1941-09-09 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 9, 1941

CHINA MAIL

WINDSOR HOUSE

THE THREAT FROM VICHY

Shrouded by a familiar smoke screen of rumour, the men of Vichy are moving toward fateful de- cisions. The precise form which these decisions will assume cannot, of course, be known; it is doubtful, indeed, that the Vichy Cabinet itself is certain of its course, if the tales of dissension in its ranks are true. But the extent of the demands which Hitler and the Hitler-minded of France are making upon Marshal Petain may be judged with some accur- acy from the Paris press, and the willingness of the Vichy government to meet those demands seems to be reflected in recent statements by prominent *members of the regime.

Should the shadows cast against the sky by these twin portents be trans- lated into reality, there can be no question but| that the United States will be faced by the grav- est problem yet to arise from the European con- flict.

Ystes

A

THE GREER INCIDENT ROLOQUE.

ww

LESS TALK THE BETTER

Bomber Short

Reports from abroad IT is strange how regrettable you see anything of him?"

clear sky can be when one is

enemy territory.

the

Suddenly the formation swings and swoops. The bomb aimers are

ris

By RICHARD HAESTIER

into the dancing

be rescued.

*

*

The drama is repeated.

But

This time it looks as if the Blen heim is going to charge us, · and," without a word, the crowd on the tarmac turn and run, ducking as they go.

But the Blenheim has missed us and the hangars again. For the third time it comes in, sinks lower and lower. First, feet, three, two Will it never stop. hovering and land? X

There is a gasp from the ground and then a spontaneous cheer and handclapping. The pilot has craft.·'down waters of the put his wounded

*

2

Like a relay race we all start across the aerodrome. The Sta- tion Commander is there first,

But relief that is anti-climax, to-three heads appear and three

smiling men climb out unaided.

"Everyone all, right?" asks the 'Station Commander.

[would be a more accurate word. "He was with us till we came At the same time it staggers up-| suggest several reasons waiting for R.A.F. bomber aircraft out over Dunkirk," answers one wards, trying to get into the air engaged on a daylight raid to re- of the observers. "They put up again. Something has gone: for Hitler's present man- turn to their station. One be- a devil of a packet from there wrong and the pilot is trying to oeuvres in Vichy. He is comes imaginative and projects and I saw 'J' go down in a gentle snatch a second attempt. He is believed to be seeking in-ne's mind across the Channel to glide. He didn't appear to be in going to hit the hangars.

much trouble, but he must have We wait for the impact. He creased industrial aid I, too, have flown over Bethune, been, because he broke formation. has missed them and disappeared from France because of and the picture of our Blenheims I didn't see him after he started over the roof. approaching their target develops to go down,” the strain of the Russian in my mind. I can hear the crack No one made any comment, but war; a diplomatic victory, of anti-aircraft defences, and the we must all have a vision of three something has gone wrong again. "ping!" and whistle as little black of those laughing boys crashing too, would be helpful in purs of smoke appear all round restoring

and fragments of some of the the aircraft,

tear through bursting shell prestige which the Reich air. has lost upon the eastern plains. But for America | prone on their stomachs, their the most dangerous aspect eyes glued to the sights. A hand reaches out. A lever is pulled. of the current negotia- Death goes sailing down, and tions in Vichy is that flashes, followed by heaving deb- tell and clouds of smoke, which relates to the where the bombs have landed. French colonies. The press back?" I asked the Intelligence are floating there now, hoping to

"What time will the boys be English Channel. Perhaps they with magnificent skill. of Paris, which has so officer.

the "Four o'clock," he replied, with faithfully reflected

out hesitation. These raids are In the interrogation hut the views and desires of the run with railway time-table pre- Intelligence Officer is about Nazis, has demanded mili-cision.

question the crews when there is a commotion. The word goes round tary collaboration be-

It seems a long way to four, that the missing aircraft is safe, tween France and Ger- o'clock, possibly because no one and the whole station seems to "Fine!" says the pilot, while many to "protect" Dakar here at the station knows what rush out to the tarmac lining the the other two grin their reassur-

is happening in the interval. aerodrome. First among them is ance. and, apparently, the Radio silence is always maintain the Station Commander in his French possessions in the ed during daylight raids. Signals car. The fire engine has also ar

might give information to the rived and is waiting, while the Western Hemisphere from enemy.

crew climb into their asbestos In a quarter of an hour now the fire-fighting suifs. the "Anglo-Saxons." The tension will be over. We shall The medical officer is doubling mishap now. Two thick streams example of Indo-China is know the best-and the worst. up from his quarters, and the of white foam are pouting from

I am allowed to climb the con- ambulance is there.

hoses into the engine cowling. not reassuring in this re-

trol tower where the Duty Pilot Meanwhile, the missing Blen- Dodging the spray, we examine gard, and, clearly, Vichy's stands looking out to the south- heim has approached the aerb. the engine. It has caught attempt to distinguish be- east, searching the sky as a sailor drome at about 2,000 feet. All packet, tween the position of then the crow's rest of a ship. Now eyes are turned toward it, as if "It was all right going out,- 1 and then he puts his binoculars in answer to our gaze, the rear guess," says the pilot, a young Far Eastern portions of to his eyes.

gunner fires a distress signal. American. "It was cloudy all Back goes the answering signal the way after we got over the the French Empire and And then "Here they are!"

Far over the horizon some tiny from the Duty Pilot, and we all Channel. I thought we should those in other parts of the specks can be seen shimmering strain our eyes to see evidence never be able to find the target, dully as they catch the sun. The of damage. The bomber comes Then, by luck, someone had made world has failed to satisfy Duty Pilot strains his eyes to lower, in a gentle circle, and a hole for the job. It exactly the State Department. count the home comers.

great Jagged tear can be seen inframed the target and we plonked. ****Hell!" he exclaims. "Ono the side of the fuselage.

everything through it. Moreover, the hint which missing. Blast the

The Almost immediately it can be

"But coming back, out Ovor emerged from Vichy to breeze bears the end of the sen-seen from the way the pilot is Dunkirk they were popping stuff

tence-away

manoeuvring that he cannot get up like mad. The stuff I got was the effect that Germany

his landing gear down. He will meant for the leading formation, would be granted port The crews are now climbing have to use all his skill to land but they missed it and I went in- Into the tender that will take the aircraft on its belly. It's a to it. I immediately went down -facilities and transport them back to the interrogation tricky business, and if the pilot is to sea level to get out of it.

privileges in the Trench hangar, 1 go with them.

wounded GAY CO

"Approaching Ramsgate ther neks Presently, when about only port prop disappeared and the possessions has an omin- "What happened to 'T?"

the station commander, "Dia 500 feet up, the bomber takes a front of the engine fell out." dus ring.

wider sweep.

"Why didn't you put down at In, In, In It comes-tower, low- Manston?" asked the Wing Com If these "port facilities marines at Dakar, the er lower. Will the pito, by bad mandar sc

"Well," drawled the American and transport privileges" Nazi menace to the West- luck, hit a small ridge and turn

over? The palms 67 my hands "I took the thing up from here include, as well they may, ern Hemisphere will im- facilities and privileges to mediately become a stern German 'planes, and sub- actuality.

But before we realise what has happened, the one good engine hus started to smoke, But the fire- men are too quick to allow a

become dump. The aircraft is and I guess I was going to put it nearly down. No more than twu down here again."

fect from the ground. Suddenly He grinned. That is the way If wobbles shudders, perhaps, the RAF boys figure things out.

Page

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