1948-06-28 — Page 8

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Pago

THE CHINA MAIL, MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1948.

THE STORY OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS MONASTERY

REUBEN IMPORT EXPORT Co., Ltd. ST. BERNARD MONKS TO LEAVE

6th FLOOR CHINA BUILDING

TEL: 22037

HAVE PLEASURE IN ANNOUNCING THEIR

APPOINTMENT

Sole Agents

IN HONG KONG AND CHINA

FOR

ELGIN AMERICAN

Fashion Accessories

ELGIN ILLINOIS

U. 8. A.

Masterpiece OF YESTERDAY

"The Duchess of Devonshire” was painted by Gainsborough in 1793. Stolen and missing for twenty-five years its recovery restored to the world a distin- “guliked portraitā

Mantell too has been lost to the world of recent years but it returns once i more sparkling and unsullied-The Classic Braidy

Classic OF TO-DAY

MARTELL Cognac

SOLE AGENTS FOR HONG KONG & SOUTH CHINA

GANDE, PRICE & CO., LTD.

-ST, GEORGE'S-BUILDING...HONG KONG_ OBTAINABLE AT ALL LEADING

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND WINE STORES.

HONG KONG S

THEIR ALPINE HOSPICE

News that the famous St, Ber- With his devoted little band of Bernard cleared nard hospice, which sentinel-like followers, St. has stood for centuries at the the region of these marauders, summit of the great alpine pasa gave help and succour to fug between Italy and Switzerland, is tives and proscripts seeking safe- to be abandoned, except for ty in foreign lands, and so laid skeleton" staff ot priests and the foundation for the noble work the ad- novitiates, has caused universal which has since aroused

miration of the world. regret.

The St. Bernord pass was a Down the ages Popes, Emper- much frequente "highway for ers, and nobles showered wealth all parts of Europe long before оп the monastery, Lavish en- the days of the Roman Empire. dowments were made by high That the Romans used it as far

ignitaries of the Church

back as 100 B.C. is proved by

But since the World War I, rent the thrones of Europe top- pling to the ground, many of the rich Roman Catholic communi- les, especially in Germany and Austria, have lost their wealth. and the hospice no longer pos- resses sufficient funds to

carry on its historic mission.

20,000 Guests

H. Challinor

James,

the votive tablet to Jupiter discovered near the Poeninus summit and still preserved in the hospice muscum.

of the

pass, to

vitality when it was too late for was made some years before the they lost war by an American, pub- them to turn back, and sank exhausted in the impassable liest. He hired an elephant from drifts with a spelers shroud as a Paris zoo, and early one morn- covering, until months later the my set out from Martigny on brave monks came to give them the Swiss elde Christian sepulchre.

make the experiment. It was to help them in

this humang mission, that the monka Charabanc Fright reared and trained the famous After race of St. Bernard dogs. every storm they would exploro the snowy wastes, and hundreds of lives have been saved by their timely old.

Expert Skiers

At an ambling gait: the animal covered the first few kilometres completely unperturbed by lis threatened, however, when it met novel surroundings. Disaster acharabane coming down the pass, Alarmed by the untisunt sight, it took to its hools, and the -nearly ended its career at

precipice. Nearly all the priests are ex-foot of

A small motor-lorry was pro- pert skiers. Each "brother" has

hide down-coming to The cured, special function. "clavandier" receives guests, the trame, and, its view thus shield-

meals, the ed, the animal made steady pro

hlя

lich serves

caravan

ia responsible for gress, tethered to the back of the catering, the "Infirmer" looks torry. after the sick and injured, while Serious trouble began soon af- the "sacristan" hus charge of the ter the oddly assorted religious duties.

had passed the little village of Plerre, whero - No- Bourg St. poleon halted with his army of 35,000 men on his historie pass- age of the Alps in May 1800.

Head of the community is the (Father revered "Pere Maitre" Superior).

The

the

For generations travellers are riving at the hospice were given tree board and lodgings, except In

people of known

Mass in the hospied chapel is cases of wealth.

Local peasants stal recount the There also a Roman "mile-

an impressive spectacle.

story of the First Consul's In recent years, however, the privilege was so abused that it stone," marking in those remote scent of incense pervades

the 36th kilometre which ancient crypt, while outside generous reward to a Swiss who days

horse to Impose was found necessary

took fright on the brink of a modest charge. In one short separates the hospice from Mar- everything is a howling wilder saved his life when his season alone 20,000 tourists were igny, on the Swiss side of the ness.

All the pomp and mystery of precipico...on event which might pass.

entire course afforded hospitality by the monks.

Winter generally begins at the the Roman Catholic Church is have changed Since the Middle Ages, Chrli- tianity in its noblest form has St. Bernard about the first week reen in a devout atmosphere of of European history.

When the elephant reached the heaven rage around "dead" zono near the summit, been practised by successive com- in October, and the pass is rare-religious peace. Though all the munities of Augustinian monks ly open to traffic again before the winds of

following June. Snow

falls the walls, the contented monks where many motorists have trou- ...Imprisoned for practically101 nine months of every year amid silently, relentlessly, sometimes "roll the psalm in wintry skies," ble with their engines, she drop-

withoul pause, until undaunted.

ped on her knees, making signs the snowy wastes on the "rout for weeks of Europe."

Dedicated Lives

History is undecided whether of distress." the region resembles o vast white sepulchre.

Hannibal crossed the Alps with The wind howls around the his "elephantised" army by way hospico, driving the snow before of the St. Bernard or the Mont

it in suffocating blizzards. Often Cenis, but in his Commentaries

Forced. March

This was repeated every hun- The climate is so rigorous that only the tops of the tall telephone Julius Caesar records having sent dred yards until the summit was force, under reached. If the elephant had forced while passing only the most hardy can support poles emerge from the trackless an expeditionary

the command of one Galba, to been it for more than a few years, waste.

Almost every summer the sun sasure the safe passage of the St. through the "mystery" zone ahe

would not have survived. and before being admitted to the

remning of Home Dernard to Romen travellors.

According to Order, candidates have to serve uncovers the

After the Romans had opened

experts, "dead" a probation period to test whe-luckless traveller who has perishe ther they

equal are

10 the ed in his unequal fight against up highways throughout Europe, zones of rarefled air exist in dif-

the elements.

the St. Bernard, during Its briefferent parts of the Alps. Which physical and moral strain.

became almost may explain why Hannibal lost The "chosen dedicated their In recent years most of these summer,

Italian poli- thoroughfare, with posts estab- so many of his elephants when lives to the humane task of gue- unfortunates were

When the American reached couring humanity. 8,000ft, above tical refugees, fleeing their no-lished at regular intervals along crossing the passi the world, in temperatures often tive land for the freedom' across the route.

The first practical attempt to the Italian plains, the elephant varying from 25 to 30 degrees the Alps. centigrade below zero.

Ignorant of the dangers, the prove the theory that Hannibal's was so exhausted that the pro Frequently the monks-are-held-merciless cold had sapped their elephants crossed the St. Bernard jected "murch on Rome" had to

for the hospice prisoners in weeks on end by snowdrifts 30ft, when calls for help deep, and arrive they don their skis and leave the building by the top- floor windows, often at the risk of their lives.

the So sudden and terrible are blizzards whirling neruss this de- solato pass that even the most experienced monks are unable to find their way back once out of sight of the hospice's gaunt

walls.

Squadron 82 Is On The Beam

"You're on the beam...

Practically all the squadron-

Commander Dickle"

Men of 82 Squadron hear it in like their planes were war heir sleep these days, for on veterans. The commanding officer, Many a rescuer owes his life hose words depends. the success Wing

flow Desert, Alr Most of

the

to a stout rope fixed to poles or failure of the RAF's most Abrahams, a Sussex man, running down to the Italian important peace-time operation-Spitfires with frontier, which enabled them to the photographic "shooting" of Force: others were with Bomber regain the hospice when every East, West, and Central Africa, or Coastal Command.

from five to

Landmark

hidden by wns

the

the sorties varied

storm.

The No. 82 Photographic Re-ten hours, and up to the end of The original hospice wax connaissance Squadron are the February 1,800 aircraft hours founded in A.D. 080 by St. Pathfinders of the new empire were flown. Bernard of Menthon, stout-Britain means to build in Africa, hearted monk of the ancient Augustinian Order whose per- severance and courage triumphed over all the dangers and m culties which had forced less to aban- doughly predecessors Jong the inak.

Saracen Raids

By GRAHAMTM

STANFORD

Experts of the Colonial Survey! [Department in London already have a magnificent aerial picture gallery of the most isolated areas

Missionary Spirit

be abandoned.

monics

Their historie-mission_In_Eu- rope having come to an end, the now of St. Bernard are migrating to Thibet, where in the desolate frontier region they will continue the sacred traditions of St. Bernord of Meathon.

HUK CHIEF READY FOR PEACEFUL BATTLE

Manila, June 27.

was

lof East and Central Africa. It Luis Tarue, Hukbalalap

Commander-in-Chief, Day after day in war-worn Lan-has led to extensions or modifica- many projected caster bombers they fly hundredations of the

sworn in today in the Lower House as the representative of miles photographing vast areas development schemes. of unmapped Colonial territory.

of the Pampangas second dis- Bro vital These photographs

-trict, two hours after the Mont Joux, as-it-was-known in to the future development of

had those days, had a sinister reputa-Africa. They form the basin-of-In-a-recent-speech-Bl-Stafford Philippine Congress

The whole future finally concurred in President In Europe, For centuries all the schemes now under con- Cripps said: the-Saracens had.controlled the sideration for the opening-up of of the sterling group, and its Quirino's amnesty proclama-

nbility to survive, depends onta approaches to the pass, plilaging the continent. caravans and murdering lonely Today the inter-com it's no quick and extensive development tlon, thus paving the way for the restoration of peace and pilgrims and travellers, and ter- longer "Bomb doors open" but of our African" resources."

order in Central Luzon.. xorising dwellers on both sides "Cameras on" as the planes range of the Alps,

1948-06-28 — Page 8

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