POSTSCRIPTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 106, 31 October 1942, Page 6

POSTSCRIPTS

Chronicle and Comment '<

BY PERCY FLAGE

"Howdy," Uncle Sam! * * * They've fixed the highway of Alaska, But how goes things in Madagascar? * * ♦ Cold steel for the Japanese indicates that they are getting it in the neck. * * * It seems to us, so we relate, That Hell is rather out of date. « * * Ad. H.—Yes, Melisande! The law does give the man the right to open his wife's letters—but not the nerve! * * " * Viscount Bennett, ex-Prime Minister of Canada: "What our people really need, in view of the atrocities by the enemy, is a first-class dose or Christian hate." * ♦ ■♦ DEMOCRACY. (With apology to. Macaulay's shade.) ; Now most are for their Parties, So few are for the State! Now big men "use" the poor men While poor men cheat the "great," Now lands are over-valued, Now spoils are for the shrewd. We're anything but brothers; .; We're politically crude, J. 5. *'* * , LIMERICK. There was a young fellow from. Khedah, Who was known as a good chicken breeder. He could sex eggs so well By a glance at the shell, That he joined up at church as "lay reader." AMADEUS. * * ♦ THIS HESS. It is Rudolf Hess speaking to th^: German youngsters— "I know it is the highest wish of you • boys to be in Norway now as airmen, releasing your bombs; you are longing to sit in Germany's wonderful war machine, to sink British battleships, and to shoot down the enemy aeroplanes. You would not be the youngsters of the new Germany if this was not your burning wish. . . . But console yourselves; Germany will one day need your devotion as men. After this war is over Germany will again possess all her colonies, and more. . . ." We wonder how Hess is feeling today. * «■ * SACKED. It is the opinion of one of the RA.P, aces, who was over in Russia last year, that the secret of the fighting qualities lies not in tanks, etc., but in its generals. The Russians, he says, give short shift to muddlers, the newspapers do likewise. Here's an example. A certain Lieut-Colonel Dorontsov once took nearly 24 hours to. make a road journey of 18 miles. He excused himself by saying his car got stuck in the mud. Said the paper "Pravda": "Instead of getting out and walking, the colonel, sat for seven hours in his car waiting for help. He was stuck in the mud in more ways than one. Such types have nothing in common with true Soviet patriots. He will have to go- * * * PIPERS WENT TO DIEPPE. Not only Scots in this country will be interested to hear this note. It tells when the Cameron Highlanders, of Winnipeg, landed at Dieppe they took their pipers along. A typical piper was G. B. (Red) Campbell, who landed with his pipes under one arm and pistols blazing away in both hands. Withdrawing with the others to a destroyer, he was surprised to find a bullet hole in the bag of his pipes. He plugged this in some mysterious, fashion, and piped all the way home. Not even the scream of attacking stukas could wholly drown the strains of "Blue Bonnets Over the Border" and "The March of the Cameron Men." * # * PICTURE PIECE. "Blondie Goes to College" to have "Six Lessons from Madame La Zqnga." At a "Winter Carnival" she is introduced to "The Tuttles of Tahiti." She becomes a "Ball of Fire" when they tell her of "South American George" and decides to "Fly By Night" and "Reap the Wild Wind." Arriving in "Dangerous Moonlight," she hears a certain "Lady Scarface" inquire "What's Cookin?'" for "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" "Out of the Fog" comes her hero. She is disappointed to find he is none other than "Alias Boston Blackie," one of "Boys' Town's" "Blossoms in the Dust." Taking one of the "Ships With Wings" she goes back "Among the Living" and decides to "Rise and Shine" with "Johnny Apollo," who is "Blue, White, and Perfect." O.W.W. * ♦ ♦ NEW GUINEA 70 YEARS AGO. Still living in Durban (South Africa) is a son of Dr. Macfarlane, the "Livingstone" of New Guinea, who opened up the coastal parts of the island nearly 70 years ago. When Macfarlane was sent to New Guinea by the London Missionary Society, the land was unexplored. The village of Port Moresby consisted of cottages built out of the sea on stilts, and the old known river on the great island was the River Fly, named after the ship The Fly, which had once anchored at its mouth and been attacked by the natives. The doctor later "discovered" Thursday Is* land, 35 miles from the Australian mainland, and bought it from the natives for a dozen axes and some pieces of hoop iron. Later he explored the Fly River, going 300 miles upstream. Then he got out of his boat,, cut a square of bark from a nearby tree, and replaced it with the Queen's photograph. * * * DREAM MEADOWS. Girt with great garths of shadow Dim meadows fade in grey: No moon lightens the gloaming, The meadows know/no day: . But pale shapes shifting From dusk to dusk, or lifting, Frail wings in flight go drifting Adown each flowerless way. These phantom-dreams in shadow Were once in wild-rose flame; Each wore a star of glory, Each had a loved sweet name: j Now they are nameless, knowing Nor star nor flame, but going Whither they know not, flowing. Waves without wind or aim. But later through the gloaming The Midnight Shepherd cries The trooping shadows follow Making a wind of sighs: The fold is hollow and black; No pathway thence, no track; No dream ever comes back > Beneath those silent skies. ]. —"FIONA MACLEOD." (William Sharp) \ * * * i* QUILL-PUSHEiRS. As vivid as if written today is thdj letter Lord Wellington sent 132 year! ago from Spain for the benefit of homefront quibblers, writes the "San Fran* cisco Chronicle." To Lord Bradford, Secretary of State for War, Wellington; wrote:— . . My Lord: If I attempted to answer the mass of futile correspondence that surrounds me, I should be debarred from all serious business of campaigning. I must remind your Lordship*—fop the last time—4;hat so long as I retain, an independent position, I shall see no officer under my command is de-. barred by attending to the futile drivelling of mere quill-driving—in your Lordship's office—from attending to his first duty—which is, and always has been, so to train the private men under his command that they may, without question, beat any force opposed to them in the field. I am, my Lord, your obedient servant, WESLLMGTON. The communication is reproduced irsi "Infantry Journal," and should be re-> quired reading for red-tape specialists.