POSTSCRIPTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 23, 27 January 1940, Page 12

POSTSCRIPTS

BY PERCY FLAGE

Chronicle and Comment

It is understood that his English critics have dubbed him Sir Fascist Morosely. « « * Much of the so-called war news read today may safely be forgotten tomor- ' i row, thank heaven. * ■■■■■■■ * ■ ■:.■.■> ! No, Melisande. There is no risk of the dumb waiter spilling the soup down your swan-like neck. * * ■■-.■■♦ At least Stalin has the decency not to claim that Providence is on the side of his big battalions. * • ■ ♦ \ News note: "Skipping Is excellent for reducing.!' Skipping meals is better. - > - . ■. « * * ' The Nazis have only to bide their time: the land around London is sinking at the rate of nine inches every century. " ■ ' *'* • - NO SKELETONS IStf THAT ' CUPBOARD. • l One of the most fascinating •-- war mementos in London's Imperial War Museum is the so-called "little cupboard from Le Cateau." It is a cupboard in which a British soldier concealed himself for nearly four year* in a house occupied by German troops; the Englishman's food was carried to him secretly by a French woman. * * * OH, YES! "Stalin, symbol of freedom...., -." of emancipation. Great, noble,' wise, beloved leader.... The metal worker of Detroit, the, shipyard worker of Sydney, the- woman .weaver of Shanghai the seaman of Marseilles, the fellah of Egypt, the Indian peasant on the bank of the Ganges^all speak of Stalin with affection. "With Comrade Stalin's leadership, the peoples of the Soviet Union have secured calm and lasting peace; . . "The troops in Finland go into battle with Stalin's name on- their lips .. ? , With such words Soviet papers paid tribute on the sixtieth birthday of Josef Vissarionovicti Djugashvili, alias , Josef Stalin, which • happened round about Christmas. (Local parlour pinks please copy.) • * * '' # ALGEBRA UP TO,DATE. Let X be the driver of a motor-car, and V the velocity of the car. If a sufficiently \ high value be givea to V, it will finally reach PC. X will instantly=O. . " For low values of y, P C may, be neglected; but, if V be high, it is best tO T EteePC+LS D =(P.C)2--If value of L- S D be sufficiently great, P C will vanish, and V will be extended indefinitely. .>. • . _ • But should 'differences between X , and P C be very great, J P^mayrbe substituted for P C,,in which case problem is difficult of solution, because no value of L S D has y6t been found to effect the elimination of -J P.- --■ (J P)2 is therefore an impossible quantity. ~ ■ (From Upson Downes O'Flyffes clipping book.)' •„. ■.. -.■ * - \.i.-».!' •■* :•" :iJ". school's ' rvsH ''v >: '"*;" Do you know that — ' .■<-•■ 1. London's taxis, if placed in'a slA«l« rank,- would stretch for fourteen miles (there are 8000 of them)?*' 2. Over 30,000,000 gallons of icecream are consumed in Britain every year? 3. Apart from national jewels, gem* in the possession1, of dealers .in the West End of London alone are. of the : estimated value 'of £30,000,000,. *of which Bond Street holds about £10,000;000 worth? \ 4. Until the fifteenth century, no Christians were allowed to receive interest of money, and Jews were_ the - only usurers, and therefore often banished and persecuted? - < 5. In six years 120,000 bottles and tins left, by picnickers have' been removed from a bluebell wood near Denham, Bucks? l 6. Grocers made their appearance in Europe in the fourteenth century—• the so-called Dark Ages—but only the" rich could patronise them? 7. The camel stores water inside it* body in 30' or 40 cells shaped like large tobacco pouches, each cell being . capable of carrying three gallons? : ; 8. In the winter in China one can count by the high.. collars that come. up about the neck the number of suit* ■" put on to keep the wearer warm? 9. Women on Spanish beaches art required to wear bathing" suits that come down to the knees and go up to the necks of the wearer? 10. A million shells,were fired in four hours at the Battle of St. Mihiel (1918)— the greatest concentration of , artillery fire in all history? * #.•#■. SONG OF WANDERING AENGUS. I went out to the hazel wood, . Because a fire was in my head, And cut and peeled a hazel wand, And hooked a berry to a thread; . And when white moths were on the wing, . And moth-like stars were flickering out, ■ . -. I dropped the berry in a stream .. . And caught a little silver trout. .;' When,l had laid it on the floor . I went to blow the fire aflame, But something rustled on the floor. And someone called me by my name: It had become a glimmering girl With apple blossom in her hair Who called me by my name and rati And faded through the brightening air. Though I am old with wandering Through hollow lands and hilly lands, I will find out where she is gone. And kiss her lips and take her hinds; - And walk among long dappled grass, And pluck till time and times are don* The silver apples of the moon, ■• The golden apples of the sun. —W. B. YEATS. * *' «... SOX FOR SOLDIERS. Mrs. Knitter writes: Call for service found me buying four skeins New Zealand khaki wool for a pair of sox for soldiers. Following official direction* I need another skein, the foot is too short and narrow, the leg too long, and the heel is single instead of double, which means waste in refooting. That word waste is so closely associated with war that it calls for an economy branch. There was a tremendous waste • of energy and good material in. New Zealand during 1915-18. Tens of thousands of pairs of sox were thrown away after the first use because no darning and refooting committees of workers had been organised by the Department or the women. No Madame Sans Gene directed a washtub brigade to render the casualties fit to darn and refoot. So what's the use of womenfolk going along the waste line? I , suggest that great economy would be effected if the responsible Government Department decided to buy woven sox for our soldiers. New Zealand factories turn out a very good woven article, which could "be washed and darned, but not1 refooted". This: iterii^ is a bit different, Flage, but, believe fcieit is not persiflage—any thing v bu£--or else! •' - - --'- "3v.>i; • ■Vs.- < -