The Brussels Post, 1943-2-17, Page 3"AN HISTORIC MOMENT"
''this handshake between General Henri Giraud (left), high
Commissioner for French North Africa, and General Charles De
Gaulle, leader of the Fighting French, symbolized a closer under-
standing and a promise of co-operation between the two French
factions. They are pictured in the garden of a villa in Casablanca,
French Morocco. Seated between them, his face obscured by their
gesture of friendship, is President Roosevelt, who commented: "This
is an historic moment."
Ways Of Saving
Men Of The Sea
Experiences of scores of men
who reached safety after their
merchant vessels were torpedoed
will aid other merchant seamen in
savnig their own. lives.
Studies by the United States
Coast Guard, experiences and em-
ergency measures taken by men.
drifting in ltfeboats have been pab-
lished in a life-saving primer "de-
signed to help save seamen's lives
if their ships are sunk."
"Simple things that the land-
lubber dismisses as trifles not
worth bothering about," the coast
guard says, "can mean the differ-
ence between life and death to
men in a lifeboat."
A bit of metal—part of a tin
eon—fastened to the oar of one
life boat glittered brightly in the
sun and attracted attention of a
rescue vessel. Now, the coast
guard says, every life boat will
have a. metal mirror to reflect the,
sun's rays.
There'll be plastic whistles in
every seaman's equipment, too.
Police whistles now ace carried—
Mat they're metal, and in extreme
cold can't be used without tear-
ing the lips.
Ladders from engine rooms fix-
ed firmly in place, rescued men
have reported, frequently snap-
ped 0e were torn loose by the con-
cussion when torpedoes struck a
ship. The result — ships will have
supplemeutamy chain or wide lad-
ders hanging loosely.
The food problems In 11fe boats
also have been studied. To stip-
plement dry rations the coast
guard recommends canned fruit
Jukes be placed in all boats.
' Illness caused by drinking salt
water also is outlined in the hook.
It tells how to catch rain water
in canvas spread in the life boat
--but, here's the trick, the first
catch of water must be discarded,
for the canvas invea•iably is wet -
ed with salt spray which pollutes
the first catch.
Women Over Forty
Are Best Workers
Publisher Didn't
Know Everything
Britain's huskiest women are
not all with the fighting forces or
in the civil defence services. In
one comparatively small Thames-
side area, which cannot be other-
wise identified; '800 women—half
the crew—work at one of the big-
gest raliroad freight depots.
• When women were first hired
in March, 1941, it was estimated
that five womenwould do the
work of tlhree'hien. After a few
months the proportion was re-
duced to four to three, and today
it is about level, The only job
they cannot do is locomotive driv-
ing.
Eighty per cent of the women
are married and a large propor-
tion have children, Those who do
not have relatives at Thome put
the children in day nurseries.
A recent report of the British
Supply Council states that 40 per
cent of. Britain's production work-
ers are women. Shipyards employ
throe times as many women work-
ers as they did a year ago, and
111 per cent. or 105,000 of the
railroad emploYees are women.
Women over forty malts the best
worker's end are "more thorough
more reliable and more willing to
learn," the deport concludes."
VOICE
F rH
PRESS
ABOUT HORSSMEAT
Although some housewives are
hostile to the Mee of cooking
horsemeat none of them have ac-
tually kicked over the traces yet,
On the whole we expect that plena
in that respect will go off without
a hitch. Bat look out for gallop-
ing indigestion!
—Peterborough Examiner
—0 -.-
PLAN A GARDEN
The food Controller says there
Will be rationing of most foods in
Canada before the end of this
year. Why not think about it
now and prepare for a bang-up
backyard garden to produce fresh
greens for the table, real health
food for the Summer season?
—St. Catharines Standard
—0—
HE DISAGREED
In a letter before Pearl Har-
bor a German citizen reported to
his American cousin as follows:
"Dear Uncle Karl: We are all
fine. The war has harmed none
of us yet. Hitler says he is g'iv-
ixg us a new prosperity. Cousin
Hendrick, who disagreed, was
buried yesterday."
—Financial Post
This is the story of an Amer-
ican publisher who discovered
when he flew back from England
that one of his co -passengers was
David Bowes -Lyon, brother of
Queen Elizabeth, writes Leonard
Lyons in The New York Post. The
publisher engaged him in con-
versation and began to criticize
the British for their failure to
solve the India problem. The Brit-
isher reminded the publisher that.
80,000,000 Indians were born
within the last few years and
that the problem is a constantly
changing one, involving countless
difficulties. But the publisher
continued to criticize the British
for failing a solution. Bowes -
Lyon listened and then inter-
rupted: "By the way,•15 I weren't
the Queen's brother, do you think
I should 'make a speech about'
Negroes and America." The noted
publisher stared at him and ans-
wered: "Don't you dare."
—0—
WHERE ARE THEY?
Hitler is demanding 250,000
Hollanders to fight his battles for
him. What has become of the
mmaster race," when it needs so
any foreigners to do its fight-
ing, if its defeat is to be staved
off?
—The Argonaut
—0—
THEY WILL REPAY
Remember, the birds you feed
now, while snow covers the
ground, will repay kindness by
guarding gardens from insect
pests next summer.
Christian. Science Monitor.
—0—
FRONT COMING TO HIM
They now say that Hitler is
afraid to return to the Russian
front. But why bother, if der
front is coming to der fuehrer?e
—Winnipeg
—0 --
REVERSING CHARGE
"Butter shortage caused by
storm," announces a Toronto
paper. Ott, no, "Storni. Caused
by Butter Shortage."
—Ottawa Citizen
Boy Scout 'Weel
February 21 „ 27
Air -Sea Rescue
When United Nations planes,
raiding from Britain, are shot up
over continental Europe, the fly-
ers know that their chance of es-
cape is good if they can reach the
sea before bailing out or =eh-
ing. In waters around England
the Air -Sea, Rescue service, with
its speedy ambulance boats and
specially equipped planes, has
saved mote than 1,300 aircrews
since 1940.
LIFE"S LIKE TI4AT By,FredNeher
us'MoO aN:s?''�jJ� =
"What did I tell you about reading at the breakfast tablell!'
Bluey and Curley of the Anzacs
YER KNOW THOSE.
GYPPQ GAGA 2ET E5
j SENT To ME
4Ot15iN ALP EAQK
IN A,ti551E. ?
open Scout Mcetinge To Be
Held Purina Week
Tllo thief Scout for ('anitda, 1li5
HxCelleney the Cove neleGeneral,
has proelahned the week of Velure -
Pry 21.27 as annual Boy Scout
Week through0ttt Canada, During
(1110 week Canada's Boy Scoute
and Wolf Celts will be displaying
their movement to the public,
The week will be featured by
special national broadcasts, father
and son gatherings, open Scout
and Cub meetiuga, diepiays, ral-
lies and other gatherings desigued
to give the public a picture. of
what the world's largest boys'
movement seeks to do for the
boys of Canada.
tr „
1'
THE WAR , WEEK —' Commentary on Current events
Threat Tao Australia Removed
New Disasters Facing Hitler •
The long and hard-fought battle
for the Island of Guarielt-anal 1n
the Solamous apparently has eild-
ed. Japanese Imperial Headquart-
ers reports that its troops had
been withdrawn from the Island,
The conquest o2 this island
which safeguards Australia and
our lines of communication gives
American forces undisputed pos•
session of a base which becomes
a threat 10 Japan's inaior .bales lu
the Pacific, It was an exclusively
American show and the first land
victory to smash the Japanese
myth of invincibility and domou-
strated that with proper training
the American soldier 15 far super-
ior to the Japanese. Moreover, by
being forced to admit "withdraw-
al" the Japanese military have
lost face before the emperor and
the people of Japan.
IIis Excellency the Governor-
General, the Earl of Athlone, is
the Chief Scout for Canada. His
Excellency is peculiarly suited to
the highest Scout office in the
Dominion. As a young lieutenant
in South Africa at the turn of the
century his commending officer
was the then Col. Robert Baden-
Powell, later founder of the Scout
movement: The Chief Scout tells
the story that Baden-Powell often
discussed with him his ideas about
Scouts, many years before the or-
ganization was launched. The
Governor-General was also Chief
Scout of South Africa when he
filled the vice -regal office in that
Dominion. Since coming to Can-
ada he has continued his keen
interest in Scouting, attending
meetings .05 the Dominion Execu-
tive Committee, and frequently
appearing at Scout rallies. He is
an enthusiast for the Scout uni-
form and has appealed to Boy
Scouts across Canada to wear the
full stamlard uniform• on all suit-
able occasions, and to wear 1t
.creditably.
Army Rejects Man
Waacs Take Wife
Mrs. Frederic Amour, twenty-
three years• old, kissed her hus-
band good bye when he left to
take his Army examination.
';die a good soldier, dear," she
said. "I'll carry on." She wept
a 'bit, then said to herself:
"I'm going to help him. The
sooner we all get into this, the
sooner it will be over and we
can be together again."
An hour later, she enlisted in
the Women's Auxiliary Corps.
Then she .returned home, expect-
ing an empty house, a solitary
dinner. Instead, there was Fred-
die wearing an apron, stirring 911
omelet.
"Surprise, dear. I haven't been
. accepted," he•said.
"Surprise, dear," she replied,
"I have!"
Russian Tricks
Annoy Germans
The German press is attempting
to explain defeats on the Soviet
front by declaring that the Rus-
sians tricked them, a. Swedish cor-
respondent reported recently.
Russia's concealment of her
real military power and skill in
camouflage resulted in surprises
for the Germans even during the
second year of the campaign; the
press complained.
The Russians were said to have
changed tihe names of many
places, built new towns whose
existence was kept secret and
laid new railways which were not
shown on any maps available to
the. Germans:
Kursk Recaptured
The fall of Kursk, according to
The New York Times, is one of
the great Russan victories of the
war. Ileeepture of this keV city
opens a broad new corridor for the
entire Russian offensive. It is the
first breach in the German Win-
ter V,11all that stretches from the
Baltic to the Black Sea and the
fall of the city necessarily imperils
the whole structur=e of German
defense in South Russia. Beyond
Kursk the Ukrainian plain stretch-
es to the Dneiper.
The loss of Kursk may hare con-
sequences for the Germane as dis-
astrous as the annihilation of their
besieging army at Stalingrad. Both
cities were symbols—Stalingrad
of heroic Russian resistance and
Kursk of German power to strike. ,
Kursk was the bridgehead from
which the Summer offensive was
launched last year, Stalingrad was
the tidal mark at which it r^Iter-
ed and failed. Within tire months
of Hitler's invasion the Nazis bad
seized Kuhsk and its network of
strategic railways. For 'fifteen
months they have been fortifying
the city, linking it up with other
",hedgehog" centers, developing it
as a base for attack and a fort-
ress to resist any assault. Yet the
Russians swept over it in a single
day.
This indicates one of two things,
perhaps both. Either the morale
of the German Army, after four
months of defeat, has deteriorated
seriously or the German High
Command has decided that its im-
mediately available reserves and
supply system are unequal to the
task of holding the 1911 victory
line in the Ukraine. It may be
the Germans were. already with-
drawing from Kursk when the
Russians struck, and were neither
iu strength nor mood to fight.
New that the Winter Wall has
finally cracked, Germany must
count heavily on the possibility of
Russian exhaustion and the likeli-
hood of a sea of Spring mud to
bog down the Soviet drive. But
that 'drive is still rolling ahead
with undiminished power, while
German efforts to , "disengage"
their armies seem to weaken.
General Mud is still far from the
battle line. And in the north,
where fresh Russian armies are
gathering, his .arrival will be de-
layed even longer.
London experts predict that Hit-
ler, facing the dire necessity of
Shortening his lines and concen-
trating his forces to avert a new
defeat, will use last year's Win-
ter line as a stopping point only,
and that he will retire, eventually,
to the Dnieper where he may be
able to hold while maneuvering
elsewhere. Such a retreat • under
constant pressure would add great-
ly to his enormous losses. It is
considered- doubtful that he can
stand up under great new deple-
tions of strength because Russia,
without counting Lease -Lend aid,
already out -produces him in many
categories, despite her own great
territorial and indrstrial losses.
been expected that Tunisia Would
be cleaned,out by NOW but General
l iseilhower ie proceeding with
great caution and safeguarding
his supply lines, althoughin se
doing he has risked reinforcement
of Nazi forces 1n Tunisia.
ltornmel probably got into Tum
Isla with about 50,000 mon and
found there 120,000 other Axle
troops -170,000 in all. They 810
well-egt1AP.pad and havo su"0055'
fr.J1y mounted their .88 guns qa
some taut{s, thus out -ranging, for
the moment, certain American
tanks. It is unlikely that the Axle
can supply larger forces than
these already in Tueisial tis Al-
lies in time will outnumber and
outgun them, While there Is every
confidence that the Axis will be
driven out of Tunisia, the job 1s
a tough one and cannot be aceom-
plielled in a few weeks.
Somehow or other the impres-
sion has got around that Bizerte
and Tunis and other important
towns along the coast of Tunisia
a.1'e, just so many apples which
cam he picked whenever we can
get -a tall enough boy to de the
job --and that it won't take a very
tall boy at that, writes W. H.
Stoneman, Chicago Daily News.
This just isn't true and people
will avoid disappointment later on
if they understand it.
The fact is that our liue from
Cap Serrst on the northern coast
right down to Sheltie, northwest
of Sfax, is fairly good from a de
fensive viewpoint, but no more.
The Germans and Italians opposite
us have even better defensive posi-
tions all along the line, and ouu
efforts to kick them out have been
costly and in the end futile. Be-
fore we can go for Bizerte and
Tunis or even for Kairouan in the
south, we have to puncture a num-
ber of fine natural positions which
are heavily fortified and strongly
manned by excellent fighting men.
That job or series of jobs will
have to be undertaken by good
infantry and the price will prob-
ably be high.
The statement that our equip-
ment isbetter than the enemy's
is subject to serious reservations
as far as the Tunisian front is con-
cerned.
Our troops have fought wonder-
fully, even though we have not
yet won a clean-cut battle against
the Germans.
Preparations In Tunisia
It is estimated that the Amer-
icans are at least two mouths far-
ther advanced in North Africa
than they would have been if the
Darlan deal had not been consum-
ated and the French had not capi-
tulated, Yet, because of mud and
other factors, including the fact
that green United States troops
are introduced to combat by easy
stages, their progress has been
slower than was anticipated, It had
Moslem Sagacity
The wise men of neutral Iraq,
When told that the Allies would
craq,
Reflected a while,
Then replied, with a senile,
"Kindly go sit on a taq!"
PHONE UNDER FIRE
Foxhole is the desert phare
booth for these British signalmen,
on the job despite nearby shell
blast. They are sending Message%
through on . the African front
where nearly all axis forces have
been cleared out.
•
"Powerful stuff"
By Gurney (
(Australia)
HE 'i6EZ 514OKED
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