1940-09-26 — Page 11

27-28- 29-

W

DONALD DUCK

20

Thursday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

September 26, 1940, By Walt Disney

MAGAZINE PAGE

IN THE

DOUBTS IN

MEDITERRANEAN

By HILAIRE BELLOC

7E are all clear by this time on the central point of

military inzainess. any which central point is a know- ledge of the enemy's mind. In proportion as we are right an that we are on the way to victory in proportion to our error upon the enemy's mind we are on the way to suffering surprise and consequent de fent.

Now the most importatil

baye at document We

flar moment for discovering the enemy's mind is the declara. tion issued by him to the effect that he had abandoned the project of lavasion had fallen back upon a polley of attrition.

atid

He now proposes (or says wearing he

the proposes) down of this country by his efforts at blockade and his attacks on our shipping.

This declaration may have one of two contradictory ob jects, and proceed from one of two opposite motives. It may have for its object a ruse to deceive his opponents and put them off their guard, or it may have for its object the real information which it pur- ports to give.

Its motive may be to de ceive; or it may be inspired by that strange policy of full statement to which the enemy has resorted before, and the value and meaning of which will be discussed in a moment. Our first business, then, is to

dreide which of these mutually exclusive characters attaches to this momentos

declaration.

For and Against

of

the

We cannot be certain making a right decision upon this. Even if we arrive at a right decision on what enemy intends by his declaru

what effect he Lim and oft desire to achieve by it, the enemy himself might change his intention in the future But what

in is to WT 477412 weigh the arguments for and against either hypothesis.

The arguments in favour of this public avowal of abandon- ing the project of invasion being a rase are simple and should be clear to all. Since recorded the beginning of warfare the deception of an opponent with the object of furthering one's chances of surprise has been a main part of military policy,

to

1372

The firmt conclusion which anyone will com hearing that his enemy has proclaimed such and such an intention is to decide that he does in fact entertain another intention. In other words, the first and most obvious conclusion on this important declaration is to regard it as a blind.

But there are arguments on the other side to be con- sidered. The strongest of these

is the fact that the enemy's General Staff has, from the time of is founding under Frederick the Great allowed this element of open revelation to play Home part in 11M scheme side by side with ou ragous lying.

Why does the enemy adopt this occasional policy of re- vealing his general plans? 1 main reason would seem to be the confidence which the carrying out of the plan produces.

[1]

It breeds confidener in his own forces, and it makes theme opposed to him say to them. selves. "When the enemy told

ទេ, 2182 such and such ccasion, what he was going to do and the general s which he proposed to follow, all went according to plan anth Jy succeeded. Therefore, now that he is threatening this or that, he will probably suceced

Again."

thin Another motive for singular method-in the une of which the enemy is unique is the establishment of a bond between his armed forces and those who command them. Napoleon appreciated that bond-the value of tak ing his troops into his con- fidence and more than once. notably durink his carly career in Italy. it was his mainstay.

Method of Attrition

Further a decision to aban don direct attack and rely

my son, my son!

Nellie and I continued to live together in an emotional climate of mutual toleration one of those relationships where deeplying differences are rigidly kept below the sur face for the sake of the chil- dren, for the sake of appear- ances before others, for the sake of an outwardly orderly existence.

Things were easier when Oliver a couple of years later, went off to public school, and later to Balliol.

and

deeper Nellie withdrew deeper into her religion, while 1 work, abandoned myself to my producing book after book with to in- one unflagging purpose; crease my artistic standing and my fortune by making each book better than the lust,

to

I decided to do a novel about the Yorkshire coal mining people, and in accordance with my eus- tom I vent into the district live among the people about whom I. Intended

observe writing. to their lives and their customs at first hand, to absorb their lan- uage and their ways of thought.

Informing na one of my exact intentions, I secured a job as on ordinary labourer in the mines owned by Pogson, whose son, was a classmate of Oliver's.

Oliver had just turned nineteen at the time; a handsome lad of tremendous charm, whose win- someness and ready wit carried him through many a scrape Into which his spoiled impudence get him both in and, out of school.

At the end of my second day's work in the mine, as I was emerg- ing from the shaft in a lift with a group of other miners, the beckoned me asido. In manager my Tough clothes, countryman's cap and smudged face, I must have looked a convincing miner, for it seemed that a young lady

bren

commis- arist, who had stoned to make sketches of the mine and its surroundings, desired to draw

typical inthe worker

5714

"Would you shilling" the me brightly.

at

ike to make young lady asked

Corctully keeping in my York- shireman's traeter, 1 surveyed her deliberately. The head above her shapeless smock was crowned with a mans of light yellow hair, In which the waning sun, peering in through the windows of the nude mine uffler, made a strange

testry.

•

The features were delicate- ly chiseled, the nostrils sen- sitive, the lips somewhat tight but quick to curl up at the corners, the chin delicate- ly pointed and apt to tilt high. I looked, but permit- ted my face to betray nothing. "A bob?" I answered her in

Yorkshire, drawi, my best might,"

་་་

"Well, just stand over there by the wall and let me make a sketch of you."

All of me?"

"Yes." "That would be worth two bob." She acquiesced with a laugh, and began her drawing. I stood sub- missively by the wall while she sketched with rapid, businessliko strokes.

"What do you do in the mine?" Inquired the artist without look

ing up.

"Dig."

"Oh." She paused. "Do you like your work?"

"Do you mean to keep on askin' questions?" I demanded. "It'll cast you another bob if you do."**

"Fin not that interested," she

your.

profile, retorted. ““Turn please." I continued to gaze at her. "Side view, pleasel".

I presented my profile, and she resumed her sketching "Do you

do that for a living?" I asked her, "er Just to omise yourself?"

I unser. it'll cost you a bob," he said; then added, her mouth twitching, "I do it for it liv- ing."

und she rew minules more, had finished. She showed me the drawing, which I praised lavishly; then she paid for my two Bull ints. I deliberately bli at the coin, then rang on a piece of metal, then pocketed it and walked away without word.

■

When I had washed up, changed into more livable clothes, and had my supper ut the inn, I went for a stroll through the outskirts of the Lown, meditatively flipping my two-shilling coin.

it cluded my palm and rolled around a bend in the road. When

I caught up with it a slender young lady with a travelling bug was picking it up from the road. It was my artist friend,

She recognised me, despite my somewhat altered appearance, and heatedly accused me of having de frauded her by posing as a typical miner.

an

I protested that I was a miner anxious deiver in my own milie that yielded an occasional gem-and sometimes just plain- muck.

"That gives me a clue," she ex- elaimed. "You must be a writer!" I bowed a humble acknowledge- ment.

"It's all very interesting, I'm sure," said the lady, "but I haven't time to stand here talking. I've a train to catch."

I lapsed quickly into my work- ingmon manner and speech. "Curry your bag for n shilling, mum?"

Never in my life had I talked so animatedly to any- one as we walked to the eta tion, discussing the work we did.

4.

upon

would,

the subre-

especially since as attrition things now are, be reasonable; quent Battle of the Nilu. the period most favourable for attack is past and the maintenance of enemy com. munications over sea becomes daily more hazardous. Lastly there is the enormous growth of expenditure and the menace of such a liability to a com- mercial state.

It may be, then, that the probability lies in favour of this declaration being straight- forward, that the enemy has determined to switch over Irom the aim of invasion to the aim of attrition.

ranean.

Dur

If this conclusion on our part prove sound It fol lows that his next field of action will be the Mediter

The enemy calculates minutely, his prolonged and detailed preparation is his principal quality, but it in- volves corresponding defects, the chief of which is great ex- penditure of time,

The delay which has been caused by his experiments and rehearsals (including, presumably, training in dla

such training embarkation,

being carried out at a distance where I cannot easily be watched) has given this coun- try time to organise its de fence and continually to in- crease its striking power by nir.

ΟΓ

And, of course, we must not in any way alacken the vigilance of our watch weaken our preparations for enemy defence because the wishes us to think he will not attack.

has The Mediterranean meant many different things strategically in the course of the 150 years--since the "Glorious First of June," and

She, too, stemed to enjoy it enormously.

"I never knew talking to woman could be like this," I sud- denly exclaimeit

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I-I nover knew a wo- man who did anything who had a career, as you call it. I didn't know a woman could be beautiful and young and Intelligent all of the same time."

But its chief strategle mean- ing since the introduction of rapid and certain marine com- munication and the piercing of the Isthmus of Suez has been its function as the High- way to the East and in par- ticular to India, whereupon the whole British position, commercial and political, de penda.

Anyone can see that the whole structure of British power has for its keystone (granted secure possession of the Bab-el-Mandeb at the issue of the Red Sca) the Suez Canal and its approaches, Egyptian and Syrian. Lousen that keystone and the arch is shaken.

Lisbon's Influence

Until quife recent ilities the MediterranKOZZUN Was strategiently one kew And we still talk mail think in wins of its being one se But Atglenily it becomes two seas so hung as the centent position of Italy and the tallan islands, in-

Pantelinriu leinst

(now unbroken Penins

(Red).

Torusidiable

This

fur- and

the Eastert reparation of from the Western Mediterranean has become more and more.evident with

every #CW weapon, every increase of speed, and ticularly with

developmen every of modern air power.

willi

pr

In the old days it used to be suid with justice that he who had the use of Lisbon commanded the Mediterranean. It was the know- ledge of this, which gave all its menning

to

Portuguese

alilance.

Dur

For the mouth of the Tagua, with its miles of sheltered inland water, But to-day commands the Strults

feet in the Tagus, though it en- hold un the Western Mediterranean, does not us fully affect the now separate Eastern

sures

Mediterranean, until the central interruption formed by the Italian possessions ceases to be a menace.

122

Unconsciously, we both stopped.

I looked at her, aid said slowly, "I might have once... I wouldn't now. Not after to-night. I'd say -I'd Boy —"

Before I knew it my arms were about her, straining her to me. Without hesitation her arms went about my neck. I kissed her fervently

On thy darilngi”-

It lasted only a moment. Then I withdrew from her embrace und gripped her almost Bercely by her shoulders. The words tumbled from my lips.

I'm

She feltered in her step for u 'moment and stared at me. In that instant, I think, we both realised How tremendously Import- ant was this meeting for both

"I had no right to do that. of us. We

walked on, and fell to dis-not a free man. But I shall love you forever and ever. I knew it cussing the current work -af. authors. She had, it seemed, been from the first moment I heard your voice from the first moment reading "Every Street", the new-

I saw your face. No, don't est work of one William Essex.

me anything speak. Don't tell I expressed interest, while be

about yourself. It isn't safe for traying nothing. While she ap

me to know. I must never see proved Essex's writing, she poked

you again fun at his portrayal of feminine characters. This fellow Essex, she believed, knew nothing at all about women

"But the crities like his love. scenes, I protested.

"The critics are mon," she laughed. "Now don't stand there and tell me you'd make love like William Essex

Her. lips trembled, and her eyes filed with tears. "Please, please

not feara!"

I whispered. "I don't think I can bear that!"

alonet

shall be in tears when I'm 1 gazed at her for another mo ment, then turned abruptly and walked away.

To be continued).

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