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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1943-05-27, Page 2Ontario's Quiz Kids More than half a million On- tario school children in 7,524 •Ontario schools took part in a province -wide Quiz Contest spon- scred by the Ontario Committee during the Fourth Victory Lowl- and here are the 13 provincial finalists on the steps of Toronto city hall. Standing in front of the officials in the background are Harry "Red" Foster, master of ceremonies, and the Quiz kids from left bo right, are as follows: Thomas Russell, Englehart; Stan- ley Iwan, Brantford; Claudia Arn- old, Windsor (over Iwan's shoul- der) ; Ian Smith, Brampton; Ron- ald Boyce, North Fredricksburg (over shoulder); William Ander- son, Fort William; John Thom- son, Downie Township, the win- ner; Neil Stiver, Markham; Earl Livingston, Renfrew; Betty Fos- ter, Grey County; Mary Cunning - ham, Petrolia; Ruth Blezard, Lon- don; Angela Morrisey, Downey- ville. John Thomson, a` farmer's son, got a $50 bond for his vic- tory in the contest which was held in Simpson's Arcadian Court, and fear others—Ian Smith,' Wil- liam Anderson, Thomas ' Russell and Stanley Iwan—tied for sec- ond place with $25 worth of War Savings Certificates each. THE WAR - WEEK — Commentary on Current Events If Britain Could Take Blitz Bombing Why Can't Germany? The Royal Air Force, which saved Great Britain from inva- sion and which together with the growing American Air Force has been waging a non -atop air offen- sive against Germany, has scored another triumph, says The New York Times. With unexampled daring, skill and ingenuity it has blasted two of Germany's most important water dams which are vital parts oI tiie whole, indostrizaX., and transportation system of Rrestern Germany and has there- by delivered the most devastat- ing single blow dealt from the air so far. Large sections of the in- dusimriai Ruhr, already crippled by continuous area bombing, are completely paralyzed today by lack of water or electric power; and while an intricate canal sys- tem carrying the bulk o'f Ger- many's war traffic is running clay destructive floods are Tushing down the Ruhr, sweeping away power houses and railway and road bridges, and inflicting heavy eauaslties. In thus spreading the effect of their effort way beyond the bombed area, the •R,A.F. has found one of those ideal targets sir men are looking for. And in dealing a crippling blow to Ger- man war production it has pro- vided an impressive overture for the invasion of the European continent. Plants At a Standstill One of the dams blasted is the Eder dam, near Hemfurbh, which held back a lake of four and a half square miles and a depth oaf 164 feet with an estimated 202,- 000,000 02;000,000 tons of water. The other is the Mohne dam near Soest, hacking up a lake of four square miles and a depth of 125 feet with an estimated 134,000,000 tons of. water. Between them they controlled two-thirds of the whole water storage capacity of the Ruhr. They provided in plants in the Ruhr with water and hydro electric. power; they regulated the water levels of the Ruhr, Weser and Fulda Rivers and the whole carnal system which connects the Ruhr with the North Sea ports and the Elbe, and be- yond it with Berlin and the Bal- tic. Both have been breached, and plants depending on their power are at a standstill. A New Enterprise Blasting water darns is a com- pietely''new enterprise for an Rix force. But once the target had been picked, the R.A.F. found the best way of doing the job. It could have been done perhaps by day- light precision bombing, in which the American Air Force special- izes, But inasmuch as such vital targets are heavily defended, the east would have been heavy too. The R.A.F. came at night and dropped"melee into the lake which the current swept against the sluice gates. The results demon- rttrate the efficacy of this method, wliieh will probably be repeated e'eewhere until the Germans find a way tri rneet it, The Germans may contemplate the irony, but also the justice, history which brought it about that this particular target was eu;gested to the RAY. by a refugee from Berlin whom the Nazis had driven from the coun- try. The Blockade Principle The current great offensive of the British and American air forces, aecording to The Chris- tian Science Monitor, is more than a "softening up" process, as the familiar phrase has it, for the putting ashore of tanks and foot eekeseae - et i si.anora"_0hnn.,aaat...•fasub.;.; to reduce the output of German war industry. It is the effective application of the historic block- ade principle to a new element— the air. By striking almost incessantly with 'overwhelming force at trans- portation and industrial centres, Allied air power is now doing in the heart of Europe what Allied sea power did so successfully on the continent's periphery in the last war, I.e., retarding or halt- ing the swift flow of inen and materiel to the pointe where they are needed moat urgently. Militarily speaking, a fortress or an army is only as strong as its links with the sources of its strength. The knowledge of this has long been one of the key- stones of German military and naval policy. Aerial Blockade One reason the Polish armies were destroyed in 1939 was be- cause Poland was unable to get men and planes to the front due to the Luftwaffe's depredations in the rear. And the capitulation of French arms appeared to be necessary after the break -through at Sedan largely because France Mould not prevent German air bombs from choking her highwaye and her railroads. But vastly in•ore significant than these examples, it was the use of aerial blockade by the Allies that resulted in the d¢•a- matically swift collapse of Ger- man and Italian resistance in Tunisia. The last fight was over In Tunisia as soon as the Allies penetrated the outer German for- tifications because Allied bomb- ing had made it impossible fox the foe to obtain fresh strength or to shift what strength he had left. It is concluded that a similar result awaits bhe Axis in Europe. Unless the Germans find some means •of drastically reducing the effectiveness of the present aerial assaults, they can hardly escape a similar collapse. And thus far they have given no indication that they will find such means as long as they are engaged up to the hilt in Russia. Morale and Economics The question is often asked: "tltf Britain could take it, why can't Germany?" It is not so much a question of morale as it is of economics. Germany is approaching the bottoan of the barrel in manpower, production, resources, and stocks. eseeesseesesee Anything taken to replete losses ablybe at a sacrificeo- War s: duction. For this reason a ton of bombs on Essen today is worth far more to the United Nations than a' ton of bombs on Birming- ham was to the Germane in 1940. The naval blockade restricts Germany's access to many vital raw materials. The air raids make the shortage worse by bombing oil stocks and refineries. The Naval Blockade The naval blockade has forced Germany to divert nearly 36 per cent. of its electric power supply to synthetic plants. The air raids make things more difficult by bombing large power stations. The naval blockade added to Gemmany's transport difficulties by driving its coastwise traffic off the seas. The air raids reinforce these efforts by attacking loco- motive and railway wagon fac- tories, and rail junctions. In sum, the air offensive is to be seen as an ally, not only of the army, but of the navy. And while Britain proved it could, with dif- ficulty, take less, there are solid reasons why Germany may prove bo he unable to take more. U.S. War Loan Goes 5 Billion Over Top The united States Treasury announced last week that a grand total of $18,533,000,000 in secur- ities were sold in the second war loan. drive, $5,533,000,000 more tlxan was originally sought in the greatest Government financ- ing campaign in history. As a result of the success of the second war loan, Under- Secretary Daniel Bell said that plans for another campaign in August have been postponed until September. OTTAWA REPORTS That Canada's 1943 Food Pro- duction Drive Will Be Greatest in Our History, That More Sugar 'For Canning Will Be Allotted To Rural Than To Urban Residents The present session of Parlia- ment is likely to keep the people's representatives in Ottawa until midsummer, but in and out or par- liamentary recess and after Par- liament disbands, the best experts that Canada's Civil Service and private industry can provide, con- tinue to wrestle with the detail of wartime controls such as civilly, ore ation ttempted. Thehproblems ofas never f the rurall resi- dents are being kept in mind in the development of all ration pro- grams. In the matter of the pro- vision of sugar for canning, for example, the Foods Administra- tion, Wartime Prices and Trade Board, recommended that house- wives in the country should be al- lotted more than those who dwell in urban areas. The policy of granting sightly more to rural ,dwellers than urban residents was adopted by the Board's Ration Ad- ministration, and with it both urban and rural housewives will generally agree. Preserve Wild Fruits There are 'certain obvious reas- ons for this policy. For one thing, rural housewives have always been in the habit of "putting down" more fruit. Not only is this cus- tomary but in most areas in Can- ada necessary. Farm women for the most part must "preserve" a very considerable supply of fruit and store it in their own cellars, .otherwise their cupboards would .be pretty bare in winter time when cold and ice and scow pre- vent them from going far afield for provisions. It is generally rec- ognized that the city housewife has easier access to industrial supplies of commercially canned goods and uses them to a much greater extent than the country woman. 'For another thing, the rural housewife has, ten chances to one, berry bushes in her own garden and fruit trees in her own orchard. She has about her, more than likely, vast open spaces where berries of one sort or another grow, sometimes on bushes along the roadside, sometimes on plants like the wild strawberry, on other times on trees like the wild plum. All of these fruits are tasty and should be picked and used as far as possible, Local Ration Boards ito4ion Administration has set up Stilife"'"'b«5f" rucar- Rum.. boards. The distribution of sugar for canning is being left in their hands, • as it is felt that they are more fully cognizant of local con- ditions and local needs than any- one sitting in Montreal or Ottawa could he. To them has been left the task of sorting out applications for canning sugar and forwarding to the housewives the coupons for the maximum amount of sugar that it is possible to provide for canning purposes. These coupons will be delivered by June 1st when 'the cauning season opens. Citizens' Responsibility Rural dwellers are urged to re- member that all rationed commod- ities are provided thein in trust. Tea, coffee and sugar come to this country at the risk of sailors' lives. Take the case of sugar alone, for example. Some of North America's largest sources of sugar supply are now in enemy Bands, and war on the high seas has greatly cur- tailed our imports from remaining sources of supply. Imports can be brought in only at great danger to sailors and ships. In the case of meat, we must help to feed those who are keeping the war from our own shores. It is the patriotic re- sponsibility of every citizen to use these rationed commodities wisely and well. Mass Transport Flight To India The longest and largest mass transport flight in history has been completed by American commercial pilots flying Amer- ica's newest and biggest .cargo • planes. They flew from the United States to India in 411.2 days with- out loss, carrying 90 tons of cargo 15,000 miles. ROLL YOUR OWN n R CIGARETTES WITH It's No Longer A Man's World "Newsgirls" Solve Problem of Carrier Boy Shortage Wartime brings all kinds of changes in industry. The call to arms has even been felt in the delivery end of the newspaper business. A shortage of good car- rier boys has arisen through the older boys moving into jobs left vacant by young men who have enlisted. To fill the gap The Toronto Star has turned to car- rier girls and with hardly an ex- ception they have proved to be excellent business people. In adopting the role of carriers, many young ladies have assumed a new air of independence, But what girl wouldn't want to turn to something in her spare time that offers a profit of several dollars a week? Carrier salesmanship standards have definitely been improved with the advent of girls to this important phase of newspaper distribution work. The contact with the public and the general all-round business experience of- fered to carriers has, on the other hand, greatly repaid the young ladies who have ventured into this field. As in other forms of industry that have turned to girls and women to fill the thinning ranks of available male workers, carrier boys will now have to be on their toes to •meet this new competi- tion. There is one thing •certain, though. The end of the war will not see the end of the carrier girls. Now that they have estab- lished themselves as good, con- scientious newspaper carriera, they should go on filling this role for years to come. TOO FAR DOWN! We have not "obeli" so sure we wanted to "get down to brass tacks" suce we learned that ex- pression originated from an old custom of putting the initials of the deceased on the lid of his coffin with a set of brass tacks. That's too far down by some sir feet to hold any attraction. —(Kitchener Record) INF EASIEST WAYTR SNORING PLEASURE o EVERY DAY EXTRA MILD Stalingrad Rises From Her Ruins Civilians Spend Sundays Re- pairing Roads and Houses Every Sunday since .the ation of Stalingrad the entire, able-Jbodied population has work- ed on the repair of roads and houses. Over a million square, yaiids of debris has been cleared 50,000 square yards of housing • rebuilt on the main road has been restored completely. Photographs published recently Shaw neat single -story houses of brick and plaster among ground still churned up and littered. Dug- outs where men of the Sixty -see. ond Army a few months ago took shelter on the Volga bank have been converted into public baths„ while restored apartment 'houses now bear the names of individual. Russian soldiers who distinguished themselves among the ruins dur- ing the battle for the city. * * r The Moscow radio reported thee Stalingrad had reopened twenty schools. Other acnoinplishmentss of the Stalingrad population were noted: "In all districts baths, shops, dining rooms, medical and chil- dren's hildren's help centres, communica- tions and stores for'the supply of the population are in operation - The first section of the water mains is ready for flow." The Great Lakes High This Year The delayed spring has held up lake navigation, but the re porta on lake levels may be a partial compensation before the season is over. It is at its high- est point since 1860 and Michi- gan and Huron were nearly 1.35 feet above the 10 -year average in Marchi. This news gives promise of floating rooms for deep -load lines, and a few extra inches of water underneath the keel of a big freighter can mean hundreds of tons more cargo above it. The snowy, rainy winter and spring haven't been completely detri- mental. LIFE'S LIKE THAT 1-04-1, —, i , 4 ii/ i 07,,,:ho,„ i Aro rZ; By Fred Neher, "it /7/, IR 5 Ito owl A, aoarmi41. M Nn. Peaturn.) „ / �. 1 2 'Butterworth never takes 'No' for an answer." REG'LAR FELLERS—Too Late GEN'1:21L PINHEAD) I'M THINi' lN' DE MECHANlilN' M1 By GENE BYRNES T THiy14 iN THESE MODERN TIMES WE ORTA HAVE A MODERN ARMY! HOw'JA LIKE TO BE M'1 AIDE-DE-CAMP