and unseemly "lle for to- morrow."
In the old English ballads the fairies, when up to some parti- cular plece of mischief, are re- presented as blowing upon “a grass-green horn," and on the morning of this "bridle-goose day" we should all of us keep. sounding just such a wanton trumpet.
And let us be sure that during
the trencherous hours before our kitchen clocks strike twolve we allow no self-important looks to intimidato us.
There have been those who · explain the origin of All Fools' Day by the proverbial lovity of the climatic conditions prova- lent at this time of the year, with weather never to be relied upon from hour to hour.
Others, however, suggest that we may trace here the influence- of the Medieval Passion Plays which were used to show Jesus as being led back and forth bc- tween the authorities of Jerusa- lem for no reasonable purpose.
In Germany, when anyone han wasted his time upon sleeveless orrands, they say that he has been going von Pontius Pilatus.
It is far more probable, how- over, that the motley morning preserves old memories of the high-spirited celebrations that welcomed the return of the summer among primitive poople. Without doubt a feel- ing of exultation was common from one end of Europe to another at the reappearance of April, that month of "Heaven's blessing and earth's comfort," as the old writer called it,
The very word Easter is de- rived from the Teutonic god- dess of the spring-Eostre-and it is to be observed that the earliest English poets always sing best when they are com- posing under the bright dawn of her inspiration:-
"Bytwene Merche and Averiž When spray beginnetk to spring, The lutel foul hath hire wył
On hyre lut to ayng:
fin her language to sing)
Ich libbe in love-longinga
I live in love-longing)
For acmlokeat faecmillest) of alla
thyage,
She may me bliss bringa, Icham in hire bandoun (I am in her thraldom).
True it is that during the month dedicated to laughing Aphrodite there trembles through the bones of men and the quills of birds and the twigs of trees and the Ans of fishes L now afrmation of existence.
The days of the longest humair life pass as swift as a cloud shadow When scross downland valley. April blows his golden daffodil trumpet wo forget the grass- Freen
gravca that await 18, "Banishing sorrow till to-mor- row," we have breath only for cry- ing out over and over again like cuckoos in now leaves blessed be God made sunn and moono!
In town and country on All Fools" Day there may be heard through- out England a blithe sound-gay, irresponsible and generous. It i what the old free Germans so well named Ostergelächter or Baster Laughter.
A fine old Scottish form of April-fooling ('gowk' is Scols for cuckoo) is to send the victim a mile or so to borrow a two- snooted bonnat or what-will-you from a friend, boaring a noto in which are inscribud the words at the head of this article.
The friend obediantly tells the victim that he has no twa-snooted. bonnet, and sands him on a mile to another friend, and so on.
THE "VERY IDEA"
IN A PSYCHOLOGICAL SENSE, WE ARE NUTS
By Eddie Kelly, April Fool
WE HAVE BEEN HAVING SOME BAD DREAMS LATELY.
LAST NIGHT, FOR INSTANCE, WE DREAMT WE WERE. MARRIED TO A NAGGING WIFE, AND WHEN WE WOKE UP, SCREAMING, WE FOUND OUT IT WAS TRUE.
Lots of our dreams we can't remember.
"Telegraph" readers. laughed themselves blue in the face at a "Very Idea" article we wrote while we were dreaming on Tuesday night.
"That's going to be a bit hard.
a parent puttony. And surely the cry of the day Military experts believe-and THE other day
this question to me: "Tell would then be: "Back to Home Les- for some time have. anticipated me," she said, "why do you, as s some such development--that teacher, favour homework?" "I was next asked to state my rea-
she added,
sons for thinking that homework the Japanese advance in North always thought," China was commencing to lose "that such things belonged to would increase through time. "Well," cause will no I replied, "the main its balance by its own velocity, the past."
doubt be the shortening of the school In other words, the spearhead of I replied that I was very sorry to day. Scholars will probably begin disappoint her, but home-lessons classes at eight o'clock in the morn- the attack was penetrating far would never became a thing of the ing, and finish at one. For the rest Loo rapidly into enemy territory; past. "Indeed," I remarked, "it is of the day they will be free-with leaving its flanks exposed and highly probable that the amount of one limitation: each scholar will be
The annoying part is that if we could have remembered its lines of communication vul- work given out daily in schools will obliged to spend an hour or two in
Increase as the years go on!" And I private study.
what we wrote it would have saved us writing this. nerable to attack by guerilla proceeded to argue my point on the "And where," asked my questioner, The Chinese have apparently following lines.
"do you expect them to do this pri-
We got so worried about it to-day j me, and I'll bet he really didn't mean decided to consult a what he said about that rise in pay." seized their opportunity; and
If a child is to make any progress vate study?" I replied that there
The whole idea is to get away from yourself, sce?" they may be given the credit for at all, I said, he must have a cer- would be special "Halls of Study" set that we
aving perceived it long ago, inin amount of homework each even-im in cach district, and to one of psychologist.
"You are too highly strung, and and to have deliberately drawn ng How else can you expect himes the child would go, the only to learn the art of working? If home-stipulation being that he must remain
zuld to us. "RELAXT" Cast the selt?" the Japanese Into a trap. The lessons were abolished I am certain
senior pupils, three hours.
"That is a matter for your own. that tension. Fuller, No ovudt
he would enjoy Half of this period would be devoted world off your shoulders,"
"Sounds ok, to us," we replied discretion. Release the fall of Nanking, the decision now liberties at first, but through to the prescribed homework, and the
do this Just let yourself sag."
"And how long have we got to to keep large, mobile forces in time he would abuse them, and the leg sent in seeking out in gratefully. "How do you
"Forgot everything.... Go away i stay sagged? action behind the Japanese lines, enforced period of leisure would interesting facts from encyclopaedias relaxing business?"
somewhere for a long hollday fund the carefully preserved elas- evitably become a period of mang-nd other books of reference.
tlcity of the Chinese front seem
TN this way the child would be en-Leave all your worries behind!"
"But she's bound to want to come "Well, we've been waiting our to be natural developments of a of the army, veterans and raw which is the
couraged to work for himself--
only real method n
with us."
time. What d'you think we had the plan which envisaged the pre-recruits alike. Secondly, they working! A supervisor would, of
"NO! NOI Get yourself into a quarrel with the boss about!" sent opportunity for punishing will make the Japanese more ourse, be in charge to maintain complacent mood. Gently say to And we walked out taking our $8 offensive action. And if this cautious in their future opera-order and give friendly advice. ourerit. 'I'm content. in happy. with us.
My parent friend seemed aut The Chief in the office almply loves Wé sboll now ang. theory is accepted it will be re-tions and consequently aloy any cognised that behind tho
Thirdly, they will red. She saw at once that the system had obvious advantages, such Chinese armies in the fighting damage the confidence of the horter hours of confinement. lines is a clear, cool and calcu-Japanese army and the Japanese fanger periods for play, and greater Phe added, "If there Lary science.
to these that after months of","
come, my contenen will The effect of the Chinese nue-successive victories that the trouble me no longer. For I shall rently cesses at this stage of the cam-ninese nation was close to capi- know that my children are paign should be immediate and tulation. The doflant clamour doing their homework: and com extensive. In the first place they of the Chinese guns in Shansi how I think they will on it willingly
Shantung, will give the Chinese people new and
and wonder what the future holds for hope and will stiffen the morale Cheklang, declares this is not so, schoolchildren? What do you think?
isudden change of tactics after that every child in the country would ease of iod of one, two, or, in the have the wrong mental outlook," ha Supposing we catch up with our
advance.
*
*
lating brain, a master of mill-people, for it must have seemed freedom
Ferdom generally.
Honan
thing
if they do not do it at home".
NORDIC ARMOUR PUZZLES
Winnipeg.
"Right through the stomer months."
NO ILLNESS IN 70 YEARS
Youngstown, O.
A controversy is raging here over John Rudibaugh' and bla wife- the question of whether a suit of celebrated jointly the event of their Nordle armour discovered in North- 60th wedding anniversary and the came to Canada before Columbus never had required medical atten-, ern Ontario is proof that Norsemen fact that, in 70 years, Rudibugh discovered America. Historians have tion of any kind. He is 83; his wife mada no definite conclusions,
80.