The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-09-17
England Is Cheerful
Despite The Conflict
From Mondays Daily.

stated Fred Hawkins of North Front
street today to a Free Press reporter
Published reports would indicate
that the country was i'm state Of
gloom and depression. but this is not
so. Neither are the women called
upon to take up mems work to any
great extent. There seems to be
plenty OF men obtainable for work I'm
the cities. and in some of the coun
try districts where help was scarce
the government allowed the soldiers
TO camp to help In the harvest fields"
Mr.. Hawkins and his daughter
Miss Lillian, arrived home Saturday
night from visit with relatives in
Bedfordshire, London. and other
places, this having been the first trip
which Mr.. Hawkins had made to the
land OF his birth in twenty-four years
and the first time Miss Lillian had
seen the country. They made the
trip home In the American liner, New
York. leaving Liverpool Wednesday
evening at six o'clock. Early Thurs
day morning two German submarines
were sighted near their boat, but as
tn" New York was brilliantly lighted
To show that she was an American.
the submarines did not modest her A
wireless had been received apprais-
ing the voyagers that an English liner
had Just been sunk with 700 passen-
gers aboard. which made those on
the New York rather nervous OF con-
sequences.
Were Far Out at Sea.
They were already far out TO sea.
however. and soon left the war zone
far behind. On board the New York
were several survivors of the Arabic.
one a Scotch woman. who had been
on her way TO America TO join her
husband when the Arabic was sunk,
and lost all her household goods in
the disaster She was now starting
out again to try and reach her nus
band in America. and stated that she
had been tossed i'm life boat on the
sea after the Arabic sank from II a.
IN. until about p. NJ. until her party
was rescued by a passing steamer.
The trip from Liverpool 10 New
York took about seven and half
DAYS" said Miss Lillian. Il saw the
Goddess OF Liberty as We came into
New York harbor and was very glad
10 get home. We stopped at Niagara
rams lbl al udA bl OuI way ublllt, anu
arrived here about one o'clock Sat
urday night. very tired and dusty"
Talking About War.
Everyone in England Is talking
about the war" said Mr. Hawkins
THAT is the chief topic OF converse
ton everywhere The general feel
ing is that the allies are bound to
win. and that they will fight to the
finish. They will never lay down
their arms until they do win. A gen
Cral call for soldiers was issued while
we were there. and about two million
soldiers were shipped TO the front.
no one knew where. but il was
thought TO the Dardanelles. All mail
sent back by the soldiers has the
name of the place scratched of by
the censOrS. and great precautions
are taken in every way TO keep the
movements of the army secret. Dur
ing the past few months the people
are beginning to realize more fully
what they have to face. They are
getting we'll supplied with munitions
Of war. All wOOlens. feathers. etc.
are very high in price. as everything
like that is needed for the soldiers.
II is impossible to buy a pair of tan
shoes. as all the tan colored leather
is used for the soldiers boots"
Mrs. Pankhurst at Drill.
We saw an interesting sight in
Regents Park one day" related Miss
Lillian. Mrs. Sylvia Pankhurst. the
great suffrage leader. was drilling a
regiment of hundreds OF women re-
cruits for home defense. Her daugh-
ter. Miss Emily is also a member. but
the recruits are not all suffragettes.
The regiment is made up Of women
who want to do something to defend
their country. and they make a very
imposing spectacle. We saw the
women drilling in the park August ] .
There were about 800 of them. all
dressed in high top tan boots. short
khaki shirts and coats. cartridge belts.
small felt hats like boy scouts wear.
and each carried her rife. There are
soldiers everywhere. and each com
nany has their band. The only tune
the bands play is that of When the
Boys Come Home Everybody sings
II plays this tune | never once
heard Tipperary while in England
Many young boys will give false age
in order TO enter the army. but IL IL
is discovered that they are under
nineteen years OF age they are dis
missed
Visited Places eombarded.
Mr. Hawkins and his daughter Wis
tied some Of the places that had been
homharded by German Zeppelins. and
Mr.. Hawkins states that the great
est damage which was done was the
setting of places on fire. People are
not much frightened at tho thought
at these air ships any more Air
guns Oh the admiralty and other big
buildings i'm London are trained on
the sky constantly and the city IL
in state OF semi-darkness at night.
all lights being out with the excep-
ton of a row in the center of the
business streets. Big searchlights
placed on the tops of buildings con-
tinually illumine the sky so il would
be impossible for a Zeppelin to get a
position over the city without warn
ing.
Queen Alexandria sent out a call
for eggs for the wounded soldiers. +"
said Miss Hawkins, land of course
everyone responded. The young girls
took baskets of fresh eggs to church
with them to contribute that Sunday.
and Of course did as they did. We
wrote our names and addresses on
the eggs. and when | got home Sat
urday night ! found n letter here for
me from wounded soldier in one OF
the English hospitals, whom the egg
had cOmfnrtad duripg bis ilIpass He