The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-24
ENGLAND APPEARS
TO Be ARMED CAMP
SOLDIERS ARE IN EVERY LONDON
SQUARE AND NOTICES
FOR MORE.
ENTHUSIASM PREVAILS
BOYS TRYING TO JOIN ARMY ARE
TOLD TO GET THEIR PAR
ENTs' CONSENT
FIRST.
ENTHUSIASM PREVAILS

FJHST.
such crowds and such activity in Lon
don streets as now. Enthusiasm,
eagerness to enlist. offers of private
help to the government, cheerfulness
In the face of sacrifices and new
burdens and conditions reach the
highest pitch known In England since
Napoleon's days The hubbub OF the
Boer war was small In comparison
with today's evidences Of nation $
solidarity and devotion. Best of all
there is absolutely no mafflcking, no
jingoism. but calm. sober-eyed. hard
working enthusiasm.
All England Is an armed camp. SOL
diers are in every London square and
thousands of territorials and voiun-
teers are gathering every hour.
Churches. public buildings and board
ings are placarded with orders calling
out reseryists, territoriais and volun-
teers Already the expeditionary force
has begun TO embark for Belgium to
help relieve that brave little country
in it's plucky fight against the Ger
mans. and battles are reported on the
North Sea
Strict censorship prevails and only a
! modicum of the news is really known.
In every cable office sit leisurely
gentlemen. arms, hands and eyes
bound with war office red tape. who
pass judgment on every message that
4 comes or goes and 1t is becoming" al
: most impossible TO pursue the business
Of a news gatherer under the irksome
) conditions.
! Messages. harmless chronicles from
J America, take from five to ten
- ,,,I al arrtv in rnpd
time over the cables and are immedi-
ateIy handed on to the censors, who
/. calmly and without the least knowi-
edge or appreciation of how least
count in newspaper work allow them
to accumulate. Thursday night four
words announcing the death of Mrs.
Wilson took five hours and ten minutes
! to get by these leisurely workers
Forbid Registered Addresses.
Not only have all codes been stop
i ped, but the use of registered ad-
dresses known to cable companies and
the commercial world for many years
rs forbidden. All receivers OF mes
sases from America and elsewhere
must be addressed In their full names
with the number and street Of their
office. while senders must sign their
full name, too. All this makes for de-
lay and confusion, but l understand
that It has been ordered for fear that
Germans might learn of English move
ments by news OF code addresses alone.
OF course, the text of the message
Is censored chopped up or altered, but
no one In his senses thinks of cabling
any information that II not likely TO
pass We all recognize that censor
ship Is necessary and we are all loyalty
striving to do what is asked and to
help in every way possible this coru-
try where we live, but II does seem
a pity that men who have little sym
pathy and appreciation of newspaper
work could not have been appointed
10 look after press matter.
! We have been without money. with
prices OF food rising for the past week
Banks reopened yesterday, but there
was little rush tor money. The new
paper notes for one pound and ten snii-
lings are crude, but were got out In
hurry and may be improved. Every
body is cheerful and is accepting the
new situation splendidly. few
ter,pers here and there show signs OF
wear
Rut the streets--the streets are
crowded all the time. very different
from the usual August London, Thou-
sands Of rapid motors AT full speed,
soldiers marching, drilling. food ana
store wagons rafting along, hundreds
Of eommandeered horses being led
thTnWEn ffe SIfettS anu the SiHTW al 80
TANNED with people at all hours. Ho-
tells are full packed with Americans
and others stranded here and most
nightly glad to get TO England after
highly exciting experiences.
But with all the crowds md natural
excitement the war fever has not got
hold Of London and in the present spirit
I do not think II will.
Demonstration in London.
"a
tumuit and the shouting in those mai
fcking DAYS of the Boer war, when
patriotic citation degenerated into hys-
terIcai 1inRoism. to welcome n return
of that sort of thing. But I liked the
spirit of the Anglo French crowd tn
piecadilly circus at midnight the other
night,
1t had started at the closing time in
the Cafe ROYAL which had sent thirty
one Of its thirty Ave cooks and several
Of it's walters to join the colors In
France. Some one stood on a table
and shouted "yive la France" In a
second everyone was standing. waving
hats In the air and cheering. voice
less freshman began La Marseillaise,"
and after several efforts the crowd.
not knowing the words. took 1t up.
Then came God Save the King" and
Rule britannia" and the whole com
pany marched out into Regent street,
inhamed with the good wine OF en-
thusiasm--for France and the entente
BY the time they reached Piccadilly
circus they formed the nucleus OF n
demonstrating crowd. some 1000 strong,
and stood for over an hour cheering,
and cheering every soldier In uniform
who came among them. and roaring
with delight when huge union Jack
was unfurled on the roof OF the Critic
rion. 1t took an omnibus nearly ten
minutes to cross from, Regent street to
the Haymarket, and pedestrians took
penny trips across. obtaining n grand
stand view of the demonstration.
As stood watching and listening l
felt my hand seized and vigorously
shaken.
Good bye sir" said voice 1t be-
longed to one of the Cafe Royal wal
,ers. I'm of to the front tomorrow"
he explained. ito help get back those
lost provinces"
| shook him heartily by the hand
and wished him God speed and Eau
revoir." There was an earnestness
about the lad that made my throat feel
/, lumpy He was not vaing1orious or
cock "a hoop, but just quietly confident.
vivacious scenes are taking place in