1941-01-07 — Page 7

CHINA MAIL Rebuilding London

--WINDSOR HOUSE

RUSSIA NEXT?

and battered.

London

don area have arisen

Was

of

the

Do

What “Luftwaffe" Has Done

they

As destruction by bombing goes the people of London' than it|tectural exercise. The story that fcrowded and more decent to live on, reconstruction is in the air would to provide for the entire Christopher Wren put in a grand in; and to see that streets are as well.

Sir John Reith has been population of most countries, if design which, was rejected is straighter and wider than made Minister of Works and attacked. The task has been dis- just a legend. Homeless London-were. Some of Hitler's most Building. A Cabinet Committee charged with fair efficiency, often ers were anxious to set up house the have is discussing the New Model Bri-(some neutral observers say) be- and go to work again, and striking successes

tain of after the war, while thecause of, rather than in spite of, elty's" rebuilding was simply the been gained by doing the

Government's Property Insur-the lack of centralisation among sum of the rehabilitation of many busi- unforeseen and the unex-ance Bill will supply the financial public services, among indepen-thousands of families and

This is not to say that the basis for projects of rebuilding.. dent electricity and gas works nesses. All the authorities would pected. He is the prime only a year ago, all the mem- and competing dairies and other do was influence the pattern

planners who have for long de- exponent of the doctrine bers of a Royal Commission were retail deliverers. There has been restoration by enforcing building spaired of London have no place The raids have improvisa-standards, by insisting upon brick in its mending. that surprise is the most agreed that some limit should be elasticity and lively

proved many of their points. It get to London's growth and tion. But the absolute dependence or stone in place of timber and

should never have been left to important element in the London holds the limelight now

of London's millions upon dis by banning overhanging houses

the Luftwaffe to tear down Lon big tant supplies, and upon a close and narrow streets. waging of war. Stalin's because the capital is both

don's slums; and It has criss-cross of countless roads and London is still the sum of its and

taken

a only

few obvious jumpiness

bombs Two hundred and seventy-four railways stretching wearily for citizens, their lives and their oc-

has movements of the Red years ago,

on traffic routes to show the crazy burnt scores of miles,

not been cupatlons. It exists for them, not inconvenience of a development Then, the city was built helpful in the defence of Britain. they for its aesthetic appearance which has set the homes and Army as a result of in-down.

again with all speed to restart And in many details, too, inten- or efficient functioning. Nor is creasing German concen-its life and livelihood

workplaces of Londoners a day's and to sive bombing has given point to the damage done, or likely to

march apart. Nor should it have trations towards Eastern prevent the nigration of its citt- the claims of London's pre-war be done, to London as great in

needed the shock of bombing to zens beyond its boundaries. This critics; rows of shoddy houses and proportion as that done by Europe may,

demonstrate the inefficiency of a therefore, time, the exodus from the centre tawdry tenements have given Great Fire. There can be

has ad- local separatism that gallant airmen going

Goering's on not be altogether misdir-of London has been

easy Phoenix, because there are hot ministered London from a host of for forty years already, and the targets; and the confusion of nar-enough ashes; and the first nin

and ected.

town halls

public offices. main problems of life in the Lon-row streets and the absence of of reconstruction, now as then,

Plans for elastic emergency trans- from the broad, straight routeways have must be pure utility-to keep port facilities to carry people out It has been taken rather combination of sprawling residen-complicated both defence and London habitable and fit to work to the inner rim of London, there for granted that German at suburbs and crowded work-communication

and travel in. This is surely the to be borne off fanwise to their places in the cen'ral districts. concentrations in

any alry various homes, echo the neglected Rum-

Rich market gardening landl in Overcoming Difficulty sketching of the city that might Bressey Plan for smoother traffic ania represent the prethe London basin has been ob-

have been erected on Thames- while the These d.ficulties

and new routeways for London. beenside had the design been given lude to a move to break literated by houses,

to Sir John Reith is not But their abate-out as a single entity to tender-asked first to draw up, say, complicated partly overcome. most congested and Britain's control of the transport system in the world ment is a first item in any plan ing architects instead of evolving five-year plan, though his office

to to remodel damaged London; this formlessly a has been needed, not only Mediterranean with

indeed hold the germs may link Londoners with their work, is a golden chance. This is not thousand years. It is a twofold the National Planning Board that drive through Turkey and but also to furnish their daily to say that the blue prints for a task: to repair the ravages of

New Jerusalein

sought to super- wanted

has long been Syria to Egypt, or, alter-supplies.

or raids; and to lay down, for the vise and control the use of Bri- Now the "Blitzkrieg" has un.

relevant. 111 the Great Fire, first time effectively. wise build- attack to-

tain's land. natively an

His job is imme- derlined the monstrous artificial. most of existing London was burnt ing standards--to see that the

diate; Government building he wards Salonika through ity of London. Under fire it has down, but even then it was not new buildings are better than

will be able to control directly; taken more ingenuity and resource possible to replan and rebuild the the old, wherever possible, Bulgaria.

to transport, supply and succour city as a single project or archi-healthy and more convenient, less private building he will be in a position to control because all such building is banned without licence to eke out building ma- terials and labour. It is an ex- ercise in war economy, to make the best use of scarce resources. In the first place, houses that are needed must at least be made

se habitable and safe. In the cond, public places and thorough- fares must be rendered swiftly usable. And all the time, bricks or mortar, steel, cement or away from the the

However, neither Ger- many nor Russia has held forth much serious pre- tence that the Russo-| German Pact is either strong or durable and, apart from M. Molotov's Nazi over- rejection of

are

have

immediate task. not

over more

Hitler's Invasion Of United States

America has been the victim of

an invasion: an invasion carefully

tures a few weeks ago. there are many reasons why Hitler should turn planned and carried out by Adolf his legions in the "Mein Hitler's agents.

Kampf" direction Ukraine. The Ukraine

By Allan Michie

the

is

It began long before the out- break of war in Europe, hut il hus been allowed to develop institul in

cause its two main weapons- espionage and propaganda--are

not easy to expose.

Stuttgart which floods

Free News

a. land dripping with comparative secrecy largely be America with propaganda. riches and fat; it would provide the Germany of Hitler with virtually all he wants both for military adventures and the pur poses of peace.

Enough evidence has now been gathered by the Federal. Bureau the facts to be put on record, of Investigation to enable some of

try of information.

The facts show that:

America;

Nazi commercial agents

than

a

more

Number One man 15 Captain workmen must be drawn

uses, from essential

Fritz Wiedemann, sinister-looking confidant of the Fuehrer, and his jerection of war factories or commanding officer in the lastronstruction of defence works. war, who directs Nazi interests from San Francisco.

Wiedemann selected a post on the west coast because he felt it was most ready for Nazi penetra- tion.

watches

American

for

be

a

no

Problems To Be Faced

resources

ΟΙ

are

to

To allocate building materials according to a strict schedule priorities, and to mobilise every available hand for the work and Herbert Scholz, consul in Bos-on the sites on which labour 19 The Transocean News Service,

ton, is an intimate friend of most needed—this is what is from its headquarters in New

Himmler, and keeps watch on wanted to keep London and the York, pushes Nazi-slanted news

as going into the hinterland of the United the activities of other Nazi diplo- other bombed "towns States and South America, and mats as a favour for the Gestapo concerns and to maintain the war

chief.

effort unimpaired. At present gives its news-service for nothing The revelations are disturbing if it ennnot sell it.

there is delay and waste, houses Tall, handsome Wilhelm Tan-

of Where inclination joins to America: they should cause

The German Library of In-nenberg. economic adviser at the and workplaces too long out hands

publio with

some concern at Britain's Minis-formation, a branch of the Nazi German Embassy, advantage,

and Schacht's use, communications and the temptation to a man

Consulate in New York, has 37 mouthpiece in America, has the services too tardily repaired, roads blocked too long by debris. Every employees, and gets out such do- special assignment of making

effort is being made within the of Hitler's calibre may

cuments as "Polish Acts of Atro-American businessmen appease- well be irresistible.

The Nazis have built up an city against the German Minority ment-minded by dangling post-existing frame of organisation to there are two amazingly efficient. widespread in Poland," and "Britain's Designs war deals with Germany before mend matters;

their eyes.

Special Commissioners for Lon- The uneasiness of Bul-propaganda mill in America, di-on Norway."

don to rehouse the homeless and rected by Germany's diplomatic garia and the confident and consular officials in Washing- letin called

Its special pride is a weekly but-

Baron Edgar Spiegel von und zuto repair roads and services; and "Facts in

World War U-boat Review," Peckelsheim,

5,000 soldiers are clearing away belligerence of Turkey all ton and New York;

which gives the official Nazi views commander,

London's debris. But authority suggest that Axis-Soviet

on the war and politics, and goes naval operations in the Gulf of German agents have been carry-

out to several hundred thousand Mexico from his post as New Or- in the large bombed urban areas relations are not of the ing out sabotage in factories mak-influential Americans.

leans consul.

is split too small; there are too many Ministries and undertakings Official propagandist fact, ing war materials for Britain and happiest, that, in

Items from "Facts in Review"

the concerned; and the districts with- Nazis is Dr. Colin Ross, who in-in which repair frequently find their

into way Russian interest in the Balkans and especially in successfully converting American and

aro small-town American newspapers, terprets American reactions to his singly apportioned are still too

even into nationally-known friend the Fuehrer.

confined for speed and efficiency that historic focus of business and financial interests to magazines.

Dr. Frederich Auhagen, another to be achieved. This is, or ought Nazi-American who considers to be, Sir John Reith's duty-to More insidious are the activities Russian aims and fears a policy of appeasement with Ger

many through the offer of "bust of the German Railroads, Inform-dmself an intellectual, presents remedy these deficiencies and the Dardanelles, is main-ness advantages" for America ination Office in New York, which the Nazl point of view at public give direction and drive to the

Europe if the Nazis win.

functions and `social gatherings. tained. Even Ribbentrop-

process of reconstruction. Unofficial apologist for the Nazis Four Aims

He has retained his full staffis Karl von Weigand, pet foreign

Planners Are Right although the British travel bur- correspondent for William Ran- The objectives of Hitler's in-nux in New York closed at out- dolph Hearst's newspapers.

But, in the end, the planners seduce Russia into CO vasion of America are many: break of war.

While von Weigand was in Ger- | are right. It is quite plain now operation in obtaining for

many recently Hitler shrewdly that London must never again (1). To block American aid to He subsidises, with advertise-

gave him an exclusive interview, develop as London has done in Hitler a throttling grip on Britain either by influencing pub-ments, newspapers friendly to with the result that von Weigand the past, that every new house the Black Sea.

lic opinion or by sabotage if Nazism, and keeps his German is now presenting the Nazi case at or office, factory or street, can be necessary-but at any rate to stop superiors informed of the move-- American intervention in the war: ments of British ships around as many social functions in New better contrived than the old

York as he can get invitations tó. New York for the benefit of

ones and that the simplification of Two counter-attacks ` can (2) To prevent America build- | U-boat commanders.

be London's economy must be ing up adequate defences for her The German Embassy in Wash-made against this invasion: One first charge upon the ingenuity of self in the shortest possible time; ington and the 24 consular posts

|by_Britain, the other by America. ↑ the next generation. The imme- To present the British case in diate task of repair must not, throughout America are, the most America it is essential that the indeed, be obscured by dreams of (3). To créate internal dissen-

Important cogs in the Nazi inva- Ministry of Information estab- sion in the United States; and

a. better city. But, if that sion machine.

lishes a wide-awake, news-consci-pair is well and wisely done, (4). To discredit democracy as

ous information (or propaganda) there will be the beginnings of a method of Government.

bureau in New York,"

that city, and the work of Sir To expect the present British | Jahn Reith's new bistry under It is almost certainly a employed to carry out the in-plomatic representation" has in- to keep pace with the

Under Nazism Germany's "di-propaganda machinery in America fire may lay the foundations, In German practice and in administration, for shift of scene from the in-vasion.

creased alarmingly, The New York machine is like backing a cart-wider and more progressive work. vasion port zones.

for example; Working on the sympathies of carries 110 on its pay-roll.

Consulate,

now horse against a Derby winner. later, du£. "Towns are places for -ID: From America the only coun- people to live and work in. The the seven million first and second-pre-Nazi days it never had more ter-attack the Germans would un object now is to enable them to The Russian question generation Germans in America than 39; *mark will loom very large are the Auslands Organisation

derstand would be to break off live and work despite the bomba ly until the next Nazi ob-headed from Germany by Brad The San Francisco office has 28 diplomaille relations with the Nazis the object, then will be to make

D-ford-born Ernst Wilhelme Bohle, It used to have eighti

and ship the German agents back it possible for them to live and jective is disclosed by de- who still retains his British citi- The personálities directing Hit- | home.

work healthily, happily, tonveni- zenship along with his Germmler's invasion are typical of Nazi More and more Americans are ently and efficiently. The one mite action.

bafid the: Deutsches. "Ausländ" In-Farents throughout the world; backing this: step every day. can, and should, lead to the other,

draped rainbows, across

the Himalayas failed to

All to-day is, of course, speculation. The next Axis move may be in the direction of frightening Bulgaria away from her inclination towards Rus- sia. It may be an attack on vulnerable Yugoslavia.

A variety of agencles have been

is headed by suave moustached Ernst Schmitz.

Himmler's Spy

:

a

re-

-