The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-11-16
BRITISH NONCOMS
FIND PROMOTION
RAPID AT FRONT
Wave of Optimism Sweep
ing Over England-No
Cause Known
RUMOR FACTORY
WORKS OVERTIME
Wastage of Horses Fearful-Ameri-
can Newspaper Man Refuses to Be
Hero-Brigade of Irish
Is to Be Formed
BY z. r. FITZGERALD

London, october 81 Especial Dur
ing the last week there has been a
distinct feeling of optimism in Lon
don official circles. These waves of
feeling succeed one another in the
most inexplicable way. No one seems
to know why everyone is confident to-
day, or why they are depressed to-
morrow for most of the time there is
no news to Justify it. A couple of
weeks ago all the officials at the war
office and admiralty were talking
about a war that would last a year
or IS months. This week every man
met connected with these depart
ments was positive that 1t would all
be over by Christmas
There is not the slightest doubt that
this is the most democratic war that
Britain has ever engaged In. Men of
every class are enlisting in the ranks
The day has gone by when the only
qualification for a commission was
good birth and influence. Today al
though Kitchener is sorely in need of
officers he will accept none who have
not had some military training and
who promise to be efficient and the
young men of the upper and middle
classes. knowing this. are joining the
ranks without murmur. At the same
time great numbers of noncommis-
stoned officers are being promoted to
commissioned rank. Hardly day
passes that the London Gazette does
not contain the names of anywhere
from dozen to hundred of these
promotions. / came across an amusing
instance of this change of social values
the other day. A friend of mine who
belongs to an influential family and
is fairly we'll to do has just enlisted
as private in the corps enrolled to
work the anti-aircraft guns which are
guarding London against raids by
Zeppelins and Taubes. He was telling
me all about his work and then he
said:
THE funniest thing about 1t is 20
come after the war. My parlor maid 3
sweetheart is in the royal field ar
tillery. He went out to the war a
corporal and he has been doing all
sorts Of gallant things. He has been
promoted half a dozen times and this
morning the girl came to my wife with
the Gazette and there WAS her young
man made a captain for gallantry in
the field. When he comes to call on
her after the war he will find me a
full private and I'll have to salute him.
Good luck to himl I'll be glad to do
so, and I won't mind q bit il he or
ders me out of the drawing room while
he does his counting"
This anti-aircraft corps is one of the
many examples of the efficient way
In which the British government Is
making use OF all the available mate
rial. human and otherwise, at Its COM
mand. 1t is composed of professional
men of all kinds. doctors, lawyers.
journalists and men of every trade
who are too old or whose family or
business ties prevent their going to
the front. They are not compelled to
give up their business, for their duty
is arranged In four-hOur shifts each
day, and every effort is made to ac-
commodate the mans shift to his hours
of work. My friend. who Is an edi-
torial writer on leading newspaper,
does his duty from to p. M every
day and then comes on to his office
in uniform to do his work. One of the
men who has enrolled in this corps Is
George Grossmith the actor, who Is
almost as we'll known in America as
in England. The men are trained to
work special high angle gun throw
ing shrapnel and are armed as well
with rifles. They are perched on the
roofs Of high buildings in various parts
of the metropolis
Refuses to Be q Hero
One of the best stories of the war con-
Germs a well known American newspaper
man, Ed Clearly Of Kentucky, who has
been acting as correspondent for the Lon
don Express on the continent. He was
one of the last correspondents to leave
Antwerp and he sent some of the best
stun received from the besieged city. One
of his colleagues during the siege was
Cherry Kearton, the famous nature pho
tographer. Kearton came back before