A SHINING EXAMPLE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 226, 22 August 1940, Page 6

A SHINING EXAMPLE.

The Nazis, following a policy of wishful thinking, have been prompt to declare that Britain is practically already at their mercy after the air raids of the past ten days. Yet what a striking contrast was provided over the weekend when, instead of “Londoners trembling day by day in the air raid spelters,” swimming pools and golf courses were crowded and several seaside resorts, all in the front line of the air warfare, had their largest number of promenaders for months past. What answer could have been more complete than this to Hitler’s lying propaganda. If anything more were required a commentator over the British Broadcasting- Corporation gave it in his striking illustration of rural life on Saturday. To a little village not far from London he went and there on its green two teams were playing England’s traditional game of cricket. Imperturbably bowlers and batsmen played their match to its finish and then donning their Home Guard equipment even gas masks on their arms —they wended their way to the village inn, there to play the game oyer again in the accustomed English way. Such is the spirit of England, a spirit that ennobles life and keeps men, women, and children brave in the face of the awful terror of German aerial attacks and foul machine-gunning of innocent peo'ple. The same spirit is seen in the letter of the father whose only son has died for Britain defending her shores in the air battles. He has no other son to, give, but with the community of his little village can provide an aeroplane for some other airman either from Britain or the Dominions as an instrument to hurl back these invaders. German propaganda lies cannot undo these pictures because they are true and the greater part of the world knows of them. At the same time it must be rather disheartening for British people to learn that censorship delays caused American papers to publish Germany’s “picturesque lies” of widespread havoc in London ahead of the correct British news. This is a matter in which the Ministry of Information should exercise more judgment, so that nothing harmful to its cause shall be spread throughout the States friendly to the Empire,