1938-05-21 — Page 8

Page

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY

SLOW PROGRESS IN R.A.F. PLAN Weakness Of The Volunteer Reserve

R.A.F. stations all over England, are now busy rehearsing displays which they will give on Empire Air Day. This picture was taken at Felixstowe station, and shows R.A.F. flyingboats rehearsing the thrills they will give the public. (Copyright: By Air Mail).

How Royal Air Force Apprentices Are

Trained

I saw more than 4,300 R.A.F. boys undergoing training at the School of Technical Training at Halton, Bucks the largest school of its kind in the world, writes the air correspondent of the London "Daily Telegraph.”

meet the needs of the expanding returns to Halton for a period to Air Force, yet only fitters

armourers are trained here.

REFRESHER COURSES

Lack Of Training Facilities

IN THE NEW R.A.F. VOLUN- TEER RESERVE, FOR WHICH TRAINING BEGAN NEARLY A YEAR AGO, 212 OFFICERS HAVE SO FAR BEEN APPOINTED TO COMMISSIONS. THIS TOTAL IN- CLUDES 149 FOR GENERAL DUTIES AND 63 IN THE MEDI- CAL BRANCH.

These totals are shown in the Air Force List for April, and no doubt by this time they have been exceeded. The rate of increase is about 30 per month.

The scheme provides for the ad- mission of 800 volunteers a year during the next few years. There are already 21 flight training cen- tres, and each of these is associated with a town centre for other than flight training.

By last September 550 pilots un- der the scheme were under train- ing, and at the time of the Air Estimates statement more than 1,000 had been accepted..

Volunteers are trained to fly on condition that they do, 15 days' con- secutive training at some time con- venient to themselves.

FIVE YEARS' TRAINING They receive a retaining fee of and round off his practical experience,, £25 a year, and allowances while

In the big lecture theatre I watched a class being instructed, they are undergoing training. They

with the aid of the cinematograph, in the theory of flight, Engine

are signed on for a period of five years.

It is apparent from the present

A new development is the pro- theory, mechanical drawing, prac- rate of progress that the anti- vision of refresher courses. tical fitter's work, and many other

being taught in the cipated increase of strength to the After three years' training here, things were

ing attained. a young man, by that time a Lead- numerous classrooms of what must R.A.F. from this source is not be- ing Aircraftman or Aircraftman of be the biggest school building in first or second class, is posted to the country. There were no fewer

than 1,500 boys in the building.

Halton Camp has grown enorm- a unit. After he has spent from ously in the past two years, to two to four years with his unit, he

TRAVEL BY K. L. M. Air-Conditioned Cabins Perfectly Soundproof Deep Reclining

Arm-Chairs.

THREE SERVICES

WEEKLY

DEP: SUN: WED: FRI. Singapore at 6.45 am. Penang at 9.00 a.m. Bangkok at 1.80 p.m.

Special Through Fares Reduction for Gov't Officials & Officers.

KLM

ROYAL DUTCH AIR LINES AGENTS: JAVA CHINA JAPAN LINE YORK BUILDING, CHATER ROAD, Phone 2801 Passage Dept.)

such

GENERAL EDUCATION Eight hours a week are devoted to general education, and subjects as British political in- stitutions and political geography are included.

was

as

Better results must be obtained. The situation is the more serious because not only is it necessary to fulfil the present programme, but it is clear that still further expan-

sion and acceleration will be neces- sary.

Much could be done if the Air Near the aerodrome an' open-air Ministry would relieve the conges- tion at the training centres by class on lubrication systems being held. A number of aircraft, making use of the subsidised flying clubs, of which there are about 40. including such recent types Blenheim and Battle bombers, Many members of the flying clubs were drawn up on the aerodrome. have been attracted by the R.A.F. Many of the boys were being given Volunteer Reserve scheme. flights, for it is a rule that each boy shall have at least half an hour of flying.

DOMINION BOYS About 30 to 40 boys from the Dominions come to Halton every year. The Air Ministry does all it can to encourage Dominion operation in this respect.

Co-

In their apprenticeship the boys receive 78 a week, but a proportion is saved for them until they go on leave. They have six weeks' leave each

year and one week-end. a term.

Consternation!

Two acquaintances met in the street. "I've been in a terrible state of con sternation for the past three days!"

said the one.

"Have you ever tried bran?” asked the other.

At certain aerodromes, where there are flying clubs, there are long waiting lists of pupils for the R.A.F., although the instructing staffs and aircraft of the clubs are not being used to anything like their full capacity. This is parti cularly the case on week days.

CLUB 'PLANES USED Although the types of machines in use at most of the clubs are not R.A.F. "trainers," many of them are comparable to such types.

It is possible to train with or dinary club machines up to a point, and thereby reduce the instruction- period necessary on passing to more powerful types.

Shortly after the Volunteer Re- serve scheme was started another offer was made. Under it one year of service with the RA.F., includ ing flight training, was to be given to youths after leaving school and before entering on their "civil career.

We don't know anything about the value of bran as a corrective of 'con-

This scheme was an experiment, sternation,' but we do know that as 'a remedy for constipation Pinkettes are and the response to it has not been unsurpassed. Gently but surely Pin- very satisfactory.

kettes clear the congested. Intestinal For the Emergency" Reserve of tract, stimulate sluggish liver, dispel Air Force veterans➡not for active billousness, sick headache, nausea,

purify the breath, brighten the eye, re- flying duties there have so far love piles. In short, Pinkettes keep been 1,076 applications. you in fine fottle. At all chemists,

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 21, 1938.

JAPANESE

Page

VERSION OF

WAR FRONT SITUATION Reuter's Correspondent On Way To Hsuchow

"THREATENING ΤΟ ENCIRCLE CHINESE MAIN FORCES"

Pengpu, To-day.

The situation of the Chinese armies in the Lunghai Railway area appears to be serious, reports Reuter's correspondent with the Japanese armies in the southern sector of the Tientsin- Pukow Railway front.

The correspondent says that the Japanese have: now succeeded in crossing the Yellow River and in cutting the Lunghai Railway in the vici- nity of Lanfeng, many miles west of Hsu- chowfu.

From Lanfeng the Japanese troops are now ad-

an

Virginia Bruce and Dennis O'Keefe in "The Bad, Man of Brimstone," showing at the King's Theatre to-day.

exiled Orthodox priest and

SEA RESCUE AFTER EXPLOSION

MEN ON TWO HALVES OF SPLIT SHIP

ATLANTIC DRAMA

Following the explosion on the Greek steamer Mount Kyllene, 5,313 tons, in mid-Atlantic, ' 'the vessel broke in two. The two parts se- parated, leaving 18 men stranded on one piece and 15 on the other.

All the crew, except four who were drowned, were rescued by life- boats from the Norwegian steamer Kaia Knudsen, 9,063 tons, the Liver- pool steamer Athelfoam, 6,500 tons, · and the Inverlee, 8,900 tons.

The rescue was carried out during heavy weather and in dangerous circumstances. It was impossible for the boats to approach the wreckage closely, owing to project- ing jagged and broken plates and other obstructions.

The Greeks jumped into the sea naked and were pulled into the lifeboats.

The only

.

vancing east and threaten to encircle the main worked on a number of philan- forces of the Chinese (who escaped from Hsu-thropic projects with him. Four rescue was chow and are trying to rally in the vicinity of who is now the Archbishop Nestor, was eventually persuaded to jump.

man lost during the the gallant wireless sent out the years ago, he entered the Orthodox operator who had Church and the Russian priest, S O S. He could not swim, but

Kweiteh) by co-operating with the Japanese him to the dignity of Archmandrite was lost. westward advance from Hsuchow.

Chinese troops in the Lunghai: Railway sector, moreover, have! been separated by the occupation of Hsuchow, the defenders of the Hsuchow area having been forced to the east of the town and a wedge drive between the armies.

ENGLISHMAN RAISED TO HIGH DIGNITY

These Chinese forces, accord- ing to information supplied by the Japanese military, compris- ing fifty divisions, are stated to be "without leaders and are re- Former treating in great disorder."

Customs

Man

Now An Archimandrite

performed the ceremony of raising He failed to reach the lifeboat and

The Kaia Knudsen has 14 sur- in the Church of St. Philip, Buck- ingham Palace Road, London, last |vivors, the Athelfoam four, and the

Inverlee 11. month.

RE-NAMED TWICE

com-

So far as memory serves, the Mount Kyllene is the first ship to remain afloat after breaking in two at sea. The two parts floated be- Mr. Gibbes was given the name

'cause her bulkheads the stout of Alexis when he entered the Or-

inner walls that divide ships into thodox Church, the name memorating his long association separate waterlight compartments stood up to the strain. It says with the Tsarevitch. When he sub- sequently took monastic orders his much for her builders that they

did so. Christian name was changed once more and he became Nicholas, in memory of the Tsar. He went to work England not long ago to among members of the Orthodox

They are also, it is claimed,

Church there who no longer speak threatened with encirclement by

Russian; he is now training a choir the Japanese drive eastward For (it is believed) the first time to sing in English. from Hsuchow combining with in recorded history, an Englishman Heretofore, the services at St. been partly the Japanese westward drive has been raised to the dignity of Philips': church have from Haichow, where a strong Archimandrite of the Russian in English and partly in Russian, Japanese naval party which land-Orthodox Church. This occurred in The new Archimandrite intends to ed yesterday has begun advanc-London on the eve of Russian Eas- have an all-English service once a ing westward towards Hsuchow. ter (April 24) and especial interest week eventually, as well as the pre-

in the event has been taken in both sent "mixed” service. “HOP, SKIP AND JUMP”

Shanghai and Harbin, for the Eng-

It is emphasised by the Japanese lishman was at one time connected military commanders that annihila-with the Customs service. Although tion of the Chinese in the Lunghai of late years he was known as the Railway area is not the final phase Abbot Nicholas, he was known as of the present war but is only the "Mr. C. S. Gibbes, unclassed assis- "hop" in a hop, skip and jump to tant," just over ten years ago, both Hankow, and possibly to Chung-in Shanghai and Harbin.. king.

A Bachelor of Arts of Cambridge University ... (1899) and Moral Science Tripos (1899), Mr. Gibbes

The present visit of Reuter's cor respondent behind the Japanese lines is the first to be made by any for eign correspondent since the occupa-received his first appointment with tion of Shanghai.

IN JAP. PLANE

the Customs in 1920. Thirty years ago, as Mr. Gibbes, he became tutor to the Tsarevitch, holding this post The correspondent left Shanghai until two months before the Rus- yesterday morning in a Japanese sian Royal Family was assassinated. military plane and hopes to *enter Hsuchow to-day.

Later, in Ekaterinburg, he assist- Yesterday a stop was made at ed M. Sokolov to establish the fact Nanking, and Reuter's correspondent of the assassination and sub- had the distinction of being, the sequently served with the British first British journalist to enter the Mission to Adm., Koltchak.' He former Chinese capital since its then joined the Customs at Harbin. occupation by the Japanese.-Reuter. While in Harbin, Mr. Gibbes met

LOOK AT THESE PRICES!

Special Snip Procured by our London buyers en- able us to offer These English Furnishing Fab- rics at such low Prices.

READ

The China Mail

COTTAGE WEAVE 48′′ WIDE

HEAVY REPP (Plain Colours) TAFFETA (Shot Silk) 50" WIDE

1st FLOOR

“EARLIEST WITH THE LATEST"

NEWEST

FABRICS

1.25 Yard.

WIDE

1.95 Yard.

1.95 Yard.

1

WHITEAWAY, LAIDLAW & CO. LTD.