OBSERVATIONS

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, 21 July 1943, Page 4

OBSERVATIONS

When the Hon. H. G. R. Mason testily reminded a questioner that there were warders at Strathmore, as well as offenders, he recalled to my mind a story 1 of Dunsany. Jorkens, a much-travel led character at the Club, whose Munchhausen abilities were unfailingly stimulated by whisky, had.,just delivered a horrifying account of his experiences in Africa after having been bitten by the most deadly of all African snakes, the black mamba- The bite, he said, was. in the heei,. His faithful native bearers had subjected it to the severest treatment with a branding iron, and afterwards had dragged him for many miles endeavouring to work the poison out of his system. A sceptical listener suggested that Jorkens's heel must have been grossly disfigured, and removed his shoe to examine it. When the heel was found to afford no evidence whatever in support of the story, Jorkens merely remarked: "The wrong foot". And it did not seem to occur to anybody to suggest that the other foot should be examined. This story is recalled, not. because of any simrl,ilarity in the respective habits of New Zealand's Attorney-General and Mr but on account of the psychological features common to 'both/ incidents. When Mr Mason denied that the apricots went to the conscientious objectors, no one apparently thought of raising the question how or why 15 cases of them went to the staff of the camp. When, however, it is an established fact'that meii in base camps, who never worried much about eggs before, can get a couple for breakfast regularly, while eggs for infants and sick people in towns are in short supply, it seems relevant and fair to ask why warders at Strathmore should have a mojtgagehold over the apricot market- For it is reported to me that apricots have not been seen for months in most shops. t■• t t t t . ' I have previously referred to Louis Fischer's book on "Men and Politics", covering the inter-war continental scene, and more especially the Russian end of it. His portraits are acutely critical, and all the more valuable for it. In October 1939 he managed an interview, for half an hour, with Mr Winston. Churchill. This was the summing-up: We sat opposite one another at a small round table. He sm,oked a,.very fat cigar, and dropped ashes on his vest, and occasionally brushed them off with the baqk of his hand. Across his vest was a gold chain of big links. His eyes look watery and tired; his face is huge and flabby, and the lips have a fleshy droop. Yet the total impression is power. The upper half of his face is intellect, the lower half British bull-dog He rolls out an ordinary sentence with the rounded finish and force of a carefully polished work of art His nouns are pictures, and his verbs work. I think his, strength lies in the fact that he doubts and does not doubt. He is coldly critical of his own country's weaknesses and mistakes. Enthusiasm, does not blunt analysis, hopes do not distort facts. He thinks! while he fights. He dares to have thoughts and doubts about conditions, because he has no doubt about his course of action. He knows what he wants to do. There is no way bade There is only the struggle. The civilized brain in the upper storey dloes not hamper the animal determination in the lower storey... .He is rooted deep in the old rock of the Isle, but he reacts to changes in the world's weather. —N.Z. Observer. i t t t i . Western Air Lines of America is looking way ahead. It has launched a new advertising campaign featuring, air travel to-morrow, with future air fares to Calcutta, Moscow, London and Japanese-held Hongkong, the latter priced as low as 156 dollarsWording deals with glider trains, glider pick-ups, long distance stratosphere travel, arid other 'dream' stuff. V ■-.. t : : A ■■-'*. ■:■■ ■'■'■* "Fur Vest Project", sponsored by the U.S. V War Production and backed by the National Retail Dry Goods Association, calls on American women to put "your old fur coats on active service", the coats being made over into fur vests for naval men. Five thousand) Workers in /factories concerned are giving their services without charge and the managements are assisting. ttt t i Tri-vision, Inc., has furnished a new boon 'to American surgeons in the form of a three-dimen-sional X-ray camera. According to 'Advertising Age' the film, used in the camera is of cellulose acetate base, reveals depth as well as length an\d breadth, and will show a surgeon accurately how deep an incision must be made when probing for bullets or shell splinter. ' . .., t,: t.. t t t The use of Vitamin Bl in its Wonder Bread will turn .the loaf into energy . declares the campaign of the Continental Baking Company, U.S.A. The claim is made that use of the bread would save the nation ninety million working days lost through nutritional illnesses; alone'. '• ■;-. a