Daily Post - 23.05.1943, Blaðsíða 2

2
SUNDAY POST
jREYKJAVÍK LETTER
SUNDAY POST
Ia published by
BlaÖahringurinn.
Editors: S. Benediktsson.
A. L. Merson.
Office: 12, Austursta-æti. Tel.
3715. Reykjavík. Printed by
Alþýðuprentsmiðjan Ltd.
Sunday, May 23, 1943
The New War
Situation
The conclusion of the African
campaign has sharply altered
the position of both sides in the
war. A new strategic situation
has arisen, fraught with far-
reaching consequences. The
present lull is a good opportuni
to examine these consequnces.
The dominant feature of the
situation, as Mr. Churchill
pointed out this week, is that,
in spite of the scarcity of news
from the eastern front of late,
the Russians are still bearing.
the overwhelming share of the
war on land. They are engaging
218 enemy divisions. Compared
to that, the greatest effort we
have made hitherto—the Afri-
can campaign—was small, de-
stroying as it did 15 enemy
divisions.
If Hitler could smash Russia
by an all-out effort this year,
he would take every conceiv-
able risk to do so. Mr. Churohill
foretold that Hitler would at-
tempt that. His failure will
have profounder results then it
did last year.
The capture of Tunis and
Bizerta, the opening of the
Mediterranean and the building
up of large well-trained and
experienced ármies in Ncrth
Africa, together with great air
forces have made Italy’s posi-
tion precarious in the extreme.
Her sea-coast is long and vul-
nerable, her industries vulner-
able, her navy ill-balanced and
rusty with inaction, her armies
have a long and depressing re-
cord of failure behind them.
Our planes have flown over '
Rome itself without en count-
ering opposition. There is
every reason to suppose that,
unless the Germans decide to
devote great resources to the de
fence of Italy, Italy will not be
able to resist a determined at-
tack for long.
Here is the Germans’ dil-
emma. They were forced to
MOTHERS’ DAY
Today is “Mothers’ Day” in
Iceland, and this is the tenth
time it has been celebrated.
Emblems in the shape of a
flower will be sold on the
streets throughout the day, and
the money collected in this way
will be used by the committee
for Helping Mothers, to send
poor and tired mothers into the
country for a holiday this
summer. The committee has a
summer-home at Reykholt in
Biskupstungur, where mothers
have been sent for three weeks’
rest during past summers.
Those who have not been able
to be away for so long hove
, been able to spend a week near
Laugarvatn, thanks to the work
of this committee.
HOT DOG BATTLE
The long battle over the hot-
dog wagons in Kolasund has at
last come to an end. The Town
Council has decided, on a re-
commendation from the Police,
to forbid them to operate.
* * * *
POLICE INSPECTOR
RETURNS
The former Reykjavík Police
inspector who was recently
elected manager of the Swimm-
ing Bath, has resigned. He gave
as a reason that the Police and
the Ministry of Justice had
asked him to return to his post
in the Police Force, and the
Town Council had declined to
give him leave from the Swim-
ming Bath for the duration of
the war.
* * *
“KVENNASKÓLINN”
The Women’s School in
Reykjavík has just finished its
fight in Tunisia, as Mr.
Churchill said, in circumstances
most unfavourable to them and
most favourable to, us. If they
decide to defend Italy, they
may well find themselves in
the same position again. On the
other hand, if they leave Italy
to its fate, they are leaving
open the back door to the Bal-
kans, exposing the flank of
their oositions in Greece and
Yugoslavia and risking losing
their hold on Bulgaria and Ru-
mania.
The position of Italy may be
expected to go through still
more considerable changes dur-
ing the coming months.
year. During 1942/43 it had 148
pupils and 16 have passed out
with the final examination.
* * *
CINEMA OWNERS PRICE
REJECTED
As was reported some weeks
ago, the owners of the Gamla
and Nýja Bios offered the two
cinemas to the Reykjavík Town
Council for a price which am-
ounted roughly to 4 million
krónur for both together. The
press now reports that the
Town Council has refused to
buy the cinemas at this price.
A resolution was passed by 8
votes to 7 desiring the Mayor
and other members of the Al-
þing for Reykjavík to propose
a bill in the next session of the
Alþing for powers of compuls-
ory purchase of the cinemas, at
a price to be settled by impar-
tial estimate. The Mayor ex-
plained that he would not let
his conduct as a member of the
Alþing be guided by the in-
structions of the Town Council,
and that he would not suport
this bill himself.
* * *
NEW FLOTS TO BE SOLD
The Town Council decided
last Thursday that the new
houses which it has built near
the sports stadium on Hring-
brau't shall be sold on a system
of deferred payment, the ini-
tial payment to be 25% of the
cost, per flat. The price of a
two room flat is estimated to
be 55,000 krónur, of a three-
roomed flat, 70,000 krónur.
* * *
CHILDREN FOR COUNTRY
The medical examination nas
begun of children who are re-
gistered for evacuation to the
country this summer.
TENNIS
• Baron Gottfried von Cramm,
former German net star in the
Davis Cup Tournament, is
among the Nazis taken prisoner
in Tunisia. . .
A Year Ayo Todajf
Atlantic sinkings by
boats diminish while toll
taken in Caribbean Sea and
Gulf of Mexico soars to higti
level.
U.S. Army Air Force
changes insignia to plain
white star on blue back-
ground.
Battle for Kharkov reach-
es stalemate.
De Paul University’s s&j"*
eight center, George
hardly needed to jump t0 at
the ball into the
Madison Square Garden, ^
York City. He is shown h1^
ing a score during the se
half of the De Paul-Dartm0^,
game in the Eastern sem1' pe
of the N.C.A.A., in which ^
Paul downed Dartmout1’ -
—35. Looking on in utte1 ^
azement are, left to right- ^
Mj'-ers. Dartmouth, allf*
Starzyk, De Pauh
Medieal Ald to Rns#
s
s
S Remitted to Mrs. Churchill ............. 10,000.00 krénUr
• Further Contributions:
• i 1
S Already Acknowledged .................... 3,592.72 kry