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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1941-09-25, Page 2VOICE OF THE PRESS THE DECLINE OF WALKING In England, as in Ireland and. Scotland, walking is a tradition, has not been checked by the :motor car. People think nothing of walking twenty or thirty miles day. The late Lord Tweedsmuir once told us that he had walked 75 miles in a single day; a feat which, almost incredible to Cana- dians, was by no means extraor- dinary for the Old Country. In his "Prophets, Priests and Kings," ir. A. G. Gardiner told how the late Lord Grey had once walked 25 miles in a driving rain across the moor to cover a bird's nest from the storm. And then, of Bourse, there are those tales of the delights of walking by writ- ers like Hilaire Belloc. All of us might be better if the habit of walking should come back to us; better in health and strength, and better in our souls because of more love and know- ledge of the beauties of the coun- tryside. True, many of us sub- stitute golf for walking—but who ever heard of a golfer stopping on the fairways to admire a tree or a bird; or seeing anything of the good earth but his bad lies? —Ottawa Journal. —o— NOT PUSHOVERS 'The secretary of state for Scot- land has urged that Britain's school books be purged of refer- ences which belittle Britain's al- ies. We might also stop belitt- i ig the enemy. The enemy is tough, shrewd, unscrupulous, well Thequipped, determined and capable. e sooner we realize this and set to work to beat just that type of enemy the sooner will we be within sight of victory. • All too much is heard of the stupidity of Nazi soldiers, of the "inevitable" collapse of German morale, of Germany's lack of oil, Food, rubber and clothing. It has been indisputably proven that asst before the Nazi blitzkrieg tato France Nazi fifth columnists spread word among French peas- ss+r that the Ger man army was ;lletag of undernourishment. And 1...a came the German army. This enemy is no fool. —Ottawa Journal. —o -- PLEASANT ADVICE A lesson that small boys have been trying to impress upon their parents for ages is confirmed by a Condon medical authority. He :warns against the habit of getting Out of bed suddenly in the lrorn- gs. He advises: "Lie awake at ast five minutes before arising. :retch every limb, and a few minutes spent in reading is ex- cellent." Occasionally a health special- prescrribes something that can Ur performed with pleasure. —Guelph Mercury —0— DRINK "HOME" STUFF Apple and tomato juices will be available in quantity for Can- adians this Winter. This should iessen the need for imported ch- allis fruits and thus conserve ex - Change, while putting the money into the pockets of Canadian pro- ducers who have lost their over- state markets. —Brantford Expositor CARELESS SMOKERS So a tossed -away cigarette end hardly ever starts a fire, eh? Mat's what you think! A state - anent released by the Canadian Underwriters' Association de- clares that the carelessness of smokers was responsible for by far the largest percentage of the 46,629 fires which destroyed pro- perty worth $22,785,264 in 1940. —Brantford Expositor QUEEN GIVES TONE Nice comment from a para- grapher in The New York Sun, to the effect that Queen Eliza- beth, at 41, is equalled by few women for charm with less fix- ing up, and every time Her Majes- ty appears in a news reel, it lifts the whole program up. —St. Catharines Standard LINCHPIN DEFINED Prime Minister Churchill, with his usual gift of expression, has called Canada "the linchpin of the English-speaking world." A linchpin is the pin passed through tie axle -end to keep the wheel on. —Brantford Expositor —0— VOLUNTARY GIVING If only the Germans had a sense of humor. They gravely announce that the Winter relief drive will open earlier this year, with "voluntary" contributions being withheld from salaries and wages. —Windsor Star —0-- TROUBLE TALKERS If some people didn't have trouble, they'd have a hard time carrying on a conversation. Average cost of the iron and steel in an automobile to the mangy- ufacturer is three cents a pound. 1 Scene from Newest German "Horror" Film Released by British Nazi movie cameramen who took this picture of German infantrymen racing past blazing ruins of Soviet town intended that the finished film called "War in the East" would be shown in the Reich to boost home morale. Instead, the film, which previews a Nazi `victory" over Russians fell into Brit- ish hands, is now being shown in Britain as "a masterpiece of the Nazis' glorification l oibrutality. limezialgra THE WAR W E EK—Commentary on Current Events Roosevelt Answers Hitler's Threat Spitzbergen. Inv..: ded - Russia Holds "Whoever believes he will be *hie to help England must defin- itely know one thing: Every ship, whether with or without a convoy, 'that comes before our torpedo tubes will be torpedoed." "No act of violence will keep us the occasion of the 8thanniversary of the Nazi accession to power last January. No act of violence will keep us from maintaining intact two bul- warks of defense: First ,our line of supply to the enemies of Hitler, and, second, the freedom of our shipping on the high seas. From now on, if German or Italian ves- sels of war enter the waters the protection of which is necessary dor American defense, they do so at their own peril." So said President Roosevelt on the occasion o$ his last radio ad- dress, an occasion which had arisen from attacks on American ships at sea. Mr. Roosevelt, opening his speech with a listing of these attacks, said: "These acts of international law- aessness are a manifestation of *`* * 'the Nazi design to abolish the free- dom of the seas and to acquire ab- solute oontrol * * * of those seas. * * • For with control of the seas * * • the way can become obviously clear for their next step, domina- tion of the United States, domina- tion of the Western Hemisphere by force of arms. To be ultimately, successful in world mastery, Hitler knows that he • • * must first destroy the bridge of ships which we are build- ing across the Atlantic, and over Which we shall continue to roll the implements of war to help destroy him. Generation after generation, Am- erica has battled for the general policy of the freedom of the seas. * * No nation has the right to make the broad oceans of the world, at great distances from the actual theatre of land war, unsafe for the commerce of others. These has now come a time when you and I must see the cold inex- orable necessity of saying to these * * * seekers of world conquest * * * "You shall go no further." * " This is the time for preven- tion of attack. * * * Upon our naval and air patrol * * *falls the duty of maintaining the American policy of freedom of the seas—now, * * Our patrolling vessels and planes will protect all merchant ships — not only American ships but ships of any flag—engaged in commerce. * * * It is no act of war on our part when we decide to protect the seas that are vital to American de- fense. The aggression is not ours. Ours is soley defense." The essential element of the new situation created by the Ameri- can challenge to the axis is in the North Atlantic. It is through those waters than British vital life lines to Canada and the United States run. .And the effect of the President's stern order to the navy is to place those life lines under American armed protection. Spitzbergen Offensive A. British - Canadian - Norweg- ian expedition crept secretely across northern seas to Spitzber- gen Islands, and struck before the Nazis knew what was afoot. Bri- tain's immediate objective was to" t deprive the Nazis of any value the islands might have in strengthen- ing Hitler's war effort. About 1,000 Norwegians were re- moved to new homes in England. Three times as many Russians: were taken to undisclosed destina- tions, Huge stocks of oil and coal were fired. Damage done by efficient Canadian sappers renders the Isl- . ands useless for years. They lie: depopulated in the Arctic Ocean, 400 miles above Norway and 750 miles for the North Pole. Spitzbergen meant far more to Britons than aregrettable bit of wartime destruction. Those who have been clamoring for a British land offensive somewhere against Nazi -occupied Europe, saw in Spitz- bergen a sample of what might be coming. As a Norwegian possession, the Arctic islands brought dangers of British invasion home to Nazi sen- sibilities. Berlin has been most apprehensive about Norway. And with reason, judging by recent out- breaks in that country. Russia Still Holding Russia is still the great enigma. AND THE .BAND PLAYED ON How can the Red armies be power- ful enough to hold the Germans at bay? Fart of the answer may be in the tremendous losses suffered by the Germans. In men alone the casualties must be well over a mil- Iion. In equipment an authorata- tive estimate of forty per cent is given. German servicing of ad- vanced units has daily become more difficult and the mechanized forces have found the Russian ter- rain very costly in fuel and upkeep. The rest of the answer may be that the "encircled" Russians have re- fused to retreat even though they have suffered terribly—but so have the Germans, Their air force, ad- mirably handled, has had telling striking power. Russian railways have done an amazing job, mainly due to the high morale of the workers who ignore ordinary work- ing hours. The Germans have made two serious miscalculations — the volume of Russia's war material reserves and the fighting power of her civilian population. Thus far Napoleon's road to Mos- cow has proved too tough for Hitler. The distance that the French grand army negotiated in 80 -odd days, afoot and with horse, mule and oxen transport, is twice or more than that covered by Hitler's motorized legions in the same time. Starts With Gas Goes On Kerosene Jimmy Engler, a service sta- tion operator in New York, has solved the gasoline problem so far as his personal consumption of fuel is concerned. He has equipped his car with a tank for kerosene and a small auxiliary tank for gasoline. The gasoline, he says, is used only for starting the motor. Once started, the gasoline line is turned off and the car operates on kero- sene. He says he uses three gallons of kerosene, at 7Ma cents a gal- lon, to one gallon of gasoline at about 20 cents a gallon. e Pok Shelf MARRIAGE IS A PRIVATE AFFAIR By Judith Kelly It is interesting to read a book about people who are not too beautiful, too good, too clever, too abnormal, but who are just the average persons, well brought up, well educated and well enough endowed with this world's goods for normal and gracious living. Such are Theo Schofield and Tom West in "Marriage Is a Pri- vate Affair." This 1941 Harper prize novel was written by Judith Kelly, a native of Ontario. The story deals with the first four years of their married life. Deeply in love, there is every prospect that their lives will be happp, though more or less con- ventional. Tom is endowed with much common sense and, besides his love, has a great respect for his wife. Theo tries bravely to live up to his ideal of marriage but, emotional and youth -loving, finds distraction away from home. Failing as a wife, she realizes that marriage is a system of rights and obligations and that more than love is needed to cope with its problems. Eventually they reach their full maturity and understanding of each other. This story is a fine example, skillfully handled, of essentially decent people, adjusting them- selves to sane living. 1Viarriage 1s a Private Affair .. by Judith Kelly . y . Harper & Brothers . . Price $2.75. Believed to have thrived in the days of Shakespeare, a gum tree recently felled in 1{ooba Forest, Australia, yiel•'ed 1'" itrviy ties eight feet long, Li THE L TEST Mali y ES &arch labels o rforrleachCorn' tare desired—or one 13ee Sive Syrup label. To star"Fly1 gt�Torpedo"'—"Sselect fromtky Rocket"—"LI htning"— "De fi a nt"--"Spi tfir a"-- " Hurricane" or "Catalinatl° .. the list of 20 other pic- tures will be sent with your first request. Specify your name, address, picture or pictures requested—enclose necessary labels and mail to the St. Lawrence Starch Co., Limited, Port Credit, Ont. &ID Firemen's Tests Toughest Devised Would -Se Members In New York CIty's Fire Department Must Pass Severe Physical Test Appointment to the New York Fire Department is the ambition of 6,400 young men who have un- dertaken to pass qualifying exam- inations, notes The Toronto Tele- gram. The physical test—stated by the head of the Civil Service Commission to be "the toughest ever devised for a government lob, civil or military"—will dispose of at least half of the aspirants. The first test is for co-ordin- ation; each man sits in a seat equipped with a steering gear and foot and hand brakes and is judg- ed on his response to signals flashed on a board ahead. Then he lifts weights while lying on his back with someone holding his feet. To score perfection he must rise to a sitting position, bringing a sixty pound weight over his head. Perfection in lifting dumbbells is with those who lift eighty -pound weights In each hand. Then the aspirant has to carry a dummy weighing 170 pounds up eight steps. After which he is required to take a ten -foot broad jump, hurdle a three -and -a -half -foot rail, dodge through barriers, climb a ladder ten feet high and swing across a Ladder for fifteen feet, jump or drop from an eight -foot wall, vault a box four and a half feet high and keep going. The time limit for this is thirty-one seconds. After a fifteen -minute rest, comes a mile run. Educational requirements in- clude matriculation standing in high school. The young fireman, after six months' probation service, starts at $2,000 a year. The department, with more than 10,000 men, is on the three platoon system. Sell Gas In Can To Domestic User Gasoline may be sold in cans or other containers providing it is for use in lamps, stoves, washing machines, or for domestic pur- poses, Oil Controller G. R. Cot- trelle stated recently in a wire to a Midland washing machine agency. The agency asked for a ruling and reported to the oil controller that gasoline station operators had refused to sell gasoline in containers under any condition, and that domestic consumers were suffering. "Prohibitions only apply to gasoline for use in private pas- senger vehicles," stated the wire. New York ;'°den Train For Raids Managers of skyscrapers, apart- ment houses and loft buildings in New York City have trained 50,- 000 men in the last three months to combat incendiary air attacks and bombing raids on the city it they should come. This army of private fire fighters and salvage crews will total 200,000 men with- in a few months, according to B. H. Belknap, head of the manage- ment division of the Real Estate Board of New York, The work is being done under the supervisi'oll of Mayor F. H. LaGuardia, Civilian Defence Director. Mr. Belknap's statement was the first inkling that New York or any other At- lantic Seaboard city was prepar- ing for eventualities that might come out of strained relations with the Axis powers. Alter 50,000 key men are fully trained they will instruct others so that the private fire brigade will total 200,000 highly efficient men who will not only know how to put out fires, salvage sections, but also handle sabotage and all forms of subversive activity. The fire brigade is being taught the significance of different colors of smoke and how to fight the fire behind the smoke. The incendiary bomb, he explained, heats to 3,400 degrees when the bomb explodes, throwing sparks in every direction and setting fire to everything within many yards of the missile. Sound Edue tr i est Foundatf o n Labor Minister McLarty Says Youths Under Sixteen Not Needed in Industry Children under 16 years of age are not needed in war industries, Labor Minister McLarty said re- cently in a statement emphasiz- ing the importance of young people continuing at school as long as possible and "as long as they cau profit from such attendance." "It is hoped that parents and teachers will discourage boys and girls who are making progress at school from taking jobs," said Mr. McLarty. "Our most pressing concern is, of course, to further war produc- tion but we must not lose sight of the problems that are bound to arise after the war and among these will be some measure of un- employment due to an inevitable dislocation 1n industry. Workers with the least education and the least training are sure to be am- ong the first to be let out and the last to be taken on." The Minister said that sound education and training gave the best foundation for permanent em- ployment. LIFF'S LIKE THAT By Fred Neher "How many times must I tell you never to bznthe I'Yn rodded! 11" me when