It Gets Around

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 225, 21 September 1940, Page 3 (Supplement)

It Gets Around

MRS. BROWN was so patriotic that she always wept when she heard "Land of Hope and Glory." She was one of those rare people who could talk impressively and at length on the British Empire, its ideals and its perfection. She could talk about the Royal Family too, little details she had heard that inspired confidence. In her own words, the Royal Family was her inspiration, the British Empire her ideal.

By Bridget Steele

Strange to say,' when war came, Mrs. Brown did not wave flags. She was not one of the world's idle talkers, so she set to work. Knitting, money for the Red Cross, help for soldiers' wives—no job was too big or too small for her.

Day after day she worked, at night, too, when there were no admiring friends to see. Mrs. Brown knew deep inside that she was working, not for recognition, but for the cause, the justification "of which involved her lifelong beliefs. :

Doing a small job was to Mrs. Brown loyalty to the cause. It was a small job that proved it, pust a little sub-lieuten-ant who wanted one pair of socks. He < was a personal friend of Mrs. Brown's, otherwise he would never 'have asked. Actually he did not ask either, as Mrs. Brown herself explained. He just mentioned that he needed one pair of socks, and before the week-end, too. His only pair were not quite up to standard. "I know I shouldn't have asked him," explained. Mrs. Brown at a patriotic tea the following day, "but before I realised what I was doing I had said, 'Oh, you're sailing then?' It was wrong of me, because I didn't want to know. He answered without thinking, too, "Yes, we'll be sailing.' I'm wondering now whether I ought to report the matter. It seems a pity for he's so young and the young can't be discreet. After all, it was only a slip he made to me, whom he knew he could trust. I wouldn't spread it any further either. The silent service must keep its movements to itself. We can all see that. I don't suppose the poor dear boy realises even now how much he told me and what a frightful responsibility he put on my shoulders. Imagine the consequences if the news got around town, and one of these sneaking/fifth columnists picked it up." The news did get round. News, particularly secret information, has a way of doing that. Hitler himself told a lot of people., He always has been fond of broadcasting the movements of British troops. The news came straight home from Hitler, through America. He gave all the details, the names and the dates. The only thing he omitted to mention wml Mrs. Brown's invaluable help. This, lor all concerned, was very fortunate;' ; Another fortunate thing about the whole incident was that the little sublieutenant, who was young and indiscreet, had been pulling Mrs. Brown's leg in the first place. ' & ±— -—— —