LONDON TELLS ITALY

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15238, 31 December 1942, Page 4

LONDON TELLS ITALY

8.8. C. CALL TO EUROPE. “London Culling Italy,’’ a daily session in the BBC's European senes included this item in a recent 4 London Dairy" feature: —borne days alter the Dieppe ra»ld the German air torce dropped leaflets on England with the object of proving to the British public that the raid had been a gigantic failure. “Do you know what happened to those leaflets r’ ’ the Italans were asked. Do you think the authorities forbade their Circulation ? Confiscated them? Imputed penalties upon anyone reading them and passing them on? Not on your life. They put them up for sale for the benefit of the Red Cross. And in many hotels on the Soutn Coast anyone could buy one for half a crown (about ten lire). 14 It* is not very odd really. In a country where everyone is free to listen to enemy broadcasts, there is no reason why circulation of the Dieppe leaflet sli o uld be for bidden. ’'

The leaflet gives more or less the same old story repeated by German v- ire less ad nauseum. There is, however, one rather more enlightening feature—the photographs. Photographs of counidss British tanks which the Germans claim to have destroyed on the French beaches. But instead of being impressive .they're disappointing. Of tliest? ‘ countless tanks ’ the Gorman official photographers took only six. They are certainly photographed from all angles—front, back, sides, close-up and distant —but always the sam© six. The broadcaster wondered whether perhaps the official photographer had been, in civilian life, a theatrical producer, because tli£se photographs brought to mind tiie first act of Aida, when the whole Egyptian army streams in endless procession across the stuge : —priests, trumpets, drums, and cattle, and then twelve men, figures erect, heads high, the ranks firmly dosed—and the moment they get to the other side the first two racing back behind the scenes to catch up the last two in order to give the audience the impression of an army thou sands ? trong.