1941-07-22 — Page 23

THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 22, 1941.

CHINA MAIL

WINDSOR HOUSE Z

THE DOMINIONS

The Prime Minister is probably right in declining to put the con- sultation between Britain and the Dominions on too formai a foot- ing. The creation of a standing Imperial War Cabinet is full of difficulty. It would have to con- tain representatives of all the Dominions, of India, and of the Colonial Empire, It would, sit- ting with the present War Cabinet, be a large body. The executive

character of a War Cabinet would be lost. Moreover, each Dominion would need to detnch an extreme- ly important member of its Gny- ernment to attend, and that, with the political balance as it is in

in one or two cases, would not be easy.

At a later stage of the war, perhaps, we can usefully have, as we had in 1917, an Imm-

perial War Conference, with the

Donunion Prime Ministers sitting

in with the War Cabinet But for the present there is everything to

be said for the Visit of the

Dominion Premiers 111 rotation.

each to be during his visit a

member of the War Cabinet. Mr

Menzies's presence in London

proved of enormolts value and

timeliness. He has HOW been

followed by Mr. Fraser. from New Zealand, and we may hope

that later Mr. Mackenzie King and General Smuts will be able to visit Britain. And, as in 1917, there should be also recognition of India, this tune as a full partner. But it should be through a pro- minent Indian, not though the Secretary of State of an Anglo-

Indian If only to secure this

formal association the immediate grant of greșter authority to In- dians at the centre would be worth while.

LIFE IN ALSACE- LORRAINE

Zalas

TOKYO

GERMAN CHICANE

MANIQULATIONS

AXIS

LIGHTENING THE BURDEN.

The Bread Penny

before I was, to show to a

had Einma Van boy who

never seen one. Fancy! His family hadn't got any."

"AND as for cheese, which is so

nutritious,” said Klampen, rising to go, "that is not to be obtained even for gold."

There is not much that can- ant be obtained for gold," ans- as she went to the door with her wered! Anna, adding thoughtfully,

visitor, "I wonder now

"Where is it now?" She spoke faintly, trying to still her agita- tion.

"It's in my pencil-case. I think."

She found his pencil-case and She closed the hall door and

¡ rum/naged in it until went quickly towards the small, india-rubbers and old stumps and anong slip of a bedroom behind the sit-pencil stubs, she found what she Ling-room. Jan lay propped up on was looking for. It was not a pillows, looking far smaller, under penny at all but a button; a round the bedclothes, than his thirteen fortuise-shell button such as old- years. The illness had done that, and then the lack of nourishing food. If he had not had the illness he might have done as well as other boys on the rations the Germans allowed. But now, without the butter and eggs and so on which their doctor hurdly liked even to mention as a necessity unless he should seem to be mocking....

"Are you hungry, dear?" she asked, looking down on her little brother.

By Elizabeth Kyle

ing and a cracked blue Delft plate. As she passed it a hand half drew a black-out curtain across the window, then paused as though someone was watching- her. She knocked, and an old man opened the door and motion- ed her inside. But when he saw properly who it was he shook his head saying. "It's no good. I don't want your silver candle- sticks, nor your escritoire either. Who do them? Not the Germans; they do you think would buy

trict." their shopping in the smart dis-

"They tell me you always buy gold," she said, laying the bread. penny on the table.

"Ah, that's something different!" But he looked at her suddenly, suspiciously. "How do I know it's intact?" And he began with a sharp penknife apparently to split the button. The top half came up neatly from the under, and there in his palm was silver coin with a grooved edge. fashioned Dutch gentlemen wore The slit in the grooving was al- on their surtouts a hundred years most invisible, but again his knife,

a

Remembering how he said he

in case of the worst.

a

It might have been expected that the Nazis, anxious for French collaboration, would have tem- pered the rigours of their system to the habits and sentiments of

the people of Alsace-Lorraine. The vivid account of the pro- vinces given by a correspondent frightened her. That was bad. But grasping

"No," he said listlessly.

That ago and more. As she stood found it, and with a sharp spurt!!

it tightly Jan asked, and tinkle the two pieces flew in the pages of "France" shows she remembered her sudden "What do you want with it, Anna? apart, leaving a thin gold coin in that the Nazis have preferred the thought while speaking with Everyone else knows what

his palm. So,

during the shock tactics and the persecuting Because we were going to have

Emma and, saying, "What a pity!, bread button looks like."

Napoleonic Wars, did far-seeing Dutchmen adorn measures that are

their garments more natural something nice for supper," lift- to their genius. French may noted the

heavy velvet curtains be used in the schools, talking dividing the room from the other to tell him, but said instead, "I've Henryk Pieters, "a fine Alkmaar wasn't hungry, she decided not "I can give you for this," said French is an offence, papers are beyond and began to thread her got to go out for a little. Try not cheese. Have you no more bread posted on the walls expressing way between cumbrous, hand- hatred of France,

to be impatient till I come back.” some pleces of rosewood furniture! no

pennies?" towards the French books, German

old glass-fronted names corner-cupboard. Everything in She ran upstairs and began to replace French everywhere. These the room

was old, heavy, and put on her things quickly. It was methods are common form, in handsome and had been in their dusk already and the black-out 'some degree, when a Government family a long time. But all the made it dangerous for people to

tries to force a foreign culture into antique shops in the Hague were be wandering near the

canals its own system. But the Nazis, stuffed full of such objects, which later than this. She brushed her armed with the Gestapo and its no one was buying. What use was empty jewel case aside impatient- finished technique, add their own

money to-day unless it bought ly. looking for her gloves. Her "Eggs are gold," he grumbled. food?

mother's pearls, her father's mas-"Yes, and prison too. My heart special cruelties. One of them is

sive signet-ring had long been was in my mouth, transferring! specially interesting in view of She found the key of the sold-though not for money. A them from my brather's barge! the Vichy programme. The Vichy corner-cupboard and unlocked it. few minutes later she had left last night, lest one should drop Government speaks of

was boarding aand tell the tale to the first. Ger the Her fingers strayed among dozens the house and

the workmen's man policeman who passed." But strengthening of family discipline of tiny objects; little handleless tram bound for and loyalty as one of its chief blue-and-white teacups as fine district round about the Wilhelms, he disappeared a moment, then

brought her a round red cheese" objects. The Nazis, of course, want and transparent as paper; a silver; Canal.

filigree conch; a bunch of seals

and three eggs, all hidden in aj little basket with a few sticks of charcoal on top.

there are

was broken

"The set

up in my grandfather's day and afvid-" ed amongst his family," she said, adding firmly, "One cheese is not enough, I want some eggs for an invalid."

to subordinate the family to their that had belonged to her grand- The water in the canal, which system; and in Alsace-Lorraine as father; and presently her heart by daylight looked like dark in Germany they train children to began to thump with agitation for green satin, melted now into the spy on their parents. In his re- what she sought was not here, dusk, so that one hardly perceived When she stopped out on to the cent book Sir Bernard Pares says One faint hope remained. Quick the small houses and shops quay it was dark and no one was ly she stepped into the other room bordering it. A row of barges about. Even the little girl häd that the Bolshevilcs, who used this again, letting fall the dark cur- lay moored under the bridge, and disappeared down into the warm method of terrorism in early days, tains behind her, and said as calm- a little girl, muffled up to her depths of her father's barge. Yet have renounced It Children in ly as possible: "What have you clone eyebrows, sang a low song to the Anna, hurrying along it heard Russia are now taught in the

Page

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the with the bread penny, you bad clothes-pin in her arms which imaginary footstepsed, early HONG KONG schools to respect their parents boy? Did you take it out of the she pretended was a doll. and elders. Marshal Petain has cupboard one day when I wasn't thus closer affinities with the looking?"

Bolsheviks, whom he dreads, than with the Nazis, with whom he hopes to collaborate.

behind her, and wished, fearfully, that she too were a little girl Anna paused at a doorway with again, so that she could clasp the the name "Henryk Ploters, Anti-basket to her breast" and "sing Oh ques," above it. The little window over it, croon over it, make. peo- yes, I remember. Don't be angry, at the side showed nothing but a ple think that the only carried a Anna, but I took it to school).fly-blowh Rembrandtesque paint, doli..

"The bread: penny?