Evening journal., 1914-08-19
editor HILL Tells
OF LONDON Gloom
Mr.. Handy, Mr.. Kurtz and
Party Sailed for Home on
August Is
TELLS OF CONDITIONS
AMONG THE NEEDY

William II. Hill, former editor of
The Morning News. writing from
London to that newspaper under date
of August 5, has the following to say
of war conditions there:
This is always to be remembered as
London's day Of gloom. The an
nouncement came early in the morn
ing through the newspapers that, be-
ginning at IL o'clock last night, Eng
land was at war with Germany. The
long-deferred and long-feared break
between the two countries, governed
by first cousins, had come. The city
had been prepared for the tidings,
and as soon as they began to move
about the streets, under a clouded
sky, it was clear that grim determine
ton and anxiety dominated the minds
of the loyal Britishers. They are in
harmony with the act of the govern
ment in declining to accept Germany's
ingenious proposition-that Germany
would keep hands off the French
coast if England would agree to keep
hands OF That was the breaking
point. England was to stand against
/ the wanton invasion Of Belgium and
the violation of what were considered
as sacred International treaties. Ger
many, like a mad dog, had started to
run amuck.
Early this morning the clouds grew
heavier and Just before noon there
came several ominous claps of thun-
der. The crowds Of people in the
offices of the shipping companies and
elsewhere were startled by the war
in the heavens. Some of them shud-
dered-and / was In a group of Them
near Haymarket-and some of them
turned white. II was clear thai
everybody was keyed to the highest
point. When a wit exclaimed: 1T is
the sound Of the German guns there
came another shiver and a few al
most hysterical bursts of laughter
The rain continued to fall, and it wa'
the first really rainy day for foul
weeks. Gloom IN the atmosphere anC
gloom in the hearts of everybody wal
in evidence. There we're fewer busse'
running and they we're crowded
Everybody was wet and sOggy, anC
dismayed notably those who are un
able to secure return passage to thu
States and unable to secure read!
funds. Some of the hotels are cash
ing travellers checks in small
amounts and II has already becom
question of credit. One American
today rendered a five-pOund note t.
a physician, but the latter could no
give four pounds in change. He sim
ply told his patient to pay when HI
could. Everybody has to trust every
body else. But relief is expected ol
Friday, when the banks will reopel
and the distribution of ten-shillini
; and one-pound notes begins. Yet thos
notes will only be good here an
many travellers may have to go hOm
! with English paper money. Last Fri
day / saw one man draw on a lette
of credit $500 in Bank of Englan
notes, and notes of that size are il
, many pockets. Notice was served o.
, another man, lodging where / an
that he would not be able to start 70
. Australia tomorrow as he had hopeC
His boat will not sail. What he wi
! do is not yet known. A woman schoC
I teacher from Chicago told me toda
I that she did not know how she woul
. get home, but she is fortunate in hay
= ing relatives here.
r There are no end of instances Of pei
sOnal confusion, but every effort
o being made to help those who al
n stranded by reason of the canceling
= the trips of boats on which they wei
J. booked II is a situation unprecedent6
and it is liable to grow worse. On
speculative group of Americans hi
r bought a boat of $500 tons and expec
r to reap harvest from those anxious
J. 90 home. One man of considerab
s wealth is said to have taken steera,
IS passage in order to get back to Ne
II York He had first cabin passage
l. one of the big liners, but his boat is n
p to sail.
Notwithstanding the confusion al
uncertainty in the minds of thOusan
of American visitors they are makil
tho best of very ugly situation. The
10 is no pushing and scrambling and tho
e. who have stood in line for hours co
rs tnued to smile and ''iolly" each oth'
ID But the smiles were more or'less fore
ne and perfunctory. The worst cases a
X those of young women teachers trav'
OF ing alone. They had few hundr
c. dollars each to spend and few weel
Of vacation. They are anxious to get ba
VS. in time for school, and they have
T. fight their own way alone. Yet the
s. who are in France and Germany are (
~ Thor. f1 raon or ofl