LONDON IN WAR TIME

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2298, 31 October 1914, Page 8

LONDON IN WAR TIME

LETTER FROM MR. ROBT. HALE. Captain Bale-Munro, wharfinger to the Harbour Board, has received an interesting letter from his brother, Mr. Robert Hale, ono of London's most popular comedians, which throws a little light on the conditions prevailing in' London .'during war time. In the course of his letter Mr. Halo states chat Captain Carr (late of H.M.S. ■ Psyche) had called' to see him, and also the late first- lieutenant of that warship, both of whom were in Wellington last year. ■ It..was, ho said, pretty hard to amuse audiences in London at the present time, hut the Alhambra had been kept going for patriotic reasons, as it served to give employment to a very large number of people. The writer stated,that-he was in receipt of half-salary,' which he did not mind bo, much. There wore a lot of : members of the profession very much worse off. Many a fine fellow who' had been wont to drop into his dressing-room for a chat had gone - under in the war, so that tho times' were depressing. During the day his timo was taken up by meeting the Continental trains (in London) with Jus car; and conveying the •rounded soldiers to Netloy and other hospitals. Just a day or two before he wrote he had taken seven meii to Netley who had been wounded at the battle of Mons. He could not. have believed that they could have livcdi at all seeing the pitiable plight tliey were 'in. In London thero was really very little excitement, although bombs were cxpectod to fall from the heavens at any time, Mr. Hale (who is a keen sportsman) said that there would bo no hunting this season, as everything like that was. off, and in some cases they were shooting most of the hounds oil account of tho cost and attention thoy.incurred. ' r