1940-06-27 — Page 3

Thursday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH June 27, 1940.

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 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- lities, fantastic as theỷ seem; yet rumours of their existence are still greeted with equanimity, for war produces few such surprise weapons. -

EACH of these might have its possibilities, funtos- le as they seem; yet rumors of their existence are greeted with equanimity, for there is all history to show that effective surprise weapons happen seldom. Only a week or two ngo, cold, togical reasoning ot Washington quickly killed the idea of 75,000-ton battleships for the U.S. Navy. Such leviathans-.-.-. twire the size of the average modern caplial ship-

Indeed have proved formidable, but they would

migingly costly, and, in the present state of naval

be

DC

warfare, they are unnecessary,

Centuries before mechanised warfare, Invention was turned to the service of war. There was, of course, the wooden horse of Troy, ured by the Greeks in 1104 B.C. And that that great mathematician, Archimedes, is cre- dited with having focussed the sun's rays, and used them with great effect against the Roman dects at Syracuse in 212 B.C.

CHINA'S artful contribution to the queer side of war, was the "stinkpot," which discharged such an offensive odour that the enemy. were forced to clap their hands to their noses and abandon the fight! An anticipation of

It has wirfore without its ruthlessness.

Long before Drake launched his fire ships against the Spanials fleets, the Greeks, Romans und Afghans knew the diabolient 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 terrible, however, was "Greek Fire,"

highly combustible

and unquenchable substance used by the Romans and the Greeks by the Byzantine Empire,

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 Barracks in Moscow. Cost In 1580, its bore was 40 Inches! Each cannon ball weighted nearly two ton

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

ordnance

was never used on the

of

field of unitle. In fact, probably the sole reason for its existence.. was as a symbol of the magni- flcence of the Tears,

INCREDIBLE though it may seem to certain of the nations to- day, there was once a war plan "too terrible" to be

used. That

was the judgment passed by the British War Once DA a scheme submitted by Admiral Cochrane, Earl of Dundonald. The nature of the plan was never disclosed, but some people think it entalled the use of a poisonous Kos.

Even a freak may serve a pur-` pose. Who could have thought that the ugly new Ironclads, Moni-. tor and Merrimac, of the American Civil War, were destined to revolu- tionise construction throughout the navies of the world? Furthermore, to the tiny, but heavily armoured gunboat Monitor, when the signat 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, save that the de- predations 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 Mertime found un opponent worthy of her steel, for the Monitor's deficiency in guns was more than off-set by the impregnability of her solld armour, plating.

As much a fallure as the Monitor was a success were the "popoffkas" of the Imperial Russian Navy, In 1875, Vlec-Admiral Popoff set out to build the ideal floating gun- platform. It was a circular 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 disappointinent. Although reasonably ・sound in theory, on her trials she spuri gld- dily, like a roundabout!

FANCIFUL invention was at its "pent, at the time when British sen

power was climbing to its zenith. In 1802, an American, Corimodore Folger, invented his Dynamic Ram, a cigar-shaped freak with two fore and at aft guns designed to hurl huge masses of dynamite as aerial torpedoes.

Not unlike it in conception Wera Arles the Rem, designed two years later by the Earl of Mayo, and Gathmann's boat Topla 000. This latter. vessel was Interided 16 Be unuztially fast, and the great for ward gun was to have thrown: 600 $2,000 feet per second

lb.

of, gun-cotton at the rate of

This "elbow 'call- non."—perhaps the rerasto ancestor of the anti-alrera.ft gun, understand- ably failed to great

Popularit

rain

WAR

Strange Freaks Down

The Centuries

Colace-

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 feet long and of 4,500 tons ment, was to have been with 30 torpedo tubes,

seven 4.7. inch quick-ring guns, and 120 mines! Her chief characteristic of defence to have been the

Was ability to Ore all guns with only the turrels awash. That feature was later embodied in a British sub- marine, which housed a monster 12-Inch gun.

THE

Inst 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 forec, three mighty bottle-

FUNNY SIDE UP

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

They were originally part of huge war-time plan to build until the navy had reached a position of unassailable world supremacy. Larger, faster and stronger than any Battle-cruiser previously de- signed, they should have been a painful thorn in the side of the enemy baltic-feets; but they were unable to bear the tearing strain Imposed by the 18-inch gun bat- teries, and were given a 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 may ic the

germs of real "secret wen- pons"; but, as history proves, the steady march of evolution is more" reliable if less amusing.

By Abner Dean

"Your Honour, wo've finally roached a verdict!"

Swan, Culbertson & Fritz

Investment Bankers and Brokeri

Members of New York Cotton Exchange

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Cable Address: SWANSTOCK

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, it you are one of the other nine and go shades from prown to parple with varying degrees of pain. That's my opin- ion; yours may differ. But looks back on the bleaching creams you bought last autumn and remember the lovely sun tan you can

get' out of a jar nowadays. Sun fanning nakes most skins coarse, too.

If you decide to keep your skin as it is, get one of the sunproof crening to use under your powder. These creams cut out the tanning rays from the sun altogether. They fairly heavy, so you can use a darker powder over them, a rust colour Hipstick and look very healthy. Then in the evening you can look fragile again.

BIC

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

Fish is

in

the

a

nowadays, but thin and quick-dry- Ing. They will let you get brown without pain by cutting out the Usc burning Toys from the sun. them on your arms and legs, too. Half 1101 an hour in the sun is long enough for the first day,

and b very careful of your shoulder blades, thighs and the V at the base of

your neck. The нес

skin here turns Bery with very little sun.

A winter of care will be ruined in a day if you sit in the sun with-

be

out, tinted glasses. You will see, after a few hours, the tiny lines

round

your eyes.

vou are going to tan or not, do not wash your face with soap and water before you go out in, the morning: tukewarm 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 all your efforts, paint on columine lotion or smear on zinc 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 meat 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 Ash 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 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 hot first, and to save half of it for a salad. Boll the fish in not too much water, with a couple of onions, a few bay leaves, and'a dozen or so peppercorns. Eat if with melted butter sauce, or with a white sauce..

A good salad to eat with cold fish is made by adding cold boiled haricot beans (or, better still the little dried green beans called fugcolets) to your lettuce, throwing in some slices of cucumber (with the rind telt on) and a few spring onions.

The fish may be either served whole, or it may be dlaked and mixed in with the salad. A plain oil and vinegar dressing should be used, or, for those who prefer it, all 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 latest territory in the Empire to be grant- ed separate government,

Old "Jolm Company" (the East India Company) had agents and factorics 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 Senate and the House, of Representatives. with 132 elected members.

The Legislature controls 192,158 square miles, while Burmese chiefs in the Shan States' stili govern, a further €2,000 square miles. To- wards the far north and east of this. great, fertile country there are still inore 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 rallways, is the great Trrawaddy River, which is navig- able up to Bhamo, 800 miles from the sea,

In every village in Burma there isa. Buddhist monastery, where the three are 7,000 schools and colleges, with arts, agricultural, medical, and veterinary colleges. More than 760,000 pupils, from a total population of fewer than 10,- 000,000 attend..

Most of Burma's external trade is with Indlti- but Great Britain comes accond, both as buyer and-suppller:: In fact, 85 per cent, of Burma's ex-:. ports are supplied to British Empire countries, which

per cent. of het, Imports.

supply. 74 Most valuable, exports arg! mineral oils, rice, and timber, especially tenje. Main purchases ? are cotton plece goods, machinery, and instal goods.

TI BE

HIN

·ASSAM

YUNNAN"

(DAMA)

PRENCH

PHANGOON

SJAM BANGKOK-

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