Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-01-12
ENGLAND IS BUSY
DESPITE THE WAR
Entire Nation ConfidentThat
Enemy VIII Never Land
Army on Shores
MILLION MEN
ARE AT THE FRONT
BY ED l.. KEEN
United Press star Correspondent.

ming at London's largest music hall.
This astute amusement OF this
place of entertainment always strives
to select some catchy, up-to-date
phrase for the principal number of
the program. The subject matter of
the revue" does not make so much
difference. The performers and their
stunts may not be changed at all. But
the name Of the show must be typical
Of the latest fad or activity of the
country Two years ago it was
Hello Ragtime"-a trihe musty for
American patrons, but sufficiently
modern for home folk. Hello
Tango" was a modern evolution. In
casting about for a fresh designation
for the present season, the manage
ment could scarcely have hit upon
one more appropriate-unless it had
chosen Pleasure as Usual"
The fact that Great Britain has now
for months been playing a leading
role in the tragedy of the ages has
served but little to disturb the ira
ditional complacency of your average
Britisher What though some 10000
of the best young men of the Empire
have been killed, wounded or made
prisoners by the Prussians-the war
has not yet been brought home 10 him.
His business, and his pleasures. and
his life generally are going on much
the same as before. The prices of the
necessaries of life have not risen ap-
10,
cent more a glass. for which he
blames Lloyd George more than he
does the war. He may enjoy himself
tonight at any of the % different
theatres in the West End of London
alone-or any one of II different
music halls or variety houses.
So far the war has proven only a
slight Inconvenience to the ordinary
London resident. He soon got used
TO handling scraps of paper" instead
Of golden sovereigns. The Zeppelin
fear, so far as the populace is con-
cerned, was only momentary. Al
though the government still insists
on dimming the streets at night there
appears to be Just as many pedes-
TRANS abroad after dusk as there
were before the war. The closing Of
the saloons at 10 o'clock is perhaps
the most distressing feature of life
in London during war times. Aside
from these tangible evidences, if he
did not happen 10 read the papers or
notice the army posters on taXicabs.
motorbuses and billboards, notifying
the young men Of England that your
King and country need you" the
stranger would be unaware that any
thing out of the ordinary was going
on.
Last Saturday there were more
Englishmen OF military ages in at
tendance upon the various profess
sional football matches throughout
the country than there are freezing
and lodging German shrapnel in the
blood-soaked trenches of Flanders.
Some $4,000 men watched the three
big games in London. Between halves
members of parliament and other
patriots made recruiting speeches,
while three regular army sergeants
worked the crowds at each. 1.-THE life
of the empire is at stake" they cried.
Forcibly and eloquently they tried to
picture what a German triumph in
the present war would mean to Eng
lduQ anu I4hFilthAA'hs tAN ANhHAA N''N
one recruit
A triile more than a million men so
far have volunteered for "Kitchener's
army'-and there are more than six
million men of military age and fit
ness in England and Wales alone.
II Is well named "Kitchener's
army" If you don't believe that the
War Secretary is running not only the
British army but Great Britain's part
in the war. just ask the Prime Minis
ter. or any other member of the
cabinet or of Parliament. II was in
the bargain that Kitchener was to be
the whole show. He has held the gov
eminent ruthlessly to this contract.
For the severity of the censorship
which withholds from the British
public news OF the British reverses
and disaster even after they have be-
come common knowledge throughout
the rest of the world. Kitchener alone
Is responsible. Despite the almost
fearful pleadings of his colleagues
and the bitter protests of England's
leading journals, and in face of the
fact that all of the other belligerents
have come TO appreciate the advan-
tage of allowing authorized cor
respondents at the front, Kitchener
persists in his refusal to be bothered
with newspaper men"
AS a result "I<itcheners army" Is
fighting practically in the dark. The
British substitutes. and the British
public. in the circumstances. cannot
be altogether blamed for its apathetic
attitude. With Kitchener war Is pure
Is a business proposition He fails TO
see the use Of glamor. There Is no
inspiration for the present stay-at-
home 10 join the army, especially
when they are constantly being fed
, with official reports that the Ger
/ mans can't shoot" and that the
enemy is so hard pressed that Il is
/ calling its young boys and old men
/ into the firing line" No wonder that
a British officer at the front writes
bitterly in a personal letter: ct is
odd ont here 10 read of racing. and
football. and concert dinners at home.
here, where every farm has TO fac,
the devastation of war with only lis
womenkind. its old men. and its in
capable left behind. where you see
small hoy pushing the pillow and
schoolgirl leading the horse-well
loses the proper perspective Of bust
ness and pleasure as usual"
England's War Lord was perhap
unfairly termed the other day by al
Irish member Of Parliament-in
purely private concentration
sublimated sergeant" but if Their
were less business and more senti