COULD NOT FIND WAY

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1940, Page 9

COULD NOT FIND WAY

PROBLEM FOR INVADERS NO SIGNS ABOUT LONDON

The difficulties that invaders would encounter in finding their way about London, potential benefits to health as a result of the introduction of food rations, and the alertness of England, which was prepared for any eventuality, were matters of interest referred to in a letter received at Hawera from a foriner Taranaki woman, who is now living at London. "Here, though nations fall, life jogs on," states the letter. "We sit tight, expect air raids and/or invasion, and are glad for each week's respite, but the daily round is the saine and people aie not at all fussed. "There are two public air-raid shelters built in the crescent garden where I live," she continued. "All district namcs on shops, delivery vans and subuiban stations are painted out so that if you are out of your own district you sirnply don't know where you are. I imagine an invading enemy would not know either? The balloon barrage goes up and down. It is not always up by any means, as the weather affects it to some extent. "Domestic shopping is not so easy these days," continued the letter. Things are dear, though vegetables are more procurable now and quite cheap on the whole. Eggs at 3s a dozen and 2s 9d a dozen for small ones are scarce. Margarine is rationed now at two ounces a week, cooking fat (or margarine) two ounces, and butter at four ounces a week. I get four ounces of butter and four ounces of margarine each week and find one manages quite well. "In peace time one is very extravagant with many things," she continued. "As we get the necessary things and balance a diet properly we will probably be belter with less food. Except for the rationed articles, butter, cooking fat, margarine, tea (two ounces), sugai (eight ounces) and meat (ls lOd worth a week) there is plenty of everything in spite of temporary shortages of some advertised brands of things. There have been rises in prices. "The last month or two have been put to very good use, and I believe that no end of preparations have been made everywhere for 'any eventuality , she said. "England is awake now, and very alert."