Evening star., 1943-05-17


Dunkerque, they could not have
been more so than during those
recent days when the news was
coming in of the Axis debacle in
Africa. 1t was with heart-warming
dignity that they accepted the de-
struction of the Afrika Korps. They
flew no flags, beat no drums, rang
no bells, held no parades, marched
no bands.
Business went on as usual. Only
by brisker steps on the streets, and
! a little more cheeriness in public
places, did the long-suffe public
OF London show how it felt about
the turning of the tide by the tre-
mendos victory in Africa.
To appreciate this show Of char
acter, one has only to remember
what Britain went through the first
three years of the war at the hands
Of a Germany which Inundated 1t,
taunted it and came so very close
to crushing it.
There was little gloating In the
press or over the radio. The tenor
OF the editorials and radio COM
ments was that the rout OF tho
once proud Rommel must be con-
sidered not as anything final but as
the first step toward an assault
that was to obliterate completely
the dark hours of yesteryear with q
rainbow Of final victory.
They Sing Inside.
But deep inside Of them the Brit
ish people are rejoicing and singing.
Their hearts are ringing bells and
waving flags. I talked with some OF
them as the German collapse
mounted day by day-men and
women who had taken it when just
about all the country had for de-
fense was courage.
I talked to one woman whose
husband had staggered back from
Dunkerque after five sleepless nights
on the beach, his battledress in
shreds, his weapons gone, even his
shoes abandoned.
He is somewhere In Africa today
and I only hope he is there at the
finish, with the Germans surrender
| ing, beaten, dazed and over
whelmed," she said If you could
only have seen him when he came
back from France you would know
what it would mean to him to
reach Tunis."
I talked to a 60-year-old taxi
driver, a tired little man who had
been twice bombed from his home
in, those days when the bombers
came on schedule over the city.
Il wonder how the cocky Jerrys
are now" he said. 1T does me soul
good to know the blighters are hav-
ing to burrow in the ground to keep
alive"
talked to a gray-haired lady
who runs a restaurant. Both Of
her sons were killed early in the
war.
Il can hardly cook for thinking
OF the good news" she said. Il
only wish my boys were here to
share it with me-"
Raj Awaits Chance.
talked to RAF bombardiers who
have made long and dangerous
thrusts into the heart of the Reich.
They all dream of the day when,
under an umbrella protection, they
can pay back 50-fold what the Ger
mans have done to their country
land. They all are waiting for the
day when they can operate from
bases in France, close to the enemy.
talked to Raj fighter pilots who
had survived the battle of France,
Britain and Crete back in the days
when it was often one Spitfire against
SO Messerschmidts. They long for
the time when they can fly out
In formations that cover the sky
and sweep all before them. Il
wonder if Goering's boys will come
up to fight us when the odds are
So to l against them"
These were individuals talking.
Collectively the British have taken
their greatest victory as quietly as
they did their defeats. But there
Is victory In the air over here. You
can feel it wherever you go.
distributed by McNaueht Syndicate, 1ncl