Tárogató, 1942-1943 (5. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1942-07-01 / 1-2. szám
TÁROGATÓ 15 cession came along, and men clambered up among the ruins, smothered with dust and grime, and made the V-for-Victory sign with their fingers to the men below. Then came the Naval Services—the Marines and the W.R.E.N.S., led by a beautiful blonde girl; the R.A.F., the W.A.A.F.S., and then the massed pipers—they gave you a thrill all down your spine! Indians, Canadians, New Zealanders, Australians, Newfoundlanders, South Africans, and following after, the Belgians, Czechs, Norwegians, Poles and men of the Netherlands. The Poles did their traditional goosestep, and the Indians were not content with saluting the Lord Mayor with their eyes, but broke into cheers as they marched past him. After them came the different Guards Regiments, and the Tanks, dipping their flags in salute. So the grim procession passed us, with its air of prelude-to-victory. I looked around, at spots unrecognizable today, where in former years one was accustomed to see tall buildings, with every window filled with happy faces, with bunting flying and even legs dangling high up from the window-frames. Only a few of the walls still stand, waiting for the squads who wall topple them to their last surrender. They look down on the highways they have stood by these many, many years—walls that have held merchandise ready to go to all parts of the world, now, with their fixtures, their safes and documents, reduced to piles of ashes. I turned to go, feeling jealous that these foreign forces should have seen our painful scars: but then, they too have known such ruin to their beautiful cities. I only wish they could have seen us as we always have been on November 9th previously—decked out with holiday garb and finery for our Lord Mayor’s Show.” THE BASIS OF DUTCH FREEDOM Attempts are being made to spread in Holland the Nazi idea that blood, language and soil are of the essence of citizenship. A Dutch paper, Standaard (October 2nd), finds a way of showing where the true basis of Dutch nationality is to be found. “The expression ‘Christian National’ is often used in the nation’s social and political life. We have pointed out before that our national consciousness prevented the foundation of a Dutch speaking union. Our national existence originated in the 16th century not only due to a growing feeling of unity and opposition against an autocratic form of Government, but also from the struggle for ‘De Liberteyt van Religie en Conscientie,’ to cite William the Silent. This liberty is reflected in Geuzen * songs and in religious and other freedom in the Netherlands. One may now shrug one’s shoulders and advocate language and race as the basis of life, but the fact remains that Christianity and nationality were good enough for patriots and for the political development of the nation even though it is now considered ‘Narrow’. To secure its continuity the nation must draw on its past. Unless one consciously desires to abandon this connection, the meaning of the words ‘Christian national’ is as clear as ever.” Another Dutch paper, on a different but related subject, writes: — “The chaplain of Groningen Gasthuis church has been praying for Jews, while omitting to pray for Dutchmen on the Eastern front and for those Groningen skippers whose ships, crews and cargoes were sold into British slavery during the black days of May.” —Nationale Dagblad (October 3rd). THE BOOK OF FREEDOM The popular report of the British and Foreign Bible Society which is published this week is entitled “The Book of Freedom,” and bears striking testimony to the close connection which has existed in history between the free dissemination of the Scriptures and the growth of political and social freedom. We quote some extracts from this interesting report. “This is an hour of destiny, and the outcome of the present war may determine the future of mankind for centuries. It is a struggle—one of the most momentous in history— between the forces that stand for Christian freedom and the powers that lead to the darkness of pagan servitude. Among the influences that make for the liberty of the human spirit the Bible towers supreme.” “The struggle for liberty has gone on from century to century, and every step in human progress has meant a fresh victory for liberty. If many of the pages of history are dark it is because tyranny has prevailed; if mankind has lost the impulse to seek a better way of life it is because it no longer reaches out toward freedom; but these hopeless periods have never been of long duration, and sooner or later the spirit of man cries out for its native air and is not satisfied until it draws again deep breaths of liberty. Man can only come to his full
