Manawatu Evening Standard. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18, 1940. ACT OF SUPREME COURAGE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 249, 18 September 1940, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18, 1940. ACT OF SUPREME COURAGE.

By an act of supreme courage the Cathedral Church of the City of London, the glory of that great Metropolis, has been saved from destruction that threatened it from an unexploded Nazi time bomb.' Last week, during one of the typical German attacks on London that have as one of their objects the ruin of the city’s architectural masterpieces, a bomb fell in the Dean’s Yard, close to the west end of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Explosion would have meant the demolition of this mighty structure, so a band of the bravest of brave men conspired to defeat the Nazi plan and rob Hitler of the joy he would feel were this church, symbolic of London itself, to crash in ruins. The story of that epic deed will live as long as London remains, and many share in its glorious achievement —the gas company’s employees, the prosaically named Bomb Disposal Section of the Royal Engineers and their officer, A.R.P. workers, and the guards who kept the public away from a danger none knew how great, it might be but did not flinch from performing their duty, as the motor-vehicle with its ghastly destructive instrument was driven with the greatest speed to the Hackney Marshes, where it was finally destroyed without harming anyone. In a manner which typifies the marvellous spirit that to-day is London’s, a. great church has been preserved, it will be sincerely hoped, throughout the war and for years beyond its end. The largest Protestant church in England and the seventh largest in Christendom, St. Paul’s is built on an historic site. There an early Saxon - church stood until just after the Norman Conquest when it was destroyed. Its successor was destroyed in the Great Eire of London to make Way for Wren’s masterpiece, but before the foundation stone of St. Paul’s was laid in May, 1674, Wren had to engage in many disputes with the clergy of the day. Subscriptions and taxes provided the funds to build the Cathedral, which stands as a witness' to the genius of Wren working against great difficulties. Even in more recent years St. Paul’s has had its vicissitudes, the ravages of time having imperilled the safety of the structure. So seriously was the matter' viewed by the Dean and Chapter that the public had to bo excluded from the church for a period until 1930 when a substantial scheme of preservation was completed. It was well said by a noted British commenator on Monday that the thanks of all Christians are due to the soldiers and civilians who saved St. Paul’s.

WAR’S CONSEQUENCES. The prospect of famine and disease in tne parts of Europe subjugated by the Nazis has been mentioned on several occasions in the surveys of these States'. It is rather significant, therefore, that the American Red Cross should be sending typhoid serum to its organisation in occupied France. That one of the dread scourges of war should have broken out will not perhaps cause surprise, though it has yet to be confirmed. The Great War brought a tremendous amount of misery in its train. When it ceased many millions of people in Europe, including the Baltic States and Finland/ faced famine and disease. In Germany tuberculosis had caused a death rate much above the average attributed to this disease, and children were badly affected by rickets. For some years now the German peol- - have been compelled to deny themselves essential fats so that Hitler might perfect his war machine. To placate them to some extent foodstuffs have been sent to Germany from the occupied territories. But the Nazis have been compelled to adopt devious methods to deceive the people despoiled, and a few days ago it was reported from Norway that coffins, presumably carrying the remains of German soldiers to their homeland, were found on accidentally breaking to contain foodstuffs the Germans dearly prize. Considered opinion has held that generally Europe need not suffer from malnutrition provided the Nazis permit food supplies to be used for refugees and for any areas which face a shortage. That they will not do and the winter now at hand in Europe must be gravely hard for the races in subjection, threatened as they are with famine supplies and the diseases which follow war when its ravages go unchecked.