Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

Page 13 text:

FOR THE SCHOOL YI-'AR 1937- WEN ' Qui-su 1 5 ffrf SPORTS 1937 Svpntligbt un the Rlshitsrranean :mb the near QEast Since the first waves uf' civilizatimi frmn the lfast reached the shores of the Nledi- terranean Sea, antl so laicl the fiuunclatir-ns of mam' great nations to come, that sea has been of the utmost importance tu the various countries stirrmintling its slwres. ln those bygone times, as tu-day, the importance of the lNIetliterranean lay in its value as a trading route, but not less in its military value. i The country whose pmsei' pretluminatetl in the Mediterranean ruletl that part Ot' the world then known. .-Xt that time this sea was the cradle of the world's culture, and commerce. With the discovery of Anierica the positiun was changed. lt was nu longer the centre of the trading world, hut it is still the centre of the pwlitical worlds of France, Italy, and lfnglantl. It is essential to the interests uf' France that the area of water located between the Straits of Gibraltar, and Cursica, with Elartlinii, he kept free from the influence of any l9l

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SI-fI.WYN HUl'Sl . SCHOOL Nl.-XliAZINIi LUCAS M EDAL Nlichalel I,ittle. l UO'I'l'5.5ll.I. SlXl'.S: XXlNNI,R5: ,-X, Serimucr, XY. Ci. Strong, If. S. xI2IC,I.IC'l', ll. I5. Ballon, If. P. Black, ll. S. I-Izlmpson SLOI IIXC1 Best :ill-rmintl Scout: Xlichaiel Little Ifkir prtilieiency: Yictor Gtildlilmim S C O I' 'I' I N li I5 U fl li S , presented to I.mx I'i'1i:m. lI'.I.. NI. I.ittle, Stunts Walsh, H, Rxinisey, I-Iuestis, Gaiult, l.ewisl: Owl. I,-X'l'llUl., winners ul' .Innitir Illftjl'-Pllfllil Cumpetitiun JP. I.. Illzlrla, Scouts Miller I. Iiwllun, Christie, Carlisle l. XI A C K lf N Z I I . C I' I' Winning Patrtil l,loxs Patrol I.e.1tler NI. Little. H U C Ii In Y If I Y lf. S NI. little, IJ. Clex'el.1ntl, Ii. Stringer, C. 1,i1tCI1, -I. VIql1l'ITlP5Oll, H. Hztllwzirtl, C. Hziillztrgeon 100 Yds. IIJPUII 2 100 YdS. lliitlei' Ill 75 Yds. ll ntler llll 440 Yds. if liven I 220 Yds. lllpen Hltaipl I 220 YdS. ll'ntler IRI High Jump tllpen I High Jump lI'ntler Ill Broad Jump stlpeni SPORTS PRIZES NIRIY Scriniger Blzliklocls Ballon I Clevelzlntl Patterson May Scrimger little, Nl. M115 I-Iziyes Hugessen I.ittle, NI. Tomlin son. Blaiklock Stairs 3 Scrimger little, Xl. Relay l. Ciurtl, R. 2. Nlzlclier 3. LilIlNCl' -I. Blzlcll 2 Brothers' Race l. Bnliliy Shorey 1. George Nliller Sisters' Race 1. 'lui' Ballon 2. lfliznlieth Fleming Sack R269 KSeniursl l. Palmer, YY. 2. Little, NI. Sack Race l.IlIl'llOl'Sl I. Ifairle F1 -. I-Iaiyes Father, Mother, and Son. The Dobells 110 Yds. l1illL1Sl' IO! I. Cleveland I 2. Ilobell 2 Victor Ludorum: W. May l Sl

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SELWYX HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE foreign power, other than Great Britain. That is why she views with alarm the occupa- tion ofthe Balearics by Italy, and also ll Duce's encroachments in Spain, and she may well show alarm, for in the event of any trouble on the continent, France could be cut OH by the lllediterranean from her African Empire, a Mediterranean alive with submarines, at her back door, whose bases would be conveniently located in one ofthe Balearic Isles. Separated from France, the colonies would be at the mercy of Mussolini, who could attack through Libya. France would also be cut orl' from her immense, and badly needed, re- servoir of black soldiers. It is not hard to see the concern which France may well feel over her position in the Mediterranean, and it is easy to understand that her best policy is an alliance with Britain. The INIediterranean has been, and is called, the backbone of the British Empire. However, people are beginning to realize that this thought is rather exaggerated. The cutting of Britain's trade routes in the Mediterranean would certainly not mean a severing from India. Long before the Suez Canal was constructed the British controlled India by way of the Cape of Good Hope, and received her merchandise from the East, and the people at home didn't starve, because of the lack of a canal. In all only about l9'Z, of the British imports pass through the Mediterranean, and of these about 1102, are obtained from countries bordering on that sea, and most of these could be brought from other countries or via the Cape of Good Hope. Nevertheless, the predominance of any nation other than Great Britain in the Mediterranean would constitute a serious menace to the British possessions of Egypt know nominally independentl and Palestine. Since the fall of Napoleon in 1815, England has ruled supreme in the Mediterranean. With the advent of Mussolini, and the vigorous policy which he is pursuing, the situation has altered. The great naval base at Malta, so strategically located when Italy was under the influence of England and France, is now no longer safe: it is within short flying range of Sicily, and could be readily wiped out by bombers from that island. This fact is ap- preciated by the Admiralty, as is shown by the fact that in the late fall of '35 when the fleet was lying at anchor in the great bay, orders were received to put to sea at once under full draught for Alexandria. The reason for this was the report of the Intelligence De- partment ot' a plot to wipe out the fleet, by the Italians, at the same time troopships were to be headed for Alexandria carrying Italian troops. The newspapers never printed a report of this, any more than they are allowed to tell of the immense concentration camps along the coast near Alexandria, complete with heavy guns, anti-aircraft weapons, and giant searchlights, all constantly manned. It is hard to believe the state of colossal pre- paredness which is maintained around the Suez Canal, and there is every reason to expect that a considerable sum of this year's defence appropriations will go towards defences in the Mediterranean. The one country to which the Mediterranean means so much, whose aims we have not discussed, is Italy, the supposed re-incarnation of the Roman Italy, which two thousand years ago ruled over Mare Nostrum , and now, it seems, tries under the able leadership ot' Il Duce , to do so again. Mussolini plays on the dread of the democratic countries for war, to achieve his ends. If one of Il Duce's bluffs was ever called, and a showdown were necessary, the Mediterranean might indeed once more become Mare Nostrum . The British l10l