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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1941-11-27, Page 2Canada Builds New Airports Labrador and Far Northwest Get New Operational Ahe ports Disclosure that Canada is con- atructing airports in Labrador and along the northern British Columbia coast has been made in the House of Commons by Munitions Minister C. D. Howe. "Operational airports," said Mr. Howe, "now are under way in Newfoundland and Labrador, be- tween Edmonton and the Alask- an boundary, and along the north- ern coast of '',ritish Columbia, in areas far from haman habi- tation, involving unusual engin- eering problems." These new fields, when com- pleted, will provide valuable new links in the chain of air defenses being established by Canada and the United States. It has been known for some time that construction of new bases was going ahead rapidly in Newfoundland and in the North- west. A chain of seven airports is being made to Alaska, provid- ing a short -hop route by which Canadian and, United States fighting planes could be rushed to the north if the need arose. These northern bases now are in case. "The Air Services Branch of • the Department of Transport,. which now operates under the dir- ection of the Minister of Muni- tions and Supply, had up to the end of September completed 108 new airports for the use of the RCAF and (British Common- wealth) air training plan and had 31 additional airports under de- velopment, Mr. Howe said. .Included in the above are 18 airports now occupied by tihe 1,AF in connection with its train- ing project in Canada. Britain. Launches First Concrete Ship it is reported that Britain is building concrete merchant ships similar to those built by the Un- ited States during the World War to meet the shipping short- age. Designed by Sir Owen Wil- liams, the first vessel of 4,000 tons, with a carrying capacity of 2,000 tons, has been launched and soon will be ready for ser- vice. The designer said he had to solve the problem of keeping the ship from cracking in heavy somas—a fatt� which characteriz- ed concrete sw ots during theiget Saving Ontario's Natural Resources • A G. C. Toner (Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters) No. 65 DEER ARE BROWSERS Last week I spoke of our deer and this week I want to describe 'something about then that the average hunter may not know. Game managers who have worked with the deer tell us that each of these animals need so many acres aaf forested land if they are to thrive. I have forgotten the exact figures but our purpose will be served if we say that each deer needs twenty acres of range, Re- member deer are browsers, they feed on the growing tips and twigs of the trees and other brushy plants. This is limited in amount and if a deer is confined he niay be able to eat the browse in his pasture faster than it grows. Thus we can see that the num- ber of deer that can live and find food in any area is limited even when conditions are at their best. But, imagine conditions that oc- casionally occur in our woods. Deep snow piles up, the deer re- treat to the cedar swamps in num- bers and soon, if the snow con- tinues, they have eaten all avail- able food. Starvation is the re- sult, not because the deer lack food for nine tenths of 'the year but because they lack food for a *Weal period of maybe a month in late February. So, the number of deer is lim- ited by the number of cedar swamps grid their size. This is an important point to remember. Nearly every animal has some coritical period in its lifetime. And these periods are the limiting fee - tors that prevent the animals from overflowing the whole coun- tryside. In the case of the deer the critical time comes when the bunter is not in the woods. He sees plenty of food in the fall but he forgets that before spring most of this will he covered in deep snow. Yet the deer must eat throughout the year, So, more t. e must have n, ^re winter £s . "r grounds. CANADIAN TANKMEN VISIT BIRMINGHAM The first Canadian Army Tank Brigade recently visited the city of Birmingham in England. The tour included a visit to a plant gunning out large Army tanks. In. this photo the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, whilst inspecting the Canadians, chats with Sgt. Major N. Kirkham of Red Deer, Alberta. THE WAR - WEEK -- Commentary on Current Events Revision. : f U.S. Neutrality Act Assures Britain of Amus and Food The United States has passed through a period of historic de- cision. Last week Congress gave final approval to abolish practically all that remained of the Neutrality Act. The arming of merchantmen will now proceed rapidly; guns and trained trews are in readiness. These merchant ships carrying food and war supplies may now sail right into the ports of Great Britain.. These ships will no longer have to stay out of the combat zones which, under the terms et the 1989 Neutrality Act, prevented Ameri- can ships from getting into the western approaches to the British Isles, 8ayts Jamgs„13..Restan�iaa-tba "'-x'x""ms'a:'result, the British will not only have the advantage of a great number of our ships, but their own convoy system will be much more efficient. Until this, week, and since the President's shoot -on. -sight policy, American wanehipa have been convoying Bri- tish merchantmen to the waters off the coast of Iceland, where Bri- tish warships have picked them up and protected them the rest of the way into the Westera British parte. This system has been inefficient because, in the first place, the eon- voys went out of their way to go neer the American base at Ice- land, and in the second place a great deal of time was lost at Iceland, where it was difficult ter the British and American ships to keep their rendezvous iu wintry weather without the use of radio, which the presence of enemy sub- marines made dangerous. Allotment System Eased In the past each nation has used its own ships to the best ad- vantage, but in the future the mer- chant and naval shipping of these two great powers and Norway will be allotted in accordance with 'whatever is .most efficient in car- rying out the war aims of the two countries. That more merchant vessels, protected by more warships, will be thrown into the Battle of the Atlantic by both is obvious. That the addition of American power in the Atlantic will also enable the British to strengthen their position in the Mediterranean and the Pacific is also certain. The half -way convoy system was inefficient because American ships were not permitted to go to Hali- fax, the Nova Scotian port from which most convoys started east- ward across the Atlantic. For months British ships had to travel 1,000 miles out of their way ;to go to American ports to pickup the lease -lend materials, which can now be shipped in American ships straight from. United States ports to the dock -sides in Great Britain. Changes Shipping Strategy The action of Congress in revis- ing the Neutrality Act will change the Allied shipping strategy all over pas world. The British now Control 16,8061;- 378 6,806,"378 tons of shipaa _ ve 6,794,004) tons. The American destroyers .maa help in the Western approaches to Great Britain, more perhaps thaw• in any other area in the world. It Is no secret that the British Pro- tection of convoys against both submarines and long-range bombe ere in this vital area has beela, less than adequate for some tin;le,"," but these defensive cordons are;., likely to be strengthened when'" the redistribution of the two navies is put into effect. The redistribution is likely to ac, i complish four things: (1) reducee. the effectiveness of the U-boats the Atlantic; (2) increase deliver-`< eries of essential supplies to BriO ain and Russia, (3) strengthen the British position in the Mediterra Z nean and the Pacific, and (4) free,. more warships to protect Allied convoys coming up from Freetown, Africa, to Britain. The average little man in the streets of London has never fully understood the extent of 'American material aid to Britain. He has • read in the papers that it was ar- riving, and he may even have seen one or two of our guns or destroyers. But none of this has impressed him as would the arrival of an, American ship flying the Stars and Stripes or the actual sight or sound of an American seaman. There is scarcely a town of any size in the whole British Island that is more than sixty miles from the sea. The presence of these American ships will be tangible evidence to a great many people of our avowed inten- tion to help defeat the Germans. The ships won't convince anybody that the war has been won, but they will convince a lot of doubting people that it elan be won and will be won. National Unity The repeal of neutrality, says the New York Times, was just, consistent and wise: just because we shall now risk our own ehip8 in waters where we except other nations, engaged in the sane task, to risk their ships; consistent be- cause otherwise the lease -lend pol- icy would become a mockery; wise because it enables up to keep the war at a distance. It was an act of national unity, and ought to be understood as such, both within the country and outside, both among our friends and among those whom we can now without hypocrisy can our. enemies. it was a freshcommit- ment to an. undeviating purpose, and none the less so because 0f the circumstances which out the vote in the House of Representatives to a seemingly dengerous mini• mum. Let no one, and especially no one in Berlin, 'be misled by the size of the house vote against re- peal. Taken at its face value, this vote might represent an impress- ively large Congressional sentiment in favor at the scuttle -and -run, appease -and -compromise, live -with - Hitler -and -like -it policies so vigor- ously advocated by a minority in Congress. But ' our enemies will meke a mistake .if they so interpret the 194 votes cast against repeal. A large though indeterminate num- ber of those votes were east, not against repeal, but against a Gov- ernment labor policy which appear- ed to encourage strikes in defense industries. Why, it' was contended, endanger ships and crows to de- liver goods in war areas if there were no assurance that the goods ,would be produced? There are die-hards in American industry and politics who will fight 'to the last against collective bar- gaining. Their votes, direct and indirect, would not have bulked large in the House that memor- able day. They were reinforced by the votes of men who know that labor unions are here to stay, who hope that time will give them :_a sense of responsibility commem- 'surate with their strength, and who believe that the vast majority of their members wish them to be honestly, democratically and pa- triotically managed. These men, with the unquestioned backing of a large section of public opinion, demanded an assurance that hence- forth no private group of any kind should be able to blackmail the nation in its hour of need. Behind our political, industrial and labor leadership stand the great, nameless mass of Ameri- can men and women. We believe T-.*,*..,-_, s,».t1, two great ions of a,,,,the past weeastan ssa that we shall take our cargoes, under own own guns, wherever they are needed; second, that the goods that make the cargoes shall be produced without interruption. Owd Harry Lauder Gies A '': r w Spiel Cams Oot Wi His Plaidie, His Kilt, Stick and Sangs A stubby man with a thick body and an inextinguishable gleam in his eyes, his doughty legs stiffen- ing into a Victory V, moves to the front of the stage, and with a mix• tune of merriment, mischief and serious purpose, rallies his listen- ers: "We on this island of Britain are beleaguered. D'ye understand what that means? Beleaguered: No- body can leave without an escort of boats or flying machines. Think of that! "Are we going to stand for that? You bet we aren't. What are we going to do about it? We're going to dig down into our jeans and hand over more money, that's what we're going to do. Might just as well do it now. If we don't, the money might not be any good to us later on. Now who's going to be the first to contribute?" Thus does Sir Harry Lauder, now 71, again serve his country in war time, rousing people to greater awareness of British needs, and once more entertaining the troops with the songs and stories long identified, in many lands, with bis name• At a time of life in which he had expected to enjoy absolute repose, REG'LAR FELLERS—Trapped e/// QUIET, PINHEAD: BUT, MISTER NOODLENADbLE 1 SAID W ET Sir Harry taxes his powers heavily in this cause, When war broke out Sir Harry forsook the tranquility of his new home, Lauder Ila, to beguile the soldiers and help raise funds. He has been an the go ever since. In recent months he has Wee as many as four Concerts a week, besides othee personal appearanc- es. It is clear, as cue watches the re- sponse to his showmanship, that there still is magic in the name of Harry Lauder. Lauder Ha Lauder Ha, the "hall" or "big house" into which Sir Harry moved nearly five years ago, is the realiz- ation of the home he started to build in his dreams 25 years ago, Today it is a landmark. Few per- sons visit the region without hear- ing of the handsome stone house with its spacious rooms, tasteful furnishings, personal museum, painting and statutary, musical at- mosphere, and conveniences of the owner's inventiveness, From the tiniest gadget designed to avoid needles exertion, to the selection of a site, 700 feet above sea level, ennobled by proud and historic vistas, Lauder Ha is, in Sir Harry's words, "the way I think a house should be." Strolling amid the natural and man -created beauties of Lauder Ha and its surroundings, Sir Harry asserted: "You'll get something if you work for it. If you don't work, you'll get nothing, nothing at least that really matters. The person who expects something for noth- ing is a poor citizen." They Hustle Junk For U. S. Defense All a New York housewife needs to do is pick up her tele- phone, ask information for the wastepaper consumer industries conservation committee, call, and as like as not • next thing she knows there will be a handsomely uniformed woman with social connections at the door, driving a broken down junk waggon. If the woman happens to be M. Alletta Crump she won't say, "Good morning." After she's said whoa to her horse, she'll pick up a megaphone and shout: "Anti waste, anti waste Learn to save Better make haste." That's what Miss Crump said to Mrs. Herbert H. Lehman, wife of the Governor of New York, recently when she and a half- dozen other women and a horse and a cart went to the Lehman's Park . Avenue apartment to pick up about 75 cents ,worth of paper (average price is 40 cents a hun- dredweight) . seas-.�,.n-T r_sts a ss ter.,,,.: ,.Ls bundle of paper herself white rots,: doorman stood by waving his hands in a dither, grunted, "Uh— 1 hope this is enough." Mrs. Lehman donated her paper to the American Women's Volun- tary Services, whose members are volunteer collectors for the waste paper committee. The Book Shell "BIROS OF AMERICA" Ey John James Audubon Audubon was the greatest 'j?tlin- ter of Birds the world has,, ever known. He spent his lifetime studying them in their a Live haunts. He was a great artist 'and a master-eolorist, and in his draw- ings even a tyro will realize that he is looking at a reproduction of life. A hundred years ago Aaddbon made four hundred and thirtyfive drawings of the birds of Amerlca. lie then colored some two hutndl ed sets by hand, which were published in London at a cost of a thousand dollars each. That was a century ago, Four years ago through, the marvel .of modern Lithography. the Macmil- lan Company of Canada, Punished a perfect reproduction of this art- ist's life's work for $16.00. Now Messrs, Macmillau offer the identical book which was sold for $15.00 four years ago for the stili more amazingly small sum of $5,95, this having been made possible by the development of the four-color lithographic process which enabled the plates to be printed at a single run instead of having to be run twice through a two-color press. The quality of these reproductions of Audubon's color -drawings is identical with. that of the 1937 edi- tion. TMs new edition also con- tains the text attaching to the pre- vious one by William Vogt, admit- tedly the greatest living authority on birds, who wrote it specially for the first reproduced set. The paintings which it offers represent 16 years of travel and exploration along America's fron- tiers of a century and more ago by the great naturalist, who prided himself on having taken ornithol- ogy out of the museum's glass showcases (he refused to paint stuffed birds) and with having made it living and dynamic. His paintings also have an histories]. value, immortalizing as they do some species now extinct, such as the Carolina parrakeet, which used to rauge north as far as Lake Oa- terio. Bird lovers, art connoisseurs and fanciers of fine printing all will cherish this volume. "BIRDS OF AMERICA" Published by The Macmillan Co. of Canada ... Price $5.95. The committee reports it. gets about 2,100 calls a day ,roil wastepaper -rich citizens in i>✓Iaa- hattan, and twice as many calls from Brooklynites. Similar committees operate in 34 United States cities east of the Rockies. It's for decoked. Parents of a New York baby have a shortwave raaio il:,oked up to the infant's crib, and when they go out for the evening they carry a receiving set wheti picks up any of its cries. No c,wuat a "pleasant time would be nal by a.l1" 1 LIFE'S LIKE THAT By Fred Neh:a r ,a ix36% i:n,,ni111fil W.' "A 1 the men with the black jerseys are your friends—all those. with the white are your enemies—get that straight. 1 1" h1UW, I.00k I 1 WAITED ON YOU ONE HOUR . AGO! TAKE YOUR CAN OF APPLESAUCE AND BEAT IT - rM BUSY y GENE BYRN 1 BEEN TRYIN' TO TELL. YOU - MY CAN OP APPLESAUCE IS IN THAT ROW OF PEA YOU'VE SEEN STACKIN' UP 114E LAS' TEN MINITS .' RalnlInevfla 15