The papers are still telling stories of the escape from Dunkirk. In due course you will no doubt be seeing pictures of the crowded beaches and pier, A single bomb should have destroyed hundreds, What is due to our air force can hardly be imagined.
One story concerns 68 French Soldiers who got out by themselves from Flanders and somehow managed to get hold of a motor launch and a boat to tow behind it. Not one of them had even been in a boat before, The engine broke down, but they contrived to start it again, then the petrol ran out. So they hoisted a blanket for a distress signal and fortunately were seen and brought in by a English life-boat, One British Colonel of Hussars, who had been three times captured by the Germans and had escaped, was picked up when rowing alone across the Channel in a dinghy.
As for the fleet of craft of all kinds for the evacuation cne might laugh over the collection of luxury yachts, Margate pleasure steamers, fire floats, barges, trawlers, anything that would float which mustered for the work. The census recently taken by the Admiralty of all small craft in the kingdom was the first stage in success, the eager response of volunteers the next, you have perhaps heard of the girl who got herself accepted by telephoning in a deep man-like voice.
But the real success is due to the British genius for improvisation and the abiding instinct of an island Race for the sea. In similar circumstances' cne doubts whether the Germans could have got away because, as has been shown time and again, their minds run on military lines and they have no apprehension of the sea.
Hatred of the Germans So little had been heard of the Fascist movement in England during the last three or four years before the war, that the number of arrests made—664 when last officially given and more people are continually being roped in—is quite a shock. Although the newspapers for some time past have consistently boycotted Sir Oswald Mosley, his movements must have been very much more mischievous than was generally supposed. Oddly enough there seems tò be little interference with the Cefithiinists, althotigh it is forbidden to send the "Daily Worker" abroad. But I am told by one who should know that they are not considered dangerous. Still we don't mein to have any Quislings here.
jete is.also a tendency to deal much less- tenderly with the "conchies" than there was formerly, It is not so easy now to get off military service by making a fine speech, and care will be taken to see that these who do get put on the register are set to some work of real national value.
Apropos - c! "conchies" a recent statement by the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Hertz, on the Jewish religious position in respect of military service is worth quoting.
Theréetls Ho basis for such a claim (to on conscientious grounds) in which ranks defence of country among the supreme duties. None should have a clearer understanding of this th: his Majesty's Jewish subjects, in a'war against heathen forces that have made the annihilation of the Jew one of the main aims of their infamous polity, and at an hour when the sacred heritage of man is in mortal
heathen forces.
wat the hands of these same And when we think upon Amman and Amalek, we can see that Dr. Hertz's statement has good historic cal backing. Who, moreover, hi forgotten the "Jordan Highlanders"? Certainly not the Jews, who enjoyed the joke (yeu remember "when they were told to charge, they charged too much") more than anyone,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.