1941-05-28 — Page 23

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 28, 1941.

CHINA MAIL

WINDSOR HOUSE

A NEW SHELTER

So much has been said in commendation of the new type of

air-raid

a

[ FORMALI

ISOLATIONIST

WHEEL-CLOGS

shelter in England that it seems a pity it was not designed earlier. The Anderson shelter has its strong points. It can re- sist violent blows and al- most anything but direct hit by high ex- plosive. The same is claimed for the table- shelter which the Home Secretary has now intro- duced to the public on a reasonably large scale. It will give excellent cover against the debris of a two or three storey house. A great merit it possesses. and does not share with the Anderson type of shelter, is that it has a permanent place in the house. The family does not need to turn out of doors at night. A down- stairs

becomes bed-room and the shelter is а steel-framed and steel-covered bed with a spring mattress. In length and breadth there is room for two adults and a child -possibly two children, says the Ministry of Supply, though the dimensions suggest a very tight fit for the four. With the wire sides and ends removed and the top covered with a cloth, the shelter becomes a table.

Every morning of every day The room will therefore there descend on Lord Beaver- retain its daytime use. All the bother and dis- comfort of leaving the snugness of the house for the necessarily cramped quarters of an Anderson mutes. shelter are avoided by the

room

¦

OLITE FICTIONS

LINDSEROM DEFEATISM

WHAT WILL

BERLIN DO?

A CLEAN SWEEP?

SHORT OF

WAR

属

Ten Million For

Spitfires

I have just been to the Minis- of Aircraft Production, I have never been among so much money in my life

brook at the Ministry several hundreds of letters, each with a donation for the Spitfire Fund.

And not only letters.

The other day an old woman

By William Mundy

"whip rounds,"

regular weekly donations from staffs ( t ware- houses and factories, and streel collections, ali figure on the list.

Families send a small sum after each "All Clear" as a thank-off ering-also donations of a fixed for every enemy 'plane brought down.

Jewellery, silver plate. family Theirlooms," engagement rings, and sentimental treasure are handed

humbed slowly up the steps 01 | the call for Spitfires,

Emigrants who left their home- | 10. the Ministry, opened her shabby

hund-bag and handed over 25 £1 land years ago have opened their A man in Uruguay cabled £10,- purses. Foreigners who have 000 and promised £1,000 each thever set foot in this country, on month. "He keeps it up too," an

She refused ber

name.

rotind uff into the street.

pours

For

of

Foreign Friends Nothing before has so appealed 15 sympathy to patriotism and

tu

has

setting up of a shelter as the R.A.F" she said simply, and reading of wanton destruction and official at the Ministry told me.

the mdiscriminate bombing of ine

I picked the following haphaz- part of the permanent Money for Spitfires

have been women and children, From driven by anger

A Cairo group send their ard: open furniture of a room. The from all over the world.

the the heart

£23,000. A sheep farm in Empire of the

and cheque books.

Falkland Islands sends £60. ordinary routine of the from the hearts of the people

After an hour spent [21 the Mayors of South Africa send house will not be changed, the Empire.

Ministry of Aircraft Production, | £ 250,000 "and more coming.", wading through hundreds of let-Burma sends £180,000. Basuto- and home life will retain

ters enclosing gifts, began toland £100,000. People of Hyd- its normal character-ex~;

erabad £ 150,000, and another feel dizzy. cept that, within an air-

Already the Spitfire Fund

£100,000 from the Nizam of Hy- reached the ten million mark. derabad. The people of Gorakh-!| raid zone, the shelter

Sums of £10,000 are common-

pur £15,000. may be sought before the

every way upon the An-place, £50 is a bagatelle. customary time for bed. derson shelter, there has I was amazed to read letters What every one has been no sign of any off-which began and ended quite sim. ply: "I enclose £20,000 for Spit- inevitably been asking cial attempt to develop it. fres:" or, "Our client instructs us is when, and

in It may, possibly, be urged to transfer 500,000 dollars to the Spitfire Fund. Yours faithfully, A few noughts did not what numbers, the by the D.A.R.P. that the etc." table-shelters can be response to his Anderson seem to matter.

There are many letters which supplied. Quantities shelter offer was so dis- touched me deeply. One enclos

I tried to reckon up the total from India, but gave it up

head reeled.

- my

Gave His Pension

The men of the Services them-' selves forward donations.

Regularly the Czech and Polish) Air Force squadrons give some- thing from their pay.

H.M.S., Mess No. 9

posted

have been dependent on couraging that he hesit- ed an odd sixpence from a dom-

estic servant. To spare that six-16s. 8d. With it was this note:

El greater"We charge 1d. a time for swear-

a cheque for thousands,

From the. four corners of

instalments will follow this."

the amount of steel which ates to ask the Dock Com- pence was doubtless could be allotted for this pany or any other concern sacrifice than that represented by ing. We feel certain that further use, which is admittedly a to go to the trouble of highly important one, preparing plans for the since it is for the defence table-shelter.

of

That

of

under the sun.

mandarins,

paramount

chiefs, ed 53 years in the mines. I serve Also ed in the old Volunteers in the send Boer War, also in France during the last war, I am now in the