Saturday,
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.
February 24, 1940.
The “Telegraph” publishes below the first of an exclusive series of articles on the_War_from_the_gifted pen of a foremost author.
BY SOMERSET MAUGHAM
By
I DO not believe that the
world yet realises how Intense the French effort is and with what determina- tion the whole country hás applied its energies to the prosecution of the struggle.
Nor do I think people yet realise the spirit that has enabled the French nation to accept with fortitude and resignation the sacrifices they have been called upon to make.
I have spent six weeks making a survey of the activities of France.
I have been to the Front, I have visited a naval base, I have seen the factories in which are manufactured all things necessary for modern war from great cannon to shirts for the troopa; I have stayed in the districts to which refugees from Alsace and Lorraine have been evacuated; I have talked to hun- dreds of people, from generals in command of an army corps to the humble pricata of country. parishes,
A scene in France in 1918
Is it it is
Though twice the time I had
France was dislocated. at my disposal would have been needed to give me even a bird's surprising that they said eye view of all that strenuous 100 much? Is it surprising that endeavour I have at least learnt they said to one another: "This
a variety of things which time we must make an end of think it would be well for the led: "It is too much." world to know.
Thrice Called To Arms EVI
VERYONE knows with what efficiency France completed her mobilisation,
erals the army. Possesses; he told me his mother was 86 and she had seen Germany at war with France three times.
All
Germany
"It is too much," he said. And! when I was visiting the refugees 1 talked with a funny little old; They set their teeth. I think woman with white hair. "I'm over there are few men in France whe 80," she told me, "and this is the do not share the common feeling third time I've had to flee from my that this time they are going to house in Lorraine.” And she add- soo it through. They are going to ed: "It is too much." fight now to the bitter end and
they will never accept a peace that will expose them.again, perhaps in a short time, to the affliction, loss and inconvenience of another mobi lisation. I have known the French But what many people are all my life; I have never known
It wave me a curious little pang
in my heart to hear the poor old) peasant woman use the selfsame words as the distinguished gen-
eral had used,
The French want to be free for
apt to forget is that the French them more calm, more resolute and ever from the danger presented by nation has been mobilised three more singleminded.
August, all the able-bodied men against itself!
were fighting
an aggressive and helligerent neigh-
house a.ved their children from the horror of
Is Her
Enemy
But the census offers the conchi-
future had made people unwilling to burden themselves with largo families and ho expressed the opinion that the certainty of an enduring peace would cause a great chango In this respect.
The Code Of
Napoleon
TN the country they told me the responsibility must be attributed to the Code Napoleon which obliged the pensant- farmer to divide his land equal- ly between his children and rather than break up his farm he limited his family to one son who could carry on, with, at the most perlups a second in case the first one died.
Others have told me that the cause was to be sought in the selfishness of parents who healtated to sacrifice their comforts to the needs of numerous children.
But, whatever the cause, the fact atands that the French are a nation of forty million people and they are confronted by a nation twice as large.
"How can we hope to go on hold- ing our own against that vest number," they ask you, "unless this time at last we succeed in making ourselves unassailable?"
It is not territories they need, they have not the population to people them; it is security.
To get it they are prepared for any sacrifice, for any sacrifice of ease and money and for the great sacrifice of life, and I think it is as well that the world at large should realise that they are deter- | mined not to allow themselves i again to be cheated of It.
The French do not believe that they can attain accurity merely by overthrowing Hitler and hìa, gov- Jernment. The French are, not at war with a band of gangstera: they are at war with Germany. They Jare convinced that if the Nazi leaders were overthrown Germany would in a short time spawn other leaders as ruthless and as danger ous. They have not forgotten Bis- marck and William II.
One brought an army to invade
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times in one year. In Septem- What ignorance of the French bour, they want to be sure that for sive argument against the pas-their land in 1870 and the other in ber 1938, in the following temper it showed when the Ger- at least a century they will be safe sibility of imperialism. There are 1914. They look upon Hitler as an March, and then again last mans thought that in France they from invasion, they want to spare forty million people in France and embodiment of all the instincts ofTO SALON
war which they have had to endure the number is diminishing: unless aggression and the desire of domi- twice within twenty-five years, they urgent measures are taken after nation of the German people and want to be allowed to till their the war to augment it, in another these his destruction will do nothing fields and tend their vineyards and generation the population will be to eradicate.
alarmingly smallar.
of France between the ages of
twenty and fifty were taken "Three Wars from their peaceful avocations
to put on their uniform and as-
sist the country in Its peril. With the Huns Three times in one year every WHEN I was on the front activity in the pleasant-land-of-met-one-of-the-ablest-gen-|--
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devote themselves to the arts of peace.
Jean Giraudoux, who is not only a distinguished official at the Quai d'Orsay, but also an author of great
They, Too, Blame talent, told me recently that he
Versailles
MOST intelligent Frenchmen will tell you that France is not essentially an industrial nation, it is a nation above all of peasants and peasant-farm-
ers.
Ita artificers are Httle interested In mass-production; they prefer to give their time and attention to articles that require for their manu- facture, touch.
Laste and the personal
ascribed it to the wars" that "France had suffered from during the last century, for before 1870 the natality! of the country continued to in-
crense; he suggested that the fear of war and the uncertainty of thel
No. France is at war, dogged- ly. resignedly, herolcally, not with Hitler and the Nazis only, but with Germany. She is pre- pared to live at pence with Ger- ́many, but-only-with-a-Germany powerless to threnten her security.
WORLD COPYRIGHT
RESERVED.
Girls' and Boys' Corner
Dear Kiddies,
Last week's colouring competition was very well done. I could see by Frenchmen have a deep-seated the entries that many of you had feeling that what they have to give spent a lot of time on colouring the the world does not compete with the picture, products of the industrial nations,; Their most valuable exporta ard those spiritual values which enlarge the mind and add to the elegance, variety and beauty of life.
There is a bitter feeling among the people of France that the pre- sent war has been thrust upon them
The prize-winners this week are:- Mary Grace Asche (aged 134), St. Blephen's College, Stanley.
Joan Thomson (aged 10), "Domum," Sassoon Road, Pokfulamı. Sylvia Reid (41⁄4), 3, W. O. Quar-
by the obstinacy of the Allies at ters, Stanley.
the Peace Conference which pre- Coupons have been sent to Mary vented them from obtaining the Grace, Joan and Sylvia which I want safeguards which they were con-them to bring to the "Hongkong vinced were necessary in order to Telegraph" offices In Wyndham prevent resumption of theStreet. The coupons will then be
exchanged for money prizes. struggle for existence,
嶺
Many of them already forEBOW in. 1920 that with Germany united as it had never been before, it was inevitable.
Specially commended for excellent work are the following:-
ART PHOTOGRAPHERS China Bldg.. Ground Flr. Tol, 24744
MR. AU YOUNG IN CHARGE (formerly-of-Mayen Studio)
BEAUTIFUL STUDIO PHOTOS
A Natural Likeness for Friends and Family to Cherish
Arrange for a sitting To-day
OPENS TO-MORROW at the
KING'S THEATRE
MEN TRIED TO KEEP HOUSE
with
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S DAUGHTER
5
ARE
This is all my own work
Age
Name
Address
This week, idddies, I want you to study the pictures given above. The names of six different fruits are hid- den In these pictures. Can you and Seniors: Joan Gordon, Alice Lee,
them? Winifred Barman, Paul Wilson, Cyn They realise that the attitude this Silver, Ghazi Khan, Priscilla
If you can, write them down in that the Allion adopted was due to Wheeler, Ho Man-chan, G. Drummer, namo, age and address coupon and e neat numbered ilst. Fill in the their fear of French Imperialism. Patricia Reid, Dicky Yip. But the French are not an im- perialistic nation... am not now
on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
send your entries to Uncle Eddie c/o Intermediates: Horacio Ozorio, "Hongkong Telegraph," Wyndham giving my own opinions but merely Roberto Quan, John Fleming, Belty Street. The competition will close repeating what I have heard from Davies, Eleanor Sanger, Fung King-j the mouths of all manner of percheung, S. S, Bux, Alan Dobbs, Belly
Young, Roberto Vas, sona, persons in all walks of life,
Juniors: David Asche, Gerald It is very generally admitted that Marshall, David
Knight, Bertie Phil the Napoleonic Imperialism was a tips, Alice Green, Joyce Guest,
disaster to France. The Colonial Philippo Hans,
Empire has been won almost by no-Peter Thompson, Greig Wright, Ann cident and the sonso of it has never Daniel, Janice Chan, Charlła Ozorio,, entered into the consciousness of the Timothy Hanlon, Jacqueline Barton, French as our own Empire has into Susan Wood. that of the English.`
The feeling is universal; I think, that with a democmey like that of France imperialism is out of the question; in the flerceness of political wilmoşitles a rovern- mant that whowed any tendencies in that direction would stand no chance of subsisting.
Three prizes will ogain be given- one for the best entry in each age section.
Best of luck, kiddies.
Uncle Eddie
CHEE HING CO, COAL MERCHANTS ·
Office:-10, Connaught Road, 2nd Floor. Tel. 17380, SAMARINDA DYAK COAL -- STOCK CARRIED Good for Bunkers, Galleys, Factories, eldą Apply to MR. PONG WING TONO, Manager,
But housekeeping was not in her linel
ROBERT-whose milliona didn't worry him hall as much as Hilda....
HAL ROACH presents
THE
LEFTY...A big, bad wolf 'til Hilda tamod him.
SCREW-LOOSE BENNY, the Lady killer. Even he was Hilda's folla.
HOUSEKEEPER'S
DAUGHTER
statino
JOAN BENNETT ADOLPHE MENJOU
THE DEAKON - Percy The Passion Flower. He thought he kreve vecIRED).
PEGGY WOOD JOHN HUBBARD ... ED. He and The Deskon
· WILLIAM GARGAN: DONAID MEEK
"Statesvend shrić (PRITO ABESTE
ate together, lived together,
were pals to the and Hilda was the endin