THE BELLS OF FNGLAND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 73, 18 May 1943, Page 4

THE BELLS OF FNGLAND

STEPPING ashore in England last Saturday, the haughty Von Arnim until less than a week ago the Supreme Commander of the Axis forces in North Africa, enquired of his guard the reason for the widespread ringing of Church bells. He was answered that it was to mark the victory of his own overthrow in Tunis and the final breaking of the Nazi grip upon the distant approaches to Egypt. The crushing effect of this information upon the unyielding Prussian spirit of Arnim can best be imagined than described for we can asfely assume that the German Commander-in-Chief was imbued with all the arrogant assurance of his master, and not only that but that he believed in his inner-most being that the English were a decadent and blundering race, fit only as inferior foeman over which which the unconquerable Nazi armies would achieve victory. What Arnim heard was, after all, nothing but fhe; symbolic rejoicing of the heart of a people. A people which in standing singlehanded in the path of the powers of dictatorship had known the bitterness of defeat and destruction upon innumerable occasions. A people innured to the suffering and the crazy terrorism of war —yet a people which had never in spite of their trials lost faith in their cause and in the power of that conviction; had turned suffering and devastation into strength and hope, defeat and disaster into courage and ultimate triumph; and finally in their relief and joy had given full expression to their feelings by unsealing the many peals of their myriad church towers. The old habit of marking a victory on land or at sea by the ringing of the Church bells is hoary with the tradition of distant ages and England has been one of the greatest exponents of the custom. Throughout the Middle Ages, the bells of England have been rung by royal decree time and- time again to mark some joyous event. T hey are a' link with the peoples soul, an outpouring of the national spirit of thanksgiving when a danger has been removed, prayers answered and a victory won. So the gaunt Von Arnim as he stepped ashore, must have learnt something of the English spirit of freedom and fervant joy when he heard the chimes of England ringing forth, creating laughter and honest joy in the face, of the dark plans of world slavery and domination as envisiaged by the Nazi demigogue and his kindred ilk in Italy and Japan.