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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1943-01-07, Page 7SWASTIKA SWATTED id Swift thrusts by allied bombers knocked these Afrika Korps planes out of the fight before they had a chance to take to the air and counter attack. Then the British 8th Amy advanced so swiftly it had no time to clear littered wreckage from Benina Airfield, near Benghazi ,Life Of Contrasts Found In Desert By De Witt Mackenzie in Christian Science Monitor " I am writing from. an .inhospit- 1 able zone in Libya which each day is baked by a merciless sun. Yet I'm wearing British battle dress, which is made of extremely heavy wool and buttons right to the chin. Underneath this load Y have, a wool jersey, and I would give, a good deal right now for an overcoat. Tonight I.shall all but freeze in my bed on the ground despite woolen pajamas, an eiderdown sleeping bag, several wool blank- ets, and a raincoat piled on top. In. the desert, oceans of sand stretch away to blazing horizons. Out of this waste will arise the dread sandstorms. • Yet there are times when the desert is most attractive. In the spring the air is balmy and this normally arid region produces a great variety of lovely flowers. Daisies and Buttercups This is winter, but yesterday, on a hillside where sand grudgingly gives way to determined bits of grass and shrubs, I picked white daisies and buttercups, which re- minded me of my own hills in Ver- mont. Queer specimens of anmial, ser- pent, and insect life move about. l rubbed iity eyes with amaze- ' meat when I encountered a gray - coated kangaroo about six inches tall. He had big hind legs for jumping and absurd little front arms. His tail was long, with a bush at the end, and he had a handsome pair of butterfly ears. Int was a kangaroo rat, Actually, while this war theatre is generally referred to broadly as "the desert," it is not by any means all drifting sand. There are many stretches of higher ground which produce shrubs and some grass. Then there is a consider- ° able belt of fertile land which ex- tends xtends roughly from the attractive seaport of Derna westward to Ben- gasi. There are further green je- beta and wadis—hills and gorges —=interspersed with desert clear to Trlpoli. The country surrounding IDI Agheila is pure desert. Winter in the desert extends rkrom November to April, and there is much rain. In December and January the temperatures drop to freezing, and it is particularly cold on top of the great escarp- ments which rise abruptly out of the desert floor. These tablelands figure largely in the fighting, be- cause they afford natural defenses. Summer is Hot SUmmer is the dry, hot season. Then temperatures soar to maybe 120 degrees or more Fahrenheit in theoretical shade, with soil tem- peratures much higher. I have seen the soil temperature on the Sinai Peninsula east of the Suez Canal hit about 175—and that's hot. Beginning the middle of March the hot, southeast wind known as the iihamsin blows periodically over a period of 50 days. This is one of the great trials of fighting men, for it is like a blast from a furnace. The i:hamsin frequently is so leaden with sand that you can't see through it, The troops, broadly speaking, camp in tents and trucks. All equipment is reduced to the mini- mum because of the problem of transport and it should not be for- gotten that this Is a battle of transport. The trek from Cairo to 111 Ag- iteila is 1,500 miles or more. There is only one main road and that is the military highway skirting the 1VI'editerranean. This vital question of transport Is linked inseparably with the greatest Hardship of a soldier, be he Allied or Axis, and that is the scarcity of water in a land where sten sweat and acquire thirst. Camp sites generally are based on some water point. These are frequent but many of them dry up in the summer. Where there is good water, it ,generally is not abundant. Army Carries Tanks Each unit has its huge water tanks which travel with the ad- vance. Indeed, every vehicle car- ries water and he is an unhappy soldier who has an empty canteen on his hip. In the present drive, the Bri- tish have chased the enemy so fast that some of the Allied troops have had to make their water bot- tles do two or three days for all purposes. That •means about a quart of water. You would be sur- prised how far you can make halt a teacup of water go if you must. Nevertheless, the desert has many real attractions. This time of year there is much delightful weather. The air has a bracing tang and for days on end there's a pleasant warmth in the mid-day sun. On. the whole, the desert is healthful enough despite its hard- ships. British and American troops appear to be extremely well. They are, 'of course, out in the open all' day and they are early to bed "when there is no fighting. Caraps must observe rigid black out rules lest the enemy see a light and drop bombs.. It its dark before 6 p.m. these days and' this means that the boys are in bed by 8 o'clock or so. There's nothing to do but sleep when you can't have lights that are good enough to read or work by. Cats A Necessity In Lumber Camps Useful In Keeping Rats and Mice Under Control The .common house cat is a mighty useful member of society, if treated right and lceipt in its place. And one of the places where Tabby is most useful its around the big lumber camps in the North country. In forested areas, where the lumbering industry is now at its height, a number of well-fed cats are considered necessary .to keep the rats and mice down. Rats are attracted to the woods' camps by the quantities, of grain kept for the horses and by the garbage to which they can gain easy ac- cess. Mice, likewise, find the camps a paradise and without the cats would increase beyond all bounds. So the cooks and camp manag- ers look upon the cats as almost a part of the large crews necessary to keep the job running smoothly. Not pampered but well fed and housed in the barns and shanties, the oats grow sleek and fat and have thick coats of fur against the severe weather of the northern winters. Although located in • the depths of the' forests, these cats don't do much prowling around and catching birds and game, for they are too well fed. A good lumberman will never abandon his • cats when the job is finished, leav- ing them to hunt and become wild, _ cats, a menace to game and bird&. THIS CURIOUS WORLD SOME DAY 'ME. CANADIAN BRANCH OF NIAGARA FALLS WILL cur AROUND BEHIND GOAT ISLAND AND STEAL THE WATER THAT NOW GOBS OVER ME AMERICAN PALLS...I4PAV//VG ,571,Cie �'r"Ga bf L3�c'10 By WUflarn Ferguson COPR. 1542 DY 55* diarneE, Pr15, 0 16 'nits .ESOT- DI ER. AT Tele. POSITION I12 g4:s ' 7A4/2. ARMS QQD£-.+rc* ARMS; art A7T :A/770/V 9 5-30 v4 EARTH IS STRUCK BY ilLgerf gria41l%l6r ON AN AVERAGE OF ,A-/ r>' 27A't.E-5- P+"i%�/�°✓ -SW"="40/ 40.0°® S.'M. RG AT, OM renetzt ANSWER: Parade rest. NEXT: Should the fiefs oome :down at sunset? ire Old Owl" s Stupid ird Doesn't Know enough To Build His Own Home Since the days of ancient Greek mythology, the owl has been re- garded as the wisest of birds, but now it seems that this :Is only one more of those old-time beliefs 'Which have stood the testof time for centuries, only to be disproved by the findings of 20th century science, writes The St. Thomas Tithes -Journal, It is now reported that behind his huge round un- blinking nblinking eyes the owl hides one of the most meagre I,Q.'s possess- ed by any bird, He is a bird moron who would rate very low in a test of what -every -bird -ought -to - know. The wise old owl of old does not know enough to build a home of his own, as most species have to use an old squirrel or wood- pecker bole or a prairiedog's bur- row. At the best, an owl's nest is never any more than a loose platform of sticks. He rarely knows enough to get out of th'e way of the shooter, whereas the crow, for instance, under similar circum - 'stances, is very difficult to shoot. Bolts Mice Whole But perhaps the owl's biggest imprudence, the habit that dis- claims more than anything else his prerogative to the title of "wise," is his manner of eating. The owl never seems to learn that he can- not annot bolt his mice whole, despite the fact that he suffers terrible attacks of indigestion at every meal. The owl insists on bolting his mice down practically whole, while the hawks and shrikes are wise enough to tear theirs apart into comfortable mouthfuls. After digestion begins, all of these birds of prey disgorge the fur and bones back up through the throat in the form • of pellets. They get mildly "sick to their stomach" in the pro- cess, but the owl's eating manners cause him to become sicker than tb,e others. When the hunting is good, the owl suffers indigestion at least once a day, simply because he is too ignorant to learn lessons from experience. The fellow who first said that the owl was a wise old bird just didn't know what he was talking about. OP—Pulling a Fast One! Signals Service Enlists Pigeons Thousands of Birds Servo With Royal Air Force • The. pigeons are at war again, and their role is even more ardu- ous than • it was in 1914-18. In those days they were mainly mili- tury; now. we are hearing of the cherubs who sit up aloft, the "homers" of the R.A,F. They may .get an unexpected name as slight .flyers. At least twice recently pigeons released after' dark arrived next morning at their lofts with messages from aircraft about to make a forced landing. There are thousands of birds, swift and reliable, in the signals service of the'Air Force. Pigeonst • are in the crews of all bombers and reconnaissance craft which operate over the seas around Britain. If a machine is forced down, or the radio fails, a carrier pigeon and its message may prove to be the sole link with the base. Trained To Sea Flying Exports in the Signals Direo• torate of the Air Ministry con- trol ontrol the birds. The Racing Pigeon Service, a committee of leading fanciers, helps thousands of people to place their pigeons at the disposal of the nation. Owing to the greater speed and range of modern aircraft the ' pigeons' task in this war 'is harder than it used to be. They are trained first to become used to sea flying. Experienced birds keep their wings closed and do a "dead drop" until they are clear of the slip -stream from the air- crews. Then, opening their wings, they fly around twice or thrice and stake for home. The Army Carrier Pigeon Ser- vice is also continuously on duty, and several hundred homing pig- eons, in training as messengers for the U. S. Army, are being accustomed to battle conditions by aeroplanes which dive at them and crackers which explode near at hand. REPORTER > X "The Market Basket" l Under this intriguing title a new and vsduable series of broadcasts gets under way in the New Year, Every Thursday evening 10.15 to 10.30 that familiar and cheery personality of Mrs. H. M. Aitken, whose chase -the -blues -away pro- grammes you hear every Monday through friday 10.30 to 10.45 a.m. will bring to listeners throughout the province, a Guide to Buying helpful hints with an eye on current food values and shortages. How to keep the busy war working' family healthy, well fed and adequately clothed — how to make goods go further and last longer -- how and when to use substitutes ... these are the good things Mrs. Aitken's weekly Market Basket will contain. And incidentally, the programme is to be an evening feature because it is recognized that it has appeal and interest equally to men and women . . . As Mrs. Aitken her- self says, "While the men earn the money, it's the womenfolk who spend it, thus the household budget is definitely a mutual affair" . .. The first broadcasts in this new series will give use- ful pointers on the buying, con- serving and cooking use of those much discussed food items, meat, butter and shortening. There's an interesting background to The Market Basket you'll like to know about. Mrs, Aitken is donating her time and services and Radio Station CFRB is donating' :the time ... making the series a war- time gift and service to Ontario listeners. Knowing the sparkle and interest Mrs. Aitken spins into all her work, we suggest you make a point of dipping into The Market Basket every Thursday 10.15 to 10.30 p.nt. over CFRB, * * * "Rolling the countryside in search of new voices — new tal- ent" ... that is the phrase many of you will have heard over the CFRB airwaves Thursday eve- nings 9 to 9.30 during the On- tario Caravan broadcasts. Judges who were called upon to decide the winner of the three months' professional contract, an award offered by the Caravan to the most promising young artist, had no easy task on their hands. But one personality did shine out, one soprano voice rang ' elear ane sweet ... Gwen Lambert, petite brunette of Newmarket, captured the hearts and imagination of Ila. toners and judges alike. So We orchids to 23 -year-old Gwen, who commenced her professional radio career with CFRB last New Year's Eve. It has always boon an atnbi- tion of : Gwen Lambert's to hit the airwaves. She has been studying singing for several years and sines commencement of the war bee gladdened the eyes and ears of soldiers in various camps through- out' the province, with sparkling songs. But Gwen has also taken on another war responsibility, she has taken over duties in a New- market branch bank for the dura- tion, and so helping out on the manpower shortage problem • be- tween singing lessons and army concerts. We wish her lots of Good Luck and a happy, success- ful radio career. Incidentally, the Ontrrio Caravan gets rolling around the provinee again, im- mediately searching for new tal- ent and another award winner. Galt and Hunt -Mlle are already on the January schedule. * * * Recently the CBC newsroom distinguished itself by making the first release to the public of the news of the landing of American troops in North Africa within a matter of seconds after the state- ment had been released in Wash- ington. ,. The CBC also had an- other scoop to its credit a few days ago. The CBC listening post Ottawa, which makes a point of tuning in foreign broadcasts and reporting outstanding news items to the central newsroom, were tuned in to Dakar Radio in Western Africa, and apparently was tuned in to Dakar Radio in North America to learn that Dakar and all French West Africa had officially come over to the United Nations. An alert editor put the news on as a flash over the CBC national network half an hour before the announce- ment came from any other source in North America. Good world STAR DANCER HORIZONTAL 1 Star of a famous group of dancers. 12 Doctor (abbr.) 13 Edible fungut. 14 More acid. 16 Brim. 17•Banquets. 19 Concise. 26 Advertise. ment. 21 Destructive insect.. 23' Roosts, 49 Local 24 Jumbled type. position.$. 25 Clearing out. 51 Eighth ounce> 27 Dry, 53 Rajah's Wife. 28 Print measure. 55 Small 29 Acts of selling. depressions. 31 Dutch (abbr.). 57 Moo'ley apple. 33 Groans. ' 58 Coral.islands. 35 You. 60 To sully.' 37 Natural 62 Neuter power.. proneiun. 39 Surgical tool. 63 She. 41 Ream (abbr;). popularized 43 Greaser. — dancing. 46 Burden. 64 She started a 47 Hundredth of school of a right angle. dance in—*. *. Answer to Previous Puzzle ©SI:IEig ERNE)I s EVUM C•Ou s!i I oa1E1 CURN 0 ''IIJ S S EMIE MVO DOT© K LIME NEE :.hCG• EY''AR S R. '51I50E M©GIT S : s laI� a 1MIN 0 E D• IE 'ill MAIN : NigMT© LXIMM 1 DlAf,, WINNE 15:,:,C APS Pp 0E4 +ASPdj.4RH TREG'1 'IS {ffli,,lin©' ©NTIP .D© Q�E7R �E,q R1CIn Q 12 She wore the simplest of --- •- as a costume. 15 Liberator. 13 Visible vapor. 22 -Slave: 28 Gene from an oyster. 30 Snell for e Tithing Iine. 32 Stable. 34 Fright. 36 Printing mistakes. VERTICAL 38 To hate. 1 Drug obtained 40 Resembling from iris root Adam. 2•Form of "be" 42 Geld house. 3 Brazilian title. 44 Common ver i. 4 Native metal. 45 Fissure. 5 Quantities of 47 To sel°le. paper. 48 To erase 6 Permits. 50 Party for in 7 You and me. only. 8 Negative. 52 Silent. 9 Billiard rods: 54 Sprite'` 10 Architectural 56 Courtesy'iltl+a, term. 591n a high 11 Packed in a degree. graduated 61•Northeast series. - (abbr.). Y R A MILfTARY MAN, AREN'T YOU WNAt MAKES YOU ASIS THAT y ..I, MILLAR. WATT YOUR WELL — DISI L LED TEETH +' a9 —, (Released by Till Heli 5 ndtcat, Inn.)