1940-11-16 — Page 8

THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 16, 1940-

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EWO

BEER

Fireside

Comfort

On the dullest, coldest day there's sunshine in the room where there's a gas fire. Its healthy, glowing warmth has been acclaimed by the medical profession as, artificial "sun-heat." The sun on tap in fact. See the new gas fires at the showrooms to-day.

GAS

THE CHEAPEST HEAT ON TAP

Write. Call or Phone

THE HONG KONG & ́CHÍNA

GAS CO., LTD.

Central Showroom...... Gloucester Bldg., (Corner of East Arcade). Tel: 24704. Kowloon Showroom.

240, Nathan Rd., (Corner of Jordan. Rd.). Tel. 57341.

MOVING

WHILE BRITAIN HAS become accustomed to the daily and nightly raids of German airmen, the four large main-line railways have adopted the motto of the coachman of wild western days: "The mail must go through”—and not only the mail but war supplies, industrial goods, food, children who are be- ing taken to safety, and suburbanites-travelling to business.

Whatever is happening "up above" the railways carry on. Night after night railwaymen see that the "lines behind the lines" keep running.

Sometimes they do their work day compared with the corres- in absolute darkness while raidersponding period a year ago. circle directly overhead

Damage Quickly Repaired

SOVIET ENVOY CHEERED IN LONDON

Russian Ambassa- dor Ivan Maisky tour- ed East End air raid shelters late night.

one

to

In response cheers from their oc- cupants, he mounted a cart and made an impromptu speech in which, the "News- Chronicle"

quoted him as saying:

"Your warm greet-

ings are very welcome to me and my wife, but are more welcome to my country.".

1000000000

Important firms producing armaments under Government control demand supplies of coal and coke for their blast furnaces 100000 and steel works, and trainloads are continually leaving and arriv- allowed to join the Army and In actual practice it has been ing at private sidings in all the in-Navy, while 70,000 others are found that damage to railroads by dustrial areas from Aberdeen to growing food in their spare time, bombs is quickly repaired. Special the south, coast, Extra passenger utilising more than 4,000 acres of gangs are on the watch for bomb-trains have had to be organised land.alloted for this purpose by ing. "hits," which are only about for those who have been caught the railway companies. Yet the 5 per cent, and in most cases the in London air raids and missed the tracks are being maintained relaying of damaged lines and the last train bome.-

pre-war standards; coaches are in clearing away of debris is effected

Notwithstanding all this, more excellent condition; no signs of with the least possible delay than 25,000 railwaymen have been deterioration are to be seen. There may be overnight halts, but a single night's work usually has a shattered bridge sufficiently re- oaired, for temporary purposes, to be usable early next morning.

Unlike damaged business build- ings which are usually abandoned and left as they are, the railroads, are quickly put into commissioní again, and the vast network of railroads through the London area and leading, industrial dis- tricts enables quick re-routing to avoid delays.

The fact that, whatever happened during the night,

09

HARNESSING THE ST. LAWRENCE

ONE HUNDRED and ninety-two years have

at

has elapsed since man first harnessed the waters of Nia- many among London's suburban gara Falls. While Father Louis Hennepin was the millions, manage more or less re-first white man ever to view the Falls, in 1678, it was gularly to get to business, is itself evidence of the railways' steadi-not until 1748 that the French-Canadian trader, ness under fire and efficiency un- Chabert Joncaire, utilised the minutest fraction of der pressure,

their energy by ingeniously designing and construct- Gallantry Under Fireing a sawmill on the cataract's brink, says Thomas Sometimes in case of railway-P. Swift in the "New York Times." men there is conspicuous personal; From this humble and insigni-led on the intensive development steadiness under fire--such as the ficant beginning, the development of hydro power along the inter- gallantry of two railwaymen who of power from Niagara Falls and national rapids section of the St. gaved an ammunition train which surrounding waterways has run Lawrence River and not on the had been bombed and fired at one the gamut-of-evolutionary and larger seaway project of both end by calmly geing to the other economic progress to political | navigation and power encompass- end, unhooking wagon after wagon power intrigue. Production of ing the entire St. Lawrence- and, in the midst of an inferno of electric energy from Niagara's Niagara-Great Lakes system. blazing ammunition, levering each waters became an actuality in the wagon separately out of danger. carly Eighteen Nineties and by In- the war the main-line rail- | 1900 the United States and Can? ways have assumed an increasing~ | ada had joined hands in an effort ly important place in British to advance the "common interest" economy. They must maintain of both countries through the In- reasonable service for civilians and ternational Joint Commission, es- perform many vital war tasks at tablished as a permanent body to

settle international boundary dis One is constantly impressed by putes and investigate the problem the consideration shown for civi-of-improving the St. Lawrence lian passengers. Although all din- waterway. Ing and sleeping cars were with- drawn during the first few months of war, these facilities were sub- sequently restored: -

the same time.

Nonstop Trains Reduced

Preparedness Angle Cited

Canada, under wartime pressure and accelerated industrial expan- sion, is desirous of increasing its power facilities to play the role of "arsenal of the Empire.". The United States, embarking on the greatest national preparedness programme in the history of the nation, is expected to advance, through Administration propon- ents of the plan, the "possible power shortage" and "future pre- - paredness" arguments to their Development of the St. Law-fullest degree. rence seaway, purely as a naviga- tion

Strongly Advocated

Until 1924

project, was advocated Difficult Problems. strongly by the United States Government until 1024 and then,

A glance at the timetable soon proves that nonstop trains have for the first time, the possibilities private enterprise cannot develop It generally is recognised that been sadly reduced in number, of including hydro power in the the full power resources of the St. while the average express stops vast undertaking were not more frequently and often takes realised but

only Lawrence. On the other hand it given official sanc-will be a costly undertaking for 20 per cent more time. Maximum tion. Four Presidents of the Unit- both countries and, if the power speeds are lower, mainly because ed States have strongly urged the development programme were to this saves fuel. Punctuality is not adoption of the St. Lawrence sea- be started to-morrow, it could not, an outstanding characteristic, but way plan, but sectional opposition; according to competent engineers, civilians do not. grumble, know-plus pure economies, has defeat-be completed within seven years ing something of the urgent, ed every attempt for treaty ap- because of the water and ice heavy loads which British rail-

proval.

hazards that would be encounter- ways have had to handle at short notice.

The last St Lawrence treaty ed during the construction period. was signed by Canadian .and Despite the problems which United States. officials in 1932 development of a St. Lawrence: and sent to the Senate by Pre: hydro system would bring to pri- ' aldent Roosevelt, with an en-vate utilities in New York: State, dorsing › message, in 1934. it It is known that President Roose- failed to pass the Senate, falling velt considers. the undertaking as short of the necessary two-a definite objective. In a message thirds majority, by twelve votes, to the Senate in 1934, he declared: however. Since that time the development of four

you; know, I have advo

The wartime schedules no

· longer show de luxe trains such as the "Hook of Holland Ex- press," resplendent in its two- tone green and chromium-plat- Ing scheme--one of Europe'a.

·most luxurious trains.

great power areas in the United.

atlok and, each to be controlled. by the government or gövern- mental agonclóp: -The St. Law- rence development in the North- east calls for action? denga It Is estimated that, eventually,

To-day's schedules have been compiled to allow for emergency officially has lain: dormant: calls. The War Office, Admiralty, In recent months, however, New and Air Ministry each have a pri-Deal proponents of the plan, co-States, each to serve as a yard. vate line direct to the Railway operating with the New York Executive, and special trains aver-State Power Authority, have been aged over 100 per day during the actively at workin, reviving: the Arst four months of the war, these treaty. This time, in sharp con- trains being required for the trast to previous proposals, the transport of men, guns, vehicles, controversial navigation features munitions, rations, tanks, and gas of the plan, if not eliminated, un- about 5,000,000 horsepowerof, cylinders for barrage balloons, doubtedly will be relegated to the electricity can be extracted from One. British rallway system alone background.

the St. Lawrence Niagara de- operated an average of 4,000 goods. Current negotiations between velopment; cost estimates range trains every 24 hours from Sep-Washington and Ottawa, while up to $200,000,000,. the bulk of tember, 1939, to May, 1940, an in-guarded with the greatest of which would be shouldered: by. crease of more than 500 trains a' secrecy; are understood to be bas-the United States,

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