1940-12-26 — Page 7

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THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 26, 1940.

CHINA MAIL

Mines

Can't Stop

WINDSOR HOUSE

THE FUTURE OF These Bold Fishermen

EUROPE

Herr Hitler's speech a few days ago, which was aptly and tersely described by the American press as a "pep" talk to bolster up the courage and enthusiasm of Ger- man workers, was dealt with at some length by the British press It was somewhere suggested that Mr. Churchill would or should reply with a reiteration of Bri- tain's war aims, but this has not been considered necessary at this juncture nor would it be wise to 'bind any future Government as to details, which, in themselves must take shape as circumstances permit.

15

"

HEN you eat your kipper at breakfast do you ever stop to think of the trials and diff- has given culties this little fish the men whose task---they would have me call it duty-it is to get it to your table?

You are probably more con- cerned about the price of it. Nat- consider, too, the urally. But heavy price demanded of those elements and war dangers, staking stout-hearted fellows who brave their lives in a gamble of death. And just for fish!

These men, the plain fishermen as we know them, normally play- ing a small part in Britain's ein- derella industry, are to-day help- nation, and so ing to feed the helping to win the war, for food for the people is life for them.

The "London Times," however, went for the trouble of refuting once again the oft-repeated story | which characterises many of Hit- ler's utterances. that Britain seeking to crush Germany out of existence. "It can only be because Hitler reads British policy in the light of his own designs that ne predicts that the loss of the war by Germany will mean the end of the German people and the dis- persal of the German nation. This view," continued the lender, "has already been refuted by the Bri-ed workers of yesteryear became tish statement of the purposes for

an essential and integral part of which Britain entered the

our war machinery. They claim no place on the scroll of our na- tional heroes- yet what else are they?-they are pleased to think they are contributing something lo victory.

war,

It is no part of British in- terest or British intentions to des- troy Germany or, as Hitler alleges, to impose # Westphalian peace. No European order can be com- is plete from which Germany excluded and among the most im- portant of Britain's war aims is a Europe in which Germany oc- cupies an equal but not the do- minant place."

This reasonable expression of opinion of one of the leading Bri- tish newspapers stands out boldly in face of the German Fuehrer's violent and hysterical outpouring of hate, the more so as it was

Thus it is that these discard-

Hard Cash For The Exchequer

Let me say it is no small "some-

written in a city suffering almost thing." Catching fish not only

daily from German indiscrimin-means food for

in which

it-

the community;

ate bombing self is calculated to arouse deep there is hard cash for the Exche- dent offshoots, when the main in-

for quer in every basket of fish land-dustry is flourishing.

resentment

revenge.

and

desire 2

an

This purse is being well filled industry by the labours of which three years ago was heavily hit by unfair foreign com- petition that it was in danger of a

30

i11

I saw an equipment s'ore which hundreds of men and wo- men are employed-thanks to the labours of the fishermen. This is

By William

Gibbons

The country-I call the Gov-only one of the several such firms ernment that-refused a helping where they have women engaged' hand to save it then. To-day that in net making, turning out many ncts a year with a consumption of same industry is saving the coun-

many tons of netting. try. Let this lesson on the war

floor were From ceiling' to be well and truly learned.

stocks of ropes, hemp, wire, nets, .deck twines, engine-room and stores and fishermen's outfitting.

ed. The more fish brought home) Another statement as to the the more Excess Profits Duty goes future status of Europe deserves to the Government.

Mr. attention as coming from Herbert Morrison, Home Secre-

for tary and Minister

Home Security. Mr. Morrison was deal- ing with the purpose of the war and pointed to the possibility of a cooperative international system guaranteed by an international | knock-out, police force as visualised by Bri- tain in the future European order. "Never again," he said, "shall it be possible for ruthless bomber forces to terrorise the continent, to smash homes and cities, to crush innocent bodies of women and children, to blastinto powder the fruits of man's toil and the

that Let it be remembered monuments of his greatness. Whatever else peace may bring these fishing trawlers and crews, normal activities were or take away, that at least must whose go for ever.

Separate air forces, considerably restricted when war International broke out, gave invaluable service tommy-gun or gangsters must be abolished-we in other capacities.

ira which must have an order

Don't forget how they helped every man is free not only to

talk but work-for in the Dunkirk evacuation and in think and

the seas of enemy constructive ends, I see no rea- sweeping sonable hope of freedom until we mines. .can achieve conscious 'deliberate mobilisation of our economic re- *sources on a coopérative inter-

national plan.”

Job That Takes Strength, Courage

It was good to see these girls, whose nimble fingers were filling shuttles and "knitting" nets with dexterous twists and turns of hands. It meant prosperity. was So it is that this town, existing by its own industries, relies the fishermen.

Others remained to keep alive that in itself is a their trade powerful war weapon. It These two statements are suf- these I went to see at a North iflètent to illustrate how Britain West port which, without them, visualises the "new order" in would be off the map.

the

Means Life To Allied Trades

.on

A few yards away I found cur- ers and filleters and other stores facing the docks, whose loaded quayside means work and more work for them.

their

wives homes; from

and children to scas fraught with these perils. Away from port, a good long sail to their fishing area, and then the trawl is put

Work is started.

out.

men,

nine

and six

and Day

night, skipper, mate, bo'sun, deck hands, toil almost unceas~; ingly. The trawl is hauled in

fish every three hours, the empfied Into large portable con- tainers, and out it goes again.

shadow of war. They just refuse to be intimidated by Nazi terror. ism.

"We've a job to do, and we are going to do it. The people want feeding, and if we can help to do it, we shall." Thus spoke a man who recently saw his crew at the mercy of a Nazy 'plane overhead, machine-gunned before the ɛea around them was churned into, a foaming moss by bomb explosions.

"My chief engineer saved us," he told me. "One bomb broke the feed pipe, and there was danger

of the boat flooding. He showed great presence of mind, and ram- med a pit prop in the hole."

Played Part At Dunkirk

Then I met a second edition of

Jack Hood, the old boxing cham- pion. He left the fishing fields of Iceland to take part in the Dun- kirk evacuation.

He is scarcely proud of the fact that whereas constant bomb ing attacks during two trips from Dunkirk to Ramsgate could not keep him off the sea, meningitis did. But he was out some days before he contracted it.

fishing for knew he'd

He certainly gets plenty of ex- citement, During the last war his the bottom smack was sent to after a meeting with a U-boat. ".

Another skipper, so modest he would not have his name in print; told me of a strange catch he

The trawl had recently.

was brought in, and the fish emptied on deck. the container into

ap- Among the fish he saw what peared to be a huge stone. It was a mine! Anyway, he brought it back with him among his "catch.”

“Dirty' Job, But Fish Is Clean -

Yes, it's a "dirty" job all right, but you can take it from me they keep your fish scrupulously clean from the time it is hauled in to the time it is taken to your local shops.

There is a lot to be done be fore the trawl is brought in again. The fish must be gutted and wash- ed and put into the fish rooms. When the gutting and washing and packed with ice. Little time is done on board, the fish 19 for sleep between these "relays" packed in ice in the hish rooms often none. If there's an hour until the boat gets back to port. and a half rest they're lucky.

On the quayside, the fish is re- packed into baskets and hauled And so it goes until after ten out by electric winches. The of these days and nights, 24 hours crow then have the task of of work the whole time, the little thoroughly washing out the fish with fresh water, and the rooms trawlers head for port and men a well-earned, but brief, res-hand-scrubbing the equipment. 'pite; a mere 36 hours in their

Hasty plans for the auction The homes before going off again. That is after constant sailing, on sales, which start at 7.30

Ash is graded, and laid out in an average 00 miles a day.

boxes on the floor of the mark and the bargaining begins.

Proudest Skipper

Briskā

-And

So To You Merchants from all parts the country sure there, giving quick glance hils, and there, and making their spiading. Side by side are boscure fitwo dozen dif- ferent varieties Bi fish.

The

In The Town Europe, Germany, needless to say,

That's True, there's reward.

fsh ihas an entirely different plan is

as it should be, The 'more mind. German leaders in

caught the fuller their wage pac- reconomic and financial fields have 'prepared a scheme which they

That is what the fisherman ikats. Proudest skipper in this aro, incidentally, already attempt..

doing. But it takes a strong and town is a stalwart who holds the Ing to put into effect, in which the

courageous man to do this job. He record with a catch of 770 boxes, each of 10st. In ten such days Western nations of Europe will

knows what lies ahead of him:

ishing: be subject to strict German tute- Here in spite of the calls made possibly a 'plane attack, a meeting

£4,000 lage, basing their economic struc- by the Government for the various with a submarine, or he muy haul That, in cash, is over

mine as they ture on lines dictated by Berlin. craft, there are ships, 300-ton in a torpedo or

earned for his employers and home Hitler has announced to the Ger- trawlers down to the little 130- have on occasion. It takes more the Government. Ells next best is washin mun people that he is conducting ton drifters. That means em than that, however, to deter him.600 boxes. As a colleague of his mill this war in order to save theployment for some ›hundreds of nation from serfdom but he added, fishermen. But that is not all. Life to this industry is life to the that not one inch of territory now occupied by German soldiers allied trades, would be murrendered. This state-

Think what it means to colliers, ment is in itself swaffoleurt to in- rallwaymen, ship repairers, boll- dicate the gap which exists be- or winkers, equipment manufact- tween the British and German urára, market labour,i« curers,

fileters, etc,, "among them

Their Perlious 300 Mile Trib Here is a typi

...

put it, Bab dosa'timind going in | Ing to waters many brave men would chanti ahun.

and

"mach-" "patch

Stalkers.

Ant!

the food is comp

have brought,