New Britain herald., 1915-03-17
WHAT OTHERS SAY
Views on all sides OF timely
questions as discussed in ex-
changes that come to Herald
office.
The Orgy of Death.
&c. Ashmead Bartlett in New York
Times.)

(E. Ashm ead-Bartlet in New York
Times.)
1t is Il surprising fact that only a
comprehension of the magnitude of
the war, especially the further one
gets from London. In the country
the ignorance of the war is surprls-
ing. In London you do notice the
difference.
You enter clubland. What
change! Here you do see differ
ence. Most of YOUR old friends are
still there, but where are their spot
less silk hats, their beautiful clotheS'
and their patent leather boots? All
are dressed alike in colorleess KHAKI.
All have Joined something, and those
who can't get in the new army or VINO
can't go back to the old become she-
cial consta bes.' No one knows eN-
actlv what a special constable Is
They do all sorts of odd jobs-guard
water works, gas works, and m"
seu,ns. patrol the street at might ana
early dawn, watching the old hauntS
they formerly freduented at those
hours. They are some warriors,
these soldiers of clubland.
The hall porter cannot become rec
onciled to the change He gazes with
silent amazement on the earl as ne
saunters in his dirty uniform covered
With mud from lying out all night IN
q field training his yeomanry, so he
says, though very likely he fell off his
horse at dawn His boots make an
awful mess on the once spotless car
pet and leave great nail marks In the
linoleum. His former air of lassi
tude and fatigue at being up at II Il.
m. is gone.
The clubland of England has been
transformed 1t is now the Shakes
pearean England of Falstaff and
Prince Hal. When the war started,
every one thought it right to stop all
amusements and assume a sad mien.
That spirit has happily passed away.
The first casualty list was dreaded.
No one wished to pick up the papers
to see who was gone. Now the cas-
ualties among our officers have be-
come SO enormous that there is hardly
a well-known family which is not in
mourning We have become accli-
matized to death, so to speak. Peo-
pie pick up the papers and say:
who's for it today?'' Many refuse
to wear mourning for their friends
and relatives.
London at night, except for the fact
that for some childish reason the
lights are turned down. is quite gay.
There are hundreds of wounded ofh-
GERS now recovering who wish to for
get their sufferings with a few hours
of we'll deserved pleasure. The res
taurants are full, especially the Carl
ton andl the Savoy. Some of the
night clubs have reopened their
doors. Here you may dance all night
and have supper. At the famous 400
club you see gatherings winch are
unique in England. All the beauty
of the theatrical and Bohemian world
assemblies there, and even society la
dies som etimes look in. TIE men
are nearly all in khaki. There are
many slightly wounded who have just
returned: Others not wounded, on
leave; others who are waiting their
summons to the front: newly joined
officers who are appearing in UNIFORM
for the first time. Here the sorrows
and horrors of the war are forgotten.
The motto of all is Let us eat and
drink, for tomorrow we STAND soou
chance of dying"
mons will come. The. departure OF
units and reinforcements is kept alb
solutelv secret. You say to friend
"When are you OFF, He replies: Il
don't know, but / may go at any MIN
ute. T have been told to hold myself
in readiness" You see him at dinner
that night and very likely dancing at
the 400 afterward. Then you see him
no more and temporarily forget about
his existence Two or three days
afterward you pick up the paper ana
glance at the list Of casualties You
see his name among the dead. Inc
summons has come like thief in the
night The orgy of death is just SIX
hours by rail and steamer away from
the darkened lights of London. Many
officers have been killed in the recent
fighting within twenty hours of leaving
for the front That is the uncannN
part about this Wharf.-The closenesS
of it.