1939-12-28 — Page 8

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THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 28, 1939

MIRROR OF WORLD

OPINION

COMMAND OF

THE AIR

OVERSEAS TROOPS

It might be asked why, if so many Decisive action by air power has not men are being discouraged from join- ing the British Army by be- yet been attempted by the enemy or

ing told the that "there is the Allies. Though we have had none

no need for men at present," of those mass attacks of bombers by threats of which, both before and after should forces be brought from over- seas? The military answer to this is the outbreak of war, the Hitler regime has continually tried to make our flesh, simple. The British conscription Act creep, German activity in the air has makes all men between the ages of 18 been steadily increasing. The record and 41 liable for service within Britain is full of encouragement for us. Ger- or abroad. Deliberately refusing to use man airmen sent on raids and recon-

the youngest classes thus made avail- able

Government to it, the British naissances must be convinced of the justice of Sir Kingsley Wood's claim issued a proclamation on October 1 that they have proved the unity and calling up all men between the ages of flexible efficiency of

20 and 22. They were to be summon- the many ele-

were to be sup- ments in our defence system-fighter

ed in batches, and plemented by volunteers from the squadrons, anti-aircraft guns, balloon barrages and the rest.

older age-groups. At the time of the officially stated proclamation it was that men would continue to be called soon as training facilitles upon as could be provided. The Government was limited by the number of instruc- tors. It had no intention of being numbers of men and of sending them out to fight in a

Before the war we were often told that our sea power would be endan- gered by the new air weapon. So far the very converse has proved true. Squadrons of the Air Force have actually extended the Navy's com-

mand of the sea by coastal patrols swamped by huge

throwing defensive screens over mer-

& CO., LTD. chant shipping in the narrow seas and technical war while still imperfectly

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THE KAILAN MINING ADMINISTRATION

HOUSEHOLD COAL

Prices per metric ton delivered, as follows:-

Peak District ·

Bowen Road & Lower Levels

Kowloon

Repulse Bay

Pokfulum

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$33.00

$31.00

$30.00

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Clients are hereby informed that deliveries of Household Coal can only be made if cheque or cash for the supply is sent with the order.

DODWELL & CO., LTD.

Agents.

trained.

In "total war" the whole nation is at present has affected, and Britain

enrolled in 10,000,000

fighting or be Thus it will auxiliary services.

the ocean approaches, by destroying enemy aircraft and by giving effectual reinforcement to the campaign against submarines. Fifty-seven attacks from the air on U-boats, a third of them at least inflicting substantial damage, readily seen why, if she is called upon must have added much to the hazards to raise large numbers of divisions for and the strain of the crews in that land warfare in Europe next spring, unholy service. Another form of co- military considerations would lead her operation with the Navy is shown to welcome Dominion participation.

when we hear for the first time that

es-

The enemy has a superiority in the air, and we are preparing to overcome it with our Empire training scheme. Sir Henry Gullett has declared that Germany also possesses a superiority on land; and the question now in front of us is whether we can fairly expect

the British submarine which, damaged by heavy weather, had to put into a Norwegian port for repairs was corted there and home again by our aircraft. On the way they beat off a |flight of German 'planes and shot one down. The gallant attack on German France to make up the deficiency, and warships at Heligoland, scoring direct the military effort of the British Em-

pire to be limited hits with heavy bombs, gives one more

Britain alone. example of the effective linking of air

Herald." power with sea power.-"Dally Tele- graph."

*

*

*

THE BATTLE

to the men of "Sydney Morning

CRUMBS ON THE

YANGTSE

The Japanese promise to open the Yangtze river to third-power com- merce means much or relatively little, It reminds us that the present con- depending on whether the opening of flict, perhaps in a unique degree, is the gates is done in such a way as to ultimately not material but spiritual, give the impression that the third- that the clash is," in the last resort, not power interests are to be admitted on between armies or governments but sufferance or because of basic rights. between irreconcilable creeds... If The circumstances of the promise of

is

"BENES NE SPI"

The heroes of national libera- tion, hastily dethroned last year, are being restored In the people's hearts with increased glories.

flooded Benes, formerly

with abuse as the man whose allegedly uncompromising polloy led the nation into disaster, is becoming an almost legendary figure. His name is being whispered from mouth to mouth: "He is working for our liberation; he mobiilsed the world to release us from the Hapsburgs twenty years ago, he'll release US from Hitler, too." "Benes no spi"-Benes does not steep has come to be the general watchword in towns and villages throughout Ozechoslovakia. Johann Hirsch.

we set ourselves to destroy what wrong in the sight of man, this is only that we may defend what is right in the sight of God. With Infinite reluctance we have faced the detestable horrors of war because in no other way, as it seemed, could we save for man- kind. His gifts of freedom, happiness, and spiritual life. When bloodstained paganism menaces Europe, people of all faiths, Christian or otherwise, who believe in God. are ready for any sacrifice, knowing that what they fight for is not the mere fabric of civilisation but its spirit and its soul.

the readmission of American and other third-power trade on the great China water highway, a promise made by the Japanese for- eign minister to the American ambas- sador, are such as to to give reason belleve that Japan

is coming around to the position to ad- mitting as grace- fully as possible that she cannot, at least at present, exercise absolute control over China and China trade. But there are SO many possible qualifications of ad- mission and so many degrees of con- trol that it is well not to jump at sweeping conclusions.

This can be said with no trace of

The promise to open the Yangtze, self-righteousness. Some religious

and possibly later the Pearl River In teachers are at the moment so afraid South China, represents a victory for of this fault that they impute the war the United States in the session of in part to our national or individual

diplomatic conferences occasioned by sins. Our collective and separate short- the approach of the date for formal comings are real enough, yet it was not termination of the American-Japanese these which at least broke down our treaty of navigation and commerce. persistent and repeated efforts for However, it is merely a qualified or peace. We entered on war only when conditional victory in a preliminary to take any other course would; have skirmish. been to betray not merely human free- Just what Admiral-Minister Nomura dom but the laws of God. Aware of told Ambassador Grew is not known, this, we can the better pray for the most probably will remain a dilopmatic speedy coming of a real peace, not for secret. However, that which was an- the sake of a return to security and nounced is decidedly encouraging for comfort, but because the gaining of this stage of the preliminary negotia- such a peace alone justifies the loath- tions, a favourable indicator.-— "Manila some necessity of war."The Times," Bulletin."

THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 28, 1939

MILITARY SHOW PUT ON FOR HITLER BREAKS DOWN

Paris, To-day.

THE FAILURE OF WHAT might have been a little military show for Hitler's personal benefit was the only incident marring the complete calm at the front yesterday.

The official German news agency reported that Hit- ler was present in the front line south of Saar- bruecken.

Approximately at the Hitler was supposed

spot where

to be the Ger- mans sent over a raiding party,

If Hitler had really been there he must have heard the rattle of machineguna and the

of grenades.

explosion

The raid ended with the Germans falling back to their own lines, leav- ing an officer and two N.C.O.'s dead on the field.

Reuter.

NEW NAZI BLOCKADE DODGE

Geneva, To-day, Several leading Swiss news-

papers yesterday published

the advertisement of a Berlin company offering to sell vari- ous German patents powerful enterprises.

to

Industrial and financial quarters in Switzerland are wondering whether there may not be concealed behind this offer a German project for meet- ing the Allied blockade of German exports by introducing the manufac- ture of patented industrial products that such in neutral countries, so

products may be exported as neutral

goods.

TROOPS SURROUND DUBLIN

Dublin, To-day.

Dublin was surrounded by a military cordon yesterday morn. ing, as the result of the theft of a ammunition large quantity of from 2 magazine Park.

in Queen's

Soldiers patrolled the streets and all vehicles were searched.

Four men were arrested imme. diately the theft occurred and so far about a quarter of a ton of the stolen ammunition has been recovered/Router.

COMIC ARMY IN TERIJOKI

(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")

Helsinki, To-day.

from Tallin

Arrivals

have an amusing story to tell of the puppet govern- that ment set up by the Soviet ma- at Terijoki, which calls manufac- itself the "Finnish Peo-

It is furthermore suggested the Germans may hope to obtain in neutral countries certain raw terials necessary for the ture of patented goods, as such raw

materials are no longer available in ple's Government" al-

Germany.-Reuter.

SPECIAL AID IN WAR OF DOMINIONS

LONDON, TO-DAY.

A “TIMES” LEADER, COMMENT- ING ON THE ARRIVAL OF FIRST UNITS OF THE

though it has few people

to govern.

has now

The puppet government got its own toy army.

Unfortunately, the "army" has no uniforms of its own, and the Soviets are too busy fighting the Finns to be able to provide them with any.

accordingly A MUSEUM was ransacked, and the toy army is now fitted out with military co- tumes of the early 18th century. The costumes are worn exactly as with one 200 years ago, they were

middle of each exception. In the

Red cocked hat now appears the

Reuter.

THE AUSTRA-

LIAN FORCES POINTS OUT THAT ON THIS, FOLLOWING SO SOON THE ARRIVAL OF THE CANADIAN CONTINGENT, YET FURTHER UN- DERLINES THE UNITY OF

Starl

-

THE

BRITISH FAMILY, OF NATIONS.

NEW “SERENITY”

It says those Germans not complete- UNDER CONSTRUCTION

ly hypnotised by Goebbels will

Bee

London, To-day. this as the writing on the wall and

The owners of the British ship an exposure of the two false assump- tions on which Germany began the Serenity, sunk in the North Sea by war, namely, that the Western De-enemy action, have decided to give mocracies were too decadent to de- the same name to a new motor ves- Brisel now under construction for them fend themselves, and that the tish Empire is in an advanced state in a shipyard in south-east England.

to British. Wireless-- of disintegration and would fall pieces in the face of the demand for

a common sacrifice.

on

The journal further comments that the Dominions, while taking their land the burden of share

clearly visualis and sea, have

which they ed the special..... ald can give in the air, and it seems likely that in this war the air forces will be to the Dominions >what the army is to France-and-the navy to Britain British Wireless,

SWISS GIFT TO: FINNISH ́RED.. CROSS (SPECIAL TO “CHINA: MAIL") - Berne, To-day. The Federal Couricil has decided to send a gift of 100,000 francs to the Finnish Red Cross.--Havas,