HESS A BIG NEWS STORY BUT . . .

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 197, 17 May 1941, Page 12

HESS A BIG NEWS STORY BUT . . .

Bigger Events Coming

AN ORDINARY MAN’S VIEW OF THE WAR

(By Observer.)

Like a page torn from the. Arabian Nights the bizarre tale of the flight of Herr Hess to Scotland has seized and Held the world’s headlines as no

individual incident of this or any other war has done. In any man’s .language from Greenland's icy mountains to India’s coral strand this fantastic affair Is the nearly perfect news story. It could have been bettered only if Hitler himself had been discovered weeping amid the ruins of the debating chamber of the Mother of Parliaments in symbolic conversion to the democratic way of life. Whatever may remain to be revealed about Hess and wbat secrets from inside the Nazi councils he may have disclosed, or been sent to disclose as some speculators believe, this mueh is clear, lie enormously reinforced Britain’s fourth lighting service—the propaganda arm. From our point of view his action could not have been more usefully or dramatically timed. He put himself into our hands at a period when .there was next to nothing doing militarily and the headlines—save for recording that hideous raid on London —were routine. Then from a clear sky, like the answer to a propagandist’s prayer came Hess. it lias been a Roman holiday for seers, speculators and “huncb’’-men. Where there have been ten prophets there have been eleven prophesies. It is time to call the holiday off. The Hess incident may or may not have a bearing on the course of the war. It lias still got to be fought out and won. Hess came down to earth, and we on this side of the battle-line might profitably do likewise. Let no one be deceived by the military lull. It merely presages a titanic clash to come. The next week or two, or month at the outside, will see the Empire again in full battle with an enemy whose military might has not been greatly impaired. What has happened all these 20 months is that we have been sparring for time —precious, all-important time —though taking and giving hard blows in the interim. In a state of war, time is totally of that side which makes best use of it. Up to the invasion of the Low Countries time was against us. In the last 12 mouths, though, we have made excellent use of time both for ourselves and for our cousins across the Atlantic, from whom soon please expect big news, but not a declaration of war just yet. So let us assess the importance of Hess by measuring him against tbe colossal back-scene of the war as t military war. He will be in the limelight for a while yet. But soon enough he will be pushed toward tlie back of the stage by violent action nearer tlie footlights. This will come in tlie shape of shattering R.A.F. raids on Berlin ami other enemy centres, and return thrusts by the Luftwaffe, of the imminent battle for Egypt and of tlie Near East, and of the siege of Gibraltar. The headlines will flare with vital news and it won’t all be about Rudolf Hess. It will be about Hitler’s desperate bid to snatch victory this European summer and of British-American co-opera-tion to smash him.

Democracy’s New Order.—Addressing the Foreign Policy Association of America recently, Mr. Henry Wallace, Vice-President of the United States, sees the essential foundation for tin alternative to the Nazi “New Order” in the following terms: — 'i he most perfect order in the world will be obtained whenever citizens in a democracy recognize ... in all its implications the Fatherliood of. God, tlie brotherhood of man. . . . Individuals who have meditated on the full meaning of these fundamental principles which characterize both religion and democracy wili treat their fellow beings in such it way that the entire State cun serve as a unit on behalf of the general welfare. Unusual Christening Ceremony.—A very unusual christening ceremony, possibly unique in Netv Zealand, took place at St. George’s Anglican Church, Seatoun last Sunday afternoon. .It was unusual in that the three fighting services were represented by commissioned officers. The occasion was the baptism of Raynor Hugh, infant sou of Flight Lieutenant E. J. Johnston and .Mrs. Johnston, Hataltni. Thus the Royal New Zealand Air Force was represented by the child’s father. The Navy was represented by LieutenantCommander H. Wynn»-Jones and the Army by Second-Lieutenant R. Nottle, of the 2nd N.Z.E.F., both in tbe capacity of godfathers. It had been arranged that waler from the River Jordan was to have been used as a link with the Holy Land, but because of wartime delays it had not reached Wellington in time for the ceremony.

Quite All Right. --Au elderly woman, wheeling a perambulator, approached a man stationed ar a London air-raid depot. A time-bomb had fallen in her yard, she said. The depot warden interrupted : "Stay away from there —J can't send a matt over right away to look after it. but I'll do it soon." "Oil, that’s all right, there's no need to send a man,” the woman answered, tlirowin’g back the coverlet of the perambulator, "I have the bomb right here!" The warden nearly fainted. Practical Gratitude. -Four Royal AitForce men and a similar number ol soldiers received a surprising Easter "egg" while travelling on a British train. A stranger handed each a sealed eiiveloiH.* and asked that ihe.v wait till he was gone before opening the gifts.Each man was astonished to lind £*’b in cash with best wishes tor a happy holiday.

l.ewis Walcott, (lie donor, -aid later that he had in mind to hand out 't year's service pay to each one as an expression of gratitude for lite escape o| himself and his family during th-* Coventry raid.

Old Custom Relived. -Firing lite anvil, a -tOO-year-old custom to announce the end of a war. is being practised once more by blacksmiths in Sussex. Since the days when Britain was threatened with invasion by the Armada, and sixteenth-century blacksmiths tired a report on Hie anvil on the approach of Spanish galleons, the end of wars lias been announced in this manner. Since the 1.-tsi war, however, lite custom lias been dropped. But two blacksmith brothers. W. and 11. Perfool of Fit tlewortlt. are practising again in Hie hope that they miry soon he able to send the news of victory echoing o'er tile downs and vales of Southern Ena land.

Petrol Restriction. Some of uwere speculating last night on why the Germ,'tn Air Force had more or les< ceased operations over Britain since Hie tligllt of I less to Scotland. “Perhaps- tlrey've used up the mouth's coupons,” y motoring colleague suggested