The White Falcon - 28.04.1945, Blaðsíða 2

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One of the many modern bridges over Icelandic streams. (Photo courtesy of \'isii).
Communications
Isolated as they are
from the rest of the world
and because of their coun-
try’s unusual climate and
terrain, Icelanders have
always had difficulty in
communicating with each
other and with the out-
side Avorld.
Without a railroad syst-
g em of their own, they
g have had to rely on coast-
wise shipping, roads and
g pack-horses for carrying
55 on their business.
«•£
g Off the main shipping
g lanes, Iceland has had to
g build up a comparatively ain roads — mostly bridle
g laige Merchant Marine. In patlis, constructed at state
« 1935 this consisted of 72
to build roads. The state
paid for roads leading
from the chief towns into
the country.
Roads fall into four
classes: (1) High roads
— main roads through
and between districts
(built at state expense);
(2) District roads — built
through and between dist-
ricts (built by the districts
concerned); (3) Parish
roads — lying .through
and between parishes
(constructed by individu-
al parishes); (4) Mount-
s' steamers and motor ships
g of over 100 tons. These to-
g tailed 32,000 tons gross
B register tonnage — or
5; about 280 tons per 1,000
e inhabitants.
55 Besides these large
| ships, there are hundreds
g of small craft engaged in
g the fishing fleets.
Up to World War I, al-
s most all transport to and
§from Iceland was carried
on in foreign ships —
« mainly Danish or Nor-
« wegian.
g Dissatisfied with the
g foreign shipping service,
g the Icelandic Steamship
g Co. was organized in 1914.
The company,
years, kept up
m peace
constant
communication between
Iceland, Denmark, Great
Britain and Germany.
As for land transport,
pack-horses were used ex-
tensively until the end of
the last century. Carts
were almost unknown.
Roads were mfere bridle-
paths.
In 1884, an expert was
brought in from Norway
to teach Icelanders how
.expense, with stone cairns
erected along them.
In order to derive full
benefits from the roads,
bridges were built across
the streams and rivei's.
The first suspension
bridge, made of iron, was
constructed across the
Olfusa by English civil
engineers in 1890. Because
of the expense, however,
most bridges liaVe been
made of reinforced con-
crete.
Automobiles made their
appearance in Iceland in
1913. By the end of 1944,
4,1(53 vehicles were regist-
ered in the country - 1,921
of which were trucks and
182 motor buses.
Governmen t-licensed
motor buses travel over
75 fixed routes.
Since the terrain and
climatic conditions have
discouraged road building
to quite a degree, it is felt
that perhaps the airplane
is the answer to the coiiri-
try’-s communications pro-
blems.
. y t . : < '• i . .A ' ,.
The first plane was
flown over Iceland in
1919. By' 1929, regular «
flights were being made 5j
by a seaplane flying he- «
tween Reykjayik and g
some of the coastal com- g
munities. The same year g
found one plane engaged g
in spotting shoals »
(schools) of herring for g
the fishing fleets. 55
Naturally, the citizens B
of Iceland have extensive &
A
post-war aviation plans 55
which are still in their '
preliminary stages.
Iceland’s postal system
utilizes the automobile to
the maximum allowed by
the present road condit- «
ions. The horse caravan 55
is used now only in out-of- g
the-way places. g
Mail is delivered to ev- g
ery part of the island at g
least once every two 5?
weeks. Permanent post of- s?
fices and branches handle g
mail, parcels and money- g
orders — just as our post g
offices hack home. g
hr
Earlier this year, a- reg- B
ular air mail service was g
instituted between
land and the U.S. —
Ice- j;
sav- §
ing Icelandic businessmen g
many weeks in carrying g
on their transactions.
G
A submarine cable, laid 55
%r
from the Shetland Isles 55
through the Faroes to 5;
SeySisfjorSur on the east »
coast in 1906, links the g
country with Scotland g
and other nations. 55
hr
Reykjavik has had a 5;
modern dial telephone sy- 5;
stem since 1932. Also, the g
capital is connected with 55
other parts of the island g
by long-distance phone. B
Wireless telephone ser- g
vice between other coun-
tries and Iceland was es-
tablished a decade ago.

(During the temporary absence of Pvt. Jack Gray, this
column is being written by Sgt. Bob Hill.)
Every time the members of the GOOD MORNING,
JUDGE USO unit turn around they make new friends
among the FBIs. Nowhere on the island, however, have
they made such solid friends as they did this week
when thejr went out to vis-
it T/Sgt. Thomas W.
Wertz’ hoys at an outpost
:— miles from nowhere
..... Stubby Kaye, always
the master of the im-
promptu, spied JolinPark-
er sipping coffee during
one of Lucille Johnson’s
numbers. Poor John was
startled — but pleased — when Stubby edme down
off stage with cream and sugar for him .... Since, this
was the first USO show to play the camp in 13 months,
Bill Simmens and the other cooks went all-out on the
dinner, with tender steak and lemon meringue pie -—
which the troupe best describes as “out of this world!”
Surprise of the meal was the special platted bread
that Bill baked .... At the end of the long journey,
driver Nicholas Collins discovered that a tire on the
GI bus needed changing. Of his own volition, Frank
Venuta plunged right in and helped make the change
hi nothing flat. Nick, King of the FBIs, has been driv-
ing the USO troupe arouixd and has eanied their pi-aise
for his courtesy, efficiency and helpfulness.
Our North Atlaiitic neighbors, the Greenland basket-
ball players, received a mighty big hand when they
took to the court at the Fieldhouse last Saturday night
— and had the crowd cheering them all evening for
the swell brand of hall they dished out. The small group
of spectators from the next-door isle also received a
great round of applause .... The Army Band was in
there pitching during time-out, between halves and
when IBC scored. They also sent up a miniature ovation
when their own particular “hero” — Saverio Prunesti
— went into play. As a member of the IBC All-Star
team, Saverio last stai’red at the Fieldhouse when lie''
soloed Mozart’s “Concerto No. 1 in G Major for Flute”
.... Both the IBC and GBC teams had members from
the U.S. Navy — making them all-service teams ....
Pete 5 urwitz and A1 Cmaylo deserve a casefid of GI
beer for the decisive and expert way in which they
refereed the game — a thankless and tough chore at
any time .... Gen. Duncan made it a point to meet
the players and thank each of them personally for
their fine spirit and sportsmanship .... That super-
duper ping-pong match is the talk of the island.
The old saying about the lure of the footlights be-
ing strong works in the case of Loll Park and Tina
Trent of the VARIETY CAPERS ENSA show. When
war broke out, Loll went into war industry and Tina
became a bus conductor. After long hours of work
they would go out and entertain men at nearby camps
hut finally “just had to get back into show business
full-time, and ENSA was the answer!” .... Isabel and
De Faka (engaged to be married, by the way) went
into Normandy shortly after D-Day .... Rosemary May
has worked in Ireland for ENSA .... Renne Hooper
has been in the work for four yeai’s, playing the length
and breadth of the U.K.
M/Sgt. Allen Crowe and Sgt. David Veit have been
holding a series of weekly classical-recording concerts
in the Tripoli dayroom. They’ve beeu pleased with
the turn-out they had for these little sessions .... Miss
Asta Loa Olafsson of Reykjavik, now7 a student at Flor-
ida Southern College, wTas chosen to reign as Queen
at the recent Florida Azalea Festival.
i