The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-26
BRITISH APATHETIC
OGERMANP PERIL
Only Small Percentage Seems
to Realize Gravity of
: Situation.
LONDON JOKES AT WAR
Special Correspondence 10 Tar srS.

apart is unqucstlonably one OF the most
amazing features OF the conflict. With
almost every nation of Europe vitality
affected and with two-thirds of the great
nations directly involved. Great Britain,
although the chief object OF the German
hatred, remains ~astoundingly unmoved
70 far At least as her life at home is
concerned.
Despite the tremendous effort made by
the British Government during the FIRST
year of the wal and the wonderful work
OF preps ratioh which is still going on 1t
can safely be said that only a very
small percentage of the people of Great
Britain a " yet awakened to the ex-
creme seriousness of the situation or
nave realized that there ever was or
ever will be any actual danger. With
soldiers In training in all parts of the
country, with war material passing
through at all times, while airships and
aeroplanes fly overhead and search
lights play on the skies at night In
search of enemy air raiders. the Eng
iishman goes about his daily life as IL
nothing had happened and nothing was
To be feared.
The best families OF the British
aristocracy. the flower of the country,
ave sent their som to the front hun
dreds of thousands have been killed, but
the relatives of those who have fallen
appear to be the only ones TO have suf-
fered or to have realized their loss.
When history comes TO be written II will
be truthfully said that the middle classes
Of the British people failed to come to
the aid of their country in the first year
Of the great war.
Throughout the and the War Office
is covering walls and nun with
posters cleverly worded. calling for men
TO go to the front a flood OF recruiting
literature is being sent out everywhere.
but the response Is meagre. Scores OF
young able bodied men gather around
the recruiting officers in public squares
and listen TO tho arguments advanced
with a broad smile on their faces. but
the stirring descriptions of the heroic
deaths OF those who rave fallen fail to
move this class OF men who seem to
think that 1t Ia only right that others
should do the lighting for them.
French Contrast striking.
This condition Of affairs Is particularly
striking after n visit 10 France. where
none but men of old age or disabled
youths are to be seen performing any
unmilitary work. Not 80 in London.
where clerks, office employees of every
variety. bus drivers and conductors.
statesmen, walters In restaurants and
cafes, and servants OF all kinds are al
most all BIS. strong young men who
never could be- made 20 understand that
Il is their duty to do their share toward
defending their country. In the streets
of london every taxicab carries OF
the War once appeals W need men,"
but every one Of those cabs Is driven
by an able bodied man of fighting age.
who will never understand that he is
. one of those for whom the appeal was
meant.
: AS an instance of the British attitude
4; will suffice to mention one OF the late
visits of the Germans, when the Yep
,pelins came to the very suburbs OF Lon
do within half a dozen miles or h
heart of the city. The next day thou
sands of sightseers went to the places
visited by the raiders and inspected the
havoc wrought by the bombs. In the
following three days more thar 1O0, 900
people visited these places, blu they
went there as they would go to the scene
Of any accident. and there seemed to be
among the crowd of merry onlookers no
Thought of the terrific danger or OF the
possibility Of the hex bomb striking
their own home
The German peril as a whole IL
treated as a huge joke. The German
hatred OF everything British is laughed
at and the world famous expression
coined in Germany, "Gott strafe Eng
land" has become a catch word used
every day both in the street and or the
stage.
The writer recalls having attended In
Paris a lev weeks VI a performance at
fhe Folies BerGere. which before the war
was the very home OF everything happy.
merry and gay. At the first reference
to the war and the first mention OF the
Germans n chill amounting 10 almost a
shudder ran through the house, not
half the seats OF which were occupied.
In London stage folk are gaining fame
and fortune through the good jokes they
can crack at the Germans In theatres
packed to the roof.
Savoy Centre Of Gayety.
One Of the most interesting sights in
London Is to be found at the Savoy Ho-
tel. Here through the daytime officers
of high and low AMI OF not only the
British army but also of the ARMED
forces of almost all the other Allies meet
both Nor private and official reasons.
Here again every prominent American
Ss stopping and among the latter must
w oh Dbo "hO wv ~
the interests of concerns In the United
States dealing with war material.
At night the restaurant. ballroom and
foyer present a striking appearance.
British army and navy officers OF high
ank are there In great numbers, to-
gether with men wearing uniforms OF
Belgium, France and Italy, and the mill
tars costumes present a striking corr
trast with the beautiful gowns OF the
women. In the ballroom couples young
and old dance one step and fox trot to
the strains of an American negro band.
From time TO time the Provost Marshal,
Lord Athlumley, drops in, inspects the
crowd with a careful eye and retires
with a smile,
Foremost among the men OF promi-
nence is Signor Marconi. the wireless
wizard. who watches the crowd with
amused eyes. He wears the Italian uni
form and is generally accompanied by
one or two other Italian officers who
are evidently here o some official mis-
sion.
French Pretender an Invalid.
While the crowd OF military men.
beautiful women and American dealers
in cannon and shells make merry, on
one OF the upper foors of the hotel lies,
helpless on an invalid's bed. the man
who for years has hoped TO rule france
az a king. Philippe. Duke OF Orleans,
head OF the House OF Bourbon and pre-
tsuder to the throne OF France. Is COM
rrrr1 to follow from his bed the de-
velopnents In this war which Is To
remake Europe.
London itself Is full OF military men