Daily Post - 19.02.1943, Síða 2

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DAILYPOST
DAILT POST
is published by
Blaöahringurirm.
Edltors: S. Benediktsson.
A. L. Merson.
Offlee: 12, Austurstræti. Tel.
3715. Reykjavík. Printed by
Alþýðuprentsmiðjan Ltd.
Friday, February 19th, 1943.
The Fall Of
Kharkov
The fall of Kharkov has great
strategic significance. It marks
a new stage in the present So-
viet offensive. Hitherto the Red
Army has ' been recovering
what it was forced to evacuate
in the summer. But Kharkov
has been. uninterruptedly in
German hands since 1941. It
was their great bastion of de-
fence last winter and the main
base of their forward drive last
summer. Its capture shows that'
the Soviet offensive is a gen-
eral offensive, aiming at noth-
ing less than driving the in-
vaders from Russian soil.
. The fall of Kharkov must re-
move all doubts on a number
of subjects. Hitherto, it might
have been a reasonable view to
take, that Hitler’s withdrawal
in south Russia, disastrous as it
was, was only a somewhat tardy
attempt to retrieve the errors
of the summer and straighten
the German line by withdraw-
ing from the huge and danger-
ous bulges in the Don steppes
and the Caucasus. If that had
been the case, Kharkov would
have formed the pivot of the
straightened defence line. And,
from the Red Army’s previous
unsuccessful attempts to recap-
ture it, we can see how strong
a defensive position it had be-
come.
Only one thing can explain
the rapid fall of Kharkov—and
that is complete inability to
hold it. It would have been only
elementary strategy to hold on
to it at least until the retreat
from the Donetz basin had been
completed. But Hitler’s crack
SS divisions could not even hold
out as long as that.
The fall of Kharkov is proof
of the extreme weakness and
exhaustion of the German arm-
ies in the East. How else can we
explain that exhaustion except
by accepting the Russian state-
REYKJAVlK LETTER
K
The Alþing has by 38 to 3
votes made a grant of 350,000
krónur to the Icelandic Fund for
Norway. This brings the total
collection up to 700,000 krónur,
and as one Reykjavík þaper
says, shows how keenly the Ice-
landers feel for the Norwegians.
The fund is to be saved up and
handed to the Norwegians at
the end of the war. A Commun-
ist proposal in the Alþing that
the money be handed over to
the Norwegians now was de-
feated. It is stated that enquir-
ies have been made 'to see
whether food could not be pur-
chased from the fund to send to
Norway now to relieve starva-
tion, but practical difficulties
proved insuperable. A collection
of clothes is however now being
begun, as there is known to be
great need for them in Norway.
The apprentices of a wireless
firm who played a practical
joke last October by announcing
through a loud-speaker that
Reykjavík was to be evacuated,
have just been sentenced to
fines of from 300 to 500 krónur.
Their joke caused rumours to
circulate throughout the town.
* * *
The first exhibition of paint-
ing in the new exhibition hall
next door to the Alþing house
will be opened on April 3rd. It
is expected to be a general se-
lection of all Icelandic painters,
both dead and living.
Parrot Story
A village spinster had a par-
rot which was always saying: “I
wish the old lady were dead.”
Hoping to cure it she sent it to
the vicarage, where there was a
well-behaved parrot.
Judge her surprise, when visi-
ting the vicarage some time lat-
er, she heard the old familiar:
‘T wish the old lady were dead,”
and the response from the vic-
ar’s bird: “We beseech Thee to
hear us, good Lord.”
—Newcastle Journal.
ments that German losses have
indeed been fantastic?
The fall of Kharkov is only
a beginnning. It opens the way
to the rich expanses of the
Ukraine.
The use of electricity for
heating purposes is forbidden in
Reykjavík between 10.45 and 12
a.m. Recently officials of the
electric company have been in-
specting an average of 131 pre-
mises—both dwellings and off-
ices—per day. Of a total of
3,537 premises inspected, illegal
use of electricity during these
hours was found in 95, and pro-
secutions are being made, in 24
cases where a first warning was
ignored. The ban was imposed
to give priority to users of elec-
tricity for cooking purposes just
before lunch.
Hitler Story
The latest story being whis-
pered out of hearing of the
Gestapo irí Germany concerns
German food reserves.
It seefns that Hitler was dis-
playing some anxiety about
the food situation, so he asked
Goering: “Hermann, how much
longer will our food supply
last?”
“Ten years,” replied Goering
confidently.
“Good!” cried the Fiihrer. “I
must announce that fact to my
people. They’ll be glad to hear
it.”
“People?” interrupted the
surprised Goering. “Who said
anything about the people? I
í meant for us two.”—Christian
■ Science Monitor.
America
Says . . . ...
The Nazis are asking whether-
the Russian methods of waging
war can be considered fair and
honorable. We suggest that
they write to Emily Post for an
opinion on the matter.
“Join Scrap Drive and throw
in your Bit,” says a Philadelp-
hia paper. If you don’t wear a
bit, your dentures will do.
American soldiers in Austra-
lia write home about an amaz-
ing tree-climbing fish. That’s
one kind of fish you don’t see
in Iceland.
One thousand out of 2,800
Japs were killed in an attempt
to retake Wau. Wow!
* * *
Sailors are requesting that the
WAVES be replaced by DAM-
ES.—“Dolls Appointed Mainly
to Enliven Seafaring.”
*
The end of the rainy season
in Tunisia heralds the opening
of new large-scale operations.
Perhaps the end of the end of
the beginning is now in sight.
* * *
The stars are still watching
over us. Last year, astronomers
tell us, a star exploded in the
constellation Puppis. We don’t
blame it.
* # *
According to a cute Japan-
ese custom which gives each
year a name according to the
signs of the zodiac, 1941 was the
year of the Snake. And 1943 is
the Year of the Goat.
Medical Aid To Rossia
Contributions so far are:
Already Acnowledged................. 5,890.73 krónur
Anyone who wishes to start a box or is willing to help
is asked to communicate with a member of the committee.
Gifts may be handed to any member of the committee
or sent to “Daily Post”, clearly marked “Russia Fund”.
Collecting boxes will be found at the Y.M.C.A., the British
Sailors’ Society and the Sandes home.
Committee: Rev R.P.R. Anderson, British Sailors So-
ciety, Rev W. Betts, R.A.F. Chaplain, Rev C. N. Thomas,
Naval Chaplain, Dr. M. H. Scargill, Y. M. C. A., A. L.
Merson, Daily Post, Captain F. R. Stevenson (treasurer).