The Alaska daily empire., 1914-10-01
INTERESTING
 LONDON LETTER

ish Empire is going about It's busi' ness calmly and thoroughly, despite the fact that the business Is war.
 Brittons are entering into the war whole heartedly; recruiting is brisk and training of recruits is going on apace.
 The method of disposing of the freshly joined troops is to put them in training under cannon for three weeks or a month and then transport them to some overseas possession such as Galta. India, or Gibraltar, there to relieve garrisons and undergo further training; the trained soldiers then re- leased are sent to the front.
 As was inevitable, trade is slack cning and the whole Empire is be- ginning to feel the effects. The case of Australia is typical. The wool crop worth normally $125,000,O00 per an mum is now worth but two thirds of that sum. The colonies are beginning to feel the loss of the constant flow if money from the Mother country, England being at this time disinclined to advance loans.
 In 1913, New South Wales, one of the states of Australia, with popu' lation of one and three quarters mil lions borrowed $4O,OO0.0O0 in England.
 Bankers are feeling uneasy about the safety of shipments from the colon ies in German merchantmen in which they frequently have interests, and, upon the declaration of war, these vessels made haste either to reach neutral ports or else to transform themselves into armed cruisers. All British passengers in these ships are landed anywhere haphazzard, one ship load of passengers for London finding themselves marooned on Mozambique.
 Bankers having interests in such vessels, as the above, petitioned the admiralty, that in the event of com- ing across them, they should capture rather than sink whenever possible.
 At the time the London letter was written. the tide of battle had turned in favor of the Allies, the Germans then having commenced their retro grade movement.
 The threatening of Paris caused at the worst some outlay of money and effort in building extra Notifications; and some inconvenience. necessitating the movement of the seat of govern. ment to Bordeaux.
 The sangue de France alone in this | general exodus transferred S75O,OO0,- 900 in gold to the temporary capital, this constituting the greatest move ment of gold on record. The move ment of this vast sum together with tons of securities necessitates the em. ployment of sixteen special trains.
 In England, the public are getting accustomed to the use of paper cur rency and few soyerigns are seen in circulation.
 The notes are of rather poor de. sign, due to the great speed of their preparation. millions were printed in a couple of days. These are being re. called and replaced by notes of su- perior design and workmanship.
 The newspapers give little else but war news-this strictly censored by the government, greatly to the indig. nation of an army of reporters with the troops. as has been the case in the previous campaigns. but in view of the gravity of the present crisis the government disallowed it.
 Consequent upon the censorship, all sorts of wild rumors find print and creGcnce. The news of the movement of 25O,OOO Russian troops through is unsubstantiated by facts and as far as is generally known up to Sept. II, there are no Russian sol. diers in France.
 All are confident of the outcome of the war; and it is the general opinion that, given equal numbers, the troops of the British in the field vastly out. class those of Germany, which opin- ion is of course open to dispute as be. ing strictly biased.
 Surprise is expressed at the wanton waste of life caused by the relentless advance in close formation by the Ger. made ground, but dearly paid for every foot with utter disre. gard for the fearful slaughter of their men.
 Feeling is unanimous that the war must go on until Germany is brought to her knees and made poyerless to disturb the world for years to come. (
 The failure of the Germans to cap .ure Paris has destroyed the last chance of peace till the Teutons are ( 3ubdued; for, with Paris in their grasp { he Germans could have sued for peace { with favorable terms; and this oppor- I unity to stop the war would have I Ieen seized by the "peace at any price" i ,arty in England and France.
 To date, Sept. Il, the British loss s s were 15.OOO. No Encouragement i vas felt however, and all were eager t O offer their services to the Elm. b ire. c