1940-06-20 — Page 13

Thursday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

June 20, 1940.

*

MAGAZINE PAGE

EMPIRE IN ARMS

SUGAR ISLAND

MAURITIUS,

the Indian

ocean 500 miles east of Alada- gascar, became a British possession towards the end of the Napoleonic wars. It was ceded by. France by the Treaty of Paris In 1814, after the British had been in possession for four years.

The Dutch were the first Euro- pean seiflers, but they abandoned His volcanic Island In 1710, Soon afterwards the French occupied 1, named it the Isle de France.

square

French influence is silll traceable, particularly in religious affairs. Roman Catholles are twenty-five Umes as numerous as Protestants.

Mauritius

720 covers

21 miles, has a population of 420,000. Sugar is easily the most impor- iant product of the island, widel has na overseas trade worth more than £5,000,000 趨 year, mainly

with Britain, Canada, India, South Africa and France.

MAURITIUS

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

17HAT are the German

W

plans for the invasion of Britain?

To answer this question we nust Hei! realise how Nnzi soldiers politicians think.

They are still greatly influenced by one of the main "command- ments" of classic German milliary thinking: don't go for places, go for arinics.

Therefore the first thing they want to find is some way of cut- ilog our defending forces in two parts, so that one part can be mop- ped up while the other part is held quiet.

This business of cutting an army into two parts is an essential pre- liminary, In the German theory of battle, in which one of the sections of the enemy army is surrounded and destroyed.

Ludendorff, in the great battle of Tannenberg in 1914, concen- trated everything galt ime of two Russlun armles.

General Franco's forces, in the spring of 1938, carried out operation that was doubtless plan- ned in part by Germans, and looked now ilke a dress-rehearsal for the jub of May, 1940,

„General Franco's army broke the Republican line in Aragon, and then had two objectives in front of It, the cities of Barcelonn and Vu- lencia.

GRIN AND BEAR IT

229

By Lichty

"—so we quarrellod, and I roturned all his gifts-all except

the licorice!"

The Bank Has

Lost Its Gold

YESTERDAY, said a "United Press" message, the

Bank of England ordered the suspension of dealings in French currency.

This is one of the few glimpses which the "Old Lady of Threadneedle-street" permits us into her private affairs.

Who owns the Bank? What is its capital? dividends?

The idea of the Bank of England originated in the fertile brain of a Scotsman named William Pater- sun, who was in turn a pedlar, n tay preacher, a buccaneer, and the greatest financial adventurer of the soventeenth century.

Willum II's Government was desperately short of money. Pater- son conceived the idea of finding it for them In return for privi- leges which included the manage- ment of the National Debt.

Staff Trebled

The Bank began business in the Mercers' chapel, with a staff of nineteen, and the highest salary pal was £140.

In 1014 there were fewer than 1,000 employees. To-day there are more than 3,000, of whom 1,200 are wonen.

of

Beginning as a money-lending- Institution with a

capital £1,200,000, the capital of the Bank. to-day, which is held by privale stockholders, and la bought and sold in the open intickét, is only £14,553,000.

Does it pay

The average dividend of the past seventeen yours has been 12 per coat, and us recent quotations for the, stock range round £320 for 100 the return is under 4 per cent.

In the Dark

when

One hundred years ago, gold coins were in clrculation, the Bank issue of notes was £20,000,- 000, To-day the notes actually in circulation total £548,000,000, und there is a further reserve of £40,- 000,000.

The Bank holds only £250,000 uf gold, compared with £220,000,- 600 a year ago. Nearly all its gold has been transferred to the Ex- change Equalisation Account in return for Government securities which now 'torm the backing for the note Issue.

The Old Lady ot Thread needle-street" still stands as the emblem of British Anancial in- tegrity, but the publle would now. and again like to know a little. more of what goes on behind the brazen doors.

He did not push towards ̋either, but pushed between them, reaching the sea almost exactly midway be- tween the two.

By this means he separated the Republican army in Catalonia from that holding Madrid and Valencia. Then, a good deal later, he was able to deal with the smaller part of the army

cut off in Catalonia.

After the break-through on the Meuse last month, the German fullwed exnetly the same strategy. They had two objectives; Paris or the Channel parts.

But their real object was the cutting off of part of the Allied army.

Because I knew this strategy of theirs I was able to tell readers that they

kely to hend were

for Amiens, on the same duy that The Times and other papers were suggesting that they were driving straight towards Cátals,

In fet they did go towards Amiens and Abbeville, breaking through to the sea almost exactly half way between their two main objectives.

How would this general scheme apply to the invasion of England?

Clearly means that they are not likely to do the obvious thing of trying to land near Dover and

push straight up the road to Lon- don.

They may tuke netion near Dover or along the south coust.

But this netion would be intendet to pin duwn there the British ummies available for defence.

They may also try to distruct our attention to Ireland or Scotland by landing troops from the air.

But if they wish to attempt their classic manoeuvre of splitting the defenders in two parts, they must slart, from the east coast and try to drive right across the country.

I am not predicting that either of these places are likely to be the points for German attack.

I am merely pointing out that German Ideas of war would lead them to attempt such an attack i they found it possible.

。

If you look at the map of Eng- land you will see two big inden- tations on our west coust, towards which they could head in order to split the country in two.

One is the Bristol Chamel and the River Severn, and the other is the River Mersey near Liverpool. It will be remembered that the German

wedge driven Across France and Belgium from Sedan-to-Abbeville was 140 miles

long.

near

It is exactly 140 miles from the Niver Severn.

It is considerably less from In- mingham and Hull on the Humber to the Mersey,

Another reason why the blow night full on the east coast is that there are several deep patches of vater running inland which the Germans could use for convoys of ships loaded with men and tanks.

These include the Thames Ex- Crauch, Black- tuary, the River water and Stour, the Wash and the River. Humber.

The German idea would be to at- trnet the main forces of the British Navy elsewhere, and then to bring some of the German Fleet and large number of troep and supply ships into one of these rivers.

Then they would try "to shut the gate" behind them, so that our Navy could not get in and sink their slips.

They would try to shut the gate by means of a very large number of mines and a great concentration of their air force.

To take the Humber (not because 1 think it the most likely, but be- cause I know the ground best), they would attempt to land at Imming- ham, at full, at New Holland, which is just across the river from Hull, and even perhaps at Goole, which much further up stream.

If they prevented the British Navy from

entering the Humber, by mining the channel there, by mining the channel there, they would probably attack Scunthorpe within two hours of landing, be- cause of the Importance of the iron works there.

1

Next place on their list would be Sheffield beenuse of its muni- tion works..

Meanwhile, the tanks would be attempting to find a way through the hilly country round. the Penk or Central Derbyshire, in order to press south of Manchester across to the Mersey,

I mention this possibility, not fa order to scare my friends in North Lincolnshire and In Yotkslilre, but In order to make it clear that we cannot affordmerely to plan for the defence ct Kent, Essex and Sus-

нех,

And there are good lines of de- fence against such a move, includ- ing the Lincolnshire and Yorkshire Wolds.

I these hills cannot be held, there are two goat elvers, the Tront to the south and the York- shire Oute to the north

Blackpool.

Manchester Liverpos

for it; then pro happens

always been the rious dangers A

"Yorkshire

Ammingham- thorpe

Sheffield

Lincoln

• Stoke A

-that will be Hitler's aim in Britain, too—

says TOM

WINTRINGHAM,

well-known Military

Correspondent

针 the bridges on these rivera could be destruyed at the right mo- inent. the German tanks would

never get atty further.

Too many people are thinking In terms of a German movement from Boulogne to Folkestone.

•Nottingham

Flambor

Head:

DUTT

Certainly there is need for extro precautions near the Straits of

Dover.

But the whole of the urea from the Humber to Poole Horbour la Dorset is a danger nrca.

Therefore, let us make all our preparations quickly for the de- fence of the British falands by means of volunteers, unlis of ex Servicemen and troops in training.

Many of our trained troops have been sent across the Channel again to form a new B.E.F. in France. and help the French.

Let us be as ready fur nny alter native that the Germans may spring on us.

BRITAIN'S CONVOYS

In the article Taffrail de- scribes the Atlantic convoys that day after day reach and leave Great Britain's shores under the eye of the Royal Navy.

or

Gale or calm, fog

clear weather, the Atlantle convoys must continue to run if Britain is to be fed and supplied. Brigaded into sizeable fleets, each shepherded by Its attendant watchdogs, approxim ately n thousand merchantmen of every type arrive ht, or call from, the ports of the United Kingdom every seven days. That an aver- age of only one ship in every five hundred sailing in convoy is sunk by enemy action speaks volumes for the efficacy of the system now in force.

Their

gallont story needs a special emphasis, for an U-bont attacks unseen with her torpedoes, and in a gun duel on the surface with a single merchantman usual- ly has the advantage of superior speed and a far larger target. Moreover, having sunk a ship she makes no effort to place the sur vivors in a place of safety. Hence the Convoy System, where the merchant ships travel in groups protected by naval vessels fitted with these deadly submarine de- tecting devices known as "Asdlcs." As to how they work, the less said the better.

.

During a recent trip in a des troyer in the "Western Approaches", which Inated more than a week we escorted one car- voy out to a cer- Lain rendezvous. and another home,

by TAFFRAIL

Not many who sit down to their regular three ments"n-day can realise the in- tricate organisa- tion that is re- quired ut the British Admiralty and at the head- quarters on shore to sall the con- voys regularly out and home in the face

of the submarine peril. Fewer still understand the immense strain and responsibilty placed upon the personnel of the British Merchant Navy: upon

pon the Commodores of convoys, many of whom are retir- ed Fing Officers holding the tem- porary rank of Commodore, Royal Naval Reserve; and upon the young officers in command of the Naval escorts who shield and protect the convoys within the area of activity of the U-boats,

The Royal Air Force, with aero- planes many times more mobile than the fastest ship, co-operate most valuably and whole-hearted- ly in the onerous task of trade protection. But whereas the con- ilauous spell of a single aeroplane may be measured in hours, that of a ship must be counted in days and even weeks,

Some destroyers and escort ves- sels, all of them small craft of 1,400 tons or less, have been continuous- ly at sea for thirteen days on end, and have been running for an mony as twenty-five days in a month. Since the beginning of the war some of them have spent 13% of their time at sea. Their spells

In harbour, during which they must complete with

fuel

and stores, make good running defects, and compete with the masses of officini returns and correspondence with which even the smallest ves- sels-of-war are burdened, have insted on occasions no, more than 30 or 40 hours.

Lies

As a general rule the worse the weather the longer the trips, and many of the older destroyers used for escorting the Atlantic convoys are supremely wet and uncomfort able in a heavy sea.

Moreaver, they lack such ameni- as refrigerators and sicam heating.

It is a ense of: tinnbíd food

and biscult after the first three days at sea, and the dismal sights on a destroyer's battened- down mess deck while plunging against the huge breaking seas of a winter gole in the North Atlantic must be seen to be.

Navy now go armed for self-protection, as it is lawful for them to go They may rightfully retaliate with their guns if attacked; but may not take the offensive.

The ships of the Mercs :

We had varl- able weather, includlug three days of fog and the tail end of an easterly gale blowing ngainst heavy westerly swell.

1

Life was not easy. It was dis* linctly irksome; but the way the ships of our convoys responded to the orders of their Commodores 'and kept stillen excited our ad-

mirailon.

There

were ships of varying types

with different nominal speeds.

Their ofeers were ordinarily accustomed to steaming

not

In close formation and without

Bights at night, or to being drilled more

or less, by flag signals and Yet they lamps. might morse.

have been at it for

years. Kever there was a time when the two Son Services were interdepen- deat and Indivisible, it is now.

For obvious reasons I cannot speak exactly of the complexities of the Convoy System, of how the merchant ships are collected into convoys, their routes chosen, and the necessary escorts provided. That must remain until the end of the war.

Through our dependence upon our Merchant Fleet, the enemy has all the targets. So during the ear- Hier stages of a maritime war it la perhaps inevitable that escort craft should be overworked, Dritain can never have too many of them. But already the Convoy System is an outstanding success, as it was In 1917-18. Thanks also to Bri- toln's striking forces and anti- submarine measures and appli ances, one-half the U-boats that Germany possessed at the outbreak of hostilities have probably been destroyed. They are being sunk faster than they can be built, and if there is a recrudescence of their activity during the coming spring and summer, when the increasing daylight is all in the favour of an Increased number of hunters, their loasey whil be proportionately greater.

This war al sen is different from the lost. Viewed as a whole, it is more a matter of small, single. ships, commanded by

comparative ly Junior officers, than of

large flects or squadrons. It is a war of individuals and witz, a test of initiative, above alla struggle which has brought out the hard- hood, endurance and superb skill of the men of the two Sea Services upon which the safety-and- wel- fare of Great Britain and the Em- pire so vitally depend

WHITEAWAY'S

THE HOUSE FOR

FURNISHING FABRICS

Freshen

WITH

Your

Outlook

NEW CURTAINS

Crotonnes 48" & 60" wide From $1.25 to $6.95 yd.

Jaspe 48" wide $1.75 yd,

Taffeta 48" wide $2.50 yd.

Cotton Slub 48" wide

$2.25 yd.

Repps 48" wide $2.75 yd.

Brocades 50" wide

$3.95 yd.

Printed Linen 48" wide

From $4.25 yd.

THERE HAS BEEN MUCH CONTROVERSY RECENTLY RECARDING THE BEST WAY TO HELP THE OLD COUNTRY IN ITS HOUR OF NEED.

ONE WAY WOUL BE TO STRENGTHEN LANCASHIRES WAR DRIVE OR EXPORTS,

PART OF THIS DRIVE IS REPRESENTED BY THE FURNISHING FABRICS ADVERTISED. YOU WILL FIND A LARGER AND MORE INTERESTING SELECTION THAN EVER BEFORE,

"LECTION A

Whiteaway, Laidlaw & Co., Ltd.

B 4000 B 4039

HIS MASTER'S VOICE

A VARIETY PROGRAMME BY POPULAR ARTISTES

Trees. I want your heart. Little brown jug. Granny old rm chale

B 4120 No, NoJ don't want to.

Song of wise Oleg.

B.8999 Sweethearts.

-Waltz

I'm falling in love with someone.

B 4022 Gypsy idylle.

Hungarian melodies.

"Mikado."

De Groot Trio. Frank Crumit.

Balalaiku arch. & chorus (In Russian)

Allen Jones,

Vladescus gypsy orch.

BD 741 A wandering minstrel 1.

The sun whose rays.

Kenny Baker, BD 420 South Sea Island Medicy. Intro. Twilight Serenaders.

Aloha Oe. Song of the lalands etc. BD 350 Romance in the Moonlight. Intro.....Cumpoli and his orch.

Pale moon, Gipsy moon. Moonlight and ruses.

I love the moon. Pogun love song. BD 367 Echoes of the Orient. Intro.

Chanson hindoue. Bullet Egyptien. Warriors dance. Dervish chorus etc.

Tu sals.

BD5257 Jealously.

Paramount Theatre orch.

Tangoes..... Waldorf Astorin orch. TSANG FOOK PIANO COMPANY

Marina House

19 Queen's Road C.

N.Y.K.

Phone 24648

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