1939-12-11 — Page 4

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

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

THE prede "Special to the Telegraph is used by the Hongkong Telegraph to indieste ziwe which is strictly copyrum under de provisions of the Telecommuni casions Ordinance. 1935, Ruch news as bears the indication "U i reerived in Itongkung on the date of publication by

the United Press Associations where serve all rights and Torbid republication, ser wholly or in part without previous

Arrangement.

The Neutral Front

To the numerous unusual aspects 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 Balkans their interests

Each of these States is trying to

would be the supreme

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 watched from the bridge for pectful awe a quiet but passionate "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. ling described the trip as the Trivial us such an incident may quietest he had known since the seem to the landsman, the safety of

the whole convoy had teen jeopar beginning of the war.

dised.

To live for days with a convoy It is at night that the full strain is to achieve a new understand of convey work is most apparent,' Volces on the bridge drop to a ing of the mechanism which whisper. A masked stern light only ensures, during war-time, that is permissible, and when visibility is the ordinary life of Great Bri- poor the task of keeping formation tain shall continue with the is almost insuperabic or would minimum disturbance. It is not eem 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 intstokes in mutton, eggs, apples and cheese" the darkness and been few and small. that Kipling wrote about. Mase. field's "dirty British with her firewood, ironware and cheap tin trays must tected as well.

VIGILANCE OF AIR

coaster", DEPTH CHARGES--AT

be pro

AND NAVAL ESCORTS Perhaps "mechanism" Is the wrong word, It sounds impersonal and inevitable and, on board, one has vivid sense of dependence on the of certain human eyes and ears beings.

LEAST A MILE AWAY

ampled the middle watch on the bridge ami found the eye-strain, even without the sense of responsibility, considerable. I had gone comfort- ably to sleep that early morning, when we received our first overi warning of the danger from which Three we were being protected.

felt rather grinding thuds,

than heard, awoke the passengers and brought them tumbling up on deck in various stages of undress, My own impression was that the ship act been in collision-the rasping shudder which site gave suggested impects with some heavy object.

more

In talk with the officers one are crystallising into a sharp Russo-realises that they in furn depend on Italian rivalry.

the smooth working of a complex ad hoe shore organisation, as well us ou

We stood on deck, straining our the ceaseless vigilance of the naval organise a Balkan bloc in which it and air escorts. Each convoy that yes into the blackness, hopelessly influence, arrives in port is a separate triumphrying to read its mystery, The cap-

tain eventually dashed our of co-operative human effort. On

dramalle

The depth- The Anglo-French-Turkish pact was the consistent recurrence of these

speculations. charges, he said, had exploded at a temporary setback for Russian in- triumphs hangs our very existence.

least a mile away. But it was cer fluence in that this treaty kept the So much emphasis on the dramatic tain that our escorting vessels had door wide for the influence of the importance of the convoy's journey is "got wind of something," and were excusable. A happy convoy has no Western Powers--doors that Stalin drain, and ours_was_a_business_trip. Healing with it in their fashion. What never know; but 40 minutes later, in truth, it was a drab-looking fleet at something was we shall probably which we joined at the port of n when we were wondering whether it somewhere in the south of was worth whlie going back to bed.

Evidently the escorting

had tried to close. The pact renewed Italian hopes of

that

re-establishing sand. On our way we had pussed there was yet another distant ex-|

Italy's place in the Balkans which had been in a large measure lost to Germany in the good old Rome- Berlin Axis days und was further threatened by the re-entry of Russia into the international field.

half a dozen

smart neutrals, publics-plosion.

ing their immunity in huge letters worships were still unsatisfied. No and painted emblems. Our own paint more was heard, but I, for one, shall and red cusign looked dingy beside believe that a U-boat searching for their gaudy superiority, and we knew our convey that night received some that once we were in convoy, we telling discouragement. should be shunned by them.

Normally the escort held its sel The convoy's plans had already stations about us, creeping along at been discussed at the conference of our miserably few knots with the masters ashore, Each ship knew her courteous tolerance of a schoolboy number and position, but the final conducting his elderly aunt across instructions were given at the anthe road. Several times, however, I chorage by a fussy little Admiralty saw them show their speed. They tug. At the secret salling-time we would suddenly dash away on an own, sometimes slipped away to the open sea errand of their company of over a score of vessels. steaming through the convoy. Unobstrusively our escort joined us, and the voyage and begun.

CAREFULLY STEAMING WHEN "THE FELLOW

ACROSS A MINEFIELD IN FRONT WANDERS Porhaps a straggler needed round- ing-up, or some indication had been One of the first qualities required received by the detectors which Of those who sail in convoys is warranted further investigation. We

The patience.

convoy's speed, never heard the results of these

News of naturally, is restricted to that of 1is manoeuvres,

any kind slowest member. For days on end nowadays, at sea, is hard to come the faster chips must endure the sort by. No merchant ship may transmit of thing which happens to fost messages except when it is gravely sports-cars when they get caught up necessary, and our smoke-room re- In Bank Holiday queues, with the ceiving set was disconnected for the Important difference that, there are duration on the first day of war. no alternative roules and no oppor tunities for "cutting in."

ve 1 podirate, but,

"I soo Slug Pastromi's gone south early this year—it says here he's opened the old Plusábity mendica of 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 ho wants to, as he has broken the other.

I must say that if he drops anything in my neighbourhood hope it will be gas. The actual casualties caused by gas dropped on a British town would be much lesa than by the same weight of explosives; but he may hope to cause a panic.

I certainly shall not give way to panle. On the contrary, I shall be de lighted if I hear the Wardens using their rattles.

People are frightened of gna for several reasons. Maluly because they don't understand it, and it is more mysterious than explosives. Partly because it causes frightful casualties among unprotected people in the open, such as the Canadian troops in France in March, 1010, and the Abyssinians in 1935.

B

UT we know what to jexpect, and we have the double protection of bulidings and shelters on the one hand and masks on the other.

Panic-mongers have spread fantastic stories about gas. We are told that a

ton of gas could kill a hundred thou

they were sund people. Go it could crowded together without respirators In a closed space.

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

through the heart. But things don't happen that way in real life. In May, 1928 a tax containing 11 tons of phorgene, the most poisonous of the non-persistent gases, burst in the docks of Hamburg. The gas formed a cloud which rolled over the suburbs of. Ham- burg and injured people xix miles. nway.

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 believe that a non- persistent, or cloud-forming, gas like this will be dropped on British cities. I think we may get "mustard gas or Lewisite, which are not gases, but liquid whose vapours are poisonous when breathed, and which also attack the eyes and skin.

ORTUNATELY our recen 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 anyone.

In 1918 only one in 43 of the British casualties from mustard gas died, all from lung injuries, and another ono in 43 was ill for over six months,

Some of the smokés which cause aneczing will go through civilian res- pirators when present in very large mounts. They are most unlikely to kill you, but they may make you take your respirator off. However, that - won't matter unless there is goa about at the same time. This is, however, most unlikely.

It is technically very difficult to and smoke make a combined gas bomb, and our fighters, balloons, and guns will certainly stop the Nazis from timing carefully, arid first dropping) gas, and then smoke bombs. In the saine place,

There are people who speak of new, and horrible gues which wii penetrate respirators. I don't believe in such, things for a moment, Mustard gas was Grat made in 1880, and nothing worse bad been made by 1910.

But if something still more poisonous 1s made, it will almost certainly be stopped by our respirators. The reason is simple. The respirators do not s'op light gases much as the carbon mon- axide in coal-gas.

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

With the signing of the Russo- German non-aggression pact, Russia showed at once that its new position would be used to extend Russian Influence west and east. Now from most of the capitals of Southeastern Europe come indications of energetic Italian counter-moves to organise n Balkan bloc which will face toward Rome. Some of the same problems which faced Russia and which Russin mistakenly attempted to force to solution when the Turkish Foreign Minister was in Moscow now face Italy. One of these is the reconcilla llon of the territorial disputes be tween Rumanía and Hungary and Bulgarin.

Whether Italy can better handle

Thero was lile communication such problems, and whether Turkey,

between cacort and convoy. What with visits from German reconnals- usually suspicious of Italian designs, "Keeping station." I have been told, there was

diapended on flags and sance alreraft, our eyes turned sky: will help,

questions, whose is often a most difcult problem for flashes, during daylight only, Our ward more often. Sure enough, the answers depend on the ability of the these sturdy individualist skippers, wireless cabin received one reminder signal was at lost flagged by our es lesser Powers in Europe to appraise many of whom, until a few weeks of the U-boat menice--an SOS from curt, telling us to be on the afert for ago, had had no experience of a ship in the Bay of Biscay, being unknown alrcraft, believed to be the common danger which threatens conveys.

chased and shelled by a submarine. hostile. them all

That drama, too, remained unfinished

No passenger went below, unless composition. Go, sa my respirator fits, One of the basic political issues in

we heard no more of her.

it was to fetch his camera. But the don't expect anything worse than the war of 1930 is whether the

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

German become

be supplemented by an aeroplane the ralder had either turned back or First of all helmets for all babies loft colonies or a bloc of independent and

have given risc to

word from the shore, skimming at low al-

changed his plans. economically stable states.

titude over the convoy. and then

in vulnerabla areas, and instructions. " They have been flying higher above us. "Mein Kampf" makes plain "Balkan!sation."

The voyage ended as unobstrusive- far as many adulta as possible in how enough Herr Hitler's dream of turn- fostered by great powers as France

We passed through the carefully ly as it had begun. Our escort left to use them. Second, possibility of the

and us in sale waters, and we proceeded don't it, and none will last for over.

"testing" respirators. Some of them small swept channel of a minefield, ing German energy from overceas fostered divisions among colonisation-possible only if Ger- German states. Diverse and aspiring watched for drifting mines with the at our own speed at last 10, our Every borough should have a room preclude any early naval-rating on board, in charge of destination. The captain, who lind where respirators can be tested at least many controlled the sea or had the nationalisms

spent the greater. part of the voyage twice a year in an atmosphere of tear friendship of those who did-into the amalgamation. But Bolkan destiny our Lewis gun.

One morning we glimpsed aon the bridge, was tired but content-gan af loost one has such a roon. taking of new lands adjoining Ger- a la unity; the progress of railway, majestic procession of warships ed. It had been a better trip than already. A low leaks would be found mony on the East. What has hop- motor cars, airplanes and radio may stealing along the horizon and out) average, he said.

and corrected. · of sight. On" another afternoon, we

Finally we want the right sort of pened in Czechoslovakia and Poland speed that development.

Soon there would be more con- | propaganda. Don't lati, pretend that potential saw the white superstructure and shows the dream in process of ful- Alment. And no one who has stud-counter-weight to German domina buff funnels of the 11,000-ton Danish ferences of masters, a new course, a a fully gas-proof room can be made in led the development of National ion of the Continent. Can Britain em Canada, lying in shallow fresh rendezvous. The hours of un- every house, or at our respirators

water after an explosion had wrecked remitting vigilance would Socialism expects the process to stop economic and cultural union which

and France promote among them on her. nt this stage unless halted by would make them effective in that SKIES EMPTY OF

arc

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

The Balkans offer

"

7.

TH

begin are ideal,

again. In the meantime," the coopers) and chemists and grocers of Scotland would continue to serve their clients, In the House of Communs the Minis ter would again be able to reassure As we steamed northward, into an frotful back-benchers. Suppiles and

for. particularly favoured distribution are being maintained.

· ENEMY: 'PLANES

external force.

rolo? The answer to that question The divisions among the Balkan' should be one of the decisive factors states are so well known that they in the present war and its aftermath. [area so

THE charcoal of our respirators stops heavy gason regardless of their

But let us realise that an ordinary com will keep nine-tenths of the as outside, and an ordinary respirator nine hundred and ninety-nine thou andth of what gela into the room.

*If those things are done, there will. be no danger, either of death or panic, in the great of a gua zaid.