The Charlotte News

Monday, July 1, 1940

EDITORIAL

Site Ed. Note: See the grimly poetic "At a Tomb", also published in the editorial column of July 1, 1940.

Channel Isles

No Military Loss, They Cut English Food Supply

The Channel Islands had been heavily fortified at great cost and it must have been a hard decision for the British to give them up. However, they cannot have been defended without costing more than they were worth. They lie within from ten to 30 miles of the French coast, but from 75 to 120 miles from that of England. And so their possession will hardly aid Hitler to any great extent.

These islands are one of the curiosities of Europe. They represent the last of the Norman holdings of William the Conqueror. The rest of Normandy passed from English control in 1204, but these islands held stoutly to their English loyalty despite the fact that they were inhabited by Frenchmen. They have an odd form of government made up of "two states" which is more medieval than not. And they have given shelter to many famous exiles. Charles II stayed here awhile, and Victor Hugo wrote "The Toilers of the Sea" while living in exile at Guernsey. Language of the natives is a patois of old-fashioned French, mixed with English.

In recent times they have been famous for their cattle. The breeds, Guernsey, Jersey, and Alderney, take their names from the islands of these names. All of them and especially Sark, are highly picturesque, and have been much visited by tourists.


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