LiSTENiNGS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 98, 9 May 1941, Page 15

LiSTENiNGS

Perpetrated and illustrated by

KEN.

ALEXANDER

"The Better ’Ole" — And Why |

HE news discloses that the blitz has produced in England a new type of harmless high-hatter known as the bomb-snob. The bomb-snob refuses to hobnob with anything but the best bomb craters. Especially the Cockney! He always knows of a better ’ole, and is often advised to "ruddywell go to it!" The Londoner has always had a high regard for ’oles in the road and, now, with so much comparative material at hand, he has grown a bit fussy about *oles in general. Where once his snobbery was centred on the "Spotted Duck," he now takes pride in the ‘ole where the "Spotted Duck" used to be,

The psychological significance of this peculiarity offers an important lesson, Note that there is no moaning at the bar, Instead, he puts out to see, The Cockney who might possibly forget to doff his "tit-for-tat" to the Archbishop of Canterbury, uncovers before the ’ole of his veneration. Actually, it is not the ’ole he looks into, and up to, but the new things the ’ole representspride in the ability of himself and "the old girl" to "take it," satisfaction in this proof that Hitler can never quell him by blowing ‘oles outside his house or

inside his house, and the age-old spirit of England reflected in an ’ole. | The bomb‘snob really is not a snob; he is one of the thousands of workaday heroes produced by 'Itler’s ’oles. But don’t tell him: he wouldn’t like it-not_ ’arf ’e ruddywell wouldn’t! Still, he is proud to feel that he is sharing the blitz with the boys in battle dress. It seems to be a fact that, the closer the danger, the further the fear. At present, we are a long way from danger; and yet, sad to relate, there is among us a mild type of war-moaner. There are several types of him. Perhaps the worst is the Buttonhole-Moaner. He grasps you by the coat lapel, bats his mournful eyes and wheezes. "Don’t things look ba-a-a-d!" He means no harm, but he ought to ‘be seen to. And there is the Inferiority Moaner. He admits that we are doing our best, but he can’t help brooding on the superior intelligence, organising ability and power of the Nazi War Machine. He is not proNazi, but he is anti-Hope. He, also, should have his head read. The TimidityMoaner is next on the list. He seems to spend black nights waiting for grey dawns. He groans "but where is it going to end?" You tell him. He can’t believe it. He has a naturally dark outlook. He ought to have his face lifted-with a jack,

Then there is the Dark-Ages Moaner. He goes back centuries to prove by the nation’s past sins and omissions something that isn’t quite clear to anyone. To prove his pointless point, he quotes the Roman Invasion of Britain, and 1066 and all that. He ought to remember what happened to Lot’s wife when she looked back. $trangely enough the anxiety of these people springs from their Loyalty. They mean no harm-which makes them doubly dangerous. They do not dream that their vocal chords are instruments of sabotage. Instead of preserving a sense of proportion and perspective, they take the latest adverse fact and, out of it, scoop themselves a sarcophagus of dread. They say, "Look at the facts!" and then don’t. What they need is an ’ole to look into -or jump into,