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SCOUTING . . . When Troop 42 Boy Scout* of Pftndleton, Oregon, learntd that tilt Boy Scouts of Canada had a ftind to aid British Scouta who had lost home* and tquipment in tht blitz, they dipped into their Troop Funds and sent along $5.00 to help out the cause. They des- ribed their gesture as ''a friend- Ijr handclasp stretching to tht north." Nearly $35,000 has now been forwarded by Canadian Scouts to their brothers In Great Britain. * Boy Scouts of Uidjretown, Ont., reCent'y staged a one week cam- pa 1 ." n to ra'se funds to ship seeds to ' ;.:t Britain. At the end of the v.- t .fk they had $101.38 with which they hoi uht irarden seed* to be i sod by Rritish Boy Scouts In -'ir "Die for Victory" gar- dens Boy acouts of Halifax, N.S., op- en.' the Tweed*::! uir Room, a rest aid recreation centre for forrmr Scouts now in the armed services. In the first two years they entertained more than 1,200. Wh:'e the majority of the visitors came from Canada, the log book rover's visits from Scouts of (ireut Britain. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, the West Indies, India, Newfound- Ian:!, Itritish Guiana, Urazil. Hol- land, Argentina, Belgium, France, Latvia, L'.S.A. and Norway. A Rover Scout Crew in Gibral- tar meets each week in packing case. However it i.^n't us cramped as it sounds. The packing case is un airplane ra-c and is really quite roomy. The boys have add- ed a verandah and an awning. AH menil>ers of the Crew are in the armed forces stationed at the fortress. * Because of their special train- ing in observation, Boy Scouts of Nova Scotia are likely to be taken Into the Aircraft Detection Corps u plane spotters. In this work they will be emulating the ex- ample set by Hoy. Scouts of Kng- land, who !0,(<00 strong acted as coast watchers during the first Great War, and who in larger numbers are doing the same job fair; in this war. VOICE . OF THE PRE^SS DUMB CLUCK A White Leghorn pullet named VitaJiiirmie was entered In an ejjjf- Uyiritf contest in Passaic, >Je/w Jersey, by her North ranch owner. 3h laid an ,-,' ft day for 140 dys and ran up a State record. from litest reports she had of- fered no comment about time and t half for production over tSt>4 mad* in a forty-hour week. New York Ssm o LITTLE SERVICES By currying- her shopping home, the British housewife has helped t save 10,000,000 Kftllons of jasolino a yoar, AS well as a ifood deal of manpower. In fact, thin wsr will :ie >von by the accumula- tion of "little services" which art ontributed by all the poopl* wht make up the ration. Chatham Nuws i HARD TO ANSWER Why is it that woman who IB Ivil life can't run a furrioce or opt.-ruto a lawn-mower have no difficulty in servicing aircraft or running complicated machinory when they become war workers? - Brockville Recorder and Times COMPLICATED OUTLOOK We have always wondered what would hajjjjcii if a war went on so loiijf that there were more prison- ra on eacli side than there were people to guard them nnd do tht Toronto Saturday Night ESSENTIALS You are not fully into a total war until you format all uliout prices and worry only over whe- ther ||IIT is enoug-h to eat and i plam to ileep - nlive. London Free Press o SPRING FEVER "Absenteeism" U just a fancy word which coders such things as plain laziness, indifference to the wr, mid a profound distaste for * r<*giil*r job. Ite.ufrew Mtticury o THE TIME COMES War or no war, the income t a x a s notwithstanding-, thore oomea i time in a man's life when i woman ha to have Another hat. Strut ford lieneen-Hcrald o HOW TO REDUCE A noted phy.; > , '. bast reducing ni is described in ftur words; "No ' thank tms> '.alt Reporter o MORE ERSATZ Dog' hair Is being use>l for kuit- ttn*r in CJermany. Making "fleae- HneKi" garments? -Peterborough B U. S. BOMBS OVER GERMANY Two ''drops' 1 in the rain of bombs that the U. S. Army's 8th Air Force- poured on Germany recently are seen plunging toward Ger- man L'-boat yards at Yegesack, on the Aller Uiver, noithwcst of Bremen. Eighteen plant shops and the power house were severely damaged by the Yanks' precision bombing in the daylight raid. THE WAR WEEK Commentary on Current bvents RommePs Retreating Armies Travel Northward Over Historic Roads l''ield Marshal Knviu Hummel re- treated north last week through Tunisia, says the New York Times. Between Gabes anJ lilzerte the gnarled trunks and dome-shaped foliage of 16,000,000 olive trees dominate the land over which his forces moved. From the south the British Kighth Army, with its deadly train of 8,000 guuu, pressed clo.ii-.r. la tJie hills to the west Atnoricau and French troops work- ed their way through his mine fields to threaten his flank. His northern stronghold was under at- tack by the British First Army. Overhead American aircraft la 100-pItuia flights hammered the highway* along which nil desert- dusty Links and trucks pounded, swept out to blast his bait at Cag- Itarl and Messina across the Medi- terranean la Sardinia and Sicily. Th objective of ..< Allied armies was crystal clear. They proposed to destroy his army and drive him across Ui sea, back Into Adolf Hltlor'B Fortress Eur- ope. To do that would be to win two of the greatest goali In [he global strategy of [he United Na- tions. It would permit launching drives Into Southern Kurope, through Prance, or Italy, or the Balkans, with out fear that a Ger- man . > might ..i -:iuf Ui African bases of the attacking armies, And it would open the Mediterranean to Allied shipping, which now muet travel the long, 14,000 mile route around Africa to roach the Middle Kust and India. The Marshal's Task The marshal's job waa to stop the AllieB short of (lit* so alms. It wag u galling, tli.niklt-s* task, far different from tho glorious des- tiny that seemed reserved for him nine months ago when his Afrlka Korpi thrust to the gains of I'ini ' and the laurels of Alexan- der tho Great weic almost with- in hit grasp. He worked hanl at bis undertaking, exhausted every etraUgctn at his command in or- der to carry it out. He trle-d first to build stronghold stretching the longth of Tunisia's east coast, linking a tough (cuter of resist- ance In the Tunis Iti/.<TUi region of thu north to another MI c-i! on the Maretli fortlflcatlniia in the louth, with a baltlo lino strung 400 miles through Ilio hills west of the coastal plains. That tailed when hU old foe, the Uritish General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery, turned his south- ern defenses and forced him to withdraw northward to escape en- trapment. British troops, drawn from all parts of the Umpire, first stormed the Maretli Liue. Despite heavy rains that hampered the forward movement of their artil- lery, they made steady progress. The cost in lives and smashed ma- terial was hoavy. Around The Flank Then (leueral Montgomery, as full of tricks as Ills German op- ponent, gambled to nave lives. He ordered heavy reinforcement of a column of troops he had sent through tho salt deserts around the German flank. This column, under the colorful New Xealander, General Sir Bernard C Freyberg, veteran of Mexican revolutions und hero of the first World War, met the Panzer units sent to inter- cept It near the oasis of El Ham- ma. The battle took place at 4 o'clock In the afternoon. The Bri- tish, their backs to a low, blazing sun, throwing a heavy smoke screen before them, charged. The Qerman troopers, staring Into the sun and smoke, often did not see their opponents until It was too late to fire. Overhead a screen of aircraft, specially armed to fight tanks, swooped to the attack. In this fighting American planes played a part, making as many as 1.399 sorties in one day. American ground attacks farther north help- ed draw off some of Marshal Rom- mel's strength and this contributed to the Ilillish victory. Over Historic Roads Under this combined attack the Germans broke and ran. From that moment it became necessary for the Nazi marshal to retreat. The roads his columns took northward were historic. They had known the tread of Hannibal's elephants, the soft shuffling of St. Augustine's sandals and tho hoofheiUs of Roger the Norman's armored horse. They led through a countryside low and flal, a corridor varying In width from twenty-five to fifty mlle.s between the hills in the west uucl tht sea Iu the east- Along it were the towns of Gabes, Sfax, SOUSSP. that had been the strength of Carthage, colonial centers of the Roman and Turkish Empires. One of them, Sfai, had trembled under the fire of modern warships when the French Fleet brought French colonial rufe and nineteenth century civilization to Tunisia. Where along that corridor Mar- shal Rommel would stand and fight was the chief problem for the Allied commanders. North of Gabes his rearguard showed signs of holding once, then moved far- ther back where again it appeared rc-ady for battle. Many observers thought the marshal would move all the way. as slowly as possible, to his northern defense center In the Tunis-Rizerte region where he would try to hold. The Allies would give him no respite there. Last week the posi- tion was under heavy attack by -the British First Army which reached Mateur, but eighteen miles from Bizerte. But the land remained in the German favor, much as the land favored the Am- erican and Filipino forces on Ba- taan. Their flanks were guarded by the Mediterranean Sea, just as General Douglas Mac-Arthur's flanks were protected by the South China Sea and the Bay of Manila. A low, rough, broken line of hills threw a protecting arm across much of the Xazi northern stronghold, but the hills fall to reach the northern coast, leaving a narrow doorway which must be closely guarded. Tunisia's Chief Cities Within this Axis stronghold were Tunisia's two chief cities. Btzerte's lake, connected with the sea by a channel running through the city, coutains a naval base .second only to Toulon among France's Mediterranean bases. Tunis, near the site of ancient Carthage, is Tunisia's capital. Un- der its walls, St. Louis of France died attempting to storm the city. Beyond this position there is no retreat this side of Europe for Marshal Koinmel. And there wert no signs last week that he intend- ed to leave Africa. Strong forces, estimated at 200,000 men and 1,- 300 airplanes are at his command. From Italy he was presumably receiving reinforcements estimated at from 500 to 1,000 men a day and from 75 to 125 tanks R month. They crossed the Sicilian Straits, favorite hunting ground for Allied submarines and aircraft, In giant Messerschtnitt 323's, six-engined planes believed capable of carry- Ing 250 soldiers, and Siebel fer- ries, shallow-draft pontoon boats difficult to torpedo. In the back- ground was the oft-beaten Italian Fleet, now perhaps under the com- mand of Gorman officers It might emerge from its Adriatic bases to fight. Marshal Rommel, It seemed evi- dent, planned a stiff battle before relinquishing the Ails Tunisian bridgehead. Allied commanders saw a possibly long siege before, them as they contemplated his northern defense positions. That siege might he costly In lives, they warned. But on both the Allied and German sides there were evi- dence-s of belief that the end was not too far off. The Germans were ruthlessly pressing the labor of their captive countries to the task of building fortifications along the shores of Southern Europe. In Northern Kurope they were clear- ing civilians ou-t of areas Uiat might become battle zones In the event of an Allied Invasion. In United Nations countries there was a heightened air of expect- ancy. The Spring was growing older. Good fighting weather was near. Rommel'* Rear Guard For fivo months the Germans have been planting land mines along every approach to the Tun- isian const. They cannot be dug up In five hours or five days. This mechanical rear guard which Hom- mel left behind him has served him as well as Axis tanks and guns to delay our attacking col- umns. No defensive weapon of the war has prove*! more useful on a re- stricted front than the land mine. On a vast front 'such as that of the Russian Winter offensive It is not so effective, simply because there Is too much ground to cover. The whole world could not produce enough mines to neutralize 187,- 000 square miles of territory. But iu Africa the land mind has help- ed Rommel to escape his pursuers again and again. The route of his retreat from Egypt had great length but very little width; he could mine the shore road almost any where. In Tunisia every moun- tain pnss was a potential mine Honor To "Number 10" Let's have less nonsense from the friend* of Jot, We laud, we love him; but the nonsenst no. In 1940, when we bors th brunt We could have done. boy, with a Second Front A Continent went down a cataract, But Russia did not think it right to act Not ready? No. And who shall call her wronj? Far better not to strike till you are strong. Better perhaps, but this was not our fate, To make new treaties with the man you hat*. Alas, these siy manoeuvre* had to end, When Hitler leapt upon hU largest friend. (And if he had not, I wonder, by the way, If Russia would be in the war to-day?) But who rushed out to aid the giant then, A giant rich in corn, and oil, and men Long, long prepared, and having, so they say, The most enlightened ruler of the day, This tiny Island, antiquated, tired, Effete, capitalist, and uninspired; This tiny Island, wounded in the war Through taking tyrants on two years before; This tiny Isle of muddle* and mistakes, Having a front on every wave that breaks; We might have said: "Our shipping's on the stretch, You shall have all the tanks that you can fetch." But this is not the way we fight this war; We give the tanks and take them to the door. Honor the Kremlin, boys, but, now and then, Admit some signs of grace at No. 10. A. P. Herbert, in Punch. field which the Germans had plenty of time to load with explosives. From now on Rommel must do his mining hastily, though he is re- ported to be manufacturing var- ious types in considerable quan- tity from materials shipped across the Strait of Sicily. One thing, however, seems certain. When he is driven back to the beaches It will do him no good to mine th sea. As early as 1933, during their drive into Poland, the Germans used land mines to hold tht French on the Belfort triangle. Yet no fully successful counter to this weapon has thus far been de- veloped. Clearing mine fields is still a slow and costly process. U. K. Lend-Lease To United States The first hospital train built in Britain tor the United State* Army Medical Department was formally handed over recently to Brig.-Oen. Panl R. Hawley. The- train of gix ward cars and a car for sitting-tip patients can carry nearly 300 wounded. It also Includes a pharmacy car and operating theatre, two kit- chen cars and other cars for stores, offices, medical officer*, nurses and attendants. Brlg.-Gen. Hawley said this "Is an example of the close co-oper- ation we have received througfc- out. I wish the people In the United States could see for them- selves this example of reverse lend-lease." The train is built to run on any Kaugt) railroad iu Britain, North Africa, or on the continent. Al- though the> can wert produced in Britain, the train la powered by an American locomotive. Lend Garden Tools To Your Neighbor When your neighbor asks to borrow your lawn mower, you say you are using it and ha replies, ''well, you won't be needing your hoe, then," please be patient. The Prices Board, among others, has cast a mantle of respectabil- ity over the man who owns noth- ing but a chunk of land in his back yard. "If you have not gardened be- fore, and have neither the tools nor the experience, offer your ser- vices as a 'digger' to your nearest neighbor or community centre where there is already a vegetable garden established or projected," board officials said. "Every tool and every seed has got to show results this year, and tihe experi- ments of the amateur are apt to be wasteful." Beslde-g community effort there will also be door-to-door co-oper- ation in garden production, and this, of necessity, will require tol- erance In the loaning of garden tools to those who lack them. lie- cause of war requirements, gar- dening tools ar to limited sup- ply. Tons Of Material Flow Into India Tons of vital war material art flowing into Eastern India and Ohina daily from this huge Amer- ican supply maintenance depot, less than a year old. It will be gome time before quantities of supplies large enough for an all-out offensive against the Japanese flow forward, but that time it coming as iurly as the monsoons. LIFE'S LIKE THAT By Fred Ncher "I feel guilty layin" here when I think of my ol" man out trudfia' from house to hou*e try in' to sell bruthet for a livin' 1" REG'LAR FELLERS Poppa's a Wise Guy By GENE BYRNES MttTX ON A Joft LIKt TH\ WMHr THJ.MSll.VlS Mf ^COR^^t(>.' BOT MOT FopfrV. tfcfc tipo SMMIT -T <StT CNLX6HT