Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-25
HOW THE ENGLISH
PEOPLE FEEL
ABOUT THE WAR
Interesting Letter from Major
Burrage, Former Chaplain
At National Home

| Gen Selden COnnor has received from
Major H. S. Burrage, former chaplain
at the National Home at Togus who is
now at Stratford-on-Avon, England,
| letter which is interesting in itself and
more so from the fact that it expresses
the feeling OF the English people in re-
gard to the war in Europe. The con-
tents of the letter follow:
My dear Gen. Conner: l received your
interesting letter of July 26th on Satur-
day, Aug s. How little could you have
| thought when you wrote that 1t would
! find us, and In fact the whole world, in
! the shadow of a great war-cloud already
discharging its fateful lightning! Here
| in England 1t is like the opening days of
the Civil War. Stratford-on-Avon had on
| Friday evening its war meeting. The
! play in the Memorial theatre was aban-
| doned in order that the meeting might be
| held in the largest audience room in the
city. The meeting was to be held at
o'clock and we had an early dinner so
that we could be ON hand when the doors
were opened at 80. We all went, and
we walked into the theatre before 7.SO,
| but found a large crowd already assem-
bled. When the doors at length were
| opened we were carried III with the
crowd and succeeded in getting good
seats, but the theatre from floor to the
upper gallery was soon filled and also
the stage. and an overflow meeting was
held I'm the memorial garden.
! The mayor presided, and of course God
Save the King was first sung as an Eng
! lish audience always sings in church or
anywhere. From the mayor to the last
SPEAKER, one of the best being Mr.. Ben
son, the principal actor in the Shake
| speare plays now in progress-there was
earnest heartfelt support of the govern
ment in its attitude because of the "n-
famous proposals" of Germany with ref
| erence to Belgium. There are no di
visions in England now. 1t is here as it
was in the North when the Confederates
! fired on Fort Sumter. There was not so
much excitement as there was in our
great uprising-you could not expect that
| from Englishmen-but the uprising was
| just as much in evidence. There were
! frequent illusions 20 Lord Grey's speech
| in the House of Commons (Which I sent
| to you last week. and also to the speech
of Mr.. Asquith two days later. which
now enclose. Both will go down in histo-
ry. l am sure, as splendid statements OF
the grounds on which Great Britain en-
ters upon a war which she endeavored to
avert, but which Germany forced upon
her.
-"As yet we get little news except with
reference to the gallant stand Belgium
has taken in holding back Germany's at
tempted advance through her territory.
We look for great battle or battles now
almost any day. We do not know what
England is doing with her regular army,
but it is expected that she is sending all
the men she can spare to the Continent.
We shall soon known. We have seen to-
day the first of the reserves leave STRAIT
| ford-a squadron of yeomanry-cavalry
made up of farmers sons VINO brought
their horses with them, fine manly fell
lows with good strong horses, who will
go to the coast for the present to take
the place of troops called into active
| service.
''All the business is at a standstill. 1t
is war, and with the feeling that Eng
land has entered upon no such war since
the Napoleonic wars. Manifestly great
struggle gigantic struggles impend-
Ing but England and France and Russia
have entered upon it with a determine
ton to give Germany a lesson sufficient
to check its ambition to dominate the
world"