1940-06-10 — Page 26

Monday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

June 10, 1940.

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AN

An American asked how

we're governed

N American has just been firing questions at me about our British Constitution. The visit of the King and Queen to more luxurious Vauxhall 14. 30 the United States had aroused m.p.g. at 30 m.p.h. Independent his interest in English democra-

the government. springing,, all synchromesh gears,

| hydraulic brakes, etc.

May we demonstrate?

HONGKONG HOTEL GARAGE

Stubbs Rd.

The

Tel. 27778-9

Hongkong Telegraph.

"

"How does it work?" he asked. "How did It all begin?" I took out pencil and paper and set down the facts for him. This is what I wrote:

by

MONTAGUE SMITH

The world discusses the British form of Government, admires it, deplores it, criticises it: but what IS the British structure of Government?

There are in England and Wales the boroughs, and in return sold them (and in slightly altered form

in

Scotland) parish meetings, parish special rights, and privileges, em- councils, rural district councils, urban bodied in charters of those days. district councils, borough counells, Councillors Unpaid

borough councils, county

county councils, in an ascending order of

The consent of a majority in both of a Bill into law in most cases, but Houses is necessary for the passage the Commons alone have the right of saying what taxation shall be im- posed, 31,000,000 Electors

THE suffrage, that is, the right to

vote for a member of Parlia ment is now almost universal among ndult eltizens of both sexes.

and parish importance, all of them consisting of UT of the borough

council system our modern members elected by the citizens, which between them constitute what methods of local government grew, We call the system of Local Govern, but they are in fact of little less than pient.

a century's achievement. Above them all, determining the There are now in England and

In Great Britain there are appro- powers which they may exercise, and Wales 581 urban district councils and ximately 31,000,000 of us electors having in itself much larger duties

councils, whose 14,600,000 men and 10,500,000 women concerned with foreign affairs, de- 470 rural district fence, taxation, and the general well respective spheres of authority are who have the opportunity at least 328 non- once every five years (for that is being of the people. Is the Govern defined in their names,

to put a cross on a ballot paper-ond ent, consisting of-the-House-of-county-borough-councils, 33 county the maximum life of any Forliament) Commons

to (supposed be the borough councils, and '81 county thereby choose which of two or more indicate news which is strictly copyright | suprem an elected body; the House councils.

opposing candidates shall represent

arbiter of

the

nation's

Monday, June 10, 1940. Wyndham St., Hongkong Telephono 26015- THE pretix pecial to the Telegraph lised by the Hongkong Telegraph to under the provisions of the Telecommuni

The county counèll is the most cations Urdherence, 1918. Such news of Lords, an assembly of peers and bears the indication "UP" 16 received bishops, whose right of governance powerful body in local government,

I can claim about one-fifty-thou- Hongkong on the date of publication is supposed to be based on inherited delegating certain rights of adminis- sandth share in one M.P., and, amali serre all rights and forbid republication, capabilities; the Cabinet of Minis- iration in such matters as education as it is, I cherish it more than some the United Press Associations, who res sider wholly or in part without previous fera, appointed by the Prime Minis and roads to the rural, urban, and of my fellow-citizens, for the truth ter, and the Prime Minister himself, borough councils. The county bor is that seldom more than 60 per cent. appointed by the King on the leader ough councils, now limited to towns of the electors take the trouble to of the political party which can with a population of more than 75,- vote for a representative when they command

a majority in the House 000, are alone independent of the have the charice to do so,

county council authority.

Arrangement.

Mussolini

IF Mussolini were strutting on own little stage we might, and the cuss opportunism of Italian foreign polley mildly amusing.

Two In Five Of Us Vota

and

of Commons.

'This opathy is due in the main to Women can sit in authority on all.

All the members of all these local a belief that what we call our party these governing bodies, both local authorities are elected by the rate system determines legislation and national, with the exception of payers, and all of them are unpaid, makes a single vote ineffective. This But he is one of the players the House of Lords. There is no with the exception of the local ma- party system, which had its origin in (although, at the moment. a minor thing in

the British Constitution yors, who are elected by their borough the biller parliamentary conflicts of one) in the great drama now being which could prevent a woman from councils, for a period of one year, Stuart times, when Roundheads and enueted in Europe.

becoming Prime Minister. But it is and who receive a small allowance Cavaliers were fighting for the head It is, indeed, surprising that the not yet supposed that women have for expenses, part of which may be of Charles I., has developed into a Italian Dictator, who has a very real enough acquired or inherited by spent on entertaining distinguished perpetual clash between the ins and feeling for the theatre. should have to be members of the House of visitors.

the outs, the Government and the chosen such an unimpressive role Lords.

Opposition, the Conservatives and the Socialists, in which it becomes al- since the ivar bogan,

The earliest forms of expression is something undignified There

LTHOUGH these local authorities, most, but not quite, impossible for about a warrior sitting on the fence of self-government (or democracy) above the heat and smoke of battle, in this country were those of the A between them collect rates from any unattached individual, an inde and, at the same time, thundering out parish and borough councils. The us amounting to nearly £200,000,000 pendent, to become an MP.

precise origin of both of them is lost a year, and spend some £500,000,000 It takes a lot of money to fight an challenges 11ke a medieval knight,

mic sectacle has become tedious, in the mists of time, but both have a year-the balancs belag raade up afection in more constituencies, and for at by grants from the Government and few afford to : the expense. The because all the world knows what existed in primitive forms

of the fence Mussolini would like least 1,200 years, and are undoubted the proceeds of municipal undertak--result. has been creation of party to fall on-if he could only be surely the derivation of days when man, ings-we do not, save when the rule funds, out of which Anancial assis of dividends and sufficient glory at a abandoning a solitary existence, rat demand notes reach us, take a pro- tance is given only to candidates pre- found the value of tribal strength, found interest in their conduct of af- pared to submit to party orders, on

how they will vote if elected. The truth that Mussolini stand tribal rules. drcoms of a great new Roman Em. The name "borough," for instance, Only about two in every five of us Nevertheless, it remains possible for pire; and his appetite is stimulated by is derived from an Anglo-Saxon entitled to vole take the trouble to any man or woman to-day to become or she, in the the militant fascists who want the word "burh," meaning a sheltered or do so when our councillors are being an M.P., just as he Rome-Berlin Axis to become active, fortified place, the camp or refuge of elected fact which may or may lower circles of authority, may be

Thus Canterbury, which no not convince you of our belief in the come a local councillor, and overy Signor Ansaldo, the editor of "a tribe. Telegrafo, put the matter plainly in doubt you will visit, is really, accord workings of democracy.

Briton born could become Prime be accounted speech: "Entire peoples are staking ing to its derivation, the camp or all their forces and resources in the tribal refuge of the men of Kent. Now for the contributors to na- Minister. That must present war, because the vanquished

tional taxes. We must go back to one of the splendours of our demo-

cratic system. So, in the days when Roman history to start that story. cannot delude themselves regarding their fate. They will be expropriated civilisation had faded to the shadow

There was the semblance of Par- Man With The Umbrella of a name, when the Danes and, later, and Impoverished."

our liament in Anglo-Saxon times, a great As it is not

is not any part of our war the Normans were invading

superstructure of authority which aim to expropriate or impoverish our shores, you may picture our fore- Council of State, summoned by the THERE remains to tell of the great

we can only conclude that this fathers (and yours) gathering them- king, and called the Witenagemot, or

rises above all our system of cltcilve government the Cabinet. This con- is the pretty ambition of the Diela-selves into walled towns, or boroughs, meeting of wise men.

minimum risk.

enemy,

fairs.

tors; and that, if there is any chance levying taxes, or "scots" (the word The Norman Conquest, with its im- sists of Ministers who are heads of of a Nazi victory, Mussolini wants means "tax," as you see in the phrase position of conquering barons, de- the great departments of State, each to be in at the kill.

"scot-free"), and ruled by a partly

victory.

There's the rub,

modern times.

Hence all the Italian shadow- sparring, tub-thumping, bugle-blow-Major And Elder-Mon Ing, and war talk-but only talk.

Talk will soon have to give place to

action of some kind.

Observers in Rome say that events are forcing Mussolini to make choice.

now

whorn is personally appointed by until later kings the Prime Minister. But he is not quite sure about elected "moot," later to be trans- layed the growth of popular, liberties,

formed into the borough council of and it was nat

that it was necessary. -realised:

The Prime Minister is the leader of to obtain the consent of their sub- jects for the payment of money which the party in power, elected as such they urgently needed that the old by his fellow MPs. After a general other cause, such as a defeat of the Government on a major AT the head of the moot was the system of representative national as- election or

reave, formerly the chief local sembly was revived.

Issue in the House of Commons, which Magna Carta was the outcome of may change the balance of power, tax-collector, later to become the mayor, the "major" or senior official, this necessity. King John signed it it is the privilege of the King to sum- assisted by the older and more sold at a pleasant island in the Thomes, man the leader of the dominant party So are the Allies-in a quiet but citizens, the elder-men, who have near Windsor, in 1215, and it esta- and ask him to form a Government.

been transformed into the alder- blished a principle which does liitto

If the party leader accepts, he [determined way,

the British men, majestle in robes and ripe in to console us now that our income A/ Low days ago Minister for Economic Warfare (Mr. years, who will, if you are sufficiently tox is 5s, Gd. in -namely, that there chooses his Ministers, who derive their sequently, he disagrees with them or Cross), said: "We have no quarrel distinguished, be at the head of the shall be no taxation without repre- authority from him alone. If, sub- they with him, he can dismiss them. with Italy and have every wish to deputation of the borough council sentation.

their resigna-i which meets you on arrival in their bo friends. But if she whibes to be

From that time the evolution of Usually he "accepts

tion." Parliament proceeded briskly. treated as a neutral she must behave own. 38 one."

-The parish coupell, though of elmi-

So, at the head of all our system We can tolerato at

The dist Parliament regarded as pinchlar antiquity, had a different growth. Mussolini's passion for histrionice, but It was a system designed more for such by our historians was summoned of government, both local and na- we can't permit the ambiguous term the administration of scattered rural in 1265 by the rebel Simon de Mont- tional, the product of the centuries of "non-belligereney" to mask Italy's areas, and, as far as history knows, fort, Earl of Leicester, after he had Tarilament, the ultimately chosen of role as a supplier to Germany and it had an ecclesiastical origin. Theo defeated King Henry III. at Lewes, 31,000,000 electors, there appears in potential ally waiting the opportune dore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Can- and those he bade attend were the supreme power the single figure of a moment to intervene.

towards

the close of the bishops, abbots, carls, and barons, man with an umbrella. terbury It will be batter for everybody seventh century, is supposed to have two burgesses from every borough.

We do not pay him much. £10,- when Mussolin! realises if he doesn't been responsible for putting it into The knights and burgesses were 000 a year is the salary of our Prime now that Britain and France are established shape. Its primary duties not the slightest bit alarmed by his were the maintenance of church pro- elected by their fellows, and the bur- Minister, and even his Cabinet Minis- military and naval preparations.

Ice of two shillings a day for atten- honour of his office is so great that His. Bro-cating performances and city and discipline and the relief of Casca were supposed to be paid a fers get only £5,000 a yeat, but the

dance at the Parliaments now begin- kit aspiro to it.- the passionate rhetoric of the mill poor and destituto pariantoners.. lant Italian publicista do not repro- In the years that have Intervened ning to meet regularly at Westming-

It might be gathered from my re- sent the spirit of the Italian people, the parish councils have passed ter. Their fellow citizens strongly

marka on the party system, which so largely ordains the course of both who are felendly to us and distrut through many vicissitudes. To-day objected to the charge. the Germans,

In England and Wales there are at To-day we pay our members. of taxation and legislation, that I, Smith, The Italians want to know where least 12,000 of them, but little powers Parliament 2000 a year, plus first- a citizen, have now no safeguard of Mussolini stands just as much as the save those of debate remain to them, class rallway fares to and from their my liberties in Parliament. Allies do.

though their officials--the rector constituencies, whether they attend

My answer to this: That if my The Allies have been extremely church-whedens, sexton, and parish or not, and the ancient objection of

BO 'when patient-the more

citizens han

way causo is just it can always find ex- one clerk-are memorials of their ancient many

pression. realises the vulnerability of Italy in authority.

diminished. the Mediterranean.

In 1344 the format division of our There is, in fact, no body of men, While their prestige waned, that of A thousand angry Gaydos will not drive the Allied anvies from the the borough counelis grew, and as Parilament into two House-ito: no individual, whose grievance can- Mediterranean or compel the Allies successive kings of Eagland in long House of Lords, representatives of not find the full opportunity of dis- to relax their contraband control, past years needed money for their hereditary interests, and the flouse cussion in an appropriate local as

Bluff passed out of the grim own enjoyment or their foreign wars, of Commons, or commoners, elected sambly or ultimately on the door of

the House of Commons itself. European- game nine-months ago, they levied taxes on the burgesses of by the taxpayers, was achieved.

in

по

1

Tanks

Have Changed War

By Major-General J. F. C. FULLER (Formerly Chlof Staff Officer. Tank Corps), PRO- PHET of the AIR - TANK

WAR

"They hunt the doves from their

colez..

And chara 1/ nient from hir

hole.

Loudly roaring above, gibbering!

below,

They are the owls which hoot over

From a Babylonians

Cuneiform Tablet FUTEEN years ago, when writing on "Land and Air Wartare,” I ended by saying: "We shall see the Com mander-in-Chief and his Staff replace two fists are his the boxer. mechasised army and his air force. Somalimes the army will fix the enemy by holding him in front, whilst the air force will knock him out in rear; sometimes the air force will hold the army will onemy in rear, and the knock him out in front. Thus, I think, will battles be won."

This is what has happened, even more so than I ever-dreamt of; be cause the would-be prophet is always years behind the future, and not, as he is generally acclaimed to be, years in advance of his day.

It is not tanks alone which have won balties for our enemy, nor it in aircraft alone; but, instead, the might of these two weapons in intimate co- They And the result? operation. multiply each olher's powers. For Instance. 100 Lunks 100 airplanes does not produce 200 units of fighting. power, but-10,0001

Yet surely we can do as well as our enemy, it waTM will"anly-rears-dreams. ing, thinking and sperulating in terms were the of the last war, wo who

of there Juggernautle originators tactics.

its birthplace was Fricourt, on the old Bomme battlefield, where, in February 1915 the 1st Tank Brigada "conclusively demonstrated that low- fying airplanes could reader the great- est protective assistance to expks."

These words were written at that Ums. Nevertheless, nothing was done unil July 1, when No. 8.Squadron, RAF, equipped with. 10 Armstrong- Whitworths and commanded by Major T. Legh Mallory, DS.O., was attached to the Tank Corps. Without its co operation, August 8-The Black Day of the German army would have been no more than a grey dawn.

a year. later, everything had doned away. down the sink, of

economy.

TN the German army, long before the days of Ellier, things were very different. Not a book was published on tanke or aircraft which was not minutely examined by the General Staff, at that time la mutti. Then, in 1933, filter came into power, and year Inter, in a long conversailun with him, I discovered his Intense Interest in mechanised warfare."

What he saw In detall I do not know; but I know what i saw: it was not Bolely the physical power of the com. bined tank-air-attack, but, above all, 1 overwhelming moral power. That was our secret in 1918, and that had been the German secret during the last two weeks yet they gave us a free demonstration of it eight months ago In Polandi

In such moral physical contests the war plan is an idea and not a string of words. The decisive point of attiek la predetermined: it is the rear of the enemy and not his front or one of flanks The grand tactics are simple nantly, to exploit weakness and suc cess The minor tactics series of electria blows which, though they are apt to lead to disorder in the advance. produce complete confusion in the Tanks of the retiring enemy.

The method, as I wrote again, is not to work according to a fixed plan but instead to exploit every oppor tunity. The mechanised army of the futura "must strike with the utmost speed, the utmost secrecy, and the utmost strength: for speed, secrocy and strength are the surest foundations of the knock-out blow."

NOW for a little detail. Except for scouting machines, every tank -an-anti-tank,-and-overs bomber-

Thera are many fying cannon. weapons and many types of machines on land and in the air. The pRTA= chutist is no more than a human bomb, and the motor-cyclist-a human bullet. Each weapon has its part to play- definite part, and when all are or genised and their wielders-trained lo co-operate, together they play like one vast orchestra rhythmic cacophony of war.

As the scouting tanks move forward they are followed by sroupe of motor- cyclists, and as the troop-carriers, packed with parachutista, zoom over head they are protected by a cloud of fighters. Under cover of this advanced comes the main body of the af -mediums and heavy tanks on the ground, bombers and their escorts in the air, all followed by motorised, in- fantry, supply columns, etc.

And frs between those two mechazelad ed forces is a second formation of air erall, which links their operations Into one. It consists of three grOUPS of machines:

--(1)-Contact... patrols to keep tank battalion, and company headquarters: informed of the progress of their machines and of the enemy's' movE ments and dispositions.

Jocate the (1) Attack patrols to snemy's Knit-tank defences, artillery, ete, and not only attack them, but. who signal their positions by MBAKE of smoke bomba Vor, this duty maps ars marked, showing all likely al- tank localities.

(1) An escort of fighters to protect -Lieve-Low-attitude.operations..

Such in brief, is the general or Emisation of the tank-air-silack, which has so completely changed the forms of warfare that, when we tak af silents and bulges, we must not ploture them to be what they were in 1011-1018-that is, walled-iri sreas with Effensive ranks; but instead as may ing bastians, with anumerable sally. porta-analys Bankas from which „sallies ··ure - ericeasingly Imuing forth over the ground and through the air. *: Finally, remarkable as it must seem when we look back on the part epoche of war, this new and deadly method of conquest sprang to ilte 'on' December 11, 2003, wyleen near Kilk / Devil BL, Kitty Hawk,, in North Carolina, Orvils- Wright in power driver airplane few for 12 seconds.