Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-19
ALL ENGLAND IN ARMS,
re. WOODWARD SAYS
Relates His Experiences Abroad at
the Inception of the
Big War.
Address Delivered at Meeting of
Woodward & Lothrop Employees.
Dancing Follows.

Il saw all England IN arms, de-
clared F. E. Woodward, speaking last
| night in the auditorium of Woodward
& Lathrop's, before a large gather
ing of employees and friends of the
| store. Mr.. woodward arrived in this
country the first of the month from a
trip abroad. He was for thirty-fou1
days in England and Scotland at the
time of mobilization for the European
war.
81 saw soldiers filing the Streets
continued Mr. Woodward. They filled
the railroad stations. 1 saw them con
veying horses through the streets
loading automobiles into huge iron
steamers and raw recruits drilling
every day in the city parks.
II heard the newsboys crying papers
at all hours. and saw placards or
headed: Your King Wants You The
recruiting stations were crowded with
men and boys eager to enlist. Many
hotels and eating houses were stripped
of walters. Excursions and excursion
trains were cancelled and guides were
not obtainable. The streets rumble d
with the passage of artillery and the
tramp of troops en- route for France
and Belgium"
Was Never in Great Danger.
Mr.. Woodward said he was disturbed
and inconvenienced many times. but
was never in any great danger.
-Four times on the water I was held
up" he said, but in each case by boats
of friendly character. Once search
was made for Germans, and I was
roughly handled by a giant policeman
who cried out: Here's another one!
I told him I was citizen of the United
ia oil i,, n
short time.
Twice we were held up to warn us
against mines which had been placed
in the harbors of Glasgow and Liver
was by the English cruiser Sussex, one
day out of New York harbor"
The main portion of Mr.. Woodward's
address dealt with the cities, towns and
lation. to the literature of the island
MY impression of the class of read
ing of the ordinary English people is
that they read light. trashy literature
stores are filled with romances and
novels selling at I pence and l shilI-
ing, and the newsstands are overflow
ing with weekly papers such as the
Girls Own and many others the like OF
which we do not have in this country
and they are carried and read in the
cars and on the streets. There are 100
daily newspapers in London and about
twenty OF these are OF considerable i'm
portance."
Rapid Workers in London.
Mr.. Woodward said some things are
done in London more quickly than they
are in this country. For instance. a
film given to be developed and printed
at o'clock in the morning is ready
and well done at o'clock at night.
THE children in the large cities are
not much in evidence" said Mr.. Wood
ward. telling of the old song, London
Bridge Is Falling Down."
But on one occasion 1 saw in an
alley group of six girls-barefooted
and poorly dressed-each with a hand
on another's shoulder, marching up
and down the alley singing at the top
of their voices London bridge is falling
down, falling down, falling down. just
as the children do in our own city
parks, except that a few squares away
was the veritable London bridge itself.
1t is probable that the song originated
in or about the very same spot many
years ago."
Following the address, which was
given under the auspices of the Wood
ward & Lothrop Twenty-Year Club, q
club formed of employees who have been
with the establishment for at least
twenty years, the auditorium was de-
voted to dancing for the rest of the
evening.