The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-04-11
> New York
Listening Post
Hiilerites in France
Hard Hill by Prophecy
Predictions OF Woe Fills
Neris with Grest Terror
Allies Up Against Big
Problem in Lost Ship,
ey AletsT n. ltAAN

~ AletkI ~. ktAAN
NEW YORK - One II the
strsnEest weapons used against
Hitler in Occupied France u IN.
prophetic words Of a blind sirl,
printed Illegally. and circulated
from hand to hand. They graph
oally describe the struggle and
foretell Germany's doom. yet
they were written over 1900
years ago. Gestapo snoopers are
securing the country side to de-
stroy the document in which
they appear = called La Wis.,
ion de Sainte odile" - because
the message not only arouses
hope in French hearts but its
translation has created panic
among moody Nazi garrison
troops. according to a report
Struggled out to De Gaullists
IN New Ofk.
The prediction says that
ruthless conqueror shall come
from the banks Of the DAN
ube' where the Fuehrer
lived and the victims of his
wrath shall be numberless. For
season he shall win victories
on land and sea. His winged
warriors shall seize the stars
and throw them on cities which
shall he consumed by the
flames" Then the women Of
his own country shall arise and
no longer shall his people put
their trust in him." Finally the
war ends with enemies invading
and destroying "Germania.
Fifty persons were arrested
in Alsace for having copies Of
the text. The original appeared
rs years ago and is in the Brit
fish Museum together with many
more of her omens. Like the
foretellings of Nostradamus and
other seers, the uncanny revela-
tons interest even the most in
credulous - and in this particu-
lar case cause misgivings
among those who brought fear
to France and now themselves
are the prey of fright.
Despite the whistling-in-ths
dark cockiness of our maritime
moguls, the shipping situation
Is becoming one of the most
deadly perils we face. People in
the interior do not appreciate
the danger and residents along
the sesbosrd cannot know be-
cause they see only the vessels
that are still afloat - not the
ones blown to flotssm by tor
pedoes. Neither the British Ad-
miralty nor Washington now
dares publish the exact figures.
However. the new official re-
port of the United Kingdoms
Chamber of Shipping gives an
inkling OF the menace. Total
destructioS to British, Allied
and neutral merchant marine
from the invasion of Poland to
the end of 1941 is s,600,00O
tons. In addition, the Axis lost
5000. 900 tons so that Davy Jones
has claimed almost one of every
four vessels in the entire world.
New York master mariners esu-
mate that when the toll since
December 7th is added the
United Nations will have had
10, 1000 900 tons sent TO the bot
tom during the war.
The Manhattan waterfront
fraternity also worries about
construction costs which have
doubled since 1899. Although a
wreck may yield 100000 in in
suranee, 10 make another boat
Of similar size requires 5000, 600.
At this rate only federal subsi-
dies can keep our steamers on
the trade routes In the postwar
period. Old-time shippers find
both the near and far horizons
elouded by uncertainty.
The reason that Chang Kali
shek's people refrain from ner-
vously biting their fingernahs
over the loss Of the Burma Road
is not because of the recently
bsllyhooed new Indian railway
from Assam - for that system
will be incomplete for a couple
of years. Some material and
medicines have been ferried into
Chungking by airplane, but vol
unns - limited. The real cause OF
according 10 fresh re-
ports received IN New Yorhs
Chinatown, is the successful or
rsnizstion Of the sinkianE or
Northwest Road, q safe BACK
lot psth 10 Russia
A soo-nnils motor highway runs
from the capital to Lsnehow on
the famous Wall Then for
800 miles IN. link follows a
dirt path. used for centuries by
Cob Desert camel packs. Until
recently the strip was OF se@nt
value because half Of each truck
cargo had 70 be gasoline since
wsyside depots contained no
pumps. Now It connects with
semipslstilsk, branch terninsi
Of the Trans-Siberian railroad
The lifeline tsps the ne"
Ursl and Kusnetsk Basin INDUS
tries which at last are nlanufse-
turing 50 many goods that