1940-01-26 — Page 4

Friday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

{torgi White) ***

January 26, 1940.

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the

Thongkong Telegraph.

Friday, January 26, 1940,

Wyndham SL, Hongkong

Telephone: 20015

TIA prof "Special to the Telegraph" is waed by the "tongkong Telegraph" to indicate news which is strictly "copyright under the provisions of the Talacominal- cations Ordinance, 1938. Such news a bears the indicatión “UP”* 25 received la Hongkong on the date of publication by the United Frogs Ansociations, who rem nčevo all rights and forbid republication. alther wholly or in past without previous arrangement.

War and Culture

ONE of the worst features of

modern war and modern in- ternational rivalry is that na- tions are made to suffer in mind

as well as in body.

For totalitarian war imitates the totalitarian State and des- troys or tries to destroy every- thing that can keep memory and imagination alive,

A few months ago the Ger- mans wreaked their anger on" the most ancient of the Czech universities: a university that had been respeeted even in the most bitter phases of the quarrel between Czech and Ger- man as the home of Czech cul-

ture,

They have now dismantled the interior of Belvedere Palace at Warsaw, the muscum in which Pilsudski's memory was cherished, turning the chapel in- to a music-room, -

The Lithuanian Government, following this bad example, has closed the Polish University at Vilnn, a university established in the sixteenth century.

The racial rivalries of Eastern Europe and the Balkans have been seen at their worst in the persecutions of language, re- ligion, and university, and now the most powerful State in Cen- tral Europe is making savage intolerance in this form the basis of its policy.

..

Yot this Power thinks that it is fitted for the hegemony of Europe.

The contrast between the be- haviour of Nazi Germany to Czech universities and that

of

In view of the shortage of soup

in Germany, which is likely to cause a renewed wave of moustache-growing. Hitler

will doubtless inaugurate this new fashion-

THE S WAS TICKLE

Stalin

To

Like

Would

Forget

TANNENBERG

T was at Tannenberg, in the last week of August, 1914, that the efficiency of the Great Russian Steam Roller was first exploded by the Germans with a disas~ trous bang which has yet ceased to echo.

|

The Russian debacle in Finland was described by Webb Miller, "United Press" War Correspondent, yesterday as the greatest Russian debacle since The real truth happily for Tannenberg. Tannenberg was not so German arms much a victory for

not

the Allies-reached the world' slowly in 1914. It still makes gruesome reading. Tannenberg was, in short," less of a victory for Germany than it was an overwhelming defeat for the Russian fighting machine.

Indeed, the story of those few August days of 25 years ago illustrates perfectly the curious feckless atrain in the Russian nature.

Brilliant Ludendorff THE years before the war the plans for an attack of East Prusila had been carefully laid. Two Russian armies were to march against the Germans north and south of a line of marshy lakes.. The princi- pal army was led by Samsonov,

one

It was typical of the Russians you see the same thing happen- ing in Finland to-day that Sam- sonov knew nothing of the army he had to command, knew nothing of the staff given him, and had been hauled back from the Caucasus to supervise an attack which should have been carefully rehearsed by the man in charge.

The other Russian commander was Rennenkampf, and his army was at first so successfulthat the German General Prittwilz funk- ed

an engagement and was promptly superseded. This was on August 21.

Whereupon the German High Command at Coblenz, n the other side of Europe, were rather up a tree. They detached a brilliant tactician called Luden- dorff, packed him into a special northbound train, and the look- ed around for sortie senior officer to command: the East Prussian troops. R

Someone suggested the name of Hindenburg, a 18-years-old general pottering around: Han- over in civilian clothes, fr he had rotired in 1911...

Ludendorff's train stopted at Hanover long enough to tako Hindenburg on board, and off they went.

The Russian Debacio

the Republic of Czecho-Slovakia to German universities shows how sadly the standard of civilised government must de- THEY were luckier than cline wherover Germany spreads the time they reached fast poor Samsonov. By

Prussia tho Gorman staff had

her rulo.

sticky August. Railways in Po- land were few and far between Russians have never yet manag perhaps now that they have

As they are to this day. The

ed to run a railway properly, and

taken to the air-never will.

Ammunition and food began to run out, and Samsonov's re- connaissance work was deplor- able,

Twenty-five years ago this.

as an overwhelming defeat for the morning Samsonov knew so little Russian fighting machine.

automatically righted the things that Prittwitz had left undone.

But the Russian debacle had already started.

of the whereabouts of Rennen- kampf's other Russian army that he firmly believed that the pincer-like movement was in progress. Actually, he was hour- Samsonov's big and cumber- jy drawing farther away from some army had been marching Rennenkampf! The pincer was about the Polish plains for 4 opening, not closing. fortnight. It was a hot and

PLEASE Turn To Page 9.

Now a word

about the French..

Tis one of the ironies of this very odd war that wo know more of the character of our present enemies than of our present aliles.

So I thought that a few words about the French might come in handy, especially as quite a num ber of you may have to share a trench with them sometime.

The French, being a

a democratic nation with the not-easy-to-live- up-te motto, "Liberty. Equality. Fraternity(you'll find that in

BY SPIKE HUGHES

prove of those who don't, they are too good mannered to say so.

From this class come the French Civil servants and shopkeepers.

The shopkeepers you will find par- ticularly friendly and willing to pass the time of day, but do remember to say**Bon Jour when you enter um shop, and "Au revoir when you leave. It suggests that your shopping scribed

is also a sócial .plesstarO. the money when you on get to France), are not so_con-. veniently to be divided into classes as, for instance, the Germania.

To the average Engilshanan, indeed, there is only one class of Frenchman at all. He wears a tall milk hat, a lit pointed beard, punctuates his wild gea ticulations with witty little remarka like "Zut alor!" and "Hein?", and spends the greater part of his life glorifying La Femme (English/The Woman)

The day he passes, seated in a café, reading "riskaj" magazines; the night ho devotes to unspeakable revelry, which is saved being thought wicked by the Frenchman's characteristic charm, w and “naughtiness,"

In fact, however, this typical French- man has only ever existed in English comic papers, so that the real Prench- man may prova something of a disap- pointment when you meet him.

C

KARM

and

wit tho French 'most certainly bays, and for all their superficial excitability - they are "per- haps the most tolerable of all race

If you are patient with them they will do almost anything for 3013; and more that that if you show any find- nons for, their duldren."

The backbone of the French malish is the bourgeoisie • Thrifty and well. Tod, these nie zasily recogridsed by the. fact that on the holtest summer Bune day nothing will induce them to ap poar in public except in their best Blothes. They tako life a litle scri- ously, and, tinugh they may disap

Little courtesies like this on your part will work wonders, and if the shopkeeper hasn't got what you want he will be only too pleased to tell you where you can get it. He may even send somebody to get it for you be sees that you're a stranger in those parts.

I

or

THE Civil servant,

small-time official class

T

of Frenchman, appears somewhat inhumanly bureaucratic at frst; but a smile, a little tact and patients will reveal that he is an indi vidual with a sense of humour and a genuine desire to be helpful.

**Bince French mobilisation, of couTBO, it will not be so easy to distinguish one class from another, but I doubt if event a uniform will completely disguise the Young Blood..

This class of young man has a streake of the gigola in him." An peace time he drives around in a gally coloured 'enr, dresses with esther exaggerated chir, smokes American cigarettes and takes - a passionata interest in le sport and le

jans hot,

fessional Frendi soldier. He is a cul- sured, unaggressive person who gom about his job with a remarkable inck of fuss and bother. He has no particular political views, hates war, loves his country passionately, and is thoroughly good company,

If anything goes wrong he is more likely to laugh than not. Liko U French pliot who hit the top of a hedge taking-off in his plane and crastiel. Ho got out of a severely buckiel· machine, scratched his head and r marked: Well, fan't that funnyl Exactly the same thing happened ye terday."

A class apart in France are the berets and mechanics. They wear white boller sults, and in spite of deal of excited discussion and argi- ment will tear un engine to pieces and put it back better than when it let the factory. They are probably the best. mechanics in the world.

French children are not much dil- ferent from other children, except that Walio you are struggling with your Hugo's, they seem to have no diaculis in speaking Prench at all.

They are apt to beg and run, after you in the streets until they get somb thing out of you: but you find the liaison: them really tiresome officer will, i application, supply you with "ong'or two magic phrases- to disperse them. But don't be too- harsh; they may be the allies of to-

MOTTOW.

ASTLY, there is the

•homme de la ruzo, He's very much like the rest.. of us mon-in-the-streat ina atty civilised. country. He reserves the right to think and say what he likes. He enjoys poll tical argument, makes indelicate jok at the expense of the Government, the consorship, the bachelor's tax and the. bonus for large families.

Hals A Bit of A One for les piris, and will tell you with pride and some" detail of his alleged conquests. You, as ;a'guest' in his country, will of course When a crisis arises, however, ina ba- late with interest and appear Im comios desdly and grimly omim. Beplea- pressed. 'By doing so you will help the ber a year ago ha behaved⋅ no quiety Frenchman to maintain whine ho and determinedly that I wondered, thinks la kis reputation among the watching him, why sang trold was sup Mnglish, The posed to be exclusively an Engili

Ha will probably put water in vintage claret, but sa ith the wine of his country, don't appear too shocked,...

Then you will come across the pro-

virtuo

One thing only will bring the blood rushing to his checks: the menifan ef