New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-24
Attitude of Pantomime
Audience Shows Feel
ing in Britain.
GOVERNMENT IS
STILL FRIENDLY
A New England, Fighting for Her
Existence. Explains Wrought
Up Sentiment.
By HENRY BEACH NEEDHAM.

LoUNoUs Jan. TO-. nc NNfiNtl H" ,
pantomirne ~ Drury Lane has bril-
liant scene in which the flags OF all
nations are waved. turn about, FOR the
delight % the audience all save the
flags OF the countries A. war with
Great Britain. Naturally, there was
an ovation for the colors OF France.
Russia and Belgium. There was also
enthusiastic applause for the flags OF
Italy, Spain and Japan. But for the
Stars and Stripes not single hand
clap. Silence dead. out % keeping
with the holiday gayety OF the house,
and clearly intentional "Nhy don
YOU applaud ! asked Of the Amen
can friend who sat with me .u the
front row OF the dress circle Be
cause I don't want 20 appear damn
conspicuous" he snapped 10 was one
week after the American note had de-
scended from the gloomy sky. struck
the anxious Briton between the eyes
and sunk IN.
The day our protest came was
writing In the peaceful White Horse
Hotel. Hnslcmere. Surrey. among real
folks" who had had almost half a
year TO form careful judgment about
me The news came, without com
mcnf ia stop press paragraph.
How they descended upon me- the
banker next door normally a reason
able person, and the proprietor, VINO
had been In "the State and 10 Can
ada. and Who was not usular Nv nat
do YOU think of your blooming coun-
try rovy o." they demanded. thrustng
the paper Al me as Il 10 contained "a
declaration OF war. Instead Of vel
come friend. J was suddenly become
next OF kin 90 an alien enemy.
This may sound surprising. cNaggcr-
atcd or absurd when read in America
But is the calm, cold truth. What the
,awspaperS saw IN london. what most
of the correspondents Of American
papcrs have been cabling home. what
oar own press tells you. does not reflect
public opinion in EnCland-no IN the
deep currents. But. first OF all lets
have complete undertaking before
we 20 q step further. Let's under
stand what this s about, and all IT'S
about
\ Piece Of Reporting.
As far as it's for me humanity posi-
bic. this Is @ piece OF reporting q
writing down, in simple language, OF
observation am information gained az
first hand regarding the actual effect
upon England OF the American note. IL
Is not AN argument relating 10 the WIS
dom OF Justice OF the note per Sc. i ls
sincere attempt 20 help you 20 know
what England thinks, and 20 form your
own conclusions concerning the action
Of Washington.
First Of an. the intention o. the
British government IS 20 continue
friendly relations between the two coun-
tNgtsr.h4 lge hpru
10 any other cventuality. not for min
ute. Acting in more or less thorough
cooperation with the government, the
press of London h. adopted the same
attitude. Everything friendly OF
course. Because everything should re-
main friendly.
But that isn't public opinion. not az
all. % ir censored public opinion. o
comprehend 10 one must get into his
head "a conception OF new England
on England lighting for her existence
as a nation of the first line. and fully
realizing it This is hard 10 believe.
could hardly believe - when ono Eng
fshman after another. of his own ac-
cord. said 20 me: fortunate we have
Russia with us I'm this fight. as well as
France. England and France couldn' Z
defeat Germany And the same men
no longer ago than last July would
have said that England could take on
Germany alone.
Stranger FAR have been the varia-
tions Of the question put 10 me. not
once. iut many times: Before we
went under the States would come iu
and help us. wouldn't thoy@' Get this
mark .dly changed attitude % the Brit
.h mind firmly fixed before We pro-
coed
Next trv 90 picture the Enclishman
armiug and drilling for what To
gobble up likely colony six thousand
miles away? Not az AN. But 20 pro-
tcct his home
Within comparatively few miles
q Elaslemerc quarter million Of
Young men are training. No more
democratic army over rallied TO the
colors ot nation. A. one camp I'm
Surrey there are Scotch University men
and North Country miners. privatcs. all
or them. and an obi igcd 90 salute any
and every officer they meet They live
miner and college man. IN precisely the
same way I'm lcaky nuts, with clothing
never dry and subsisting on identically
the same grub.
Huts Ear from Natertight.
Thu huta about fifty feet long. built
in rows like construction camp, arc
q bad lob Some say the lumber was
too green. others that the carpenters
hurried the work too much. Certainly
they are far from tight The roofs
covered with felt. are IaluproOf. bu'
the water gets in through the side,
and through The floor And the wealth
or man goes back almost fifty years q
find a December rainfall TO match that
Of 1914. Mud? never saw such deep
sticky, persistent mud since the day.
] visited. as boy, in the corn belt OF
SO think. II YOU will. Of a volunteer
army. most Of them accustomed 20 or
binary comforts, drilling marching
digging trenches and learning 20 dC
everything they will be called or 20 d,
on The Continent. and doing it an. da,
after dsy. iu a dowupour OF rain. viii
never chance 20 get dry az night
Three university boys, for example
sleeping on three OF their blankets
huddled up together. with three blan
lets over them, hoping thus 70 escape
from the wet.
And no Crumbling! ] know this j.
unbelievable. but it's the truth
Again. consider the townSpcoplc-
their businesses going 90 the dogs OF
war. ruin staring not a few OF them IN
the face. and yet all keeping cheerful
more than that, making all kinds OF
sacrifices for the men az the front and
for the new army. And for the Bel
gians' ! know one rich Euglishman. q
Tory. who has been often lampooned
By Liberals. who has to-day nineteen
Belgian wounded in his own country
.ss' IN saft