ENGLISH CALM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 180, 31 July 1940, Page 9

ENGLISH CALM.

THREAT OF INVASION. OPTIMISM OF VICTORY. ELDERLY MAN'S ONE REGRET. (Prom Our Correspondent.) NEW PLYMOUTH, this day. "My sight is too defective to use a gun if parachutists dropped at Bournemouth," writes an 81-year-old Englishman to residents of New Plymouth, in a letter in which he reveals the calm courage of the people of England. His chief regret appears to be that his age will debar him from the active part he would like to play.

Though he considers his advancing years will unfit him for any military duty other than serving ammunition to gunners he wishes that he could be given the opportunity to do his part; he could grow enough vegetables for half a dozen people. Despite the sturdy independence and confidence of his outlook, though the letter was written just after the capitulation of the Belgian King, he is careful to explain that, should his lettc.r seem gloomy, he is not downhearted. "We must steel ourselves to f-tand tha strain of it all and fight our way to victory," he writes. "We are hardening and the. distress we lirst experienced is lessening," hp writes in another place. "We are getting more heedless and have settled down to the horror of it all and we are optimistic of victory."

There is quiet heroism in his cheerful calculation that. German bombers are only 30 minutes' flight from his own home. Vet there is no trace of panic or hysteria. He mentions that during the Flanders battle people on the south coast could not sleep for the booming of the guns and the concussion rattling the windows and forcing the doors open. "We are likely to get a few shock* . . . we are optimistic of victory"; thus is Britain facing her dark hour.