Smith
Napoleon
"Had Acre fallen, I would have| bill. There the Corsican placed his the whole French nation to be in Congress yesterday charged the face of the world." artillery park when he besieged converted to Islam, and he set
Roose- Nupsicon. when President
Acre, and thence, hơ rained dea- | about preparing designs for a truction on the city.
mosque big enough to contain the yelt's colossal scale lend- THE most famous town on all How the siege began and how whole French Army. or-lease plan of aid to the Syrian const is undoubt-it terminated may well be pon-
Having thus secured the sup- In the year 1798 port of Islam, Napoleon set out Britain was enthusiasti- edly Acre the key to Palestine, dered to-day.
as Napoleon called it. It has sad- Napoleon set out for the East with with a great army to capture Con- cally endorsed, in princi-ly shrunk in these last years, and a fleet and an army of 38,000 sea-stantinople and so found the em- ple, by the American Parks across the wide bay to Haifa soned troops. "This little Europe which backed by the range of liament.
Carmel, spreads out in all direc- tions. Acre has now about 8,000
inhabitants and Haifa 80,000.
Congressmen from all
Though Haifa throbs with vila- over the country, by their ty and Acre is morbund, yet I unmistakable acceptance recull Acre with a greater plea-
turesque than agreeable to live
sure. For the glamour of a heroic of President Roosevelt's past is over it all. The narrow more pic- programme, brusquely streets are certainly announced to the Totali- tarian aggressor states that a halt has been call ed, that their doom is sealed.
But a
more motley crowd can than the wid be seen no where Bedouins, the Syrians, the Druses with their striped overcoats and white turbans, the velled women that crowd the streets, and above all sours the most beautiful, fairy- No-one is surprised by ke mmaret in all the East, that the American decision of the Mosque lazzar, from which float over the city the musical The rejection of President notes of the muezzin as he calls Roosevelt's bold leader- the faithful to pray: "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed Come to prayer, ship alone could have pro- is his prophet.
for prayer is better than sleep." voked surprise. Through-|
Here the Crusaders made their out the periods of ups and downs in Anglo-American relations, both have rea- lised that they are part ners in a high compan ionship, the foundation of which is that they speak the same tongue and derive their political institutions from the
last stund. That was in 1291; after a month's bloody and desperate struggle the town was captured.
But the great lesson that Acre teaches us to-day comes from a little mound a quarter mile or so to the east known as Napoleon's
By Dr. Norman
MacLean
is too small a field," he declared; "great celebrity can be won only in the East."
He occupied Malta without a blow; and a crushing victory gave him possession of Cairo and Low- or Egypt. But finding himself in the midst of a fanatical Moham- medan population, he realised he
must win their support.
the
to
Alexander the Great in Temple of Ammon had declared of Jupiter, and himself the son "that one act did more to assure his conquests than if he had sum-
120,000 Macedonians moned his aid." Napoleon must needs do the like. To the sixty Ulemas that Islamic orthodoxy in Cairo he discoursed on the state of his "devout and
trembling soul."
guarded
He proclaimed himself a Mo- hammedan, and asserted that there was good ground to expect
pire of the East. But here at Acre
he came to grief. For there he met an Englishman, Smith by name (Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, 1704- 1840), who refused to surrender the town.
soul for an empire of the East, with the Ulomas in Cairo, served him little. When men sink to ax bartering of that sort, the soul is doubtless lost; but the world is not gained.
The man at whose feet the em-
perors and kings of Europe knelt in homage stole away from the
monplace name was Smith.
East boaten by a man whose com-
were
It is only when one poĥders the afterdays that one realises the supreme place of this little grey-- walled town in the history of the The siege began. Whatever world. Within two years there~ losses Sydney Smith
Napoleon's sustained after
troops from the artillery park were made quartered upon conquered up to him from the sea. Acretions from the heel of Italy to the Hook of Holland, and the tributes coulti not be starved, for food was continually pouring in from the of the vanquished poured into his sea; it could not be taken by as- treasury. By a combination of sault, for fresh troops were pour- subject-Europe he sought to des-
truy Britain. ing into it from the sea.
The plain man, Smith by name, compelled Napoleon to retreat. He | stele back to France, leaving his army to its fate in Egypt. That was Napoleon's first experience of the decisiveness of sea power. "Had it not been for the Eng- lish I would have been Emperor of the East," he declared after- wards: "but wherever there is water to float a ship we are sure to find you in our way."
"Nature," he said, "designed England to be a French island like Corsica." When the difficulty or invading England was pointed out, "the Channel," he exclaim- ed, "is a ditch which needs but a pinch of courage to cross."
All Europe cowered at his feet. He captured Berlin, and issued the Berlin Degrees closing every port in Europe against Britain. He would "conquer the sea by the land."
Looking back on his life, Na- poleon had no doubt as to the
He swept nations before him momentous issues which were de-like chaff before the wind; he gal- elded at Acre. "Had Acre fallen, vanised a
whole continent into I would have changed the face
movement at his nod; he hurled of the world"-that was how he farmies over deserts and over summed it up.
mountain ranges.
After all, that bartering of his
A Jug Of Oil
Allies in oil which
same source. Whatever EXPERTS agree that in the war and Ameri- of 1914-18 it was the superi- else Britons
ority of the cans have forgotten, they helped them to victory. The Allied have never forgotten the powers deemed the importance of oil great enough to induce Cle- Democratic ideal which
menceau
President to cable to of Wilson on December 15, 1917, "A inspired the Fathers the Republic as it inspir-Jug of oil is worth a jug of blood." Next to iron and coal, two raw ed the British reformers materials essential for armament production, oil is of truly decisive of the Nineteenth Cen-
industrialised tury.
Britain produces no sub- stantial quantities of oil at home. But she still controls the com-
value in modern
wars.
trol, rhe will be able to secure
plies from overseas as was the case during the war of 1014-18.
By F. Sternberg
about
The marvel of this man's per- sonality and of the power that emanated from him, grows when we remember that there were no telegrams, no steamers, no gail- ways, no wireless in those days, und yet in a world of slow move- ment and retarded communica- tion Napoleon pervaded and tialities of these Asiatic fields are shaped and moulded the world as enormous. While the Baku-
a potter the clay. He crashes his Grozny region contains
way to Berlin; he sweeps through twenty-nine per cent of the total | Italy; "I shall be in Vienna in a Russian oil reserves, this
newmonth," he declares he is there Aslatic region contains about one in three weeks; he rushes to Mad- third.
rid and sets up there a Corsican The oil is very rich, with about dynasty. But there Wellington The U.S.S.R. Is Europe's fore-
thirty per cent of benzine us holds grimly the trenches-there most oil producing country, oc-
against six per cent for the Baku the ulcer
life world position second and ten per cent for the Grozny blood is slowly running.
that drained his cupying a only to the United States. Even oil. The development of this sec-
At the last it was not the Rus- though Soviet production amounts ond oil base in Asia is proceeding sians that defeated him. Fire and to but ten per cent of the total within the framework of the So- snow and frost and hunger world production, it is estimated viet Union's far-reaching polley these, the elemental undefeatable That the Soviet Union possesses of rapid industrialisation.
forces were his executioners. tons of still about 6,370,000,000
Aside from the Increase of all “God Almighty has been too much exploitable reserves, which means that about half of the world's production in general, the prin-for me," he said when he was
Soviet ary aim in opening up these ftelds laid low at last.
has been the creation of an ex- Such was the man who retired,
total oil
soil.
reserves are in
With such an immense hidden panding industry in Asia. Several wealth at her disposal, the Soviet considerations induced the Soviet Union should be in a good posi-Government to push this matter. tin to increase her own produc- First, it has always considered a tion considerably above the 30,- 000,000 tons which she products at present, and most of which she needs herself.
foiled and beaten by a plain Eng lishman, from the gates of Acre. In the light, of history that event 100ms bigger and bigger. wür against Japan within the Why was it that Acre overcame realm of close possibilities. The Ajacolo, that. Galilee conquered conduct of such a war by the Far Corsica? The best and most com- Eastern army would be greatly prehensive answer to that ques facilitated by supplying it from tion has been given by Marshal bases nearer to the theatre of war Foch:-
that is, from Asiatic instead of
It was by no means an accident that Russia's domestic oil con-
"He failed, they say, because he sumption grew so rapidly during more distant production centres. was without Berthier. I do not recent years. During those years, Second, in a war against Ger- think so. In 1814 it is explained Soviet agriculture became one of many, Russia would be greatly de- that he was already ill. Perhaps. the main consumers of oil. Trac-pendent on the best utilisation of But in my view the deep reason for tors replaced horses.
its enormous space. The further the
overwhelmed disaster that removed the secondary bases of him must be sought elsewhere. He production and the greater Asia's forgot that a man cannot be God; share in total production, the lon- that above the individual there is ger would Russia be able to con- the nation; that above man there duct a war even if her. European is the moral law, and. that war frontier regions should be lost to is not the highest good, sitice
above war there is peace."
Were Sovlet agriculture to be deprived of tractors and the oil for their operation, required Stalin's regime would encounter in agri- considerable difficulties cultural production. Even if
The growth in friend-mercial sea lanes, the oceans. As liness in the past thirty long as she can retain this con- years has come about in an uninterrupted flow of oil sup- the best possible way spontaneously and from What is Germany's position in the recognition that Bri- this respect? German production, both natural and synthetic, sup- tain and America are the plled the Reich with about 3,500,- stewards of posterity as 000 tons of oil in 1938-39, while a maximum increase will, it is the guardians of the estimated, bring this figure up liberty and freedom of the to 4,000,000 tons for 1940.
In 1936, Rumanian oil produc- human family. That sention reached its peak with 8,800,- timent reached its peak 000 tons, but in 1939 it amounted to only 6,200,000 tons. Rumanian when it became clear that oil exports dropped from 6,900,000 Germany was bent on tons in 1936 to 4,000,000 tons in 1939. About one fourth of the destroying not only the total export, 980,000 tons, went to liberties of mankind but Germany last year. Even; if we assume that Germany will be able its dignity as men and to procure the bulk of Rumania's when the people of Lon-export, her annual oil supply will
amount to only: 7,000,000 tons. don showed resolutely During the previous war, the Stalin wished to, he could not pose the enemy. how much they were pre- Allies consumed 600,000 tons of sibly lead Soviet. agriculture back Third, it is obvious that Russia's to the now obsolete system of vulnerability is reduced if her vital pared to endure for the day, however, with the huge air collectivisation is to be retained range of enemy attack...
individual small farming. Yet, if industries are taken out of the Handicapped by transportation in its present form and on its pre- movements, considerably more sont level, tractors and oil hot difficulties, the Soviet Union. When he offered Britain: peace -To-day we find Britain will be needed to keep the war only are important but represent strives to maintain her oil export for the last time Pitt, rejected: the
machine running. Generally, it and the United States is estimated that a first-rate pow
er requires 12,000,000 to 20,000,- more united in aim and 000 tons of all each year, to per- understanding than any mit adequate operations in two great Powers have "real" war.
Thus the important question been within recorded arises:
What about Soviet oil? time. Neither has an axe What are the possibilities of pro
gress in the Soviet oil industry to grind in this war. Both and of the export of Soviet oil to are fighting dictatorship Germany? and the onslaught in East
common cause.
oll on the front each month. To-
arm, tanks and speedy troop
vital necessities.
He; forgot God; he forgot, the moral law; his word could not be relied on; his signature to a treaty. was worthless, for he broke every treaty he signed
on its present level. But there can offer because "the offer is decep The breakdown of the tractors be no doubt that during the early tiver". - Because it is untrust- or an interruption of oil supplies stages of this war. Soviet oll exworthy On the rock of Truth would bring about famine. There- port dropped below the 1,000,000 he made shipwreck:) Д
fore it would hardly be feasible ton mark. In 1938, Germany, Im The way of tyrants is ever the for Stalin ever to deprive Soviet ported 81,000 tons of nil from the same. No peace to-day because agriculture of, let us say, 20,000,- Soviet Union while al years be the dictator is up against the law 000 tons of oil simply to help fore, in 1932, her imports were of Truth up against God: .... Germany conduct her war. This around 500,000: It is possible that step would be tantamount to sui Soviet oil exports to Germany will cide, and Stalin has never exhibit- ed a suicidal mood.
in
That Is why Acre: overcame Ajaccio; why St. Helena received once again reach the 1982 level. Napoleon; why the Warrior The attempts at creating a second Shining Armour found refuge, in There remains the second pos- oil base in Asia have passed their Doorng and to-day, as of old, as the sun is in high and West upon human and now in deeds of which sibility, increase of Soviet produc-early stages of trial and error, yet certain as
tion. Over a period of several the present war will necessarily heaven, the enemies of the truth, rights and privileges. there can be ultimately years, attempts were made to in- slow down further developments, the blood-stained persecutors who only one logical fulfil- crease production not only by even if the Soviet Union remains make us ashamed of our common forced exploitation of the Baku- aloof from the war. In addition, humanity, will be left at last with America has yet to ment. Against the com- Grozny district but by opening up the material consumption of the but the moah:
Which way I fly is hell, cross the Rubicon by de- bined resources of the a second oll base in Asia The Red Army Increases from month
most important fields are situated to month.
Myself am hell. claring war and it may British Empire and the in a triangle composed by the It should be deemed a consider- If this. Httle town of. Acre, foil- never be necessary. She United States, those of the Ural River, the Emba River able success if the new Asiatic ed Napoleon and burst the bubble and the Orenburg Railway, nat |[fields" supply one' eighth of the of his empire of the East, let us be has proclaimed her sym- Germany and her satell- Towards the end of 1985, a pipe Soviet oil production. However, of good cheer. The "Ersatz Na- pathies beyond misunder-ites are as dust in the line five hundred and twenty-six under such conditions the Soviet poleon" of to-day will be crush miles long was laid from Gurev Union will be unable to supported by the same forces which grind
the law-breakers into powder. standing, at first in words balance,
to Orsk. The production poten- Germany with bil
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