Saturday,
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
February 22, 1941.
MOONLIGHT BRINGS T
DEATH
By
Ben Robertson
(London Correspondent of the New York evening paper, "PM," who recently returned to his country for a vacation after covering the most severe periods of the air blitz.)
People keep asking me what it is can correspondent In London keeps like to be bombed and what happens cabling there is no fear, no panic in to you after you have been bombed, England. People over here soy to Well, to be bombed k about like be- me:
ing hit by a tornato or like going
"Isn't just one person somethines down in ship at sea. And after afraid--what happens to the person you have been bombed a lot hap who in peace time would jump if a pens-you become a sort of ward of gun were fred behind his back?" the state.
Of course, there is individual fear Naturally, it is a terrible expert in Britain. We have been misinter- ence to be bombed just as it is preted in our cables. We have been terrible to go through a tornado or cabling about public morate, about to find yourself adrift in an open boat the collective spirit of millions of un the acean, but it is not as bad as people. Americans, it seems, have it wonki neemt to a peaceful Ameri- been thinking in Jerms of the in- can sitting in a warm quiet robin in dividual, they have been trying 10 the U.S.A. The human body is so ingine how they themselves would tough it can stand almost anything get if their homes over here were Just because you are it it is to, and you are prepared bombed, emotionally, for bombing before you frightened doesn't mean you go out are required to face it. You have and take part in a panic. You can be afraid and still go out and fight gone through all the stages that, pre- fires and drive unbalances and man ceden bombing-the war has de- an apti-aircraft battery.
veloped, the war has started, tise Song For Airmen
reason for the war has been support-
ed by you with such conviction that
you are willing to stand up to the punishment. You
faith in your case.
1
are
fortified
Natural Disaster
cumpare Lombings
The boys in the Royal Air Force
by have à flite song about terrifled air-Air War Differs From Other Wars in
men. It comes from the Northern
Command and was taken down by That the Days Are So Quiet and
Quentin Reynolds of Colliere, Ed
Beattie of the United Press, and Red
Muciler of International News Ser- Peaceful and the Nights Are Such Hell'
tr entas vice. The word "obscenity" has
tupphes' of nature as they all seemed been substituted for one word and.
to me more like natural disasters
than like any of the man-made wars
In that we have known in the past. the old days armies used to sweep a country-they,, marched down on and they were with you day and night, they fought set battles in set the in this air war, places. But planes come and go like the wind- like tornadoes and cyclones.
Often during the Inst six months in London I have thought of the of the Southern storm bell area
uf
air
stules. I come from that country and we know when lornadoes are due they come after a series most perfect days. The worst raids are very apt to come on the most beautiful moonlight nights. You can certainly expect heavy raids.
You have no when the moon is full. idea how horrible a sight moonlight enn become in 1941 in a country that is at war, and you can bet your boots when the ports of 1941 write their poens they will not write them about the moonlight over the cow- shed.
Nights Are Hell
wherever you see the word "blessed" the American pioneers lived when through sheer pre-war inefficiency as
may know that also represents a they were opening up the West. Hitte cleaning-a substitutión.
They say there's a Hudson just
tening Norway
Bound for old Scotland's shore. Heavily laden with terrified airmen Bound for the land they adore. There's many a Heinket around in
the Skapurrak And many a Messerschmitt too, You'll get no promotion that side
of the occan,
So cheer up my lad Bless 'em all. Blesa em all, bless en all; the slim and the short and the tall Hess all the sergeants und W.O.
the British had not built huge na- tional power stations-they had al- You may come home in the mor- lowed small ecmpanies, to compete. ing and find that your home has been Some days you may not have gas in hit. You then have become a man your kitchen and you may have to without property. The state eventu- heat your teapot over the coals in the ally will pay you up to $10,000-the grate. And there have been times Insurance companies are relieved of w when there has been no water- these risks-but you will not be able never over the whole of London at to rebuild until the war is over, the once, but often In Isolated areas. state cannot spare building materials London in wartime for private individuals to water
build houses.
Must Keep Going
has never suffered from shortage on the scale that Coventry did for some time after its blitz.
----
Then
arrange for your new situation, She heavily protected.'s other profes-
So cheer up my lads-bless 'em all. reports to the
Here is another song
contre-in
It causes you some alarm to turn You go on to your job, for every on a water tap and find it dry. Sud- Is their blessed daughters and Englishman knows that the war ef-denly the realisation comes what their obscenity sons.
fort must be kept golog, no matter would happen to 0,000,000 people if Bleas 'em all, Bless 'em all, as up what happens. The factories must there were nothing to drink.
the CO's obscenity they crawl be manned like the rooftops and the you smother that thought-the Lon-
leave your wife to
to on water system is reinforced and. They'll get no promotion that side trenches. You
ected. England's water of the ocean.
neighbourhood rest engineers like England's
it would London
men, arc resourceful. The be sional All day long ter haven't flown operated by the London County British can improvise. The sewage above six hundred blessed feet; Council. She applies for quarters system has functioned throughout the The weather it was full of snow and all of you can stay there free blife, and if the water is cut off in
and full of blessed sleet;
for at least a week. You can wash your area for a day or two you can it your headquarters, find from the air wardens where the The compuan it was swinging from there, make
south to blessed north,
Then your wife goes to the Woman's nearest public rest house is function- And-made-our-blessed-landfall Volunteers Service centres and gets ing.
clothes for you and herself and the children-free clothing.
in the Firth of blessed Forth.
Morale is not "bebut afraid." It
is the reverse-it Is "being ofraid"
One of the most useful ideas, of Bertram Cruger of the Chase Bank The Government will advise your in London as head of the American and still being able to function well. wife to evacuate with the children, Inter-Allied Relief Committee la to but it will not force her to leave. Ir equip London with movable latrines. Air war differs agiln from other
What Is it like to be in an air raid? she decides on leaving then the lle already has sent some of these
latrines to the larger shelters. wars in that the days are so quiet Well. you become more tense as Government will help you support
and peaceful and the nights are dark gathers, you hurry home to grab them; it will pay up to $1 a week Shelters Crowded
off
you
ad-
such hell. The dragon is 1,000 miles thing to eat and then you hurry for each of your dependents and you away in the daytime and you cut to the shelter if it is your night will be expected to contribute in
to sleep. If have elvic duties, ditton what you enn. If your wife Shelters still are crowded, still roses in the garden and walk in the you go elf to your post. It may be is afraid to leave you alone in a big badly lighted, the air still is bad, the park aid sit in the sunshine. Then your night to stand all night on s'eity, then the Government will and threat of disease is
is always present. when the sun goes down you become tuut, your night to help guard your you a permanent billet in London. The burden of Improving these con- part of a battlefield.
against incendiary bombs. It will resettle you and will expect #ditions has been shifted in the Co- You do whatever you are supposed small rent if you can afford to pay binet from the Tory, Sir John An- People over here say they can't to do and you have to take what-
derson, to Herbert Morrison understand how every single Ameri- ever comes. You live the sort of life
Communal Feeding Ellen Wilkinson, lenders of Labour,
street
and
the
They are making improvements, but very slowly. The public on More and more in London, govern other hand is learning to adapt itself | ment agencles are setting up com- munal feeding centres-you are fed to life under worse than slum condi- by the state and If you can pay six-
tions.
pence you will be charged that sum. I have a place reserved for sleep- The communal feeding idea is finde Ang in probably the best place in ing more support from the people London-in the Abraham Lincoln than the Government had expected room in the basement of the Savoy --the people as in sa many ways are Hotel. I have mattress No. 171 In ahead of the Government. Almost that place. There are other mat- everyone is willing to eat the basic tresses there for Lady Oxford and meal If the Government gives the Lord Beaverbrook and Sir John order. Even the rich would be will- Anderson--108 others. ing-even the rich. ure
Bttle
ashamed of eating in the fashionable Get Used To Anything
restaurants of the Dorchester, the Savoy and the Ritz hotels.
I assure you that sleeping in that
I would say something like 90 per goom is no pleasure. Even the best
cent. of the British people, rich and shelter is bad. I dislike it so much
poor, would be willing to do anything that I go down there only on the the Government asked them If They
nighta. I had rather take my thought it would in any way help to chances upstairs in my own bed. beat Hitler. Everyone In England
Sleeping in that
is like being shelter is understands the food situation-the
in a cow stall-all night Desd need for space on ships. They realise there are noises; people are snoring
there may come a couple of weeks and stir
stirring. The maitresses are
when this war may be decided on laid side by side, touching in three Hood alone.
out of four directions. A married
Daily Utilities
woman sleeps next to me. Very often in the morning when I get up from her sido she asks.
"lins the all clear sounded?"
What happens if you are only par- tially bombed? Your house will be declared enable if the walls still
I do not know who that Incly is. I are standing and if the roof can be have nover bem introduced. patched. Windows don't make much difference any longer In England. You get used to anything these You will board up the windows you daya in London. I got so accustomed can do without daylight in your to sleeping in a barrage of gunfire house if you have to. Your electrle that for the first two nights in New lights still will be burning and like York I could not sleep the silence thousands of others you will live and of New Yorke kept me awake.
The work by electric lighting.
people of London are living on their The London lights have never gone faith, their courage and their nerves. out as London's power stations feed They are tough citizens and there is into a central pool-numbers of them a spirit alive in Britain Unk must be can be bombed without crippling the like the one that lived over here service. The British say this is a when Patrick Henry made his fortunate situation that come about speech.
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HEADACHES SLEEPLESSNESS IRRITABILITY
when
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THES
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