1940-06-27 — Page 13

Thursday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

June 27, 1940.

m

MAGAZINE PAGE ODDITIES OF

Speculation on the possibilities of Hitler's boasted, "mystery" weapon 'has given the world no reason for alarm,

Everyone has heard too often in the past of death raya, of robot submarines controlled by wireless, and of super-guns that might strafe London from the coast of Holland.

And one American journalist went so far as to say that the great strategic highways of Germany were laid down for the speedy passage of tremendous land battleships!

Each of these might have its possibi- lities, fantastic as they seem; yet rumoure of their existence are still grected with equanimity, for war produces few such surprise weapons.

EACH of these might have its possibilities, funtas- Be as they seem; yet rumors of their existence ure greeted with equanimity, for there is all history to show that effective surprice weapons happen seldom,

Only a week or two ago, cold, logical reasoning at Washington quickly killed the idea of 75,000-ton battleships for the US. Navy. Such levinthans- twice the size of the average modern capital ship- might indeed have proved formidable, but they would be appallingly costly, and, in the present state of naval warfare, they are unnecessary.

Centuries before inechanised warfare, invention. was turned to the service of war. There was, of course, the wooden horse of Troy, used by the Greeks In 1184 B.C. And Ust that great mathematiclan, Archimedes, is cre- dited with having focussed the sun's rays, and used them with great effect against the Roman Neots at Syracuse in 212 C.

the

CHINA'S artful contribution to side of war. was the "alinkpot," which discharged such an offensive odour

odour that the enemy. were for

forced to clap their hands to their noses and abandon the fight! An anticipation

warfare

without its

in

La ruthlessness. Long before Drake launched his fire ships against the Spanish ficels, the Greeks,

and Afghans tomans knew

uses of fire war. The chronicles relate how the Mahmud of Ghazni's archers fell upon the Indian Jats with vessels of naphtha. Much more owever, Was "Greek and

a highly combustible

substance Romans and the Greeks by the Byzantine Empire,

What must surely have been the greatest cannon in the history of the work stood for many years in front of the main facade of the Kremlin Barrocks in Moscow. Cast in 1080, its bore was 40 inches! Each connon ball weighed nearly two tons.

It is not hard to believe that ponderous and ornate piece such a

of ordnance was never used on the feld of battle. In fact, probably the sole reason for its existence was as a symbol-of-the-mugal------ ficence of the Tsars.

INCREDIBLE though it moy seem to certain of the nations to- there Was once a war plan

day, the

"too terrible" to be used.

was

the

Judgment passed by

That

the

British War Offee on + schere submitted by Admiral Cochrane, Earl of Dundonald. The nature of the plan was never disclosed, but some people think it entailed the use of a poisonous gas,

Even a freak may serve a pur- pose. Who could have thought that the ugly, new froncinds, Moni- tor and Merrimac, of the American Civil War, were destined to revolu- tlonise construction throughout the navies of the world? Furthermore, to the tiny, but heavily armoured gunboat Monitor, when the algal honour of winning the world's first battle between Ironclads.

IT was a great day for the Federals when the Monitor engaged her opponent in the Hampton Roads. Both were warships unique In naval history. Both were un- tried weapons, gave that the de- predations of the Merrimae had conclusively proved the futility of the old three-decker in the face of an ironclad vessel.

But in the Monitor, the Merrimac found an opponent worthy of her steel, for the Monitor's deficiency in guna was more than off-set by the impregnobility of her solid armour plating.

In

As much a failure as the Monitor was a success were the "popoffkaa" of the Imperial Russian Navy. 1075, Vice-Admiral Popoff set out to build the Ideal floating gun- platform. It was a cireulor ship, heavily armed and armoured, and driven by no less than six pro- pellers rotating at different speeds. The first of this class, the Nov gorod, was a bitter disappointment. Although reasonably sound in theory, on her trials she spun gid- dily, like a roundabout!

FANCIFUL Invention was at Its peak at the time when British sen- power was climbing to its zenith. In 1832, an American, Commodore Folger, invented his Dynamic Ram, a cigar-shaped treak with two tore and at aft guns designed to buri huge masses of dynamite as. atrial torpédeck.

Not unlike it in conception were Aries the Rom, designed two years 'later by the Earl of Mayo, and Gathmann's boat of 1900 This lattor vessel was intended to be 'unusually fast, and the great for- ward gun was to have thrown 600 Ib. of gun-colton at the rate of 2,000 feet per second.

This "elbow can. non," perhaps the remote ancestor of the anti-aircraft gun, understand- ably failed to gain great

popularity.

WAR

Strange Freaks Down

The Centuries

But perhaps the most ambitious and spectacular of all projects was the submersible cruiser discussed by Imperial Russia for operations in the Baltic during the

war. This colossal

25 US 720

and of 4,600 tons

feet long

to have been ment, was to with 30 torpedo tubes, seven 4.7 Inch quick-Bring guns, and 120 mines! Her chief characteristic of defence was to have been the ability to fire all guns with only the turrets awash. That feature was embodied in a British sub- Jator

marine, which housed

monster 12-inch gun.

THE last war was probably res- ponsible for more strange and original weapons than were ever divulged; but the one striking success was certainly the tank.

Under the theory of winning the war by tremendous concentrations of force, three mighly battle-

FUNNY SIDE UP

• this by Valind Palms fraktalų, lan.

cruisers were bullt. They are now the aircraft-carriers Glorious, Furi- ous, and the ill-fated Courageous,

They were originally part of a huge war-time plan to build until the navy had reached a position of unassailable world supremacy, Larger, faster and stronger than battle-cruiser previously de- any styned, they

they should have been a painful thorn in the side of the battle-fleets; but they were enemy unable to bear the tearing strain imposed by the 18-inch gun bat teries, and were given

new lease of life as hybrid aircraft-carriers.

Since last September, every War office has been offered hundreds of inventions which, in theory, would win the war. In some muy be the germs of real "secret wea- pons"; but, us history proves, the steady march of evolution is more reliable if less amusing.

By Abner Dean

“Your Honour, wa'vo finally reached a verdict!"

DEAN

Swan, Culbertson & Fritz

Investment Bankers and, Brokers

Members of New York Cotton Exchange

Chiengo Board of Trade

Manila Stock Exchange

Winnipeg Grain Exchange

Commodity Exchange, Ino, New York,

Canadian Commodity Exchange, Inc., Montreal

New York Coffee and Sugar Exchange

Hongkong Sharebrokers Association

Shanghai Stock Exchange

SHANGHAL, HONGKONG, MANILA and BUENOS AIRES

Cable Address: Swanstock

AF FORDWOMEN

it worth

Is it

getting

brown?

.FOR ONE THING, it's expensive if you're not the right type.

Remember how you tried to get rid of your faded tan last September? It goes like that-four months trying to get brown, eight months going to every length to get pale and smooth again.

Is it worth It? Yes, if you, are the one woman in ten who goes coffee colour without any pain or trouble. No, I you are one of the other nine and go shades from prawn to purple with varying degrees of pain. That's my opin- lon; yours muy differ. But look back on the bleaching creams you bought last autumn and remember

sun tan you can lovely

out get of a jar. nowadays. Sun tanning makes most skins coarse, too.

our skin If you decide to keep

your ብዛ it is. one of the sunproof

Ket creams to Use under your powder. These creams cut out the tanning rays from the sun altogether. They are fairly heavy, so you can use n darker powder over them, a rust colour lipstick and look very healthy. Then in the evening you can look fragile again.

If you really do think a thrown skin suits you, buy one of the sun tanning oils. These are not sticky

Fish is

the

in the

a

nowadays, but thin and quick-dry- ing. They will let you get brown without pain by cutting out the burning rays from the sun. Usc them on your arms and legs, too. Half an hour in the sun is long enough for the first day, and be very careful of your shoulder blades, thighs and the V at the base. of your neck. The slin here turns Bery with very little sun.

A winter of care will be ruined in a day If you sit in the sun with- out tinted glasses. You wh

You will see. after a few hours, the tiny lines creeping round

your

сусв.. Whether you are going to tan or not, do not wash your face with soap and water before you go out in the morning: lukewarm water is enough. Neither wash when you get home in the evening. Clean your face with cold cregun, and if. you have caught the sun in spite of all your efforis, paint on calamine lotion or suncar on zine ointment.

standby salad days

EVERY one likes salads in the warmer weather, but a lot of people feel there is not enough nourishment in them eaten alone. This year, with ment ratloned, housewives are wondering what they can serve instead of cold meat with the lettuces, radishies and cucumbers that are getting so good and cheap now.

Fish, and not only the classic cold bolled salmon, is excellent with salads, a fact which is not appreciated as much as It ought to be.

What fish shall you get? One of the best fish to be eaten cold is gurnard (or gurnet). It is in full season now and quite cheap. Your Bshmonger may not have any the first time you ask, but he will get some for you,

THE economical way is to eat the Ash hot first, and to save half of it for a salad. Boil the fish in not too much water, with a couple of onions, a few bay leaves, and a dozen or so peppercorns. Eaf it with melted butter sauce, or with a while sauce.

A good salad to cat with cold fish is made by adding cold boiled haricot beans (or, better still, the little dried green beans called flageolets) to your letture, throwing in some slices of cucumber (with the rind left on)-and-a-few-spring-onions,-

The fish may be either served whole, or it may be flaked and mixed in with the salad. A plain oli and vinegar dressing should be. used, or, for those who prefer it, oll and lemon juice,

EMPIRE IN ARMS-BURMA Land of teak and oil

BURMA is in the peculiar position of being one of the earliest countries in the East with which Britain started trad- ing, yet Burma is the Infest territory in the Empire to be grant- ed separate government.

Old "John Company" (the East India Company) had agents and factories at three centres in Burma in 1612, but constitutionally Burma was not separated from India until April 1, 1937-

Burma now has a Governor, with a Council of Ministers, and a Legis- lature of two Chambers, the Senato and the House of Representatives, with 133 elected members,

The Legislature controls 102,158 square miles, while Burmese chiefs In the Shun' States still govern a further 02,000 square miles.

To- wards the far north and east of this great, fertile country there are still more than 7,000 square miles of un- administered territory.

Monasterios

Dominating the transport system of the interior, which has more than 10,000 miles of roads and 2,000 miles of railways, is the great, Irrawaddy River, which is navig- able up to Bhamo, 900 miles from the sea.

In every village in Burma thera is a Buddhist monastery, where the three are 7,600 schools and colleges, with arts, agricultural, medical, and veterinary colleges. More than 750,000 pupils, from a total population of fewer than 15,- 000,000 attend."

Most of Burma's external trade is with India, but Great Britain comes second, both as buyer and supplier.. In fact, 85 per cent, of Burma's ex- ports are supplied to British Empire countries, which supply. 74 per cont. -of hor Imporis,

are

Most Valuable exports mineral oils, rice, and timber, especially teak. Main purchases are cotton pleos goods, machinery, and metal goods.”“

TIBE

HI

·ASS.

PUNNANT

AKX

NGOON

SIAM BARÓKOR

POCKET CARTOON

“I'm being dropped by para. chute on. Londs to tê Operals with the Fifth Column of the M.C.C.!!.

You Can't Look Right in This Season's Fashions Without a

New FOUNDATION

Your new summer clothes Just 'won't At over last year's figure! Let us fit you with...... a new foundation that will give you the lovely young, empoth lines that will be so ndmired this Summer.

"TWIN BEAUTY" ELASTIC Girdle

TWO-WAY STRETCH

Price: $6.95 & $7.25

VAN RAALTE LACE ELASTIC PANTIES (No Suspenders)

In Small, Medium and Large sizes. Price: $10:50

NEW DELIVERY OF

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HOSIERY

in the season's newest colours:

SAUCY, EXQUISITE,

JOLLY and GADABOUT.

$4.95

pair

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with satin reinforced front and detachable suspenders.

sizes.

In three

Price $11.50

AERTEX SUSPENDER

BELTS

In Peach and White.

Narrow width $2,95

Medium width .. $3.95

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D

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Convenient Deferred Terms Available. *

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Marina House,

19 Queen's Road C.

N.Y.K.

AFRICA.

Tel. 24648

LINE

now

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A SAILING FROM HONGKONG THIS WEEK.

Passenger and Freight accommodation still available.

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