The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-09-25

sinking OF the airplane car
British navy in its history.
In the latter part of the first
World War, British naval COM
manders were able to detect SUBJ
marines about three miles distant,
through the use of detectors which
caught the sound waves of the sub
marines motors. Upon getting
this signal, the vessel Immediately
started zig-zagging and preparing
for an attack.
In the case of the Courageous,
however, the officer on the bridge
got no warning whatsoever. The
detector recorded no submarine.
First warning was direct torpedo
hit. The German sub escaped
tnscathed and back to its base.
The British announcement that
the sub was believed" to have
been sunk; was just what was
stakeholder.
What this new German device
is, the British navy does not know.
But they are almost frantic to
find out. For the British has
counted upon their detectors as a
major instrument in combating
Germany's undersea war.
MAVERICK VS.. CANTOR
Maury Maverick, Mayor of San
Antonio, had a row with comedian
Eddie Cantor the other day over
the question of Communism and
free speech. Cantor was in San
Antonio when that city was
stirred up because Maverick had
approved a permit for a Com
munist meeting in the municipal
auditorium.
Maverick had insisted that any,
one had, right to speak in the
auditorium, and Eddie Cantor, ap-
pearing at a local theater, i'm
mediately pounced on the issue
and joined the popular outcry
against allowing a Communist to
speak.
Maverick called him ON the tele-
phone to ask if he were not in
favor of freedom of speech.
Cantor barked back, II don't
know who you are. I've never
heard of you'll"
WELL" said Maverick with a
touch of sarcasm, you are a great
man, and I'm only humble
politician. But you belong to a
minority and I do not. When
the persecution begins, II 1t does,
you and your race will be the
ones to get 1t in the neck, not
me. Then you will be crying
out for protection of all sorts.
including freedom of speech.
And that's what I'm standing
for now"
Maverick asked Cantor to in
clude in his harangue simple
statement that he favored free
dom of speech. Certain rabbis
in San Antonio approached Can
tor with the same request, but
the comedians reply was. "That
would be like saying / love my
mother" and he refused.
ITALIAN NEUTRALITY?
Lord Lothian has informed his
official friends that the British
government Is assured Italy will
remain neutral despite the over
whelming Nazi-Soviet victory in
Poland.
This advice, however, is in con-
trast with diplomatic dispatches
received from Rome and Berlin,
all pointing to the probability that
Mussolini will be forced to come
into the fray and on the side
Of Germany.
So long as Hitler was con-
cerned only with Poland, 1t was
much better from his viewpoint
to have italy neutral. This local
lied the fighting and made it
more plausible to propose an early
peace.
But with the Polish campaign
about finished, and Germany
ready to concentrate on the
Western Front, It suits Hitler
better 10 have the French army
divided between the German
and Italian borders. And If Mus
solini, by coming into the war,
can defect only 20 per cent Of
the French troops from the
Western Front, he will perform
an important service for his Axis
partner.
NOTE-At present the French
have African Negro troops on the
Italian border awaiting q chance
to avenge Mussolini's rape Of
Ethiopia. But with Germany con-
centrating on the Western Front.
the French advance across the