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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1942-09-24, Page 7IT'S A COME -DOWN FOR THE AXIS German and Italian airmen, guarded by Tommies, walk through *xis -coveted Malta as prisoners after being shot down over heavily bombed Mediterranean island.. I14»Iyi»uM.. itizen\= rm, A Weekly Column About This and That in Our Canadian Army Three weeks ago I devoted this space to the subject of drill. Here °omen the same subject again be- cauae we have been given an °b- Det lesson by our own soldiers at ieppe in its value. Por the past two years instruc- tor have referred to an incident slit Dunkerque as an illustration of the value of drill as a discipline wilder. It was the evacuation of the beach by The Guards. Newspaper despatches, said: ""Trite Guards brought their rifles with them." That was all! But it was quite enough. No one would have crl- tloiaed them if they had left their equipment behind on that shell - wept i?eaeh nearly everyone did Yes'.14 his equipment behind and there were no recriminations. But, "the Guards brought their stifles with them". It has long been fashionable for Line Regi- snentss to sneer gently at the Bri- gade of Guards for their meticu- lous adherence to parade ground soldiering. Tire sneers were good- natured, of course, as all bicker- ing between regiments is, and no- one really believed what he said. Not after Le Gateau in the last war, or after Dunkerque in this! Now we have a new tradition, a new example of how well -drilled soldiers act in a tight place—the Canadians at Dieppe! Here is a quotation of one of the early cables from the Channel front written by Ross Mundo of the Canadian : ress who went a- tchore with the Canadians. "One group of the Westerners was in such good form that even after a five.,hour battle they smart- ly sloped arms and marched aboard the boat that picked them up?, The "Tankers" have earned a place in military history, too! Of them another Canadian Press despatch said: "Crews of the Geiger-, Tank Regiment, which led the way in- to Dieppe yesterday, drove the remnants, of their battle -smashed tank formation through this town tonight . . " Those two examples of the in- telligent dieciplipe that grows out of drill will be quoted by many a drill -sergeant, by many an officer lecturing to recruits in the next few years and will, I hope, be borne in mind by those of us who are apt to criticize without think- ing. Some of you are bound to be asking, just about now, "what's he trying to get at? Surely he does not suggest that the raid on Dieppe was put on just to demon- strate the value of parade ground drill!" No, I don't suggest that for one moment. in fact any columnist who tries to say why the Dieppe raid was made would be a fool! There are many reasons why a military ' high command decides to stage a raid —especially with the war condi- tions that confront us at present. And the high command cannot take even the public into its con- fidence. We'll have to be kept guessing about it—and so will the . enemy. Perhaps its intention was to find out the defense system employed by the 'enemy. Perhaps it was to draw atten- tion from some other move. Perhaps the idea was to find out the morale of the enemy now in France. Perhaps it was designed to dis- rupt communications by causing s, rush of reinforcements to the ,place attacked. Perhaps it was a realistic train - ling scheme in the co-operation or Xtlavy, Army and Air Force, Perhaps it was none of those reasons, but, whatever the rea- son was we members of the 1-r- dividual Citizen's O•rmy may be sure that "Andy" McNaughton who would rather expend machinery than lives, had the best of all poss- ible reasons and that the lessons learned and the knowledge gain- ed will be used to prosecute the war and hasten the Allied Victory. In the meantime new recruits who join up here as volunteers for service anywhere will start out with squad drill without arms, the manual of arms, musketry and all the other "kindergarten" work that teaches them unity, cohesion and intelligent discipline so that they too, when their opportunity comes, will be ready to "slope arms and march aboard." The rHen who took the beaches at Dieppe and played their part in demolishing the town have found out after weary months and years of waiting what war is like. That is something we have still to find out. So far we have only bought a few bonds, licked a few war savings stamps, given to the Red Cross and the Buckshee Fund— that sort of thing! We haven't sacrificed anything. We don't sweat for the war. Public men rap us on the knuc- kles if we say that Canada le not doing a full job of war work. They raise a smoke screen of empty eloquence to boast of what is be- ing done. They promise that some day the government will place the whole war effort on a wartime basis, but in the meantime too many of us carry on with jour bridge and our golf. We etick nobly to the rations of tea and coffee and sugar and gasoline— and sneak out of all-out service by buying cakes and pastries with sugar in them, by drinking tea and coffee in restaurants and hotels, by using taxicabs to take us on our useless errands when our own tanks are empty. We are long on talk and short on discipline. What we neeed is drill, and lots of it, thrown at us by tough sergeants with a rasp in their voices. Could we march abroad with our rifles at the slope? Fewer strikes, fewer attempts to evade the rationing decided up- on after careful study by the War time Prices and Trade Board, less indulgence in petty luxuries— that's the kind of drill we need to fit us to play a proper part when the going gets tough. British Warships British shipbuilders turned .out more than -500 fighting ships in 30 months—an average of about one fully equipped warship every two days—the British radio re- ported last week. VOICE OF THE PRESS SHOULD BE SQUELCHED Some people seem to spend their time accosting friends and others with such a remark as "Did You know" or "Have you heard", and if the listener does not know or has not heard they proceed to unload the moat non- sensical stories about the conduct of the war (usually stories of blar-dors or mismanagement) and then declare that they secured thus information from most reli- able sources. People like this are a monace. Intentionally or oth- erwise, they de) much to damage public morale, and they should be properly squelched. — Brantford Expositor. —°— WITHOUT THE CEILING The way to judge the Canadian price ceiling is not by the present cost of living, but by the cost of living that would prevail if we had no ceiling. We can judge that by the experience of our American neighbors. In the Unit- ed States they have a ceiling also, but many goods are exempt from It --and wherever good's are ex- empt prices are steadily rising. Vancouver Sun. —0— ATE HIS OWN POTATOES When a farmer in East Prussia was so hungry he ate some of the potatoes out of his own garden, she was sent to prison. The pota- toes had been ordered kept for reed. Just a little item but one show- ing how the Germans are being pressed for food.—Windsor Star. —°— NEW EXCUSE One of the latest excuses for loot going to the dentist is that the doctor has joined the armed forc- es. Of course, a sincere sufferer could overcome this by enlisting and getting all his work done without cost to himself.—Victoria Times. —0— LONG LIFE A newspaper in China has been in uninterrupted publication for 1,004 years. Fancy having a sub- scriber write in: "This is the posi- tion you took in 1066 and all the "—Edmonton Journal. —0— BETTER BELIEVE IT You cannot believe all you hear, but when you are approaching a railroad crossing and hear the whistle of an approaching loco- motive it is wise to believe that a train is not far distant,—Kitch- ener Record. —0— HOG NOT HOGGISH Contrary .to public opinion, a Pig won't make a hog of himself, and unlike humans, he will not overeat even when given an over- supply of food. — St. Thomas Times -Journal. Reich Has Farm Labor Troubles Shortage of Farrn Workers' Not Confined To Canada I2 Ontario and Canada have trouble with the faun labor prob- lem, there is some consolation that Hitler and Mussolini probably have even greater troubles, says the Woodstock Sentinel -Review. A first class glimpse into the Suriopean situation is offered in the August issue of the Deonomic Amnalist, published by the Domin- ion Depaa+tment of Agriculture. Extraordinary effort was made in Germany to mobilize labor for farm work. All farmers are re- quired to work longer hours, in- cluding Sundays and holidays. In January, the number of boys and gine, 14 years old and older, who were made subject to compulsory farm labor, was raised to 200,000. Farmers in the army were given turloughs to May let to work on farms. Later, all qualified women and girls, including domestic ser- vants, in urban centres, were mob- ilized into farm labor battalions. Reports indicate that a large num- ber of foreign "volunteer" work- ers and prisoners were also sent to work on farms. Possibly these numbered upwards of 2,000,000. They were regarded as "ersatz," a poor substitute. Despite all this, the German shortage of farm help was in excess of 600,000. Labor Shortage Widespread An order requiring all adminis- trative officials and National So- cialist Party officials in Alsace- Lorraine, during the planting sea- son to spend three weeks on farms in lieu of annual leave, indicates a farm labor shortage in that re- gion also. Reports from Norway indicate that al employers had to surrend- er onesthird of their employes dor eh least three weeks for agri- outural service. Slovakia reports a labor shortage. France's farms suffered much because some 700,- 000 French farmers are prisoners of war in Germany. In March, Italy began a general civilian mobilization of men be- tween 18 and 55 to work on farms. Farm labor conscription was sub- sequently extended to include men from 14 to 70 and women from 14 to 60. In April, troops were de- tailed to farm work. In Hungary, Sunday work is required. Troops helped here also. Rumanian farm- ers were required to work "unus- ually long hours." Apparently they had the assistance of 12,000 pris- oners of war. The European farm situation is asunnmed up by the United States Department of Agriculture as fol- lows: "Fanning operations in many European countries have been seriously hampered this year by shortages of labor, equipment and draft animals." India has the largest irrigation system in ,the world, 31,800000 acres. LIFE'S LIKE THAT '/////•�;' -.-�, 0 y Fred Neher 'moi/�' ay ., a ,vGX vt4 ....,..., • ..�.- of, /yY ett•:wa h Oo6FonSe a Mann Paaturo*i "How can a bird tell Saturday 'from any other night?" n 7-V.60 /V45Wic REG'LAR FELLERS—Almost a Hero WAIT POR ME. 1 WRIT BE ovEP. FIVE MINTS! DOCTOR, 1 WANT A TOOTH' YANKED OUT! 1 WONT BOTHER WITH GAS 'CAUSE 1'M IN A 614 HURRY/ r THE WAR- WEEK .—, Commentary on Current Events Germany Has Transport Problem; Air Strength Decisive Factor in East Since Germany hat/ already out tho 1 nse4an rail line north from Stalingrad and hale reaohed the Volga, the earrent battle for the uity itself is regarded by some military authorities' as somewhat of an anticlimax. However, con- tinued Russian 'reeistamce there significantly retards the timing of Nazi operations on other fronts. Thus, capture of &talingrad would permit Hitler to ooncentrate his farces and make an all-out effort to captuee Moscow before Winter, wherefore, the Russian defense is worthwhile. Control of the Caspian has become the key issue in the problem of supply as affecting problem of supply as affecting passage of oil and Allied supplies. The importance of the Persian - Caspian route, however, can be easily exaggerated. That route can be developed only very slowly. A glimpse at the map shows plain- ly enough the vast distances in- volved in supplying Russia from the South. Slhe must be reinforced from the North, a situation which the Germans have in no sense ne- glected and which explains their devotion to strengthening of their position in Norway. Longer nights favor the convoy routes in the Arctic. Have Transport Difficulties The brilliancy of the German engineers and transport service cannot conceal one outstanding fact, which Is that the weak link in the German armor is transport. The Allied pulblies have been hear- ing so much about their own en- crmous shipping problem that they have probably not given en- ough attention to the German dilemma. Hitler entered the war with a bad rail system and it has deteriorated rather than improved. His traffic by air has been re- markably successful, but it is a limited traffic and is no solution of his problem, which it merely ameliorates. He seized the roll- ing equipment of France and other occupied territory, but even this did not meet his require- ments. Results may not show im- mediately, but bombings do cripple rail movement and may cripple it disastrously. Note that Allied bombings are also directed against sufbmarine construction. They thus hit at transport in 2 ways: (a) by By reducing German ability to impeding German transport; (b) impede Allied transport. The Libyan Position Strategists regard Romme]'s re- buff, after hard fighting and sev- ere losses, as a satisfactory open- ing phase of the renewed struggle for North Africa. The Allies are profiting from previous lessons, especially in the use of artillery against tanks. Rommel may await further aerial reinforcements from the Russian front before again at- tempting to break through to Cairo. So far, Allied air strength has contributed chiefly* to his un- doing. It should be appreciated, however, that the Allies can also send reinforcements in the a4,,, and do not have to meet in that sphere the very burdensome prob- Iean of transport by sea. It is one thing to pay tribute to the Ger- mans' genius for organization and. the high quality of their staff work, but it is quite another to take it for granted that German generals will always be more bril- liant than their opponents and that the Germane know better than any others bow .to plan a eamnpaign. The talents of Rommel are not to be gainsaid, but he has not yet proved himself a Napo- leon. Also, the most striking Ger- man successes in this war have not been due so much to superior strategy and tactics as to long and easeful preparation. They had all the tools, but the Allies now also have some: Russian Bombings of Germany Russian bombing of East Prus- sia., although primarily intended to interrupt the eastward flow of German supplies, might be the opening gun in a two -front air offensive which, when fully de- veloped, could hare far-reaching effects, It possibly stems from the Churchill -Stalin talks. Jap Government In Burma Burma is a case in point for those Indians who look to Japan for deliverance from the British Empire now. A joint Japanese and Burmese administration under Dr. Ba Maw, Burma's first prime min- ister under the 1937 constitution, has been set up. The government is purely an admimistrative body. Policy is determined solely by the Japanese military administration. Finance an Defense portfolios are held by the Japanese. The Burma Parliament, of course, stands dis- solved, and supreme power over the Government specifically is conferred on Japanese Command- er -in -Chief Jida. The War Week Through American Eyes • There is now reliable inform- ation that Rommel roads an alt.- out lt=out effort to break through in Egypt and that he suffered such losses as to raise doubt as to his capacity to renew the attack. In- deed, Washington authorities are lavishing praise on the British for the jab they did. Sixty days ago, Washington was extremely ens - thus as to Libya, the sea rove? to Australia, the ability of the Rus- . scan armies to hold together and the possibility of a Hitler attack through Turkey. All these situ- ations have turned for the better, although conditions remain crit- ical in the Caucasian area. China, too, is in much better shape. Al- together, the September position is much more favorable to the Allies than was anticipated. It is a "no -quarter" war in the Pueifie. Saps have pretended to surrender In order to trick marine; into traps and wounded Jape have turned an rescuing Americans with stabs in the back. It is kill or be killed and few prisoners are taken. Canrada. To Send Wheat To Russia A credit agreement under which Russia may draw up to approxi- mately 9,000,000 bushels of hard spring wheat or flour has been signed at Canada House by repre- sentatives of the Canadian and Soviet governments. Detailed terms of the agree- ment were not announced but a statement to the press said the British Ministry of food had un- dertaken to act as agent for the Dominion and that some deliver- ies had been made. The credit was understood to approximate $10,000,000 and was believed to be in the nature of an interim loan which may be in- creased later if Russia is unable to feed its own people with its 'own supplies or with wheat de- livered under the country's lease - lend agreement with the United States. German troops, it was pointed out, have overrun some of the best Russian wheat growing provinces and authorities believed it would take years for the Soviet to re- store them to full production in the post-war period. Churchill Lauds Premier Stalin The main purpose of his mis- sion to Moscow, Prime Minister Churchill told the House of Com- mons, was "to establish the sane relations of easy confidence and perfect openness I have bu=1/2 up with Mr. Roosevelt.' Of Stalin, he said "It is very fortunate for ,.Ws- sia to have this great, r'ugge.'. war chief tit her head. He is a man of inexhaustible coma;gc and will power and he is even blunt in speech - .. I believe I have made hirer feel that \vc are coo: and faithful comrades in this war. "But that, after all„ is a mat. ter which. deeds: r.et words, will prove." Churchill said he and Russian leaders shared the conviction that in the British Empire, the United States and the Soviet Chien Hitler has forged an alliance "strong enough to beat hire to the ground and steadfast enough to persevere not only until his wickedness: has been punished but .until some, at least, of the ruin he has wr<,.ught has been repaired." WELL, ( MUST SAY YOU'RE A VERY BRAVE BOY WHICH TOOTH ]s h-? u By GENE BYRNES 16e-,7 Fn O, A.. i`.^.1. Oftler MI tight+