1939-12-11 — Page 14

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ho have travelled in convoy through the coastal danger areas of the North Sea.

by

J. E. SWELL

in the London "Daily Telegraph"

I have been shaken from sleep by the grating roar of exploding depth-charges a mile away, and

for pecitul awe a quiet but passionate: watched from the bridge "unknown aircraft believed to speech delivered to the night sky by our first officer when our predecessor be hostile" when our escort slipped out of his place without sig- warned us that they might be nalling, and either went aground on approaching. The captain of a shoal or anchored, for some reason the vessel in which I was travel best known to himself.

incident my Trivial as such an ling described the trip as the quietest he had known since the seem to the landsman, the safety of the whole convey had been jeopar- beginning of the war.

dised.

Hongkong Telegraphing of the

Monday, December 11, 1939. Wyndham St., Hongkong Telephone: 26615

THE prefix "Special to the Telegraph is used by the longkong Telegraph to Indicate new which in strictly copyright under the provisions of the Telecommun- callons Urnance, 1938. Buck news as bear the indieation "U" je received in Hongkong on the date of publication by he United Press Associations, who co- serve all rights and forbid republication, arrangement

It is at night that the full strain To live for days with a convoy of convey work is must upparent. is to achieve a new understand-Voices on the bridge drop to a mechanism which whisper. A musked stern light only ensures, during war-time, that is permissible, and when visibilty is the ordinary life of Great Bri-poor the task of keeping formation tain shall continue with thes almost insuperable-or would minimum disturbance. It is not seem to be. Actually, when daylight broke, it was usually not long before just a matter of essential food-the fleet had taken up its correct supplies-the "beef, pork and formation again. The mistakes in mutton, eggs, appics and cheese" the darkness had been few and small. that Kipling wrote about. Mase-

field's "dirty British coaster" DEPTH-CHARGES-AT

with her firewood, ironware and

sither wholly or in part without previous cheap tin trays must be pro-

The Neutral Front

To the numerous unusual aspects

'teeted as well.

VIGILANCE OF AIR

LEAST A MILE AWAY

I sampled the middle watch on the bridge and found the eye-strain, even without the sense of responsibility, considerable. I had gone comfort- ably to sleep that early morning, AND NAVAL ESCORTS

when we received our first overt warning of the danger from which were being protected. Three Perhaps "mechanism" is the wrong! we

It sounds Impersonal and wrinding thuds, felt rather than word.

the passengers inevitable and, on board, one has a heard, awoke vivid sense of dependence on the brought them tumbling up on deck eyes and ears of certain human in various stages of undress. My beings.

own impression was that the ship had. one; been in collision--the rasping shudder

and

of the war in Europe add the fact that it is being fought by neutrals as well as by belligerents. Both Russia and Italy call themselves neutrals. But in the Ballons their interests are crystallising into a sharp Russo-realises that they in turn depend on which she gave suggested Impacts Italian rivalry."

Each of these States is trying to organise a Balkon bloc in which it would

supreme influence. be, the The Anglo-French-Turkish pact was a temporary setback for Russian in- Bucrice in that this treaty kept the door-wide_for_the influence of the Western Powers-doors that Stalin had tried to close. The pact renewed Italian hopes of re-establishing

the Russo-

In talk with the officera

with some heavy object.

the smooth working of a complex ad hoc shore organisation, as well as on

We stood on deck, straining our the ceaseless vigilance of the naval

convey that eyes into the blackness, hopelessly trying to read its mystery. The cap- more and air escorts. Each

dashed our arrives in port la a separate triumph Laiu eventually of co-operative human effort.

recurrence of these dramatic speculations. The depth- charges, he said, had exploded at the consistent

least a mile away. But it was cer- triumphs hangs our very existence.

So much emphasis on the dramatic thin that our escorting vessels had Importance of the convoy's Journey is "got wind of something," and were excusable.A happy convey has no dealing with it in their fashion. What drama, and ours was a business trip that something was we shall probably In truth, it was a drab-looking flect never know; but 40 minutes later, which we joined at the port of at-when we were wondering whether it

somewhere in the south of worth while England. On our way we had passed there was yet going back to bed,

half a dozen smart neutrals, publicle plosion.

141$

Evidently

set

the escorting Italy's place in the Balkans which had been in a large measure lost to us their immunity in huge letters warships were still unsatisfied. No Germany in the good old Rome and painted emblems. Our own paint more was heard, but I, for one, shall Berlin Axis days and was further and red ensign looked dingy bealde believe that a U-boat searching for their gaudy superiority, and we knew our convey that night received some

were in convoy wo telling discouragement. threatened by the re-entry of Russia that once we

should be shunned by them.

Normally the. escort held ito into the international fleld.

The convoy's plans had already stations about us, creeping along at With the signing of

been discussed at the conference of our miserably few knots with the aunt across Cerman non-aggression pact, Russia masters ashore. Each ship knew her courteous tolerance of a schoolboy showed ut once that its new position number and position, but the final conducting his elderly

Several times, however, I would be used to extend Russian instructions were given at the an- the road.

chorage by a fussy little Admiralty saw them show their speed. They dash away on an their own, sometimes influence west and east. Now from tug. At the secret sailing-time we would suddenly most of the capitals of Southeastern slipped away to the open sea-errand of Europe come indications of energetic company of over a score of vessels. steaming through the convoy.

Unobstrusively our escort joined us,

CAREFULLY STEAMING Italian counter-moves to organise and the voyage had begun. Balkan bloc which will face toward

WHEN "THE FELLOW Rome. Some of the same problems which faced Russia and which Russia mistakenly attempted to force to solution when the Turkish Foreign Minister was in Moscow now face Italy. One.of these is the reconcilla tion of the territorial disputes be tween Humanta and Hungary and Bulgaria.

Whether Italy can better handle such problems, and whether Turkey, usually suspicious of Italian designs, whose will help, are questions answers depend on the ability of the lesser Powers in Europe to appraise the common danger which threatens them all.

ACROSS A MINEFIELD Perhaps a straggler needed round IN FRONT" WANDERS

ing-up, or some indication had been the detectors which One of the first qualities required received by

warranted further investigation. We convoy's speed, never heard the results of these The of those who call in convoys patience.

News of any kind naturally, is restricted to that of its manoeuvres. slowest member. For days on end nowadays, at sea, is hard to come the faster ships must endure the sort by. No merchant ship may transmit fast messages except when it is gravely of thing which happens to sports-cars when they get caught up necessary, and our smaltg-room re- with the ceiving sot was disconnected for the in Bank Holiday queues, important difference that there are duration on the first day of war. no alternative routes and no oppor

There was little communication tunities for "cutting in."

Again, as on our arterial roads, it is always the fellow in front who is wrong. I shall remember with rez-

have

then

"I sea Slug Pastrami's gone south carly this yoar-it says hore ho's oponed the old Plushbilt mansion af Palm Beach.”

OF ESPECIAL INTEREST

TO THE PANIC-MONGERS

I prefer

gas..

-by-

J.B.S. Haldane, F.R.S.

H

ITLER has promised not to use gas, as he promised not to bomb civilians, and will pre- sumably break the promise about gas when he wants to, as he has broken the other.

I must say that if he "dropa anything in my neighbourhood I Casualties caused by gas dropped hope it will be gas. The actual on a British town would be much less than by the same weight of

cause a panic. explosives; but he may hope to

I certainly shall not give way to panie. On the contrary, I shall be de Ughted I hear the Wardens using their rattics

People are frightened of gas for Boveral reasons. Mainly because they don't understand it, and it is more Partly mysterious than explosives. among unprotected people in the open, because it causes frightful casualties such as the Canadian troops in France in March, 1915, and the Abyssinians 1: 1935.

B

UT we know what to expect, and we have the double protection buildings and shelters on the one hand and masks on the other.

of

Panio-mongers have spread fantastio stories about gna. We are told that a ton of as could kill a hundred thou- sand people. Bo it could if they were crowded together without respirators in a closed space.

In the same way, for all I know, a hundred ton of bullets could kill thousand men if each one was shot

to be

through the heart. But things don't happen that way in real life. In May, 1929, a tank containing 11 tons of phosgene. the meast poisonous of the non-persistent guses, burat in the docks of Hamburg: The gas formed a cloud which rolled over the suburba of Flam burg and injured. people mix miles AWAY.

But only ten people were killed, and 300 taken to hospital, although there- was no warning" and there were no respirators.

I don't personally belleve that a non- persistent or cloud-forming, gas like this will be dropped on British cities. I think we may get "mustard gas" or Lewhite, which are not gases, but liquids whose vapeurs are poisonous when breathed, and which also attack. the eyes and skin.

FORTUNATELY OUT....10-:- spirators give. complete protection to the lungs and eyes. And though the blisters on. the skin are painful, they have never been known to kill anyorie. ·

In 1918 only one in 43 of the Britlah casualties from mustard gas died, all from lung injuries, and another one in 43 was 1 for over six montus..

Bome of the smokes which cause ancezing will go through elvillan res pirators when present in very large amounts. They are most unlikely to kill you,ut they may make you take your residrator of. However, that won't matter unless there is gas about at the same time." This is, however, most unlikely,

It is technically very difficult' to make a combined gas and smoke bomb, and our fighters, balloons, and kuns will certainly stop the Nazis from alming carefully. and first dropping zas, and then smoke bomba, in the same place.

#

There are people who speak of new: and horrible gases which will penetratej respirators. I don't believe in such things for a moment. Mustard' gas was! first made in 1880, and nothing worse had been made by 1010.

But if something all more poisonous, la made, it will almost certainly be; stopped by our respirators. The reason is simple. The respirators do not stop light gases such as the carbon mon- oxido in coal-gas

None of these is very poisonous. The lethal concentration of carbon mon- oxide is one part in two thousand of or so for mustani gas. And all the air, as compared with one lit a million, possible light gases have been made.

T

*HE . charcoal of our respirators stopa haavy gazos regardless of their

between escort and convoy. What with visits from Gerraan recoinais-

Bags and sanco aircraft, our eyes turned aky "Keeping station." I have been told, there was depended on

Our ward more often. Sure enough, the is often a most difficult problem for flashes, during daylight only. these sturdy individualist skippers, wireless cabin received one reminder signal was at Inst flagged by our es many of whom, until a few weeks of the U-boat menace an SOS from cort, telling us to be on the alert for ago, had had no experience of a ship in the Bay of Biscay, being unknown aircraft, believed

chased and shelled by a submarine. hostile, convoys

No passenger went below, unless composition. Bo, as my respirator fits, That drama, too, remained unfinished

it was to fetch his camera. But the don't expect anything worse than One of the basic political issues in

we heard no more of her.

But to make us all safe and to avoid Day followed day of patient pro- skies remained empty, and we were blisters, whatever gas is dropped on me. gress. At intervals our escort would forced to conclude, in the end, that panie, three other things are needed the war of 1030 is whether the Balkons are

be supplemented by an aeroplane the raider had either turned back or First of all helmets for all babies inft to become German

in vulnerable areas, and instructions word from the shore, skimming at low al- changed his plans, colonies or a bloc of independent and

to a given rise economically stable states.

They have beentitude over the convoy. and

to use them. Becond, a possibility of The voyage ended as unobstrusive- for as many adults as possible in how | flying higher above us, "Mein Kampf" makes plain "Balkonisation."

We passed through the carefully ly as it had begun. Our escort left testing respirators. Some of them Every borough should have a room enough Herr 1tler's droom of turn- fostered by great powers as France ing German energy from overseas fostered divisions among the small swept channel of a minefield, and us in safe waters, and we proceeded don't it, and none will last for ever. colonisation--possible only it Ger- German states. Diverse and aspiring watched for drifting mines with the-at our own speed at last to our

carly naval-rating on board, in charge of destination. The captain, who had where respirators can be tested at least spent the greater part of the voyage twice a year in an atmosphere of tear many controlled the sea or had the nationalisms preclude any

One morning we glimpsed on the bridge, was fired but content gaa. As lost one had such a room friendship of those who didinto the amalgamation. But Balkan destiny our Lewis gun.

warships ed. It had been a better trip than already. A few looks would be formed

and corrected. taking of new lands adjoining Ger- is in unity; the progress of railways, majestic procession

Finally we want the right sort of many on the East. What has hap-motor cars, airplanes and radio may stenting along the horizon and out average, he said.

; of sight. On another afternoon, we

Soon there would be more con- propaganda. Don't let's pretend that pened in Czechoslovakia and Poland speed that development.

The Balkans offer a potential saw the white superstructure and shows the dream in process of ful-

vigilance would begin are ideal diment. And no one who has atud-counter-weight to Gorman, dominan-buff funnels, of the 11,090-ton Danish ferences of masters, a new course, aa fully gas-proof room can be made an

water after an explosion had wrecked remitting

again In the meantime, the coopers led the development of National tion of the Continent. Can Britain stemmer Canada, lying in shallow fresh rendezvous. The hours of un-every house, or laws our respirators

and France promote among them as her,

and chemists and grocers of Scotland Socialiam expects the process to stop economic and cultural union which

would continue to serve their clients at this stage unless halled by would make them effective in that SKIES EMPTY OF

In the House of Commons the Minit external force, an

ter would again be able to

The divisions, among the Balkan role? The answer to that question should be one of the decisive factors [states are, nö well known that they in the present war and lis aftermath

of

reassure

But let us realise that an ordinary

room will keep mine-tenths of the as outside, and an ordinary respirator nine hundred and ninety-nine", thou-- sandths of what gets into the room,

If these things are docio, there will.

in the stint of a gas zaki,

ENEMY 'PLANES As we steamed northward, into an fretful back-benchers. Supplies and be no danger, either of death as panic... area so far particularly favoured distribution are being maintained.