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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1967-10-12, Page 12The Godsrich Si lue Diaries Give Gum Thmrsdent. Cktnber 12 19 7 DIARIES PART 1 "Diaries like love,ietters, are dangerous things. They should be torn up the follow. ing morning." Thus stated Lord Alantirboke, Chief of the Im- perial General Staff 1941 to 1946. He then proceeded t4 allow Arthur Bryant to expand his diary to two volumes(*l), aid what a mercy he did. What fortune that Samuel Pepys' diary was preservedi The last war spawned a pie• thora of diaries and personal. experiences, most of which have been avidly read. The security regulations ensured that no one knew the full story at the time,. hence the present desire to ascertain exactly • the details of all the successes' and fail. aures; the reasons why. , • Harold Nicolson has just giy, en us his second volume INTRODUCTORY OF FE To introduce a new line of TV and Stereo, Hi-Fi by one of Canada's most progressive manu- facturers and a name well known to most people, I am offering for a short time special prices which I have promised not to put in print. FOR BEST VALUES SHOP H UTC'HI N SON • RADIO — TV — APPLIANCES s47ss1 300 HURON RD. 5, 1 uses of 'diaries and letters, covering the year's' 1939 to 1945(*2), His intimate contacts inParliament and with so many of the lead ing actors of these years pro. vide some fascinating clues to character, motive and cense. quence. Q Nicolson had a varied career. Trained and experi'encedin For. eign Affairs, he represented Britain in a number of embaS saes, Then, b use his wife, Victoria Sack West, the poetess and authors s, refused to settle in forei . cities for protracted perio ,.'rhe threw up the Foreign Offi4e„and took up Parliament and writing. From his letters the impression might be gained that he and V, seldom occupied the same house at the same time, so numerous are ,his letters to. her. But in this second volume it becomes clear they were both ALBERT MIDDEL PAINTING DECORATING 0 524-9686 39tf NOTICEVANCE AN POLL Notice is hereby given that a poll 'for the electoral ' District of Huron will be" open on THURSDAY, FRIDAY and SATURDAY the 12th, 13th anJ14th days of October, 1967,. 'from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., , and from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. E.S.T. The polling places for the said electoral District will 'be located in GODERICH Town Hall Y CLINTON Town Hall. SEAFORTH Dick House ' EXETER Town Hall For the purpose of 'receiving the votes of voters who expect on the day fixed for polling to be- absertt from and unable to vote in the 'polling subdivisions for which their names appear on the list. •` The ballot boxes will be opened and Abe votes counted at 7 p.m. on the 17th day of October at the said places, Goderich Town Hall; Clinton Town Hail; Seaforth Dick House; Exeter Town Hal. Dated at Seaforth this 25th day of September, 1967. Russell T. Bolton, Returning Officer the Of C'.:h.ircIiiIIlr.' Action,. deeply in love dud so continued. Nevertheless, he confesses on one occasions "I do not think that, except for Winston, I ad. mire anyone as much as I admire you". He hadlots of practice in writing, for, in addition toiiis books, reviews 'and columns, he kept a diary and wrote, in. numerable ,letter$. His power of description is always vivid, whether describing" the bomb• ink of London orthe beauties of his garden at Sissinghurst, but he canalso analyse, espeo dally himself. ' He realises something which all diarists should take to heart: that you must address your diary with some congenial person in mind for then, and ,only' then, will your thoughts expand and your words blossom. For his part he chose to address his un- born grandson, so that in 2024 he might have some idea of a momentous period in history. So he follows the precept, of the reviewer 'of a travel book who said: "Never mind the maps, tell us about the chaps". Thus inspired he found he could bare his heart and the result is enthralling. • Below are collected some wonderful sidelights on his hero, Winston Churchill, of whom he says: "His words were never words for words'' sake". July 1940 and France has fallen. Churchill's speeches were designed to arouse the . spirit •of the nation. "But real. ly he has guts that man....I felt a . great army of men and women of resolution watching the fight.. .Thank God for him. His best phrase: 'We shall show mercy but not ask for it'.... That was a man! And later: Winston has no capacity for meanness". January 1942. Malaya has been lost to the Japanese. Roma mel is throwing the British out of Cyrenaica. Churchill .-mases a --rabid Parliament and he demands a vote of confi- dence. Nicolson says: "One can actually feel the wind of op. position dropping sentence by sentence and by the time he finishes....there is really no 'opposition. at all....My God, my love and admiration of Winston surge round melike a tide." Two dayslater Churchill winds up the debate: "It only, remains for us to act. I offer no apol. ogles. I offer no excuses. I make no promises". The House divides, 464 to one. Huge cheers! One day Pug Ismay, Chur- chill's Chief of Staff, found his boss in distress at having to prepare a. speech: "Why don't you tell them to go to hell?" Winston turned on him like a flash: "You should not say such things. I am the servant of the House". November 1942. "de Gaulle's udders are bursting with the .milk of victory, but Winston won't allow him to be milked". 4th november 1942., The tide turns, Alexander reports the victory at'El Alamein. Nicolson lunches with Churchill in the basement of Namber Ten Down, inK street — bomb fell 50 yards away in ,October - • .Churchill • says: "I refuse to call it El Alamein....this third battle must be called 'The Battle of Egypt'.. Then he went on to dis• cuss •Auchinleck's removal from command. "It is atrocious to remove a good general. We must use Auchinleck again. We cannot afford to. lose such a man from the fighting line.... There is ' more jam to come., Much more jam....Remember that!" January 1943. Churchill ex. plains the phrase 'unconditional Surrender'. "We shall exact justice upon the wicked and the guilty.. No vestige of Fascist or Nazi power, no vestige of the Japanese war -plotting ma. chine...." March 1943. de Gaullewishes togo to Syria. Churchill sends Sir Charles Peake to refuse him. "Alors, je suis prison. Hier" says the general and with that he retires to Hampstead. Hearing this, Winston orders Peake "tp be responsible for the Monster. of Hampstead". Churchill has just announced the fall of the Mareth Line in Parliament. A member asks* "Is the R ight Honourable gentle. man aware that if General Mont. gomery were in the German Army he would still be a ser. geant?" • Nicolson: "de Gaulle is an eagle with bad habits. Winston, who is a house-trained eagle, does not see clawy to claw with him" Asked about the Bey of Tunis, Churchill answers: "He is in a most unfortunate position.... he is. at -the mercy of the Ger- mans. He will have to call him. self Obey in future!" September 1943. Mussolini has been rescued. by para. troopers. Italy is now a co - belligerent. Churchill is giving his usual progress report to the Commons. "The Italian people, rescued from their state of ser- vitude, can -now take their right- ful place among the demo- cracies of the world. The satel- lite states, suborned and over- awed...." Here Churchill rais- ed his arm as though to de- liver a most terrific thunder. bolt from his, rich armoury of rhetoric, but he dropped his arm suddenly and took off his spectacles...."may perhaps be allowed to work their passage home", be concluded,, grinning. The combination of greafilights of oratory 'with sudden swoops into the conversational is one of his devices will:eh never fails to give him mastery of the • House. Shinwell, a labour opponent says:- "There is a grace about Churchill" . Churchill' to de Gaulle:"h;`ach time I have 'to choose b 'tween • you and Roosevelt I siviti al.. ways choose Roosevelt". The government iseated on an amendment to lause of the . Education ' Bill by one vote. Winston is obdurate and insists ma vote of confidence, thus making his supporters • swallow their vote against • the • government. Winston explains: "I am not going to tumble round my cage like a wounded canary. You knocked me off my perch. now you have, got to put me • back on my perch. Otherwise I won't sing." These few glimpses of Chur. chill in action, at the height of his powers and responsibi- lities leave only one conclusion: what a Man! * Diaries & Letters 1939.45. Harold Nicolson. Collins. .500 pp. Students At County Council lanes Richardson & .Sofls:: Lt Starving The. -Food. !hailers ,off W►st*rn 'Ontario PHONE 524.8388, GQDORICH° , Wingham Quality--Service-Cemetery Lettering PHONE WINGHAM COLLECT 357.1910 Or J WRITE BOX 1511, WINGHAM, ONTARIO - SUN LI a progressive company to a progressive industry' GORDON T3WEASTLA KE SUN LIFE ASSURANCE _COMPANY OF CANADA Grade ten students from South Huron Distriot.High School last week attended a Thursday- morn. ing session- of Huron County Council -at the Court House here. An Exeter high school bus trans- ported the 39 students, com- prising forms 10A and 10B, to the Court House, Goderich, where the Coi ty€ouncil cham- ber Is located. The trip' as arranged by South Huron collegiate history teacher, Morley Sanders. He ex. posed his history students to a session of County Council as part of their studies of. civic . government. .,,.,- - Matters 'discussed during the October sessim of, Huron • County Council were reports from severalcounty corn• • , mittees. Some of the import- ant topics were: a report from the Children's Aid Society; a roads committee report; and a report from the Huron county medical officer, Dr. G.P. Evans: '. N " Friday, September 1,' is St. John Day ' at Expo '67. For the 183 days of the fair St. John Ambulance volunteers- will be manning all First Aid Posts on the grounds from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. • ,►pontes • ' PAPER WHITE * * TULIP _ • HYACINTH �i� J� • DAFFODIL dhd • °CROCUS TO GO TO SHOPPE SWEATERS • We are overstocked on fine guage Botany, Wool sweaters from a famous Scottish maker. We are offering these' as our Annivrsary Special along with some lacy knits, shet- lands and' other types. - Choose" from short, % and long sleeves, pullover and classic' cardigans: A great array of colors such as Coral, Tartan Green, Pink, Navy, Light Grey, Oxford Grey, 'French Biege, Sky Blue, Pumpkin and many others. Sizes range from 34 to 42 but the range is not complete in all styles or colors. REGULAR 9.00 to 14.00 6.00 to 10.00 SKIRTS & SLIMS A group of skids and slims,. many of which match with the sweaters we have on sale. •You'll never have a better opportunity to save on fresh seasonable merchandise. REGULAR 14.00 - 1,7.00 - 18.00 10.00 THESE ARE JUST THE MAJOR ITEMS -- OTHER ITEMS ARE INCLUDED U 4 DRESSES A large group of 'dresses, latest styles and colors. In, eluded are a few dressy types. Broken lines and color range but sizes 7 to 22% ai a included in the group. REGULAR 20.00 to 50.00 A :00 13,00 to . o.