THE HONGKONG
TELEGRAPH, TUESDAY OCTOBER 11, 1938.
THE GOOD EARTH
IS
King
IF you possess a geography
book, keep it as a sou- venir and compare it with the geography books of ten years hence, for the world will be very much changed by then. Once fertile farm- lands are already desert wastes, and Man, hastening to make good the deficiency, is rapidly converting deserts into rich pastures: When the present phase of trans- formation is complete, to- day's geography books will be completely out of date.
n
Soil erosion and land re- clamation are the two factors in this large-scale struggle with Nature, and what is involved can be easily gathered from few figures. In the United States alone, and many other countries are just as badly. hit, soil erosion has ruined 110,000,- 000 acres of fertile land, while more than 1,000,000,000 acres have lost between three-quarters and two-thirds of their covering of soil.
To offset this, the Tennessee Valley and Coulec Dam schemes in the U.S.A., and the Lloyd Barrage scheme in India, will bring under cultivation land that was formerly useless. The Tennessee Valley scheme will transform 44,000 square miles, while more than 7,000,000 acres of arid waste will become fertile
-
BLOWING
AWAY
when the waters controlled by the Lloyd Barrage are distri- buted for and wide.
The whole history of soil erosion is one of destruction and lack of foresight. The wanton cutting down of the tree belts that sheltered farmlands from the wind, the continual destruc- tion of the grass that bound the soil, and the reckless sowing of. crops that took all the fertility, out of the earth left huge areas at the mercy of every drought and gale.
BY
Y tearing up the roots of trees and thick grass, the farmers of these aroas deprived the soll of its re- servoirs of natural moisture, and of the forces that held it together. By cutting down the belts of trees surrounding fertile lands, the same farmers left the
that lifted it in huge clouds and blew it away.
Д
By David J. Murphy
In Canada
a GERMAN CANADIAN PACIFIC
on EDINBURGH
ENBURGH has cast her spell
about me. Now that my year of
STEAMSHIPS - HOTELS ·
– RAILWAYS EXPENS
MAKE BOOKINGS EARLY
BERTHING PLANS FOR 1939 ARE OPEN
- to secure, accommodation desired
study here is over, now that my bag TO CANADA, UNITED STATES and EUROPE
are packed and firmly labelled for Germany, I feel that I have been only a visitor after all,
And yet it cannot be so, because In my heart I have become almost a citizen. It is this strange feeling of civic pride, indeed, which is the strangest, finest part of the legacy I take back from my sojourn in Scotland,"
Before I crossed the North Sea 1 had been told of Edinburgh- - -"Age and beauty in the east wind" they sald. I was told of the Castle and
that they will never have.
not believe--they
the Waverley steps and the Forth Bridge.
Wes warned of two things: of appearing In Bavarian shorts on Princes Street on a Satur- day morning, and of the "skirling" man-made desert, But these new schemes can- of the bagpipes of the Gordon High- these grim reminder not develop overnight. Not only landers. I disregarded both
warnings. I liked walking Princes that the mistakes of must land be prepared, but new former years must townships, have to be built, Street in my shorts, and I'm sure not be repeated. communications established, and Princes Street did not mind me; Western the whole territory brought into while I can go back to Germany and desperate working order. The effect of tell them that the pipes are not real- efforts are being these factors on the geography ly so terrible. I shall tell them that made to check soil books can be easily visualised. not all Highlanders are Gordons, but erosion and restore Famous towns will languish, the fertility of mil- while the new ones spring up.' lions of acres of Well-established railways will People say that first impressions land. The federal fall into decay, while new tracks are Insting ones, but that is not sz, Government plan to will appear on the surface of] I arrived on a cold and dull October distribute no fewer former deserts. Ports that once afternoon, and set off for my lodg than 6,000,000 trees handled huge volumes of traffic ings tired and a bit homesick; but the taxi driver must have felt I for planting round will become derelict as the should see Edinburgh immediately. huge areas that areas around them are deserted. He drove me all round the town and formerly produced millions of The latest move to restore charged me Ave-and-six for a one- bushels of wheat. These new the
still don't acreage
the world's and-cightpenny fare. of tree belts are expected to bring larders concerns the Pence feel grateful to him; but I never met
his like again. back many millions of acres into River country, in Canada. More tram and say "two ones" like any Now, can take the fertile cultivation.
than 30,000,000 acres in extent, Edinburgh, student. 1. know, too. But in many cases, the erosion It is highly fertile and also con- just how far I can go without con- has gone too far. Exhausted tains valuablo mineral re-sciously or fragrantly defrauding the
Corporation! soil can be restored by the use sources. It could accommodate of fertilisers and the scientific some 500,000 inhabitants, but Surveying a Panorama rotation of crops. Eroded soil there are only 18,000 settlers can only be restored when there, and millions of acres re- Nature makes good the loss, main untouched. An effort is and this may take centuries. The now to be made to bring the only course open to farmers on area under cultivation, the first these semi-deserts is to seek essential being new railroads, fresh land and begin cultivation all over again.
changes to come.
many
that
is
I
оп
Looking back on Edinburgh, is like surveying a panorama. There was always the changing crowds Princes Street-a bright crowd, but strangely slient to German cars, who Is always so well dressed. One was always so conscious of the beautiful- ly dressed women; but, alas! so few University girls for that matter!
The University Itself seemed to me
only a few men here and there, but sedate, bespectacled females, with
although as a good German student I still think there are too the found life in many girls, I quadrangles all the more pleasant.
flames
And so the farmers of the world are taking part in large-
MUCH of the erosion Hausfrauen" among them, or among
bringing scale pilgrimages to areas that about these vast changes has, it offer new hope, and by this is true, been due to lack of at Orst almost entirely composed of movement the world's centres of farmers. But politicians can agricultural production are un- not escape their share of the dergoing a vast change.
blame. When a farmer is com- But there are
more pelled to live from hand to In some parts mouth, without any backing of of the world, where the soil capital, he cannot be blamed for The Mound, too, I have never tired covers rock by only 12 to 24 taking as much out of the soil of. Always, of an evening there was loose, dusty soil open to the gales inches, erosion is depleting the as he can possibly get, even if, some modern Demosthenes under the surface at the rate of an inch in doing so, he ultimately ruine a year, and nothing can stop the his land... drift. Only a few years can If the mistakes of the past elapse before new land will have are to be avoided, farming in all to be found.
parts of the world must be put on a secure basis, and if neces- sary given Government aid. the Otherwise, the new arcas may localised losses of suffer the same fate as the old, those whose land has dis- and if that happens the world appeared, the situation is caus- will be faced with certain ing some anxiety from the point starvation. of view of the world
at large. But because these Erosion has been going on at changes are inevitable, such a rate, and over such a throw that geography wide aren, that land reclama- away. Study it ten
And by putting tremendous herds to graze on land that could not support them, cattle raisers brought about their own destruction. The herds took out of the soil the life that nothing can put back.
But, at last, the lessons of Nature have been learned at the expense of bankruptcy and misery. Some 200,000 families have had to leave the United States' "dust bowl" of Kansas and Nebraska, and they have now settled in the new regiona being opened up in Washington, South Idaho, and Oregon. Their former homesteads have been left to rot and decay in the
TALES
MOKING elgarette with
A swanky air, a small boy ap- proached the railway ticket omce and asked for
a half ticket to Dundee.
"What!" cried the booking clerk. "a kid like you smoking a tlgarette?" "Kid be blowed!" was the indign- ant reply. I'm fourteen."
"Full fare, then, please," said the clerk,
It was little Tommie's first ride in
OF
An old lady was rushing up and down the platform and looking dis- tractedly about her. The porter knew the signs.
"Lost your luggage, ma'am? Any clues?" he asked,
"Yes, porter. In a way I have a good clue," she said. "Ive just found In my handbag the label I forgot to put on the trunk."
Another old lady had arrived at a where she had to change
She
looked wonderingly
station
a railway train, and the succession trains.
QUITE apart from
tion cannot keep pace with the hence, and you will see loss, and the world may yet have tremendous - alterations
vast
pillars of modern Athen sending
among his hearers; but nover saw them really catch fre Edinburgh is above all in its own way class-conscious, but nowhere have I found the raucous and mor bid class-consciousness we have had in Germany. No, Edinburgh
birth will always cling to its dignity: but I have never stopped marvelling how," the more steam there;ls let off among the crowds, the more frimly does Britain rest on her distinctive and safe traditions of democracy.
In one thing liowever, Edinburgh lags behind the German cition-in don't slum clearance. There seem to be book far too many slums in the hollows of and I. should like to think years
our city, what but for ever abolishing this squalor. of the city retaining the picturesque, have
sur
The churches in the city are always relatively well attended, but the true Edinburgh citizen should not let his conscience rest with that.
to face a widespread food been made to the world's shortage until more new schemes face. You will find the com- are brought into full operation, parison enlightening.
THE
TRAIN
was staying a few hours in the village clearly, asked his mother if this was
while his car was repaired. He Heaven.
went up to the village constable, "No, na, sonnie," she replied. "It "When does the theatre open?" he canna be that. It's owre near Jar- asked,
Tow." "There's no theatre here, sir," re- piled Robert.
"Well, the cinema, then?”*
"No, no, sir; there's nothing o that kind here.";
man;
"Good gracious, man. Have you no evening amusements at all?"
"Well, sir," answered the police- of wonders reduced him to a state about her.
if you wait till eight o'clock of
The
"Oh, porter," she cried, "will you you can see them abunting the goods hysterical astonishment. train rounded a slight bend and, me which is the platform for train!"
tell with shriek
11
of iL whistle, London?" plunged into a tunnel. Gasps
Turn to the left and you'll be of surprise were heard from the corner right, madam,” said he, where Tommie was sitting. Sud- "Don't be impertinent, young denly the train rushed into broad man," she replied, not appreciating daylight again, and a small voice his waggishness. was lifted in wonder.
"Mummie! It's to-morrow!" it
said.
"All right, then. Turn to your right and you'll be left", he retorted. "A motorist had had à mishap and
A mother and her small son were travelling in the North of England when the train pulled up, at Heb burn.
A porter walking down, the line. of carriages called out, "Hebben! Hebben!"
The little boy, not getting it
The two men were discussing their travels.
"This time last year, old chap, I was in Japon during an earthquake. Everything rocked and rattled, the house creaked, and the china flew about."
"By Jovel That reminds me," said. the other. "I must go and meet my wife at the station. She's returning from a holiday."
"Ever been in a train smash?" naked one married man of another.
"Well," replied his friend. "I can't say that I remember one exactly.”
"You can't remember?" "Why, no. You see, after you'vo been married for seventeen years you soon forget such trifles!"
Count the "TELEGRAPHS" everywhere
E. Vyner
Humble and Impressed
ore
via Shanghai, Kobe & Yokohams
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Thura, Oct. 20.
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Telephone 20752
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25th October.
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OUR BRITISH
CROSSWORDS.
ACROSS
1 This bird appears not long af- ter the refuse at the threshing (9).
Town of Italy (6);
10 Conquer yet perhaps beaten
(0).
The Scottisžរ National War Memorial, however, spoke to me as no other place did, however histori- cal. I have gone there more than once, and always I fell humble and impressed. In Germany we proud of our soldiers who have fought all over Europe; but here one reads name after name-far away battlefields all over the world. nover tired of looking at the de- posited weapons and coats of arms 12 Prevall on in a Dictator (6).
14 One of the duck family (4) emblems I had never seen before. In the building I felt tragically 15 This may sometimes be ob- and yet very old with the served in a forsaken yacht (5). young, weight of past misunderstandings, | 18 Grain (6). past bitterness, laid; from
the
11 This is not unusual nor a bad
prefix (0).
10 Judge (7).
houlders of those whose 21 Putting right faulty alignment?
erc. "High Luced and Hes' there. Lawrence
once said of
German
(7).
troops alone in the desert. "High 24 This may be found in aurifer- faced and silent" is how I think of ous older struta (8). the Ideal Scottish soldier embodied 20 A waming light (5). in the memorial—a monument and a 30 Do this for griet (4). reproach to world unrest.
31 Charm (0).
32 "Yet once more, o yes, and once more, ye myrtles brown" (Milton) (6).
I do not know when I shall be able to see Princes Street again, to walk the parapet of the Castle, to 33 Atle, Sir (anag) (B). ramble on the Pentlands, scramble 34 The
design
spolit
not
on Arthur's Seat. In Edinburgh, I anonymous anyhow (0). have found, it may not be very easy 33 "Stone walls do not a prison at first to make friends, pr to feel
a part of the city itself. But the friends you make are -real friends, and the city takes you straight tó | her heart.
Now when I must sny "Aut wiedersehen" to it all, I can shake hands and feel I am anying good- bye for the time being to my own city, and still better to fellow townamen.
Kjorman Hindens
make
minds innocent
and quiet take that for an-" (Love-lace) (0),
DOWN
2 Not without (8).)
3 A young king (0).
4 The only girl who could make
mine, go. (0).
5 The crook of the animal world? [^\(7).
Coax (6),
**7 "Mado pela :- (onag()) ((8),
8 Epithet for perfect service at
Wimbledon? (0)
11 A polyp found in China, Crete
and Estonia (6);"
13 As this coln Is always going up it is down here for a change (4)
17 When his head was cut off his
father and mother had no sise - ters but he was fearless,(9),-) 10 To do this is almost breaking the tenth commandment. (8). 20 Praise (5).
22 Consider (4).
23 Not the box in which a car is
packed but the body (7).
25 A selected number perhaps (0), 27 "Man, bat?"
28 Colour (0).
20 This is proverbially believing
(6).
YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION WATER INGUAN |M| 8 |N_U_Y
W FOOT FOEMAN B HULK BABHOOK 1 ONUN TARTARIC SEANGE
KINDRED LYDD 1TE INPORAR
LNBBED OLDTIMEF
BAAG OFERI HARMNR
T BENGAL PE
B
SHORTWEIG
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