HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1956-12-06, Page 2An English View Of Modern Germany
Twice, In the lifetime of many
readers, Germany's arrogant
ambition has plunged the world
into a disastrous blood bath.
Each time her material might
has -collapsed. Magnanimously,
the victorious nations have
rallied to enable her to recon-
struct her shattered fortunes.
Now, rebuilt for the second
time, Germany is feeling again
that awful urge to dominate.
And even if she only pursues
it peacefully, her conquests will
soon be world-wide.
A middle - aged Englishman
whose hoby is mountaineering,
had just pulled himself up a
stiffish peak in the Bavarian
Alps. Resting on the brink, he
suddenly felt a vicious jab in
his ribs.
Glancing down, he saw that
the blow had come from a young
German, aged twenty, who was
just gaining the summit and
desired to remove the final ob-
struetion.
Happily, this Englishman re-
fused to be shoved out of the
way. Speaking fluent German
he gave the youth a bit of ad-
vice: "If you come a centimetre
nearer, I will knock you down!"
He meant it. And his com-
panion, a well-built Scot, was
already flexing his muscles.
Rather surprisingly, the Ger-
man and his two companions
climbed no higher, but went
back, muttering angrily.
I say "rather surprisingly" be-
cause, after six weeks in this
feverishly reconstructed and now
fantastically prosperous country,
1 find again ample evidence of
that crazy nationalistic spirit
that launched Hitler on his
totalitarian road to ruin, and
earlier gave the Kaiser an army
which he thought could lick the
world, writes A, J. Forrest in
"Tit -Bits".
No nation's character changes
in a generation. We delude our-
selves if we imagine that the
Germans, after a second catastro-
phic defeat, will never again risk
un equally immense disaster.
Their old urge to dominate is
working afresh today, especially
to economic channels. It's as if
Hitler's ghost had returned to
lead their gacsesiep td power.
German exports, as the Board
of Trade's special inquiry team
reveals, jumped in volume by
forty-two per cent during 1953-
1955. Our own, in comparison,
have registered a net of merely
twelve per cent. In many
markets, the Germans have
knocked us flat. Hence today
the Deutschemark is the strong-
est currency in Europe, and
german gold and dollar reserves
exceed our own!
Western Germany today, with
a population of 57,000,000, has
not only abeorbed 10,000.000
refugees from the East, but is
now recruiting, as fast as she
can, workers from Northern
Italy to man her heavy in-
dustries, "Colossal" alone de-
acribc'e the nation's recuperative
energy. And with it merges the
old lust for power.
It show: it,elf in a thousand
wage. On the roads, for example,
the manners of German motor-
ists are frankly ix:ggish. They
Show little consideration for a
fellow driver, and none what -
oven. :•r a pede etrian rn. alt my
mavem, from Bremen in the
north t A Munich :. Bavaria, only
one inetieriet Sopped to let me
cross a street. She was a woman.
I felt tempted to mat her why
the et, ;s behaving iI g e oddly.
0
Material prosperity breeds, in-
evitably, a new sense of might.
Nearly all the old Nazis are back
its power. They have dug up
their gold, diamonds, silver plate
and other valuables salted away
in their gardens — they foresaw
Germany's collapse quite clearly
and their own temporary dis-
grace no less clearly. But with
these considerable resources they
have built up new businesses,
and climbed back into beaurau-
eratic positions of authority.
At the universities, many
student groups have revived
their duelling clubs. At least
6,000 young men consider it man-
ly to display freshly scarred
cheeks. Such scars symbolize
fanaticism which settles argu-
ments by the sword or its
modern equivalent.
Germany today is behaving
again in a very unfriendly way
to displaced persons and aliens
unlucky enough to be still living
within her frontiers. Her smart-
ie uniformed policemen, all
armed, far from being friendly
in disposition, are often little
autocrats, tinpot gods, wielding
a harsh and humourless au-
thority.
In German jails prisoners are
sometimes savagely manhandled
by men who were formerly con-
centration camp guards, the very
men who committed such un-
speakable atrocities in the name
of the master race.
I spent one day visiting a
South German prison, housing
720 convicts, forty-four of whom
were alien nationals, including
some deserters from the Red
army. I was allowed to talk
freely and unsupervised to
several of these men. And I
found that even in the prison
service German racial antag-
onisms persist, But the foreign
convicts had one gala day this
year, the day when England's
football team defeated Germany
in Berlin by 3-1.
"We watched the game on tele-
vision," said one prisoner, "And
how we cheered when the Eng-
lishmen slammed in their goals."
There is no doubt in my mind
that month by month Germany's
natural arrogance will mount.
Her newspapers and periodicals
do all they can to belittle other
nations. Simple incidents are
magnified as illustrations of
"sub -human" behaviour. "Scan-
dals" of the Allied occupation
are dug up and retailed with a
wealth of Imaginative detail.
Yet that loathsome, evil and
fearful record of concentration
camp atrocities—the foulest blot
s=urely on contemporary civiliza-
tion — Is already long forgotten.
Traces of those infamous
t=amps, together with memorials
to their millions of victims, are
either being allowed to rot away
to nothingness. or they have
been deliberately erased. Ger-
many is whitewashing her past
with typical thoroughness.
Of course, there are decent
Germans, good men and women
whose love for humanity is
genuine and standards beyond
praise. But this fanatically ener-
getic, readily disciplined, strong
and inventive race, should any
new Fuhrer arise, may well
burst out into some new flood
of barbarism.
What was said hundreds of
years ago remains true: "The
German is either grovelling at
your feet or flying at your
throat." And today, my strong- f
est impression after a si=c -weeks"
visit is that the German is look-
ing upwards again.
MO -FACED — Named after Janus, two-faced Roman god of
gates and doors, this new German four -seated midget car fea-
tures doors. in front and in back. Passengers sit back -to -bock.
Made by a motorcycle manufacturer, the Janus was unveiled
at the recent 'Bicycle and Motorcycle Exhibition in Frankfurt.
CAT-A-PULTING—This poor bird is sitting pretty for pounc-
ing pussy. Palmer M. Pederson, a rancher snapped the picture
as the cat leaped, won a $50 prize in "Popular Photography"
Magazine's international picture contest.
Want one of the oldest and
most enjoyable ways of saying
"Merry Christmas"? Then move
along into your kitchen for the
preparatory work of making
rich holiday butter cookies. The
"getting ready to give" will be
as much fun for you, as the
gifts from your kitchen will be
for your lucky recipients. In
these last few days of hectic
Christmas gift -buying, you'll
find that a few hours in your
own kitchen will produce some
handsome gifts for the "specials"
on your list. And what a wel-
come change to be able to make
gifts right in your own home
▪ as a contrast to the pushing
and jostling so much a part of
holiday shopping in overcrow-
ded stores, And of course, since
time immemorial, the words of
the poet have been meaningful
• "it is when you give of
yourself that you truly give".
Friends who receive gifts of
your cookie specialities will
know that they represent your
labor and love every bit as much
as they are a symbol of your
craftsmanship h la cruisine.
e
When the butter -rich batches
have come from the oven and
are cooled, it's a simple trick
to pack them off in gay Yule-
tide containers ... to carry your
best wishes mingling sweetly
with their wonderful aroma
Don't froget the wide assortment
of plastic dishes . refriger-
ator and otherwise ... that can
double as Christmas carriers, and
later serve usefully in some-
body's kitchen. Or what about
those empty round cereal tubes
—so plentiful if you've a baby
in your house—or mailing tubes
which are dandy cookie -carters.
Gala tin boxes, round, square
or oblong, will nicely fill the
bill too, and come in for cookie-
storing long after your gifts
have disappeared. For mailing,
take a few pereautions so your
gift won't be a crumbly memory
of "what mighthave been".
Use a heavy box with wax
paper lining, and plenty of filler
(crumpled tissue paper, or even
freshly popped corn). When
you're ready to put the lid on,
might dress it up with a lay
vpaper doilies, and your Christ -
ma enefoseure card.
Then wrap it securely in
heavy mailing paper . , and
be certain to mark the box
"Perishable".
* s
And in your desire to please
many with gifts of your own
exquisite butter rookies, don't
neglect the members of your
own family. Let it be Christmas
for them, before and after the
day. Let them enjoy the match-
less flavor of that dairy food,
butter, in cookies the year
round by giving the "just be-
cause" gifts from your own kit-
chen.
POINSETTIAS
(Makes About 5 dozen)
IS cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons thick cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3i/e cups sifted all-purpose
flour
14 teaspoon soda
?a teaspoon salt
cranberry sauce
Cream butter until smooth.
Gradually add auger, then eggs.
Blend until fluffy. Stir in cream
and vanilla. Sift together flour,
soda and salt. Add to butter
mixture and mix thoroughly.
Chill dough for several hours.
Roll chilled dough is inch thick
on .a lightly floured board, Cut
in 3 inch spuares. Place squares
on lightly buttered cookie sheet.
Cut with sharp knife from cor-
ners of each square to within
'h inch of the centre (making
4 triangular sections in each
square), In the centre place 1
teasponful of cranberry sauce.
Pick up corresponding corner
of each triangular section and
fold over centre filling. Press
gently in centre to hold 4 points
together. Place a whole cooked
cranberry in the centre on top
of points. Bake in hot oven
(400°F.) for 8 to 10 minutes.
" * *
CHRISTMAS JEWELS
(Makes 31e Dozen)
?a cup butter
la cup brwon sugar
?a cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sifted all-purpose
flour
3a teaspoon baking powder
is teaspoon sada
la teaspoon salt
1?a cups rolled oats
las cup gumdrops (20 to 25
finely cut)
1 cup shredded coconut
Cream butter with brown and
granulated sugar until fluffy.
Add one egg, water and vanilla.
Beat until well blended and
smooth. Sift together flour, bak-
ing powder, soda aria salt. Then
add dry ingredients to butter
Mixture. Mix thorougily. Fold
in rolled oats, and gumdrops and
combine. Chill for 1 hour. 'When
cool, shape dough in hands to
make small balls. Hall in coco-
nut. Bake on a buttered baking
sheet in a moderate oven (350°
F.) for 15 to 20 minutes,
a '
QUICK CHOCOLATE DROPS
(Makes 3 Dozen)
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut
6 tablespoons cocoa
2 cups white sugar
cup butter
?a cup milk
le teaspoon vanilla
Comnine rolled oats, coconut
and cocoa. in a large bowl. Mix
thoroughly. Place sugar, butter
and milk in saucepan and heat
almost to boiling point, (do not
boil). Then pour over dry mix-
ture. Stir well, and drop by
spoonsfufs on buttered wax
paper. Chill until firm.
NO SURRENDER.
•
A Scotsman surprised his
friend by turning up at a -fancy
dress ball in the guise of Napo-
leon.
"Why on earth should a Scots-
man assume the character of Na-
poleon?" asked the friend.
"Well, for one thing, you can
keep your hand on your wallet
all the time," said the Scot.
Makin ' fr ntique£S' N
A gentleman with mercenary
motives and a lack of finer dis-
cernment is advertising a make -
your -own antiques kit, complete
with printed instructions and
nail holes indicated.
This should be deplored. It is
not as easy as that to make ant-
iques. To postulate that every
Tom, Diclt and Harry can turn
out top -grade early artifacts the
same as he'd gime airplanes and
stage coaches together is absurd.
It would glut the market with
spurious items, the work of
amateurs, easily detected at a
glance, and have an effect on
the value of true antiques tur-
ned out lovingly by a master of
the craft.
It takes love of line and de-
sign, an understanding of art
and artistry, and a fine sense of
balance to make a really good
antique.
I've made a good many of
them in my time, and still am
not really good at it. But the
small things I have done satisfy
me sufficiently so I feel qualified
to speak. I got my start through
a bargain in boots. T was in a
country store up state and the
man showed me a pair of cow-
hide boots pegged in his grand-
father's time. They were in
reasonable condition, needing
some neatsfoot oil, and I made
him a small offer which he ac-
cepted.
I wore them one day around
the farm, and at night T couldn't
get them off. Cowhide boots
were like that. Friends and re-
latives gathered to straddle my
foot, while I pushed with the
other from behind, but nothing
happened. I had to make a
bootjack in order to go to bed.
We used to have a bootjack on
the farm here years ago and I
remembered what it looked like,
writes John Gould in The Chris-
tian Science Monitor.
After I got my boots off i
bored a hole in the bootjack and
hung it on a peg in the shed,
where a visiting transient saw it
the next summer and offered me
a dollar for it, a sum I accepted
with alacrity, and he took it
home to be a doorstop in New
Jersey, leaving me in the boot-
jack business. I've made dozens
of them since then, and now I
get $2.50 for them. It is plea-
sant to reflect that I have made
so many happy, and that all
t So Easy
over the East people are pride-
ful of their antique bootjacka
found on a peg in an old Maine
farmhouse.
One thing I know to be true,
that modern -made antiques are
often better than real ones. The
truth is that a lot of come -down
furniture has only age to show
for it, I learned that as a boy.
Mother bad a parlor set that
was "handed down" to her—a
love seat and two chairs. They
were up in the pigeon loft of
the barn and had been there
for years accumulating antiquity.
Father went up one day and
handed them down to her. The
upholstery was faded, clear
back to the woodwork, but the
woodwork was black walnut,
scrolled and fllligreed to a turn,
and they decided to have the
set redone. But after they came
back with their new upholstery,
we found they were anything
but comfortable. I would rather
sit on a nail keg.
I made a lovely baroque, or
Restoration, table once, using a
hackmatack stump. I cut is off
so the roots formed the pedestal,
and the trunk supported the
ornately carved top. I don't
carve too well, but with a sharp
axe I can make anything look
as if a lot of work was lavished
on it. This table has attracted
a lot of attention as an antique,
and may be seen at the Reuben
Brainerd homestead, where it
sits in the shed. They got burned
out and all the neighbors con-
tributed furniture, and I took
the table over with my load.
The rings on the tree trunk
prove it is over 150 years old,
Now, I didn't just buy a
ready-made kit and start in. I
had to learn the business step
by step, trial and error, until I
mastered the intricacies. It took
years of patient application. It
isn't a matter of hitting a board
with a hammer --you have to
know where to hit it, and which
hammer to use. Many a good
antique has been spoiled in the
making by injudicious enthu-
siasm. It takes restraint to be
authentic. Too much pickle juice,
and pool! You've lost the spirit
Of the thing.
I think it will be better in
the long run to leave the making
of antiques to those who spee-
lalize in it. Let people cut their
own hair, payer their own
homes, and make model ships.
MORE SAFETY — Copt, Richard Ogg, right, who successfully
ditched his Stratocruiser in mid -Pacific, took a second vital
precaution upon arrival at his home. He had his entire family
line up for Salk anti -polio shots. Above, family physician Dr.
Robert O'Neill, left, prepares to inoculate Ogg's wife, Blanche,
and their daughter, six-year-old Marilyn. Son Randy, 10, had
had his shot earlier.
wwu X�ST:s°cgf�a'�?�
LINE FORMS AT THE RIGHT - There appears to be quick response 'to a help -wanted sigre
on this shop window. l'he figures are display mannequins, waiting to be dressed for the,
store's opening. 1