1940-12-31 — Page 7

More Bliss From

A hundred authorities have assured us, in verse and prose, in epigram and simple; straight. pronouncement, that the shallow murmur while the deep are dumb or that it is the function of know-- ledge to speak and of wisdom to

it will

was more meritorious.

the war has made us sociable; con- trickled once

Ignorance

The trouble is that the fellow parting shot, when, where,

-By- Ivor Brown

[tain things, just as it is a com- batant's duty to achieve certain forms of awareness. If we are appointed roof-spotters, to our office, then we must have sharp eyes, good cars, shrewd judgment, The activities of armed keep silence. The authorities may

and and a knowledge of aeroplane raiders provide a grim insisting, but mankind ob- not only knows but insists on how the war will end;

viously prefors the loquacious į

types. But if we are not roof- my knowing that he knows. He This, you may say, is not spotters and, owing to short- guessing game for every-shallows. The pleasures of knows where the bomb fell last | knowledge, but opinion.

But it is sightedness, are

never likely to body. But it is not so one taciturn ignorance

not night, and whether it was an passed to me as knowledge. At be, then why should we desire to have, especially in war-time, yet aerial torpedo, a land mine, or least the fellow has no sided as recent attacks in to me it appears that there never

doubts. have our own smattering of this a mere midget. He knows what What is so puzzling is the reason specialised knowledge? the Atlantic and Pacific was an hour when nescience was Hitler told Goering yesterday and why he enjoys all this knowledge,

more attractive and neither to what they will both be doing to sapience, information, call it what The country is full of men who, might seem to suggest.

own nor to profess knowledge morrow. He knows, by looking you will, and why he expects they assure you, can tell one: at a scarcely visible speck in the others to share his bliss. If there kind of bomber from another by On November 1, 1939, I recently read in the "New sky, what type of aeroplane that was a big bang last night it the noise which it makes. Is their When the German pocket bat-Statesman and Nation" that

affords me no consolation what-state the more, gracious? ever to know the exact label of we ignoramus (which I suggest : tleship Graf Spee sank a versation, which

the article which caused it. Remay be the correct plural of this: merchantman in the In-shyly in British railway carriages,

cently I heard, a man remark that word) are settling down to sleep Dows in spate. now

Air-raid dian Ocean. A month later

he did not

far object to Germans in the country and a faint, shelters prompt even the star-

bombing us "so long 35 they drone is heard, becoming distinct she sank another in the chiest people to address oach

'come clean.'" This struck mely less faint and far, what does South Atlantic. Panicky other without introduction or in-

as possibly British ard certainly it profit us to know that it is 'a i odd. For my part I dislike bombs, Dornier out in earnest and not a people said, "See, she has it seems, promotes that state is whither bound, and on

clean or dirty,, and am to whit Briton out for practice? In ou Britain guessing.' Thir-which Mr. Yellowplush described business. He knows, by listening relieved to learn of the spotless ignorance we can always assume

a droning sound in intention behind them or of their that it is the Briton and go teen days later the Graflary ally and easy pleas'ntry." to buzz or

Some may welcome this sudden the night, whether that is a Ger- exact nature and dimensions. to sleep with calm assurance, thus Spee stalked а French towering of stiff upper lips and man bomber hither come fir mis- That raises the whole question awakening next day fresh

and merchantman outside the loosening of the sluggish Island chief or a British bomber

of ignorance in war-time, a qual- vigorous instead of torpid after a Longue. But for me the talkative | practice flight, (His ability toity or condition. which I crave and night of fidgeting and worrying. Plate. Suddenly three and knowing neighbour holds a distinguish them is the more re- covet as the happiest of

ready

the posses-Thus we are

(let

for ધ British cruisers pounced prominent place among the minor markable since an airman of ex-sions, while others shun disdain, moralising patriot note)

one It is horrors of war. He is

of and disown it by every possible good day's work. 50 free perience has told me that it can- and the game was up. with what I do not in the least not certainly be done.) He knows, means. Admittedly it is a citizen's the chief merits of ignorance that

his information,

of course, as mere malter for a duly to keep informed about cer- it promotes an even sounder slum-

ber than poppy, mandragora, any syrup contrived by the quacks and sages of all time. If uny fuss-pot, full of pseudo-scientiße .notions about sleep, should ask which sleep group you happen to be in, you can curtly reply "The Happy Blockheads."

17

vitation. The advent of a bomb,

want

1.

The British guessed: That a raider will not re- main in an area where she 2. has been recognised. That she will strike again in some distant place to confuse searchers: 3. That she will eventually show up where merchant ships are plentiful--off Halifax where fat convoys of munitions and 'planes head for Britain, or off the Plate where ships loaded. with South American grain and meat fan out toward England. The Graf Spee's end showed that the Navy is composed of good guessers.

The raider which sank the Jervis Bay bound from Canada may have sneak- ed home through the pro- tective veil of sub-arctic storm and darkness in furtive sweep past Ice- land. She may have been counting on supplies from

a

I

what

on at

|

GILES

"We say to her: 'Friend or Foe?' and all she keeps saying is: 'Foe!'"

the Germanship that at So This Is Hong Kong?

at-|

of

on

tempted to slip out Tampico. She may have been the vessel that tried the same stunt Christmas Day and found herself faced with H.M.S. Berwick and a contest she did not relish.

off

or

This is not counsel againsi tak- ing shelter when the alarm Js given. My war-time advice for those aspiring to a quiet life is to do as one is told when the teller has authority, to believe nothing when the teller has not, and never to strive after or profess unneces- sary knowledge. The Ministry of Information's "Silent Column"

was heavily bombarded because 'silence is deemed a virtue by few and is a virtue achieved by still fewer. The Ministry's idea was il good one: many of us would get on with our business belter and have a happier Lime if we could only reconcile our- selves to a state of inarticulate ignorance concerning the strategy and technique of war. There is far less danger of the chatterboxc telling Hitler what Hitler already knows than of his boring and fussing us all into a state of un- endurable war-weariness.

The model citizen. is one who applies his reason where it can and does not be profitably used pretend to knowledge of that which is essentially unknowable. But it is as a pleasure rather than as a duty that I mainly commend ignorance in wartime. To be able honestly and. bluntly to refuse all discussion as to Hitler's next step (or how long the war will last is total felicity in a world where any form of felicity is

To

scarce.

To be pas

Sent By An Unnamed Correspondent to The Christian Science Monitor Military preparations are being their fortunes in this outpost of if capital ships would be brought deny all knowledge of how many made in Hong Kong to a degree emnire look down. They are like within firing range until Hong aeroplanes Goering has left and never before witnessed. Hong castles in the clouds, clinging pre-Kong's air force had been wiped how many arriving and to leave out. The air force is small but those who know to settle the mate Kong will be defended if trouble cariously to the sheer green pre- comes with Japan, although until cipices.

efficient. It has underground han-ter, if they can, is such a pre- recently there was talk of retir- The main streets of Victoria run

gars and considerable gasolinecious saving of labour when so supplies. ing to Singapore. The Army here for several blocks from the water-

many other things, like travel to has been greatly inspired by the front to the base of the Peak, Here Military authorities are working and from work, may be so slow defence of Malta, Gibraltar and big tunnels are being hollowed

on the assumption that Hong and exhausting. Commerce raiders are a other empire outposts. It is ap-out, a quarter of a mile or more Kong would be cut off from avail-

Let me confess to immense curi serious threat to the lines parent that the military authori-into the heart of this great moun-able assistance from. Singapore In of

the event of a Japanese attack,osity In general. ties have been taking stock of tain. These tunnels will serve as sea communications.the local situation all over again, air-raid shelters, and to some ex-except reinforcements for the sionate for facts and explanations Air 'Force. The Ja-where these are obtainable is to But there has been noth- and a new brand of determinationtent for the storage of munitions. Royal

occupation of Hai-get most fun out of life. But ing in their occasional is being evidenced, As regards The hasta with which this work.is panese

the Navy, Hong Kong has been being carried out intimates on iman and more recently nothing is more tedious or del sorties thus far to indicate reduced to a bare minimum be-pending emergency.

of French Indo-China gives them pressing than to be flooded with

· present control of the waters be-assured knowledge about events that they will be a decisive cause Britain's major fleet con-

centration. In the Far East is at Military Governor

tween Singapore and Hong Kong.which are both uncertain and un- factor in the war at sea Singapore.

British troops would ultimately pleasant--that is, the course of a Hong Kong is under the control whether in the Atlantic or

The evacuation of British wa- of a military Governor. It has evacuate the New Territories on war. Now is the time not to look the Pacific. It cost the men and children from the colony also been brought more completely the mainland and retire to Hong forward; let us leave strategy to has cleared the air. All male. Bri-into the orbit of military defence Kong island, from which they the strategists and seroplanes to Germans some $18,000,000 fish civilians are undergoing, mill-by being placed under the Singa could control all approaches. Hong the Air Force.

tary training and are on call at Dore command of the Royal Air Kong is in

a sort of millions and civilians? to build the Graf Spee, hours of the day and night in puree, maong Kong is in fact Gibraltar, a granite mountain from Alas! regardless of their doom more than the total value the event of an emergency.

The little victims play? In

Why alas? Would they be hap of the ships and cargoes short, Hong Kong is an armed within the radius of the air arm which a relatively small garrison that pivots around the great fort of well-equipped troops might camp in which normal civilian life she sank before she her has ceased to exist. In a whole ess far to the south. Hong Kong stand off the Japanese for months plerif knowing what's to come? But even the most optimistic Gray corrected the error in his is said to have one of the best

military appraisal would not go solast line and made Ignorance they half a dozen European women in

the world, raiders inflict an intan- the streets or hotels.

could hold out indefinitely, esperprofound, all-enveloping and com gible loss by compelling toria clings along the fringes of mountains are now festomed with more serious with protracted hose, and a allent treasure. George The Peak Itself and surrounding clally as the food problem grew fartable ignorance, a modest, sec- the use of many ships and a protected harbour, and across barbed wire entanglements, The ülities. But in any event Hong Ellot said that three things could from it is Kowloon. Huge green great camouflaged shore batteries, Kong would have great nuisance much time in search, and mountains 'rise 1,500 feet out of some of them. 1,000 feat above the value, for the Japanese would not be hidden love, a cough, atid by causing confusion the water and look down upon harbour, now go into operation either have to attack or leave it ignorance Nonsense. It is know among civilian popula-ships riding at arichor, brave little frequently. Large guris rear their alone as a submarine base lying ledge and the pretence to it, so China coasters and merchantmen heads from concrete emplacements between them, and meir major els common in these days, that will tions. But it is a question from ports the world over. Many or the steep cliffs and pick off jective further south. On the other not hold their elders whether all this will count Chinese junks are always plying targets many miles at sea, Hong thand, an actas fon Hong Kong mine by com

to and fro in the harbour, and Kong's biggest guns, partly be would divert a not inconsiderable, unashamed, inarticulate" i as more than nuisance they tend to Hong Kong an atmos: cape of the advantage of great part of the

way and how. „JOYOUE-RS value in the final outcome here all its own. From the height outrarige thoser on anything it would del

this sense

What of the

self was destroyed, Seaj day here one sees no more than anti-aircraft defence systems infar as to suggest that Hong Kong | blissful state. It is also if a true,

The rent modern City of Vic-

farious Peak above. Victoria the extendo Japan's Bigiant super-campaign by wee villas of Baitons who have madd, dre nghĩa, and it is doubtful, mont

perhaps Lilly questions

char-

grand,

dence, rudent

well' as refusal to answer, to discuss im