Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-18
NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
Aversion in England to Army
Consumption.
OLD SEASIDE MUSINGS
LONDON EXPERIENCING STRIKE
AMONG IT'S CABMEN.
Prominent English Women to Attend
International Congress at Berlin
Old Landmarks Removed.
OLD SEASIDE MUSINGS



LONDON, June 6, 1904
The public has been only mildly excited
by the prospect of conscription for the Brit
ish army. No one really believes that a
government, conservative or LIBERAL could
be found to seriously advocate such a step
In this country. 1t is not often that even
the worst Of royal commissions receive the
trouncing that has been administered to
the commission on the militia and volun-
teers. Probably these gentlemen were en-
couraged in bodlness by the outspokenness
OF Lord Elgins war commission or the
drastic recommended lions of Lord Esher's
war office reorganization committee, but if
thi; is the explanation of their startling
proposals they have made dismal miscal-
culation. Their advocacy of CONSUMPTION
has met with practically unanimous con-
domination from press and public alike
OF the London dailies one only supports
the introduction of CONSUMPTION, and in this
case 1t may be noted one of the civilian
commissioners is a contributor to it's col
umnS. The general trend of criticism holds
that the majority report goes far beyond
the limits of the question which the COM
mission was appointed to investigate and
that by their advocacy of CONSUMPTION they
nave deprived their report as a whole of
any value for practical purposes.
No one believes their vague expression of
opinion that system of CONSUMPTION would
not add to the financial burden of the coun-
try. they have proposed a scheme which
would considerably increase it. and unfor-
tunately Tor them at a moment when the
whole tendency of public opinion is toward
large decrease in military expenditure.
II the report has any beneficial outcome it
VII PROBABLY be in focusing public and
omcial opinion upon the present auxiliary
forces, and 1t may eventually lead to
charges that will result in popularizing
both the militia and volunteer force and
rendering them more efficient for the duty
expected of them.
1t is significant that in all recent military
debates CONSUMPTION has seldom been al
luoed to as Il practical policy. If referred
to at all, 1t was rather as academic
nope or aspiration. On the other hand, the
greatest Importance has been placed upon
necessity for improving the training of the
militia and volunteers and for making the
militia a better stepping stone to the COM
missloned ranks of the regular army. 1t is
perhaps unfortunate for the Duke of Con-
naught in his role of inspector general that
he should be regarded in military circles as
the real author of the new proposal.
A series of regula tons which has Just
been issued shows that the admiralty is
fully alive to he value of improved train
ing in gunnery and torpedo duties. Thirty
able seamen are t. be selected from each
battle ship and cruiser in the home chan
mel and cruiser squadrons for special in
structior as :sightsetters and gunayers.
Commanding officers are advised to fully
exercise their powers of future recommen-
dalton for this training, and in order that
there may be sufficient supply of expert
gunners one-third of the Seamen on every
ship will on paying off be encouraged to
qualify as seamen-gunners or torpedo men.
An Old Seaside Town.
1 have been spending few days of the
Whitsuntide holidays at Deal that sea-
side town in Kent which used to be of the
greatest importance before the days of
steam. 1t lies just opposite the downs, and
is protected by the Goodwin Sands, so that
in former times. the Oldest resident will tell
you he has seen 400 ships of all kinds an
chored in the Downs off Deal, either wait
ing for a storm to subside or a calm to
break up: Clarke Russell, the sea-story
writer, has made Deal famous in his books
His London ships always fetch up at Deal
for some purpose or another He also SAYS
of the Deal boatmen, of whom there were
once over 1000, that nowhere in the king
dom will you See lazier men. Once they
were busy enough but with ships no longer
calling their employment is largely gone
and they have reduced lOafng to a fine
art.
He is right. They lounge all day on the
sea 'front.' leaning up against boats or wind
lasses, the very picture of idleness going
"off duty only at noon to dinner, and at
night to sleep in the tiny rabbit warrens
called houses, that cluster thick in narrow
alleys just back of Beach street l ought
to qualify that last statement These sturdy
sunburnt "boatmen' will leave their lean
Ing posts at any moment on an invitation
to have a drink. They are always ready
to adjourn to one of the numerous public
houses which are to be found in every
street in Deal
Most curious are these saloons One
and two story houses, wedged in between
dwellings in great number and all bearing
high sounding names. 1 have counted
duplicate name among them. For curl
osity sake l made list of the names,
which are usually painted up in big gilt
letters on a green sign in front covering
Here are few of them: Sir Sidney Smith"
Rose and Crown. Bell and Anchor"
BLACK Horse Horse Kings Head White
acen's Head" Yarmouth Packet" Three
Compasses. "Waterman's Arms" Lord
Nelson, Mermaid George and the Drag
on Eye Olde Victory" Admiral Owen"
and ''Druids Arms Seventy-sx of these
tiny drinking places, in some streets aver
aging one to each five dwelling houses or
shops. How they all exist is a mystery.
1t is the same in the adjoining town of
Walmer, where Lord and Lady Curzon are
inhabiting the Castle" and in Sandwich,
small half-dead town about five miles
away. The latter place, once a famous
port but now nearly two miles from the
sea, is one of the original Cirque ports of
which Lord Curzon is lord warden.
While we were at Deal the old warship
Caliope anchored off the place to get re-
cruits for the navy. Americans will re-
member her name as that of the only ship
that was able to come out alive from the
hurricane at Samoa many years ago. when
two German warships and the American
Trenton were dashed ashore and hundreds
of lives were lost. The Caliope. a barque-
rugged steamer, Is now a training ship for
the British navy. Her record is engraved
on brass plate on board and is contin-
ual glory to her crew of budding sailors.
Several boys Joined her at Deal. They
have to enlist for twelve years. For the
first six months they receive so cents pay
a week After this period of training If
they are smart they are ranked as first-class
bows at 90 cents a week. They are then
drafted into various ships for the navy
and become able bodied seamen.
London Cabmen Strike.
Between 1890 and 5000 London cabmen
are on strike, and as it is just the busiest
time of the season there is considerable
inconvenience resulting. Ordinarily, this
number of strikers would not tie things up
for there must be some 1900 cabs in Lon
don, but now the stoppage is felt as 1t is
west end cabs that are most affected.
The trouble is of long standing, but II
assumed a more less acute form at
Christmas when the drivers demanded
reduction in the daily hire of their cabs.
They point out that the increase of cleo