LISTENINGS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 110, 1 August 1941, Page 19

LISTENINGS

Perpetrated and illustrated by

KEN

ALEXANDER

66 V" FOR VICTORY

DOLF’S "vanquished" nations are staging a psychological revolt by aaopting "V" as a symbol of victory. Their spiritual uprising is giving Goebbels a pain in the propaganda. It is beyond the comprehension of the Nazi that any sparks should fly from beneath the hammer of oppression; but when they symbolise victory-well, how should a Nazi know?

‘AD THE SPARKS FLY UPWARDS" In Holland and Belgium these " V’s" are working the Nazi into a Vever. He hears drums tapping out the symbol, trains hooting it: on fences previously V-less, "'V’s" appear in the night, Garden plants form the symbol. Male bathers on the beach wear "V's." In restaurants vegetables are "V's"; the R.A.F, form the symbol as they fly overhead. Everyone is V-ing with his neighbour to deveat the enemy. An inverted "V" is an arrowheadwhich eventually will penetrate the hide of the Reich. Applied to the Nazi, "V" also stands for vainglory and vandalism, vanishing visions, vitupurative vapour-ing-also Vichy and vacillation,

An intangible thing such as a symbol panics the Nazi because he can’t batter it with bludgeons or blast it with bombs. He is not at his best with anything more subtle than that which can be put into a concentration camp. He is like a rhinoceros maddened by thunder. The rhino can toss everything in his path but the thunder still thunders. The only difference between the two is that the rhinoceros never suspects that the joke’s on him, . This spiritual awakening of Hitler’s victim is in deadly earnest, but; like most things earnest, it has its spice of humour, The spectacle of the Nazi trying to root for acorns in the clouds is not without its bit of fun, Imagine two square-headed soldiers of occupation trying to square-head the circle. Says Ludwig to Hans; "I am happy not in this Holland. Such tricks they play on "us. When to the public gardens I went to show the Dutch frauleins what fine soldiers our Fuhrer makes they put their arms round me and chalked a ‘V’ on my back, ‘ That for victory iss’ they said, ‘But how foolish,’ I replied, ‘ Victory to us already has come.’ ‘Ah, but this iss for the victory that from you shall go,’ they said."

" Ja. It so stupid iss that they should understand not when we say, ‘ You defeated are’." "TI like not these ‘V’s,’ Hans. When a cripple or old man I beat up I see something to hit. But a V one can hit not," "Ja. It is so, Ludwig, Last night when my supper cheese I did lay out it did march away in V formation, Yesterday the barber did part my hair with a V, and the policemen in the street do stand with their feet forming a V when past I do walk." "Neffer mind, Hans, It is comforting to know that if victory goes from us happiness may return to us. Heil Hitler! But heil peace and quiet, tool"