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WHEN WAR BROKE OUT

9 _ SCENES IN LONDON CHASTENING EFFECTS OF THE STRUGGLE ' VISIT TO THE EMDEN A little first-hand news about incidents in the Homeland since the war broke out was given to a Dominion reporter yesterday by Mr. W. Cricbton, of this city, who has just returned from a trip to England. "Our trip out on the Osterley was peaceful enough," said Mr. Crichton, "but when we got through the Canal wo were advised by Reuter that two armed German merchantment, the Kronprinoessen Cecile and the Kaiser Wilhelm were supposed to be off tho East Coast of Africa. They did not molest us, however, and we heard no more of them. The most interesting incident of the voyago was a visit to battered Eniden, as she now lies on the reef at Keeling Island, in the Cocos Group. The captain of the Osterley was very much interested in the Emdou. On 0110 occasion the German raider lay oil* tho south of Ceylon waiting for.tho Osterley, to relievo her of bullion and stores, but did not catch her, and on the morning of tho Emden's last fight the Osterley was quite near the Cocos Group, only some thirty miles away. On this trip he took the Osterley up to within three-quarters of a mile of the Emden, and one morning we were called up to see the battered hull, which looked like a heap of sorap-iron. The after-mast was the only thing standing. All the rest was a mass of twisted steel and debris of all kinds. With good glasses it was possible to see every detail, and certainly the Sydney must, have dono her work with great thoroughness: r. Before the War. "I arrived in London from Norway a few days before war broke out. My intention then was'to spend a few weeks touring Great Britain andUhen to leave for Berlin and Vienna, returning via Venice and • Switzerland. • The war knocked this on the head, of course, but it was lucky that wo had not set out for Germany.

"Just before it was definitely announced that England was at war with Germany, the Labour Socialists, who were very noisy all over England just then, called a mooting to be held in Trafalgar Square to protest against Britain taking any part in the war. They marched in force, from all parts ?f London, carrying banners with such inscriptions as "To Hell With Scrvia." But. when they got to the foot of the Nelson column in the Square they found that they were forestalled by a strong force of patriots, who would not allow the meeting to go on. There were tens of thousands of people in the Square, among them hundreds of mounted polioe, and the patriotic faction waved flags and sang patriotic songs with great enthusiasm. There was tremendous excitement. The police feared a riot, and after a while set'out to quieten the exuberant patriots. This ended in crowds of thorn boarding a string of buses near by and going off still.with flags flying and still singing patriotic airs. The meeting of protest was a sorry failure. Nobody attempted to hold any meeting of protest after that. The next demonstration was in front of the King's Palace, when thousands of people sang and cheered themselves hoarse until the King and Queen came out on to a balcony. This bappened nightly for nine or ten nights. Somewhere there would be a demonstration, and they would, end up at Buckingham Palace. < Tramp of Armed Men. "No sooner had the period of our ultimatum lapsed than the sound of military preparations could be heard all over London—bugle calls and the marching of armed men—and every party of soldiers marching was cheered. 1 was all over Great Britain after that, and I saw training camps everywhere. Scotland seemed to mo to be one gTeat armed'camp. I saw the London Scottish, which was the crack Territorial regiment, out marching one day when they were in training, and never have I seen a finer body of men even among the regulars. Other Territorials are at the front now. As a matter of fact, England is denuded of Territorials, for bodies of these men have gone abroad to relieve the regular troops for activo service in Europe. Soon after the beginning of the war we began to see British troops arriving wearing the tropical kit served to our soldiers in hot countries. After that they came continuously, even up till the time I left, from as far away* as Hong-Kong. Nobody knows yet how many men are in General French's command, but the general-belief is that the force is about half a million men.

Business and Darkness. "London to the oasual observer is as busy as ever by day, but, to those who know, there is apparent a lack of the usual spirit of the city. London is .duller. Only at night is it brought home to you that there is a war. Then the city is shrouded in darkness. If it were not the streets would bo visible as rivers of light to hostile aircraft. Even the shops must not show lights after dusk. Some shopkeepers nave adopted an ingenious device to got over this regulation. Inside the windows are brilliantly lit, and thick black blinds with slots intheni are lowored. Through these slots curious passers-by may peer into tlw brilliantly-lighted interior. In the official parts of London there are searchlights, and aircraft guns mounted. Just after dark these lights play over the sky incessantly for about two hours. Therewas a good deal of joking about the policy of darkening the town and showing searchlights, which would, of course, have been a good enougli guide for aircraft. Even the Germans had' a cartoon, 'Darkest London,' showing the sky over the city simply a blaze of light from the streaming rays of hundreds of searchlights. All Factions at Rest. "One good result the war ha 6 had is that it has brought some people to their hearings sharply. When I arrived at Home the Suffragettes waro in their most _ fractious mood, and the Irish question was in a most delicate state. Those thoublos .ire out of tho way now. There had been a builders' strike in London for f,vc montln, and half-finish-ed buildings were standing, with scaffolding blackened by tho weather all over London. The strikers were beiii" supported from the provinces, and master builders all over the Kingdom wore just preparing for a general lockout when tho war enme. 1 don't know when the si.i.'ko ended, but it seemed to mo that oil tho day hostilities commenced tho pisn began to go back to work. Also England was just on the verge of another ■ tremendous cvr,lmining and railway strike, which would assuredly havo occurred l.ut lor' tl.-e war. I think tho war -vill have very far-reaching effects upon 'ho permanent relations of Capital and Labour, and I think tliro will bo a i-ertam more of reciprocity between tliom .n tho fnture."

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19150211.2.32.41

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2382, 11 February 1915, Page 8

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,167

WHEN WAR BROKE OUT Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2382, 11 February 1915, Page 8

WHEN WAR BROKE OUT Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2382, 11 February 1915, Page 8

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