Evening star., 1914-09-24
LONDON LEARNING
HORRORS Of WAR
Incoming Wounded and Ref
ugees Bring Home Ter
r0rS of BattIefieIds.
INDIA RUSHING 10000
TO AID OF THE BRITISH
Native Rulers Vie in Offering to
Lead Troops Against Germans.
Old Soldiers Re-Enlist.
Special Correspondents of The Star.

Special Correspondents OF The Star
LONDON. September 12-London is
beginning to feel the actualities OF
war. for as trainloads of wounded are
being brought home and refugees
crowd into the capital from their de-
Nastated homes in Belgium and France
the knowledge of what war means is
belnS borne i'll upon Londoners Add
TO these conditions the now certain
knowledge that a fleet of Zeppelins is
preparing in Germany for the hated
Britishers and will attempt, on the
nrst opportunity, the terrorizing by
bombs of the people in England itself,
and London in particular. and you have
reason for the precautions now being
taken here.
For several nights past every square
ana street center in town has remained
uark, every second lamp in main
thoroughfares unlighted, and the use
or stray advertising lamps on build
inss as well as the brilliance of shop
WlhdoTs-all to reduce the sky glow
from the city-has been restrained.
Searchllghts. manned by navy men,
nave been placed on prominent build
ings and nightly sweep the skies in
search Of the dreaded Zeppelins. while
and aeroplanes fly above us on guard.
Anti-afrship guns have also been
mounted at various places of vantage
TO combat the marauders If they come
Last night another step was taken.
All the licensed houses closed at IL
ociock-ninety minutes earlier than
usua1-and such restaurants as have
kept open later only supplied food. The
new closing hour has not been imposed
as precaution against Zeppelins.
no he itov
authorities wished some check put on
the practice of buying drinks for re-
reservists and territorials, as large
proportion of the population has been
Ill the habit of doing. London has now
to alter Its habits and bedtime The
theaters and music halls are bound to
suner by the change, which will dis
courage the poorer suburban and
East End people from coming in for
their entertainments.
Joining the Army.
have just been down to woolwich,
1t is wonderful. A thousand men of
Kitchener's army go off daily to other
camps: more than a thousand arrive
from Whitehall to learn to form fours
on Woolwich common, while the au-
thorities get them rifle and uniforms
Men are drilling all day in their civilian
ciothes-London shopmen, city clerks,
students, squad of Welsh miners,
squad of Welsh farmers and game
turning up by the score, from the
smart commissionaire and the warrant
ohcer, who has put his money in a
shop, down to the long service man
who lost the taste for civil life" and
since the army discharged him has
tramped the country and slept In hay
stacks For him it is, indeed, back
to the army again." just as Kipuing
sings 7 took my bath and I wallered
for Gawr. needed it So"
Bath. hair cut. uniform and the
sound of the feet on the gravel turn
these fellows into soldiers again in a
day Next day they are drilling squads.
For them the regulations are stretched.
a little. In recruits. however. only the
very best physically is good enough,
and the old drill sergeants almost weep
to see the cut of the men, their zeal
and the way they learn They eat any
thing, work all day. sleep in their old
clothes in tents with one blanket, or
none, yet never a grumble is heard.
There is only one finer body of men
in the country-to look at, I mean, for
to all. That is the new Public School
Battalion-nearly 1000 men already.
In height, sinew and cleanbred intel
igence they beat everything this coun-
try ever saw marching.
Blessings of War.
War has its blessings as well as
woes. OF this there could be no more
signal proof than the whole-hearted
manner in which every one of Brit
aims great dominions or minor colo
nies and protectorates has responded
to the call Of the mother country In
the hour of danger. Not one but is
prepared to contribute to the defense
OF what King George, in his stirring
message. has SO aptly termed the en-
pres common heritage of regard for
treaty faith and the pledged word of
rulers and peoples"
This is hardly what the kaiser and
Cen Won Bernhard had expected
whether from the labor governments
of Australasia, from Irish or French
Canadian natioralism. or from Boo.
nationalism in South Africa. But least
of all did they expect Indian native
support for Britain: that 10000 troops
equivalent to nearly two German army
corps. should df have been not compul-
soriIy withdrawn, but offered by the
Indian government and ruling chiefs
that Sikh, Pathan, Gurhha, Bengali.
followers of the Grand Lama of Tibet;
that Buddhist Moslem royal maha-
rajahs and Nawabs should all vie with
another in their desire to hatsen to
the front and fight alongside of those
whom, according to the German dipio-
mats and strategists, they regarded
tyrant and foe
India's Army En- Route.
The kaiser's secret agents in India
must have been as simple-rninded as
those sent to Ireland by Prince Lich-
nowsky some weeks ago.
The announcement in the house oi
commons of lndia's great rally to the
flag was received with extraordinary
enthusiasm; the only parallel to this
cheer which went up being that which
greeted Mr.. Redmond's statement &
short time ago in regard to the loyalty
of Ireland. The resources of the In
dian empire are, of course. vast. bu,
what surprised N. P.'s most was tina,
there were as many as 10000 trained
troops already on their way, or. more
probably. already in France, with more
available.
The original announcement of two
divisions, or 10000. had been regarded
as the limit of India's help in the mat
ter of fighting men. though those two
divisions comprise only section o!
the regular Indian army OF q quarter
of million. But twenty-Seven oil
the Indian princes have small stand
ing armies known as imperial service
troops There is, further, a horse re-
serve of 10000 animals. all of which
have been ordered as remounts, piu:
80 ,,,,1A am