The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1915-05-17
LONDON LETTER
GIVES WAR NEWS

LONDON. April 23.-While Eng
land is torn with the discussion OF
the drink problem, it will not only
DC interesting but news as we'll. to
know that there is in Great Britain
"a tavern where smoking is prohibit
ed. The house is situated in Ar
tillery row. not a stones throw from
Liverpool Street Station, and il IS
remarkable how few Londoners
know of Londons only smokeless tav-
eGn. 1t was established in 1852.
The stranger who enters its door
is promptly served with a pamphlet
in which appear the curious rules
by which the establishment is bound,
Rule one puts up the bar against
him who has drunk unwiSely and
too well.
Rule 2. mo person or party OF
persons can be served under any
circumstances more than once. the
rule being that he, she or they Gas
the case may be- must have left the
the house at least half an hoar be
fore either are entitled to be served
again
All Germany is talking of Baron
Hans Won Spes5hardt who is only
10 years old, and yet has won both
ne iron cross and the Ritter kreuze
Of SaXony He fell on the battle
field on the last day of 1914, and
is now in the final stages of his
convalescence in a Berlin hospital,
The story of Baron Won Specs
Aarat is one OF those glimpses into
the simple life OF young soldier
which are some times revealed to
one or another of corps of cores
pandenls in the moments when they
dIe are not hunting the foreign Of
flee for news OF a long anticipated
expedition to the front.
To tell the story of one Imam seems
almost futile, when there are stories
OF so many men to tell. But this
story and others like it serve a big
ger purpose than the mere narration
OF picturesque campaigning. They
convey the essentials of what sue
cesses the Germans have won in the
east and the west. The elaborate
organization of modern military
methods has but one object to place
the common soldier and his i'm
mediate officer face to face with
the enemy. Germany gives her men
N'4' AAiAN"N 'f'iPiiiSii', 'As'Aiiiis5 siiN
direction of which she is capable.
After that to rest with the soldiers
whether to advance or retreat. The
will-to-win is an aphemeral standard
that must be borne in every sol
diers heart.
There are more than 10000 Aus
trian war prisoners in Serbia, both
officers and men, and 10000 of them
a., Tif.b
of food the Austrian prisoners are
well fed The officers are exceeding
ly fed, in fact While the men get
the same rations as the Serbian
soldiers. namely, a loaf Of bread
with a piece of lard or cheese every
day and occasionally some beans.
OF course it takes time for the
Austrians to get used to this spare
diet, but on the other hand it can
not be expected that the prisoners
should fare better than their cap
tors.
The cheerfulness of the wounded
and manned is one of the remark
able features of the war. No mat
ter if the men have empty sleeves
or disfigured faces with an eye miss
ing or minus leg, they can be seen
going about with the most cheer
Iul view of the future.
A remarkable scene during the
performance of La Nivandiere' a
few nights ago is the talk of every
one. The opera is particularly APP
propriate for the present time and
the great Hymn to Liberty" the
climax of an act, always receives an
ovation. All the audience arose |
and applauded at this song except |
two men in the uniform of officers. |
There We're murmers until it was |
seen that the right sleeve of one |
and the left sleeve of the other |
were empty. That ended the inter
est of the audience in the opera.
A great cheer arose. The orchestra |
quickly turned to the "Marseillaise"
and the two men received an ova-
ton.