HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1952-03-27, Page 3Desert Escaper's
Nightmare Trip
The sun beat down with pitiless
ferocity on the little band of
Foreign Legionnaires under dis-
cipline for military offences in the
hard -labour camp at Khenifra.
Max Durer, hard-bitten soldier
of the Legion, saw that the armed
sentry had his back turned and
seized his chance. Dropping his
pick, he scrambled into a water -
hole and grabbed one of the uni-
forms that the sweltering sentries
had discarded and piled on the
bank..
So began one of the most amaz-
ing instances of escape—or deser-
tion—sin the history of the French
Foreign Legion. Max's accomplice,
Hans Brunnen, was waiting with
provisions concealed in a sack of
oats. At .the gateway of Khenifra,
they explained to a guard that they
had been ordered to feed the
mules tethered outside the town.
"All right," said the soldier, run-
ning his hands through the grain,
"But, hurry! You'll be late for roll
call. . . ."
"Dead• or Alive"
A little later the two found
themselves in ,open country. Tan-
gier, three hundred miles away,
was their. objective. They- had" to
run the risk of thirst, hunger and
Arabs who knew that every de-
serter was worth a hundred francs
dead or alive. The prospect, daunted
Brunnen so much that he changed
his mind and turned back to the
camp, leaving Durer to face alone,
the terrors and dangers of the
merciless desert.
Max Durer went doggedly on.
Of. British nationality, he knew
that if he could reach Gibraltar
he would be safe. On the third
day he fell in with a solitary Arab,
who gave him food and shelter:
Max expected treachery at every
step but to his surprise the Arab
treated him with every kindness,
and then let him go. To show his
appreciation, Max gave some of his
clothing to the Arab and, too late,
discovered that the crafty old man
had stolen his small store of money
from his tunic as he slept!
After another two days' walk-
ing he came to a stretch of desolate
waste land. Here every move
brought an aching, burning agony
to the tough soles of his feet, which
as a hardened Legion marcher he
had not expected.
Now, sometimes, he suffered such
pain that he imagined other march-
ers with him, heard them talking,
heard the rattle of their rifles and
equipment, heard the creak of,
leather shoulder straps as the sold-
iers shifted their harness.
And he was alone. Never, so long
as he lives, will Max Durer forget
the agony of those days izi the
•desert. When his water supply' ran
out he had to catch rain and dew.
Once he met and milked a stray
cow. That long drink was his only
food for seventeen days. . . .
He chewed alfa grass and dy-
sentery added to his misery. As
weakness overcame him he realized
he was practically barefooted, his
stout boots completely worn away.
As days followed one another,
dragging out interminably, he cut a
notch in a stick. On the nineteenth
night he came upon the twinkling
lights of a town and managed to
catch a chicken and kill it with
his penknife. His desert journey
had ended, but greater dangers
were at hand.
The Appointed Hour
A galling twist of fate came
when, after he had passed through
so many hardships, he could find
no boat to give him a passage
across the Straits.
To a fisherman of a smack whose
skipper had rejected him he pro-
pounded a feverish scheme. He pro-
posed to swim out at night to
where the boat was moored, short-
ly before she was due to sail, and
with a line fastened round his waist,
be towed across the Straits.
It was an incredible plan, but
the fisherman took him on. At the
appointed hour, Max swam out
through the darkness pushing a
plank before him. . . .
There was -a violent jerk as
the rope tightened around his body.
The motor had started. He was
New Blouses in Stunnin
dors Herald Spring
wo,
? 1+ •
Striped tissue chambray has bil- White ribbed batiste has long,
pointed collar with black tie.
BY EDNA
MEWS in nylon, billowing sleeves, garden colors—these
I I are the characteristics of spring blouses.
The Gibson Girl look, so important for spring, is easily
achieved through the addition of a blouse or two to your
wardrobe. These might be in tissue chambray with billow-
ing, push-up sleeves, high neckline and fluffy ruffles. Or,
you've a choice of similar silhouettes in ,plaid, candy stripes
or printed glazed cotton.
Nylon, essential to any blouse wardrobe, turns up in new
guises this .year. •Nylon linen, nylon shantung, nylon batiste,
ribbed nylon pique, yarn-dyed checked nylon tricot—all of
lowing push-up sleeves.
Patis-inspkred silk taffeta sha.n-
tuna hai keyhole neckline.
MILES
Silk taffeta shantung features a
neckline in, ,t,,einted petals.
these have miraculous nylon's wonderful properties.
Among the blouses designed for Judy Bond's spring col-
lection is a group of silk taffeta shantungs, inspired by
Parisian imports. Modestly priced, these are in the soft,
iced pastels and in the vivid colors, such as purple, too.
Pleats and tucks are prominent in both tailored and dressy
styles. Tacks are sometimes accented with lace, ric-rac or'
cording and braiding.
The delicate colors- —pinks, lilacs, pale blues and maizes/
are best loved for these blouses. But the perennial andf
now -classic. white makes a strong showing, too.
under water and revolving like a
spinner on a fisherman's. line. Des-
peratelyhe held on to the plank.
• Then he came up and sucked.
in air. The boat had turned and
found its course. But the rope
was cutting Durer in two. With
one hand he tried to ease the ten-
sion . . . but it was no good.
His neck had stiffened from hold-
ing his head out of the water; aw-
ful cramps racked him where the
rope was tugging. He tried to shout
to those on the boat but his mouth
filled with water.
He saw the stern of the boat in
a haze, and presently he fainted.
His face was on the plank, his
arms hanging lifeless and helpless.
Occasionally, when the vessel alter-
ed its course, he was twisted and
submerged.
Presently, Max opened his eyes
•
again. Someone was shaking him,
and through a blur he saw the
face of his fisherman friend. "I
thought that you were dead," he
was saying. He had escaped from
death — and the Legion.
THE FARM FRONT
J06
• "Pigs is Pigs" was the title of
one of the best sellers 'way back
when' . . . But "Pigs is Money"
is the way a lot of us phrase it—
ungramatically of course — these
days. Therefore, the following hints
from the folks up in Ottawa are
decidedly worth •noting.
* * *
Over three hundred thousand
sows will farrow in the next three
months in Canada. Every hog rais-
er wants to raise large litter, for
it is the extra pigs in the litters
which indrease the profit in hog
raising. Actually, the raising of
large healthy litters of pigs de-
pends on attention to many de-
tails. On the other hand, neglect
and carelessness can result in heavy
losses of young pigs. Why not
check over the following list to
be sure that the main essentials in
successful pig raising will be in-
cluded in the swine program?
1, Good feeding of the sow be -
before farrowing.
* * *
2. Warm, dry, clean farrowing
pen.
*
3. A pig brooder as mentioned
below.
* )1. *
4. Guard 'rails in the farrowing
pen.
*
5. Attention as required at far-
rowing time.
WOW
ARNETT
Illiiiiillimundltalittl11111111111111$11
RUBBER
BAND9--
6. Clipping the neeciri teeth of
the 'pigs.
*
7. A nutritious milk producing
ration for the nursing sow.
*
8. Treatment of the pigs with
an iron compound to prevent
anemia.
* *
9. Creep feeding of the litter
from three weeks of age until
weaning.
* * *
10. Regular attention to the sow
and litter.
* * *
While all of tne alsose are im-
portant for the successful raising
of large litters, experience has
shown that the provision of addi-
tional heat for the little pigs is
particularly worthwhile. Mr. E. B.
Fraser of the Animal Husbandry
Division says that heat lamps or
electric light bulbsin the brooders
at the Central Experimental Farm,
Ottawa, are giving excellent sat-
isfaction. In the luxurious warmth
of the pig brooder, chilling of the
pigs is avoided, and they are safe
from the danger of being crushed
by the sow. One note of caution
should be emphasized. Be sure
that the electrical installation is
entirely safe and that the brooder
is built strongly enough to with-
stand rough treatment by the sow.
* *
Scientists have only recently de-
veloped methods that enable them
to imitate the procedure of the
passport office and provide any
wandering insect with the equiva-
lent of a passport. This makes it
possible to keep a record of the
insect's movements, study its
habits, and makes it easy for the
entomologist to locate the insect
for any future requirement. With
characteristic thoroughness, scient-
ists have developed a tagging
system that surpasses in effective-
ness anything the passport office
has to offer. Once the insect is
provided with a radioactive pass-
port or, more correctly stated', with
a radioactive. tag or tracer, it is
marked ,for the duration of the •
tracer. This means identification
1111"172."
cannot be lost or stolen. Even
should the bearer of the radioactive
passport meet with foul play and
get caught, eaten, digested, and
assimiliated in the body of another
along with a Geiger counter and
animal, the scientist can come
point an •accusing finger on the
culprit-preflator.
* * *
W. F. Baldwin, of the Canadian
Department of Agriculture's Belle-
ville Laboratories, who is working
on this problem in co-operation
with atomic energy scientists at
Chalk River, has just disclosed
some startling results obtained by
feeding or injecting the parasite of
the spruce saw -fly and the rove
beetle, a parasite of root maggots,
with radioactive. phosphorous. Such
treatment as is well known makes
the treated insect radioactive. But
Mr. Baldwin's experiments show
that radioactivity can also be trans-
mitted to, the insect's progeny,
These important results will en-
able entomologists to study the
movement sand 'spread . of• several
generatiorfk of economically im-
portant:Amiss:sites of crop destroy.
ing insects; among which are the
spruce saw -fly and the root mag-
got. * * *
Other investigations envisaged
by Mr. Baldwin are: (1) identifica-
tion of the main predators of mos-
quito larvae—which can be done
very simply by making the larvae
radioactive and then, by means of
a Geiger counter, picking out the
types of insect -predators which
have fed on the larvae; (2) find out
how a parasite goes about finding
its host; and (3) study the disper-
sion and range of various parasites
and predators.
oun at on or
That Silhouette
With so. many silhouettes from
• which to .choose—the middy; the
princess, the ,bell, the sheath—it's
no wondeissa svoman has quite a
time deciding to which fiom she
will fashion her figure. But which-
ever she chooses, her best aid to
achieving that chic look is her
foundation garment.
Thecinch is perfect for making
the least .of one's best waist, to
complement the billowing fullness
of the bell' skirt.
A regular strapless half bra or
one with plunging neckline molds
the bosom becomingly to the needs
of evening clecolletes.
The slim hipgirdle defines the
lines of the sheath, and the ver-
satile all -an -one gives a figure -
right look. to the princess silhou-
ette.
SEWER RATS' TREAT
Runnin' in the gutters it was.
Hundreds 'of gallons of it. Pure
smooth Scotch whiskey, fresh from
the Highland hills, Eight 112 -gal-
lon barrels of it 'fell off a truck on a
street at Glasgow. You can guess
the rest. 'The entire neighborhood
turned out' in a split second, armed
with cups, pots, pans, buckets—
anything. One elderly fellow with
a large spoon scrambled with the
rest 'as the amber 'flood gurgled to-
ward the sewer,
Let's Go To Russia
A good worker seldom wants
the luxury of quitting his job.
But when there is a real reason
for doing so, the freedom to say,
"I quit!" can be an important one.
Maybe the man has found a better
paying job, or one nearer home,
or an opportunity to buy a farm or
-start a small business for himself.
If so, in the most progressive
countries the option is his. But not
Romania or Soviet Russia, Un-
der Communist rule in Romania a
decree last November forbade wor-
kers in government -controlled in-
dustries (about 90 per cent of em-
ployment) to leave their jobs with-
out the employer's permission.
True, the permission was required
to be given on certain grounds, such
as health or age, but ;sot in all
cases. A similar edict has.7'sbeen in
effect in Communist Rissia since
1940. So reports the Unites:1 States
Department of Labor.
Moreover, if a typical worker in
the Soviet Union is more than 2(1
minutes late to work without an
ironclad excuse, he is likely to be ,
sentenced to three months forced
labor on his job at reduced pay.
For three such offences he may
be sent to prison or a forced labor
camp. This, according to informa-
tion reaching the International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions
in New York.
Bolshevism once appealed to the
downtrodden in such phrases as,
"Workers of the world, unite! You
have nothing to lose but your
.chains!" But now that some millions
aresworking on the meagre payroll
of a state monopoly of employment
what happens to the man who tries
to say, "1 quitl"
An optimist is often just as
wrong as a pessimist, but he gets
more fun out of it.
=2;saseeseeurge.paaivareia
How Can P
By Atom Ashley
Q. How can 1 give 8 good finis
ish to hardwood floors?
A. Two thin coats of shellac
give a much better finish to the
hardwood floor than one thick one.
Be sure that the first coat is thor-
oughly dry before applying
second coat.
Q. Hoy can I prepare a good
ec,onomical shampoo at home?
A. Melt 'iome small pieces of
castile soap with a little water and
put away in a bottle, after adding
a few drops of olive oil.
Q. How can I prevent strong
cooking odors?
If you are cooking something
that has a strong odor, put a small.
pun of vinegar into the stove or
on it, and there will be no scent
of cooking in the air.
Q. How can I prevent boiled
potatoes from becoming watery?
A. That is usually caused by
allowing the potatoes to remain in
water after they are cooked. Test
them with a fork, and as soon as
thew are tender, drain and shake
them for a minute over a low fire.
Q. How can I remove stains
from linens?
A. Soak the linens for five min-
utes in salt and cold water, and
then pour a stream of boiling
water, held at a height, through
the stain until it disappears.
Q. How can I treat bruised
fingers?
A. Immerse the hand in water
as hot as can be borne, and rub
vigorously. Then apply sweet oil,
or vaseline jelly, and bandage,
Q. How can I keep butter and
lard from sticking bo the spoon or
measuring utensil when measuring
it?
A. The next time you are meas-
uring butter or lard for pastries,
dip the spoon or rneasuring utensil
into very hot water before using.
This will cause the fat to slip out
easily, and you will not have to
dig it out.
Q. How can I protect the col-
ored clothes from running when
in the wash tup?
A. Put a handful of salt into a
good-sized bowl of cold water.
Let the garment soak in this for
about a half-hour. Then wash with
warm water (not too hot) and soap
suds. If you should see a little
color coming out, rinse in cold
water and salt.
Q. How can I make a good
bottle deodorizer?
A. Pour a little powdered black
mustard seed into the bottle, rins-
ing it afterwards with water. If
necessary, repeat this process.
"I Am A Genius"—Vladimir Levinski, who claims to be the rein.
carnation of Franz Listz, admires a portrait of the great pianist.
composer. Says the 21 -year-old London pianist, "I am a genius.
4 I only happen once in a hundred years. Only I can play Liszt
the way it should be played." He, Vladimur that is, was born in
Malta.
By Arthur Pointer
its1 DARK PLACES WPIERE CLOSE WORK. I -IAS TO
OONE, IT IS A G000 IC:EA 10 IX A mAGNIFyiN4
GLAss.ano A FLASHLIGHT, AS IL14USTRA1t0. tial
WAY, ONE LAND IS LEFT FREE' -10 00 IRE
m
A
1
•