1940-03-07 — Page 26

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Hongkong Telegraph.

Thursday, March 7, 1940. - Wyndham St., Hongkong Telephone: 20013

THE prefix "pecial to the Telegraph" I used by the "Hongkong Telegraph to Indiente news which is strictly copyright ander the provisions of the Telecommuni- CALIONS Ordinance. 1916. Such new bears the indication "UP? is received in Hongkong on the date of pubileation by The United Press Associations, who co- servo all rights and forbid republication, either wholly or in part without previous Arrangement

War Songs

THE complaint has been made

that the war songs which have come to the fore in the last fow months are too trivial and undignified; some of them are further described as being forced and artificial.

The prime favourite of the last war was "Tipperary," the dignity of which might be hard to dis- cover at first, yet it acquired in tíme a dignity of its own, and for many people-an inexpressible pathos which made it little short of sacred.

Perhaps, therefore, we should be cautious in criticising the songs our soldiers are singing. They will certainly choose the melodies and words that please them best, without regard to the First opinions of the critics. place thus far seems to have been given to "Roll Out the Barrel." Not much dignity is to be discovered there! The song muy even be a source of annoy- ance to musicians and of acute distress to temperance paigners. But surely the first 100,000 or 200,000-cannot be wrong?

can-

When the soldiers show a dis- tinet preference for this musical exhortation, the mere civilian can only comment, "So let it be!" case, whatever the

stage of the war to under- estimate the strength of the Sieg- fried Line. It is tremendously strong.

"Line" is a misleading word, and should not be used. The series of positions, and the "Sier- fried-Stellung".is therefore the exact opposite of the rows of static trenches, with their com- munications to support and re- serves, which those of us who served In the Great War remem- ber on the Somme.

Siegfried tactics are quite alm- ple.

First, you beguile your enemy into forward Zones which are filed with minefields, pill-boxes and machine-gun nests.

Second, If he has managed to penetrate so far, you cogogo. hlm in a forward battle zone.

Third, you harass him in a rear- ward' battle zone.

Finally, if his reserves have not been completely used up by this lure him into your time, you counter-attack zone. A is on the last-named that the whole system la based,

Well-planned counter-attacks are dimeull to withstand. A pause of exhaustioni must follow, leaving the Initiative in the hands of the defenders.

So much for the strength of the

Siegfried positions, but what of their weaknesses?

The system has certain dis advantages from the defenders' point of view, Pill-boxes, ma- chine-gum

concrete nesta, and strong points must be manned by small garrisons which may be come Isolated."

They live under conditions of the utmost discomfort, they must Eo "over the top every night to obtain their rations, they cannot he frequently relieved. If their main lines of communication in the rear are threatened by heavy gunfire, whole areas of these positions can be starved out,

In many places on the Western Front the Siegfried positions are 15 to 20 miles In depth. They run from Switzerland to Belgium, through the Rhine flood area,

where the French watched with

March 7, 1940.

SAPPER PHIPPS On Active Service

"He used to be a commissionaire.

the

He led Czechs Freedom

TO-DAY is the 90th an-

niversary of the birth

of T. G. Masaryk, the first premier of the Czecho- Slovak Republic, who died in Sept., 1937.

It was he who led the Czechs in their revolt against the Hapsburgs and, who, as President of the Czecho - Slovak Republic, consolidated the state and fore, is this great zonal depth of made it the bulwark of value in defence?

amusement in the spring while the Germans fought desperately to save their forts and casemates from disaster. How far, there-

It is obvious that to man even the forward zones against posal- ble attack at any point must em- play enormous numbers of men. The opposite is the case with regard to the French Maginot Line, where a large mobile army can be moved quickly behind It -from-one-point-to-another..

The Siegfried positions have got to be retained. An army must keep its counter-attrick troops in the places chosen for them, and there is then not much room for manoeuvre. Provided

dock exactly what you expect him to do all is well; but if he does some- thing different, as General Game- lin has done in the Saar Valley, the whole zonal system may be upset.

your enemy

Napoleon said that the transl- tlon from the defensive to the offensive is one of the most de- liente operations in wor. Ho knew!

THIS

war will test many theories. The power of defensive weapons has increased to such an extent that if one side or the other attacks positions in which the enemy is ready and prepared the result will be dis- astrous. If, on the other hand, manoeuvre is found once more to be possible, huge defensive arens, the work of years of careful plan.... ning, may become useless.

Possibly the assistance of air forces will be found to have made all the difference. Allied 'planes have flown over the Siegfried positions and photographed them from every angle; there is little about them which is unknown to the General Stalls.

Allied planes can swoop, down on the German counter-attack divisions and upset their' concen- trations on the roads by machine gunning and bombing.

Let us therefore discard our preconceived theories about Get- man "lines" and "walls" of de- fence. The Siegfried "position" are different. Although tremend- ously strong, they are by no means Impregnable.

T. A. LOWE.

In any zoldiers' choice in songs for this second affair with the Germans, it is surely preferable that their vocalism should prove a dis- inclination to take themselves or the dangers of their job too seriously, rather than that they

or a German equivalent, there should give themselves over to might have been no war. Who dull, humourless chanting about knows? The portentous gravity the Fatherland," which is all of the leaders of the Nazi creed, the marching music in which their utter lack of humour and Nazi legions are permitted to their inability to laugh or smalle, are · sure symptoms of the politico-mental disease that is largely responsible for Europe's present travail.

|indulge ?-?

Had Nazlam been capable of singing "Roll Out the Barrel,"

liberalism and democracy in Central Europe.

His birthday will be observed in all parts of the world.

This anniversary will be ob served with great enthusiasm. and deep-sincerity-in-those- places where Czechs are free to give expression to their feelings, and in Czecho-Slovakia itself it will certainly not pase -un- observed.

According to reports which have been received, the German Army of occupation and the Gestapo have received instruc- tions to prevent a repetition of the outbreaks that occurred on October.28: Czecho-Slovak In- dependence Day.

It was as a result of these riots that more than 100

to

'Siberia to Vladivostock where

they embarked for Europe.

Masaryk received & warmk welcome in Chicago when he visited that city in his journey back to Europe. The city has always been a strong Czech centre and therefore he received generous assistance.

The defent of the Germans in 1918. paved the way for the in- dependent stato of Czecho- Slovákia which had been up till then merged into the Austrian- Hungarian State. Masaryk had a difficult task for he had to steer between the reactionaries: on the one side and the Com- munists on the other.

He was drawn into the orbit of the French and British de- mocracies, because his whole training led him that way. Moreover, his wife was American lady of - Hugenot descent.

an

From 1918 to 1937 he slowly and methodically built up the state on liberal lines, as an out- post of the democracies..in the heart of Europe. The trade of the country flourished and its productions reached every part of the world. Bata, Skoda and' Pilsen were household

words which showed how enterprising those people were.

☆

☆

THE annexation of Austria however in 1938 sealed the doom-of-Czecho-Slovakia, since

it exposed its flank and soon its turn to be swallowed up came on the Ides of March, that fatal day of 1939.

It

the WA.g

crowning treachery, this violation by Hitler of his pledge given to Mr. Chamberlain six months before at Munich, that really pre- cipitated the present war, since it was clearly evident that the word of the Nazi leader could in no circumstances be trusted. The inclusion of Czecho- Slovakia within the Austro- 46:

students were executed and a ordered them to make that his Hungarian Empire lasted further 2,000, together with toric journey right across their professors, were conveyed

to concentration camps.

☆

CZECHO-SLOVAKIA has now

got its own government under President Benes, and its

PLEASE Turn To Pago 9.

MAC'S BIG GAME

HAD not seen Mac for many years. "To my surprise it did not im- when I ran across him by chance mediately attack me again but stood. own army fighting under its in Bahin. He had been an entertain-back, its tall lashing furiously. Then own officers in France. In the fellow at school, so I was quite 1 remembered my revolver. I drew United States and in Great pleased when he asked me to his it quickly from beneath my pillow

house for lunch.

and cocked. Again, before, I could Britain and France there are After a pleasant meal we sat in a fire the beast leapt, and again my properly organised departments cool room from which we could look firearm was umashed from my hand. which carry on the affairs of dawn on the blue water of the At-The blow threw the revolver across tuntic, dring iced whisky, and think the room, and in a second of time I the Czecho-Slovak government, that the tropics were not so bad after realised I was lost. Almost at the but the headquarters of the all.

same moment a shot rang out and National Council for the time After a time our talk

turned to the

jaguar fell to the ground. being are in Chicago.

hunting, and Mac pointed to a fine "It" was only after some minutes. The spirit of Czecho-Slovakia big spotted skin which served as a that I understood what had hap

rug on one corner of the polished pened. The revolver had struck · lives on and is bound to emergenoor.,

against the wall and gone off. The "D'you see that skin?" saki Mac. Jaguar looked at the spotted skix triumphant in the end, for the

had literally shot himself.” tradition is strong

comingThat Jagtar nearly got me before I

fondly and took another whisky. through such great men as Com-got it."

He took another long drink of That was somo years ago, Lust menius and established once again firmly by Masaryk, that sky, sat back in his choir and told week I met a friend who is just tall handsome hero who worked "It was in Matto Grosso," he went

the story..

home from India.

I

you know whom I met out

and Vienna, became a professor there was any special danger, and fu. Tenessed my surprise,

my friend from India.. had come thrilling times,

his way up against great odds, on. "I was spending the night in a there?" he said. "Old Mac!"""

lock. entered two universities Leipzig small cabin and the door had no

I was all alone, but I did not feel

"he'r in Prague University where he when I lay down I had my ride be too. He had a narrow escape from: revived the true Czech spirit side me. As an extra precaution In leopard not so long ago. He was which he himself expressed so put my revolver under my pillow, sleeping alone in his bungalow when finely, and, finally, became the had been sleeping for a good and during the struggle Mac's re

then fell fast asleep.

the beast came in. It attacked him, liberator of the Czechs and time when I was awakened by a soft volver: went spinning across the Slovaks and founder of the New movement. I turned over on my side room and struck the wall! The gun Republic.

and looked towards the door. You went off and the leopard fell dead, can imagine how I felt when I saw Shot through the Heart a full grown jaguar standing in the That spotted skin seems to MASARYK in 1917 wandered monito

serving Muc very well. I do not "Little by little'. I reached out for know whether he intends going to from country to country my rifle. I had it ready and was Africa or not, but I think he should. rallying his forces. In Russin just about to fire when the beast You soc,: the spotted skin. once- ha collected into three divisions leapt. Before I had time to press covered an African leopard, and ho all those. Czechs who found the trigger the brute had inshed out might as well have the whole story,

and knocked the ride from my right. themselves. In that country, I handa.

Miller Watso