1940-06-27 — Page 23

Thursday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

June 27, 1940.

MAGAZINE PAGE. ODDITIES OF

Specalation 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 rays, 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. litics, Fantastic as they seem; yet rumours of their existence are still greeted with equanimity, for war produces few such surprise weapons.

Only

EACH of these might have Its possibilities, fantas ile as they seem; yet rumors of their existence are grooled with equanimity, for there is all history to show that effective surprise weapons happen zeldun. a week or two ago, cold, logical reasoning at Washington quickly filed the idea of 75,000-ton battleships for the U.S. Navy. Such leviathans... 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 navni warfare, they are unnecessary,

Centuries before mechanised warfare, Invention WOR turned to the service of war. There was, of course, the wooden horse of Troy, used by the Greeks in 1104 B.C. And that that

great mathematician, Archimedes, is ere- dited with having focussed the sun's rays, and used them with reat effect against the Roman fects at Syracuse in 212 B.C.

CHINA'S artful contribution to the queer side of war, was the "atinkpot," which discharged such ផល offensive odour that the enemy were forced to clap their hands to titeir noses and abandon the fight! An anticipation of gas warfare without its ruthlessness.

Long before Drake_launched his ships against the Spanish fleets, the Greeks, Remans and Afghans know the diabolical uses of fire in war,

The chronicles relate how the Mahmud of Ghazni's archers fell upon the Indian Jats with vessels of naphtha. Much

more however, was "Greek Fire," a highly combustible and tinquenchable substance

used by the Romans and the Greeks by the Byzantine Emplo,

terrible,

What must surely have been the greatest cannon in the history of the world stood for many years in front of the main facade of the Kremlin Barracko in Moscow. Cant In 1500, Its bore was 40 inches! Each cannon ball weighed nearly two tons.

to believe that not hard such a ponderous and ornate piece

IL

of ordnance was never used on the

field of battle. In fact, probably

the sole reason for its existence of the megni-

was as a symbo

feence of the

INCREDIBLE though it may seem to certain of the nations to- there was once a wor plan

1400 terrible" to be used. That

was the judgment passed by the. British Wor Office on a scheme submitted by Admiral Cochrane, Earl of Dundonald, The nature of plan was never disclosed, but it entailed the some people think use of a polsoncus gas.

the

Even a freak may serve a pur- pose. Who could have thought that the ugly new Ironclads, Mont- tor and

ChMerrimac, of the American

of the

were destined to revolu- construid?

throughout the Furthermore, to the tiny, but heavily armoured genbont Monitor, when the signal honour of winning the world's Grst battle between fronciods,

IT WAS a great day for the Federals when the Monitor engaged hier opponent in the Hampton Ronds. Both were warships unique In naval history, Both were un-

tried

predations, save that the da

of the Merrimac 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 guns was

than off-set by more the impregnability of her solid armour plating,

As much

uch a failure as the Monitor was a success were the "popoffins" of the Imperial Russion Navy. In 1875, Vico-Admiral Popol set out

gun-

platform. It was a circular ship, heavily armed and armoured, and driven

by no less than six pro- rotating at different speeds. first of this class, the Nov- gorod, was a bitter disappointment. Although reasonably sound theory, on her trinks she spun gld- dily, liko a roundabout)

In

FANCIFUL invention was at its peak at the time when British, sea-. power was 'climbing to its zéníth. In 1992, an American, Commodore Folger, invented his Dynamic Ram, a cigar-shaped freak with two fore and at alt guns designed to hurl huge masses of dynamite pe serial torpedoes.

Not unlike it In conception were Arley the Ram, designed two yetirs later by the Earl of Mayo, and Gathmann's beat of 1009. This latier vessel was intended to 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 Tuo, understand- ably falled so 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 1914-18 war. This colossal submarine, 400 fect long and of 4,600 tons ment, was to have been

with 36 torpedo tubes; seven 4.7 inch quick-ring guns, and 120 mines! Ker chief characteristic of defonce was to have been the

ability to fire all guns with only the turrets awash. That feature was Inter embodied in a British sub- marine, whic

which housed д monster 12-Inch gun..

THE last war was probably res ponsible for more strange und 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 force, three mighty battle-

of

FUNNY SIDE UP

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

They were. originally part of n huge war-time plan to build until the navy had reached a position of unassailable world supremacy. Lurger, faster and stronger than lser previously de- signed, they should have been a painful thorn in the side of the enemy battle-fects; but they were unable to bear the tearing strain Imposed by the 18-inch gun but- teries, and were given a new lease of life as hybrid aircraft-carriers.

Strice last September, every War Omlee has been offered hundreds of inventions which, in theory, would win the war. In some may be the germs of real "secret wea- pons"; but, as history proves, the steady march of evolution is more rellable less amusing.

alty balde-cruiser

By Abner Dean

"Your Honour, we've finally reached a verdict!"

Swan, Culbertson & Fritz

Investment Bankers and Broker:

Members of New York Cotton Exchange

Chicago Board of Trade

Manila Stock Exchange

-Winnipeg Grain Exchange

Commodity Exchange, Inc., New York

Canadian Commodity Exchange, Inc., Montreal

New York Coffee and Sugar Exchange Hongkong Sharebrokers Association

Shanghal Stock Exchange

SHANGHAI, HONGKONG, MANILA, and BUENOS AIRES

Cable Address: SWANSTOCK

FOR AVOMEN

Is it worth

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, if you are one of the other nine and go shades from prawn to purple with varying degrees of pain. That's my opin- fon: yours may differ. But look back on the blenching creams you bought last autumn and remember the lovely sun tan you can get out of a for nowadays. Sun tanning makes most skins coarse, too.

05

If you decide to keep your skin It is, get one of the sunproof creams to use under your powder, These creams cut out the tanning rays from the sun altogether. They are fairly heavy, so

so you can use in

darker powder over them, a rust colour lipstick and look very healthy. Then in the evening you

look frugile again.

cun

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

Fish is in the

a

in

buse

nowadays, but thin and quick-dry- ing. They will let you get brown without pain by cutting out the buning rays from the sun. Use 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 of your neck. The skin hero turns fiery with very little sun.

A winter of care will be ruined day if you sit in the sun with- out finted glasses. You will see, after a few hours, the tiny lines creeping round your eyes.

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 cream, and if you have caught the sun in spite of all your efforts, paint on calamine lotion or smear 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 rationed, housewives are wondering what they can serve instead of cold meat with the lettuces, radishes and cucumbers that are getting so good and cheap now.

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

What sh sholl 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 fishmonger may not have any the first time you ask, but he will get some for you.

THE economical way is to eat the fish hat 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, end a dozen or so peppercorns. Eat it with melted butter sauce, or with a white sauce.

A good salad to eat with cold Ash is made by adding.cold boiled haricot beans (or, better still, the little dried green beans called fingeolets) to your lettuce, throwing in some slices of cucumber (with the-rind_left_on)_and.n.few.spring onious, ------

The fish may be either served whole, or it may be Baked and mixed in with the salad. A plain ail and vinegar dressing should be used, or, for those who prefer it, oil 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 w ith which Britain started trad Ing, yet Burma is the latest 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 untir April 1, 1937.

Burma now has a Governor, with a Council of Ministers, and a Legis- inture of two Chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives," with 132 elected members.

The Legislature controls 102,158 square miles, while Burmese chlets in the Shan States still govern a further 62,000 square miles, TO- wards the far north and east of this great, fertile country there are sull more than 7,000 square miles of un- administered territory,

Monasterics

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

In every village in Burma there is a Buddhist monastery, where the three are 7,600 schools and colleges, with arts, agricultural, medical, and voterinary 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 Indin, but Great Britain comes second, both as buyer and supplier. In fact 83 per cent. of Burma's ex- ports are supplied to British Empire countries, which supply 74 per cent, Of her imports.

I must remember

to buy it To-day!

You know what happens

you go shopping Intending to buy that new hairbrush. nail brush, some tollat

soap,

a now sponge or face cloth ・・・ and ton to ano, when you get home you realise you have forgotten to buy it.

'MAKE A SPECIAL POINT OF BUYING THOSE MIS- CELLANEOUS ARTICLES

AT WHITEAWAY'S.

Got the best makes--they last longest and are molt reasonably priced.

MASON PEARSON HAIRBRUSHES

Universal

"One of the finest brushes over made."

$7.50.& $8.50. Military NAIL BRUSHES. Enamelled in pastel colours.

75c each. Plain

45c each.

35c, 40c, 45c and 80c. cach

FACE FLANNELS.

..SPONCES. from 60-$4.95 each.

LACE D'OYLEYS & DISH PAPERS. 51⁄2"-91⁄2"

65c per packet, Asst'd pkts. 55c.

TRAVELLING TOILET CASES & SPONGE BAGS.

$14.95.

All your toilet requirements packed compactly in a nest little waterproof cloth case. Prico $1.75 set.

MONSTER BATH SOAP. (Lavender, Lilac, Rosa)

Really special value at 80c per cake.

EAU-DE-COLOGNE & LAVENDER WATER

A summer necessity. $1.75 per farge bottle, TOPAZ SHAVING SOAP, 75¢ per large stick:

PAPER SERVIETTES (SOFTEX}

Coloured: 70e (pkt. of. 80) White: 60c pkt. CUSSON'S TOILET SOAP (Asst'd perfumes).. Lavender, Palm Oil, Milk, etc. 4 tablets for $1. BRILLIANTINE (Keeps your hair neat).

two bottles for $1.

Whiteaway, Laidlaw & Co., Ltd.

BRINGS LASTING

JOY..

THE MORRISON PIANO FAMED FOR ITS BEAUTY OF TONE & RESONANT VOLUME. -Convenient Deferred Terms Available.

TSANG FOOK PIANO CO., LTD.

Marina Houso,

ASSAM

YUNNAN

"AKKA

NOOD

POCKET CARTOON

Most valurtite exports are "I'm being dropped by para...

mineral oils, rice, and. Umber

chute Son' Lord's to:

especially teak. Main purchased of Operate with "Thà" Fifth are colton piece goods, machinery, and metal goods.

of the M.

19 Queen's Road C.

N.Y.K.

AFRICA.

Tel. 24648

LINE

Our vessels to Liverpool are now proceeding via Singapore, Colombo, Bombay, DURBAN, CAPE TOWN, Casablanca, and Lisbon.

A SAILING FROM HONGKONG

THIS WEEK.

Passenger and Freight accommodation still available.

Complete Information From Your Agent or:

NIPPON YUSEN KAISYA

KING'S BUILDING General Passe

the Orient for.

TELEPHONE 30291. Blar Line