THROUGH THE EYES OF CHILDREN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2691, 10 February 1916, Page 3

THROUGH THE EYES OF CHILDREN

IMPRESSIONS OF ZEPPELIN RAIDS /OUTH THAT KNOWS NO FEAR Glimpses of Zeppelins through childish eyes were given by Dr. C. W. Kimmius, Chief Inspector of Schools for tho C-ounfcy (Jouncil, in a lecture to the Child Study Society ,ab the Royal Sanitary Institute (says "The Times" oi December 10). l)r. Kimmins's subject was "The Interest of London Children at Different Ages in Air Raids," and the lecture was based on 945 essays written without preparation, within 15 minutes, by boys and girls, from eight to 13 years of age, attending .live sohools in tho neighbourhood of places in London where bombs were dropped during the Zeppelin raids of September 8 aud October 13. At least 96 per cent, of the children had actual experience of one or both of the raids. The essays were written from ID to 14 days after the raids. ■■ At eight years of age, Dr.. Kimmins said, the noise of the firing bulked very largely in the No personal feelings were expressed, and there was no evidence of fear. Even at. that , age the girls looked after the younger: children. At nine the boys thoroughly enjoyed the raid, spending as much time as possible in the streets; occasionally among the girls freat fear was expressed. At 10 the oy was very talkative, and for the first time there was distinct evidence of fear, though not nearlv so marked as in the case of the girls. At that age the boy took his part in'looking after the younger children. One wrow: A picture over mother's bed fell onher head and on the baby. Tho hnby went unconscious, and my . mother., shook her and then she was alright. .Girls of 10 are much friguleue--:', and began to be bellicose', making' vigorous ■protests against German spies; they would go to bed in' their clothes lest 'she Zeppelins should return. One taid: People were all running about; li'ho jiad bulls, and the windows wero falling out like rain.

At 11 years of age the boys showed 110 sign at all of fear, 'i'lie following was ail extract:

My cousin pointed to a star and said she thought it was a Zeppelin., "Fathead," said I, politely. "It cannot be a Zeppelin. It does not move." : The eirls said muoh about the care of. children,- but no fear appeared now to-be felt. One wrote:— i

Mother said she did liot want to sea or hear the Zeppelins again. I do. : Afterwards (said another) I knew what our brave soldiers and sailors have had to go through day after day. This kind of thing makes one realise what war is; and yet dropping bombs on harmless people is not war. - That night I felt bitter towards the Germans. I felt I could lly to Germany and do the same thing to thera. At 12 the boys still gave no sign of fear, but began to hunt for souvenirs.

The bomb did not go off (wrote one boy), so I,went to get it, but burned my (ingcra A copper oame running round the corner, and he took it. The girls now, became very critical and argumentative, but there was no evidence of fear.

At -13 the Zeppelins were ■ described as "midnight marauders." The following were extracts from the boys' essays:—

1,-was cleaning'.the stove when the room was' lighted' lip by a lurid glow, followed by a bang. _ "Zeppelins I" I exclaimed, j and straightway rushed into the street. '

The air raid was a failure, the idea being to frighten the people'of London. It did not siicceed, the feeling being one of curiosity. The girls of 33 gave a general verdict that the raids would do good because they would show the people what war really was. There was again not the slightest evidence of fear. Philosophic Youth, Throughout the essays there was evidence of the mothering attitude of young girls towards those more helpless. One girl of nine rushed home and went upstairs to tako her Teddy bear to the cellar. There was evidence also of the philosophic attitude of children. Olio girl wroto:— I was a bit frightened when the bomb burst, but we have only to die once. Said another: I could have seen the Zeppelins, but I thought, "If I do I shall always see them when I look .up into the sky," so I would not look at them.

Particularly striking was the evidence of the small part played by the father m the family. In 95 per cent, of the essays no reference was made to him ""land even in the other cases the rofer-

ence3 were not flattering. For example My father was frightened during the raid, and he ran into a beer shop and got under the counter, and stayed there until it was all over. Men generally, apart from policemen, soldiers, and firemen, were often the subject of uncomplimentary remarks. A man came into the public-house and said, "Give me half a pint. If 1 am going to die I will die drunk." The essays gave some interesting glimpses of social life in lodging-houses and tenements, and they also illustrated the danger of suppressed emotion. The children who Buffered most were of about 12, who were' really frigntoned, but would 1 not show it. The most graphic descriptions were given by children of 10, 11, and 12. The following wero examples: — My mother rushed up into my room and carried me bodily down into tho kitchen, where I was among friends. I said, "Why all this excitement?" They said, "The Zeppelins have come," and I said, "Good! gracious! You don't say so." . _ Suddenly a piercing beam of white light shot across the sky. Guns spat viciously out of the darkness at a cigar.-shaped body far up in the clouds, I was coming out of a cinema with ray uncle, and I noticed people were rushing to and fro in the streets.- I went up to a policeman and said to him, "What does all this mean?" He replied gravely, "The Zeppelins have come." "What?" I said 1 . "Do you mean to tell me that those terriblo. monsters have come at last?" And he Teplied, briefly, "They lhave."