The Detroit times., 1914-09-08
sy HARRY PAYNE BURTON


LONDON, Sept. 7.-'Merrie EMS
land" In war time is--not merry
Great, happy England Is unoehes,
eddy sad. brooding and more--she -
actually fearful.
The cable dispatches don't carry
the real story OF the alarm over nero
The censor cuts 1t out.
/ found out. indeed. how very serf
ously England is taking this war o
fore | even got to England!
The steamer st. Paul, on when
sailed, was held up in the Mersey
river, IL miles from Liverpool. ior
nearly. two days before landing, SO
that every passenger aboard could DO
censored before being allowed to get
into the tender and thus conveyed
to shore. And when the little BOAT
finally locked six passengers Win
uspicious-sounding names marchea
down the gangplank with six armed
escorts at their sides.
The docks at Liverpool were
swarming with soldiers, pacing oack
and forth. calling people mere. there
and everywhere to halt and explain
themselves. and the trains 10 Londoh
were all taken over by the miitary
and each passenger carefully scruun-
lied as he sat In his seat Al every
way-station armed pickets are pacing
the platforms and armed guards
standing at either end Of every bridge
and trestle on the tight little Isle.
But H Ia In London itself that the
American finds out that the Briush
are not taking the war with Germany
like the pink.tea censored news wouio
have Americans believe. Everywhere
there are signs that England In lts
high circles believes that the great
est war In the history OF the worid Is
upon the nation and that too great
preparations cannot be made.
And this startling admission mas
received Official sanction from LORD
Kitchener's own once, from which
has been issued call after call Tor
troops; 100000 alone being wanteo
for homedefense purposes!
You cannot turn anywhere In Lon
don without seeing great files OF raw,
pink-cheeked English boys. with guns
over their shoulders, still In their
civilians clothes, being marched 70
one of the scores OF temporary bar
racks for drill And huge transports
OF them are met with In the river
and In the channels where they are
swallowed into the fog that lies round
bleeding France and Belgium.
The Horse Guards parade. Q great
stretch of ground behind the Admir-
atty arch and Trafalgar-sq., and not
stones throw from Buckingham
palace, Il covered with little white
tents--recruiting stations.
And to these every day come To-
600 youths anxious to fight for the
glory Of England And 5000 OF these,
Of this dover OF the nation, just on
the brink Of life, are signed, marched
TO barrack-sheds, clothed in khaki,
given a rife and a kit and sent to
the continent within IL hours to
match their youth with German
UhlanS and Austrian sabre dragons!
Il In In the parks, though, that one
sees the human note OF this recruit
ing drama. These pink English boys
are very straight and very stern
while they give their oath to their
king--but later when they sit on q
accompanied bench on the Thames
embankment to say goodbye to their
sweethearts then the tears run free!
Caresses come unashamed. The
girls press their cheeks against those
Of their soldier boys and whisper In
their ears the few things they can
saw between their sobs.
And the boys try to make the girls
brave, but what can a boy do when
he IL crying. too?
The fear Of England as to the gray-
ity OF this war is very plainly shown
by the speed with which suspected
spies are arrested here and are even
shot No fewer than q dozen men
who have refused to answer when
challenged have already been pumped
full OF lead by sentries doing their
dooty" on country roads or at Thames
bridges. And that the precautions are
not In vain is shown by the fact that