1941-01-31 — Page 2

THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT, JANUARY 31, 1941.

Paid-Up

It was raining a little at noon, but Simon Lasher drove out to his corner lot with the disc harrow. He had seen Dickie go up the back road, and he meant to intercept him as he returned; he had clean- ed and oiled his old army ride, and he meant to use it.

SHORT STORY

Member

as

By Will R. Bird

that

You harrowed would lieve that.

fleld the day Jim was killed-and good it was your rifle we found beside

He hated soldier stuff, he Jim Dickie vanished, Simon went the corner lot, now a shimmering hard time makin' the judge be-

who had won to his hoeing contentedly, Mury hated this man Mary Hawkins from him and the was recovering from the shock, solemn way In which Dickie had got her colour back. He would would recite “In Flanders Fields." go and call on her in a few days. Such rot!

Mary and he had quarrelled when he criticised the poem, and Mary had refused him her com- pany. And now, a friend had told Simon in the morning, she and Dickie were to be married as soon as school ended. So Simon had cleaned his rifle.

He pulled weeds with a vim.

green, inches deep.

Who

It was guess its secret? ground, and the rain was doing him." fine. In the autumn he would scoop more earth in the hollow at the corner, fill it in.

Everything had gone better than When he reached the house at he expected. There hadn't been supper time Hank Wheeler and much fuss over Dickie's disap- an officer from the city met him.

were come into the

pearance, not as much as he had Handcuffs

on snapped dreaded. And Dickie's Legion Simon's wrists before he could had been a joke. An official of take in what had been said. Hank some kind had come one day and enlightened him. talked with Hank-that was all that had

done. Paid-up member-pooh!

Simon gritted his teeth as he drove. Jim Dickie had asked for

had trouble. He settlement and bought the farm that Simon was on the point of buying. True, he and Hank Wheeler, had disagreed on the price, but what right had an out- sider to come in and pay more than the land was worth? Then insult added to injury, Dickie had taken Simon's girl from him. was carrying things too far.

it

He

Simon hurried his horses. must get to the road corner a few minutes before Dickie came in sight. He held the rifle and a shovel between his knees, and he swung his whip sharply. Folks said Simon never drove without a whip, but how could one hurry horses without it? And where Would he be if he had not hurried? In ten years he had paid for his farm, and now had his house in readiness for a bride.

At the corner of the field he stopped his horses. The ground

Dickie carefully fished an en- velope from his wet jacket as he came to where Simon had dug. "See what the Legion sent me," he said proudly, holding it out. "1ts---

Crack! The sullen report of a ride. Simon had looped the reins about his wrists before he fired,; and for a moment he was busy jerking the horses to u standstill.Į then he swung them round to where the limp body was pitched, face down, half into the cavity. His aim had been true. A dread- ful redness was welling from the collar of Dickie's shirt: "Blast you!" Simon grated. “You kin br a paid-up member of that hole till the Kingdom come.”

It

The horses quicted, and Simon dipped slightly, forming a small caught up the shovel, He had hollow, and he dug in the centre heard the chugging of a wheezy of it, scooping a short, shallow motor in the distance. trench. He had not got it as deep Hank Wheeler's car. as he wished when he saw the his horses prick up the ears. Some- one was coming. He dropped his Jim Dickie was plodding shovel. past, his head down to the fine rain. Simon sneered. Not one but Dickie would go in a rain to Hank Wheeler's Post Office.

"He comes regular", Hank had reported. "He gets soldier maga- zines and Legion papers. He's a paid-up member, if he does live out here."*

"Paid-up member!" Simon had jeered. "What good's that to him" Will it help him farm"

He pretended in be tinkering with the disc harrow. The rifle was on the ground behind discs.

the

for

"Hi!" he called. "Been mail? Come over I want to show you something."

Dickie turned, his pale Lace friendly.

"Yes, I got something I expecting, something special returned men.

been

for

"Come an' see where diggin','

I

been

Simon interrupted.

been

Simon's "You-you-found—” face whitened, became ghastly. He seemed to wilt.

"We did," Hank said grimly. "All I been doin' was watch that 1 knowed they'd field of yours. sprout if they was near the sur- face."

Simon

licked his

dry lips. "What-me-arrested for mur- "What-sprouted?" He whispered, derin' Dickle?" Simon shouted. "You're crazy. 1 don't know nothin' about him."

Hank had never seemed the same, but perhaps the sheriff's complete fallure to find a clue to Dickie's murderer accounted for "No?" Hank's voice sent shivers that. Simon had often looked at up Simon's spine. "You'll have a

"Popples," Wheeler snapped, as "Jim they led Simon to his car. got an envelope full of seed that day--a special good kind the Le- gion sent to paid-up members."

U.S. Defence Needs

Evidence is accumulating that the various activities which need The United States is badly in need co-ordination. of an Esher commission.

Needs Liaison With Congress

Purposes Must Be Defined

But that the effort must be made is apparent, growing more so every day. The present de- fence Certainly also the British ex

commission is concerned perlence should be studied, in so with procurement only. Suppose far as

their it is required to produce 50,000 time permits; but

soldier will organisation cannot be adopted in 'planes. The toto because of the difference in "What kind of 'planes? constitutional structure and the are you going to operate?

problems to nature of the

distances? be what

Against with. For example,

After the South African War was had exposed some of the defects A twist of of the British defence machine, a heel buried the envelope

royal commission headed by Lord Dickie had dropped, a single push straightened the body in the Esher was appointed to make a trench. He flung the rifle in be-study of the problems of imper- side the dead man and shovelled hurriedly.

When the old flyverial defence and their relation to dealt came in sight Simon was seated foreign and economic policies. Out Great Britain the presence on the on his harrow, and had just cross-of the report of this commission C.I.D. of certain Cabinet minis- ed the spaded earth. Twenty minutes later no one could have grew the organisation known as found the spot where he had dug the Committee of Imperial De- fence, which in time of war iner- the

this after-

say, Where

Over

what

in kind of targets? Under what com

ditions? Do you want all bomb- ers, long range or short range, or do you want pursuit 'planes, ob- servation 'planes, and so on?"

By Major Eliot

Parliamentary

re-

In other words, in every major decision of procurement there are tactical, strategical and political elements which must be consider- ed. There is no way of providing a fighting force or a munitions in- dustry which will be worth any-

At six o'clock Wheeler knockedges its identity with that of at Simon's dour. He was county war Cabinet. In essence, it pro- sheriff as well as postmaster. "Dit vides a planning and co-ordinat- you see Jin Dickie

ing agency for the study of the on?" he asked bluntly.

defence of the empire and for the ters assures giving of advice to the duly con- presentation and liaison, because thing at all without deciding what ministers are ipso facto members purpose this force or this indus- defence stituted authorities

of Parliament.

try is meant to serve, and under With us, some matters. It has a permanent sec-

what conditions it may be re- retariat, and a permanent place means of direct liaison with

quired to operate. No one is now interested committees of the two in the governmental structure, operating continuously in peace as

making these decisions, or if they are being made the country not being informed of it.

Yes, I did. Hank," Simon said "He passed when I was harrowin'. Why?"

"He ain't been seen since," said in war. Hank, as bluntly as before.

"That's strange!" Simon stimu- lated surprise, "Maybe he's

at one of the neighbours."

on

to

re.

the

houses of Congress, foreign affairs, military affairs, naval affairs and appropriations, would be essen-

tial.

•

is

It may well be suggested that no greater measure toward assur- The United States possesses no

ing the public confidence and in- such agency. Many proposals have

The writer was formerly in deed public enthusiasm in and for been put forward from time

favour of actual Congressional the defence programme could be time; but obviously what is

membership in our National De- taken than the resolution of some quired at the outset is a thorough fence Commission, but the divi- of these difficulties, the bringing study of the whole problem by an "Esher commission" composed of sion of executive and legislative of some degree of order out of The re- men of capacity and experience. Powers which is a basic feature of the present confusion.

our government seems to place sources of this nation are not in- of such standing as to command obstacles in the way of that idea, finite, nor is the time at our dis- public confiderice, and with ac

besides the practical "Me? No I don't, Hank," Simon cess to all the information in pos- that if all interested committees sources, and of that precious and objection posal. The best use of those re- said smoothly. "I'll send word if session of the various departments and both major parties are re- perhaps dwindling time margin, I see him."

and agencies of the government, presented the commission becomes can only be made if we now be- Three months had passed since currently engaged in dealing with too large for efficient operation.

"I been all around," Hank said. "You don't know anything, eh?"

devastation "ät Coventry following **view in one of the burnt dut

and to all the advice of

those

made by German bömb

the debris-had a burnt

gin to sort them out into some- thing resembling. a pattern of * military and political order, ráth- er than the kaleidoscopic mess which is all that even informed observers can now perceive.

Another point to be kept in mind is the impossibility (with "out "courting" dillister) of divorc... ing planning from responsibility. The men responsible for the ex- ecution of the national defence plans must have a hard in the making of those plans. Moreover, such a plan is not a thing which, when a certain point is reached. may be laid away with a satisfied sigh as a finished fob. It is their diet after the birth

rather a living organism, subject

PRECAUTION »AFTER BABY ARRIVES

Doctors warn mothers to watch

of a

to dally revision asconditions child. The right food is of vital change, and must be constantly importance to the mother and to kept up to date by those who are the child she is feeding. associated with it not only As a

plan, but as a responsibility.

The ideal food must be easy to

4

digest and highly nourishing, There must therefore be found while preventing constipation. For a means of reconciling the ob-. jection often made to the present all these reasons doctors prescribe Joint board that its members are Horlicks. It builds up strength, busy men with Jobs of their own promotes restful sleep, does not which take the major portion of tax the weakest digestion and im- their time--and a method of as-

sociating the making of plans with proves the mother's milk. the responsibility for their ex- ecution. The writer does not pre. For many years Horlicks has tend to be able to proffer a solu- been

given to expectant and tion for this problem, certainly nursing: mothers throughout not within the limits of one short article; it is one which requires Malaya, with remarkable' success. thorough study and no doubt ex-You can get it from your store periment to some degrea: before | to-day, the Ideal, arrangement ; cùn... be

worked out,SENTA

*(11)