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The Olds Gazette 1940-01-04 - 1941-12-24
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1941-06-12
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THE GAZETTE, OLDS, ALBERTA The Fascist Dream Of A Mighty Roman Empire Is Shattered By War (By Charles Towers) Towards the creation of Mussolini’s Roman Empire there flowed for some years large sums of money, wrung by onerous taxation from the Ital- fan people who, even at the best of time are not overburdened with riches. Much of the taxation im-, posed was, indeed, of a capital na- | ture, so that Italy itself has been impoverished in order that there might be a Fascist grandeur in the sands of Africa. Now that grandeur is vanishing especially as much of the expensive expenditure was car- ried out in great tracts of desert, the only value of which was strategic. In Libya there were spent many millions of pounds in developing mili- tary, naval and air bases. The fact that the bulk of this expenditure was far beyond any real defensive needs ef the territory had been obvious for some time. But it was all part of the Duce’s dream of a new Roman Empire round the shores of the Medi- terranean—‘“Mare Nostrum” liked to term it for the benefit of the poor, hood-winked Italian people. That dream. of empire looks as though it will follow the course of a former Roman Empire which declined and fell. .Those millions of pounds are now: represented by . deserted _ forts, rusty guns and sand-enveloped aerodromes. In addition to the wasteful ex- penditure on armaments in Libya, Mussolini also spent considerable sums in unnecessarily flamboyant public works—a favorite outlet for dictators who seem to see in archi- tectural extravagances some indica- tions of their own “greatness.” Thus, in all the bigger: towns, the visitor to Libya saw magnificent Fascist hotels—but little business, and government offices which seemed out of all proportion to the revenue of the colony itself.. Perhaps it was meant to impress the native popula- tion and foreigners with the powers | of a totalitarian state. I do not it achieved this object. The scheme, however, which more than any other cost the Italian tax- ‘payers vast sums of money was the colonization of Libya. It was, in- deed, the pet scheme. of Marshal Balbo, and one feels that -with his death the driving power so essential to its planning and achievement also disappeared. Until -recently - there were in Libya thousands of Italian ‘peasants who settled on small farms. Even under the most favorable con- ditions in peace-time their lot was think not to be envied. Now in wartime, | with communications with the home| country largely severed and a re- treating and broken army fleeing the country itself, the lot of these “wretched peasants is deplorable. The colonization scheme was, in- deed, an expensive one. More than £15,000,000 was expended, and the average cost of placing each settler on his farm was over £1,500. The provision of water was the greatest expense, for-not only had water to be found, but it had to be carried to its. destination. It is doubtful, in- deed, whether the whole. scheme would ever have worked out profit- ably, and it is more than likely that the settlements would have been a constant drain on the Italian tex- payers. Taking it all in all it is probable that the Italians sank ‘over £50,000,- 000 in Libya, a large sum for a poor country, and it is more than prob- able that they will see none of this| expenditure ‘returned to them. The British .know. from bitter experience the folly. of hdving specious schemes in land! settlement. The advice of a sound Scottish farmer—had it been taken—might have saved Mussolini and his people a great deal of money. One should not forget to mention the great Littoral road which ran all along the coast of Libya and which cost a considerable sum of money. It was a road on which one could, in peace-time, travel for miles without seeing any mechanical ve- hicle—and the camels one did meet hardly required such a fine highway. It has, however, been warmly wel- comed by British troops. In Italian East Africa and Abys- Binia there has beén a similar vast expenditure of money on projects of every kind. Roads, harbors and mili- tary defences have all swallowed up millions. It has been estimated that, up to 1938, this part of the Fascist empire had already cost Italy £133,- 000,000. In the inhospitable wastes of Ital- ian East Africa the Italians had cer- tainly accomplished some fine en- gineering feats. Assuab, for instance, became a modern port, fully equipped as he! There were wharves, warehouses and electric cranes but these seemed all out of proportion to the hinterland they were meant to serve. That, in- deed, was the fault of most Italian colonial enterprises—the fact that the grandiose plans which were car- ried out lacked a proper perspective. They were magnificent, but not eco- nomic. Even that might have been excused if the Duce had planned out a long-term policy of peace; instead he chose to launch his people into war and thus jeopardized the whole of his Roman empire. In addition to the moneys spent in Italian Africa considerable sums were expended in the Dodecanese Is- lands and Albania. The great bulk of this expenditure was on military works: ¥ Perhaps even more tragic than the actual financial loss which Italy has suffered in the war is the plight in which thousands of poor Italian set- tlers find themselves. They have put everything into building up new homes in. inhospitable lands, believ- ing it to be for the glory of their country. Instead they. find their leader has let them down and they stand to-day. at the dangerous mercy of native. tribes who cannot forget the brutalities and cruelties practised on them by such Italian military commanders as Marshal Graziani. Mussolini has, truly, sacrificed the Italian people and their empire. British Mothers Praised Women Who Came To Canada With | Children Prove Resourceful | The little told tale of the courage ‘and resourcefulness of the 700 Bri- | tish mothers who were sent to Can- ada with their children from evacu- }ated English towns is revealed by ‘Charlotte E. Whitton, executive ‘director of the Canadian Welfare | Council. “The American public has heard 'a lot about the experiences of the | little child refugees in a strange land | but their mothers have been some- | what neglected. The placement of ; these women has been our most diffi- leut problem,” she said in arecent ad- | dress in Chicago. “A great majority of them have | been perfect bricks, pitching in. right |away and finding jobs to support their families.on their own,” she went ‘on. . “English ‘women ‘are like that. | They seem to be able to do a lot of \ hings that you wouldn't expect.” | “One titled lady of nearly 70, | whose estates have been requisitioned by the government,. arrived in Can- ;ada with. only 10 pounds to her ‘name. She soon had a.job as a resi- | dence housekeeper at a salary of $12 |@ week which, she said, was enough |to provide her with church contribu- |tions and small comforts. as “But the answer for: others -has not. been so simple. In some’ cases two mothers will double up their duties. One will find a job and the other will run the house and take care of all-the children. We try to train those women. who are not fit- ted for business employment. Some learn stenography and. accounting and some have taken up dress model- ing. : . “One unusual case came to our at- tention not long ago,” Miss Whitton recalled. “A woman who had been wealthy in England, started out for Canada with her butler and his wife. On the way over the exchange regu- lationg ‘were changed and she found herself without a cent. The butler got a job and is supporting his ex- employer. : “What has been especially inter- esting to me is that a large number. of these mothers, when they see their children placed in good homes, return to England for war work. One young women I know left her three- month-old baby to.go back-and drive a truck. Her husband is fighting in Africa.” ~ Hardly To Be ‘Blamed Some Messengers Object To Deliver- ing Telegram In Song The parents of a young lady at- tending college in an eastern city paid a dollar anda half to send a “singing” telegram which was to be sung to the young lady while at din- ner in the college. A messenger boy was instructed to deliver and sing the telegram, and he promptly re- signed his job. A second boy was en- gaged. When he was informed what he was expected to do, he also quit the job. About 100,000,000 United States postage stamps are sold annually not and vestly changed from the deso- late, open bay which once existed. for use in the mails, but for collec- tions and dealers’ stocks. 2412 BOSS!” “THEY'RE STILL THERE, eee s et —Herblock in the Lynchburg News. If You Like It British Free Agent Pie For Breakfast Is Just A aae Lawrence Of Arabia Is Work- Of Taste ing Among Arab Leaders Pie for breakfast? Horrors! But) Rojease from a British prison of —why not? A large and well-known | parry st. John Philby, the Arabian hotel in Vermont has defied conven-| exniorer and a former British politi- tions and as a result of persistent) gg) agent in the Near East, will her- demands from its patrons now lists! aid a new British drive to recapture apple pie on its breakfast menu. | wavering Arab sympathies, an au- We don't know Emily Post's thority on the Near East said. ‘ views on the subject but we see 00} Philby, who opposed British en- particular reason. why a person WhO trance into the war, was detained likes pie for breakfast should not. nger the emergency defence regula- have it—especially as health author-! tiong, " ities state that the best time to eat| 4 is pelieved here that he will be pie is in the morning. sent immediately to the Near East to Probably no other meal in the day work among Arab leaders, with many has*the ramifications of the first. I of whom he has great influence. Some prefer to break their fast | Philby, who collaborated with with a cup of coffee and a nibble of ;aurence of Arabia, became the ad- toast. Others gulp down a glass of vicser of Ibn Saud, King of Saudi orange juice and top off with a dish 4rapia and leader of the Wahabi sect of cereal. A few hearty eaters Tun __the fanatically orthodox 9Moham- the gamut of tomato juice, porridge,’ medans. ; bacon and eggs, fried potatoes, toast, | marmalade and coffee. Thus forti- fied they are ready for their day’s|4nq was the only Englishman ever work. A few eat nothing. allowed to live in the holy ‘city of Much naturally depends upon the. yraccg nature of one’s vocation. The se- dentary office worker does not re- quire the heavy meal that a more strenuous worker must have to keep! up his strength. To depart from the; regular meal would mean a grand attack of indigestion . Meals are largely a matter of con- vention. People eat certain dishes because others eat the same. But | after all: there is no reason why one should feel obliged to eat certain types of food at certain times. The hearty meals served at a farm table would shock the city dweller whose breakfast would seem like a teaser to the hard-working «tiller of ey land. Apple. pie for breakfast is an old New England custom and though’ y Neqds Memory Corre. its reappearance may call forth ex- | Jack Armstrong of Amarillo, Tex., | _} misplaced his hotel and ‘his automo- eneca a oe ae ee oo peed bile in Los Angeles, but police found time we see it listed on the menu! both. While he went to another we'll indulge—with cheese, please!— | hostelry, police started telephoning. Kitchener Record. On their 16th call they found the Seas hotel where Armstrong was register- “Trade, winds” are winds blowing €d. His car was parked nearby. continually toward the thermal eque- tor and deflected. eastward by rota- tion of the earth. : He became a convert to Moham- medanism, joining the Wahabi sect, Two New Ideas Were Used By The Nazis In The Greek Campaign A British officer says that the Ger- mans had shown two innovations in the campaign in Greece—light tanks of. great speed. equipped with two- pounder cannon, and. parachutes made to open. by some sort of ex- plosive gust. It was remarked that the parachutists near the Corinth Canal were dropped from a very: low altitude. a The valuable heartwood of a black walnut tree does. not develop until ——_—___—_ : the tree is 80 to-100 years old. The Welland canal connects Lakes Erie and Ontario, at Welland, On- tario. e The man who makes the worst of things usually gets it. His And Her Towels Are The Vogue Brooks Surprise the June bride with some of these in her shower. “His and Hers’ —‘“Mr. and Mrs.”—it’s the gay and popular trend in towel embroidery and these are so easy! Pattern 6989 contains a transfer pattern of 12 motifs ranging from 5 x 10 inches to 4% x 5 inches; illustrations of stitches; materials needed; color schemes. Toiobtain this pattern send 20 cents in coins (stamps cannot be accept- ed) to Household Arts Department, Winnipeg Newspaper Union, 175 Mc- Dermot Avenue E., Winnipeg, Man. There is no Alice Brooks pattern book published | that, it is thought, may have been, Badly Damaged Vessels Repaired By Salvage Crews And Are Sailing Again At a time like this every ship kept running helps directly to win the war, The value to the nation of those who salve ships which would other- wise be lost cannot be measured by any known standard. Those men are worth far more than their weight in gold, writes “Taffrail,” distinguish- ed British writer on naval affairs. During a recent visit. to a naval base I happened to meet the chief salvage officer of the area, whom I’d known long before the war. He and his men were then working for a pri- vate salvage firm; but when hostil- ities came they were taken over by the admiralty. Nowadays they labor for the pub- lic good, and literally millions of pounds have. been saved to the coun- try by their efforts. The. wildest weather does not deter the salvors. Their services have been available day and night ever since the outbreak of war. Up till the end of last year they have dealt successfully with 66 ships that have gone ashore through the ordinary hazards of navigation, or have been damaged by bombs, tor- pedoes, mines, fire or collision. I cannot describe a tenth of their suc- cessful efforts, but. here are a few. A: destroyer damaged in collision was brought into‘ harbor‘ with‘ her upper deck within nine inches of the water. A patch measuring 29 feet by 19 was fitted by divers under water, and the ship pumped dry and towed to a repair port. She is now back in service. - A large merchant vessel was bombed and set on fire, Two salvage ships went out to sea and brought the fire partjally under control be- fore taking her into harbor. Then the fire broke out again, raging furi- ously for three days. So they took the drastic step of beaching the ship and flooding the after holds, which successfully extinguished the flames. The vessel was only two years old and had cost £780,000 to build. Her cargo was worth another £400,000. The total damage to ship and cargo did not exceed £150,000, so her salvage represented a_saving of over one million. But for the help given she must have been lost. Another. ship, severely damaged by enemy bombs, was towed into harbor with a heavy list to port. and her deck awash. She was. success- fully beached, and divers set to work to patch or plug all the main inlets, discharges and auxiliary valves, together with the bomb hole and over- 100 splinter holes. The compartments were then pumped dry, and 15 days after being beached the ship was refloated and towed away for repairs. A large tanker worth £500,000 was torpedoed ,and later bombed, shelled and machine-gunned by _ aircraft while in. a helpless condition. Racing to the spot the salvage ship found her with six tanks, the engine-room and all the after com- partments flooded. . Her after deck was nearly awash, and her bows cocked well up. She seemed likely to founder, so pumps were put on board and the ship kept afloat for four days while divers went below and patched the bomb damage. damaged compartments were then pumped dry, steering gear and auxil- jary pumps put into working order, and the ship towed into port for re- pairs. : But for the salvage people she, too, must: have been written off as a total loss. Two destroyers had the misfortune to run ashore on a rocky coast in thick weather at the top of high water spring tides. When the tide fell, both ships were high and dry, and in a very exposed: and dangerous position. Ex- perts said they were unsalvable; but not so the chief salvage officer. He and his men rigged a trans- porter wire to the shore and removed over 800 tons weight from one of the ships—guns, torpedo-tubes, am- munition, stores anything they could remove. Other men .set to work patching the damaged hulls. spite of the severe gales blowing directly on shore, and a heavy sea breaking over both vessels, they were eventually salved—the first in a fort- night, and the second, which was further upon the rocks, in three - weeks longer. = Once or twice, when she was prac- tically ready to be refloated, one ship had to ‘be reflooded to keep her in position. - ‘ , Ingenuity, dogged _ persistence, patches, pump and compressed air saved. these two vessels, and enabled them to be towed away for repairs. Modern destroyers cost about £350,000 apiece. ‘ There is nothing to which these salvage men will not turn their hands. The more impossible a job seems, the more they seem to like it. These are the unknown men whose silent, dogged work is helping to foil the enemy—both those Who direct operations and the men who quietly carry on with their work in the face of almost inconceivable risks. and _ difficulties. ee Civilian Unbeatables People In England Are Earning . George Medal For Heroism _ Amid the dispatches telling of one German. blitzkrieg on London there comes to hand the British Official Gazette containing a list of civilians ‘to. whom has been awarded the George Medal with reasons for the awards. Consider a few: . Thomas Davis is a Liverpool police constable called back from retire- ment to the war reserve. When an exploding bomb buried the people in a basement shelter and fire made their rescue hazardous he helped clear a passage to them. To prevent further falls of debris he then crawled into the hole thus made and ‘supported the wreckage with his body. Smoke and fumes poured out and bricks fell on and around him, but he held that position for an hour, saving many lives. When taken out he was unconscious. Assistant Nurse Mary Newman worked her. way into a wrecked Southampton house, in which a bomb had killed four persons, to soothe & boy suspended by his ankles until he could be rescued. Debris was still falling, and a broken gas main threatened her with asphyxiation, but she kept the boy quiet until he was extricated. Walter Field, ieader of an A.R.P. rescue party, and Owen Parsloe, fac- tory superintendent (a volunteer), tackled a job in a Bromley house which had collapsed on the occupants under weight of debris from the roof. There was a space of only two feet between the wreckage and the ground floor. Field and-Parsloe tun- neled under the wreckage, jacked it up and rescued 9 woman pinned un- der a bedstead by cutting through it with a hacksaw. The list records many such acts of a people unbeaten by all that Hit- ler’s bombers have done to them and undaunted by all that is threatened. They are the civilian unbeatables.— New York Times. Answered Smoke Signals Indian Recruits Summoned From Christian Island By Old Method The ancient method of smoke sig- nals summoned Indian recruits from Christian Island in ‘Georgian Bay to military headquarters, after other means of .communication failed, it was revealed at Penetanguishene. In April a draft was received by Major W. M. Thompson, 0.C. of “D” Company, 2nd Battalion, Grey and Simcoe Foresters. As several mem- -bers of the Indian settlement at Christian Island hed signified their desire to be sent on active service, it was decided to notify them. - A telephone call to Cedar Island on the mainland opposite the island was made, and it was learned that the road from, Penetanguishene to the point was impassable to motor ve- hicles, the ice between the mainland and the island was unsafe’ and no means of communication were avail- able. ite : so that. smoke signals were wafted high above the trees. on the point. Three patriotic Indians, anxious to serve their King, received the mes- sage and alternately rowed and pulled a heavy rowboat ecross broken ice to gain the mainland. A Two-Country Town There is a town called Beeble Plain, which stands half in the state of Vermont and half in the province of Quebec. The post-office was built exactly on the boundary line be- tween the United States and Canada, Three Generations Three generations of one family— three children, their father and mother and their grandfather—were wiped out during the night in London by a bomb which demolished their home. 3 When placed on an isolated plane, a@ snail will crawl to the highest point. It never goes to the lowest, The. In > A fire was lighted and smudged
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Image 638 (1941-06-12), from microfilm reel 638, (CU12502606). Courtesy of Early Alberta Newspapers Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.