1941-09-08 — Page 7

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THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 8, 1941.

Page

BLOT ON HIS COPYBOOK

ufficient qua

CHINA MAIL

WINDSOR HOUSE

MAGIC LETTERS

When the history of this war comes to be writ- ten, a chapter may well be devoted to the part played in the conflict by symbols and letters of the alphabet. Much may be written about the psycho- logical effect of the per- verted swastika, the dis- turbing hammer and sickle, and the inspiring cross of Lorraine. Among | letters that will live in an imperishable combina

tion, signifying epic hero- ism, are R.A.F. And on the same 'plane will be the single letter "V." The campaign which swept| through enslaved Europe on July 20, 1941, will bel remembered long after men forget the epitaph, "Here Lies Joseph Goeb- bels." In spite of not too subtle Nazi attempts at adopting the symbol, it has escaped contamina- tion. "V" stands for Vic- tory in several languages, and for Victory in a sense that is entirely foreign to the present German Gov- ernment's conception of "Sieg.'

35

There is not much vir-

Yeste

TONGUE-TIED

Common

Sense

tue in the letter V" Experts are evidently people into every line, is obviously so tions. There is really a strong.

who arouse deep feelings of res- pect or resentment. Some recent

to impress and cow the wretched case for Johannes Factotum; as observations concerning the mo-

cominoner that he or she will they called William Shakespeare,. for doing all the jobs in the dern cult of experts brought a begin to believe in the omnis-

theatre. number of comments most of cience of the "nattily dressed"

There

divorced from this idea of victory over the forces of evil. It is true "V" stands for valour. But it also which were written, so to speak, 4,000 and swallow anything in Everybody knows that many: stands for violence and at the top of the voice.

was a general show of strong

their jargons as well as anything expert jobs need expert handling- vice; for vagabondage and emotion on the subject, so strong in their saucepans.

by thoroughly trained people. A' The expert precision instrument must be" vagrancy; vagueness and that I believe some explanations cult is, in fact, a minor cousin of precisely made and used, and a

to be duc.

the dictator cult, which is the complicated machine must be vanity; vampirism and

present scourge of the world. Its constructed, driven, and mended vacilla- The kind of thing against job is to abolish self-reliance and by a competent mechanic. But:

which I was protesting was the to substitute for it an abject the necessity for experts in their tion and vacuity; vassal- endless iteration of such words state of credulity and meekness own sphere of the hysteries of age, venom, vermin, vul- as "expert" in order to mesmer-before instructors.

ise the ordinary person and struction is a necessary tures, vituperation, crush them with a sense of hope.

and ignorance

inferioritar and less

Just after I had written there in a popular paper a

vandalism;

vulgarity

Of course in-

craft and science is no excuse for

part of the pretence that everything is.

By- Ivor Brown

better called "science" and hand ed over to those who have a. formidable apparatus of theory and vocabulary. It is by no means proven that the manage- ment of a home is improved by calling the

"Domestic process Science," and I am not at all! convinced that discharging 4,000- experts, however nattily dressed. the best

kitchens in teachers are into poor women's selves modestly, have a sense off all is going to improve either the usually those who carry them- order to make Beetons of them:

ism, and do not humour, a power of self-critic-national cooking, or the national selves with

presont them- temper. One of the most im the high title of portant problems of statecraft is "expert" when they are teaching to settle the relative spheres of:

science and common: sensa;' their grandmother to boil eggs,

vitriol, Vichy. All these uniovely appeared things that begin with perfect specimen of what I had in mind. The article was called "V" were thrust out of "Each Housewife a Mrs. Beeton," our minds when the one a silly enough title since Mrs. Beeton was a lady who notori- great "V" that stands for ously took a dozen eggs" when- the overthrow of Hitler ever she felt inclined and cookedlife, but

with an extravagance which appeared. It was fortun- would have been absurd in 1939 ate that the Fuehrer's and is wholly impossible in 1940. With every housewife striving to father; when he changed be a Becton we should soon lose his own name from the war. Schickelgruber to some-

But let the lavish lady and her thing more Aryan, did not dozen eggs pass: The second,

In the authoritarian State the Common sense! It is surely also re-christen his off caption announced that in home

kitchens "Ministry. Experts" expert launched by a Govern- the sovereign quality in human ment department is a natural business and society. The words spring Adolf with some would "Show How." The first such name

line of the opening paragraph implement of policy. He is part do not mean that it is a common as. Viktor. alluded to

the coming of these of the whole apparatus. of public property and widely spread, but

hypnotism, Democracies have that its owner deals with com Anyway, Hitler has no use "nattily dressed experts." Then

we read that the housewife would properly been shy of such crea-mon matters sensibly. Comman *for the letter "V." His "end her kitchen to a Ministry tures, and in Britain- we insist sense is the eternal for of pre- depart-tentious theorising and umbrous, whole faith is pinned to expert," and that "the expert that each Government the sinister initial, “H,”

would arrive to take over. There ment; however large and learned jargon. Its first business is to below the word to the are apparently 4,000 of those its staff of experts, shall bo. ruled look While Britain launched "experts" at large (are tax-pay at the top by a politician who meaning and never to accept the ers sustaining this entire legion gomes. fresh to the job, either claimant to special knowledge the "V" campaign, it has as well as Cooper's Snoopers?) from his own private. profession and the seaker after Special Government power on his own terms, Com- been said that she should and they realise that "housewives or from another

in the poor districts do not al office. This may seem a curious mon sense is essentially a probe attach more importance ways respond to the Mrs. Beeton way of doing things, yet it does, Having, agreed that the expert is to the letter "W," which touch." Considering Mrs. Beeton's on the whole, work out. fairly, an expert and that the job is one brisk way with ingredients, this well, provided the man in ques which genuinely needs his spe- stands for Work, as the is good news for the Food Con- tion has natural ability and com- cialised knowledge, it puts him to work. But when it accents best expression of the troller. Even better news is the mon senso.

him as, an authority on technique Will to Win. Incidentally, have sometimes. actually given

It is noteworthy that everybody it does not accept him as a there is not only a "W" hints to the experts. One Has is praising the control of our wat maker of polley A world run but the full word "Win" always a certain sympathy for offort by Mr. Churchill, who has by experts would be chaos, ber been everything from, a journal- causa oxperts are habitually, and the fox that bites the M.F.H.,

ist to a politician, from a soldier perhaps rightly, contred on a tiny in her Prime Minister's!

The object of this propaganda, to a sailor, from an author to a little world of their own. To the first name. This may be which crams the word "expert" bricklayer, is a good painter, and ear specialist the human body is has shown an extraordinary atapt to be one vast ear and to hailed as another portent —

tachment to the design of rewithe gastric surgeon, the human of victory, at a time when kie and Winant. Take and striking hats. At the same being may be little more than a been generally sad, some tubes, and, an appendix. names, words and letters the first two letters of the time: praise has

and no doubt, Justly showered Specialists need goneral," "practi-i mean so much. It has first of these names and on Lord Beaverbrook, who wered Special to sustain their sense of also been noted that three the first three of the ed with the greatest of case from proportion, and this la just, nd the production of cement to that true, of politics as it is of modla -great Americans have re- second and third, and you of newspapers and thence to, that cine. Every profession," Mr. cently visited Britain in have the reassuring of aeroplanes, proving himself as Shaw has sold, is a conspiracy, this order: "Welles, Will- words, "We Will Win"

announcement that housewives

talented" a circulation-bulldor in against the public.” the lost as in the former occupas salutary exaggeration,

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