The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-11-20

army. and those who have died for their | country, are written.
 "The frame contains a form of prayer
 for the men. There is a canopy of flags,
 and the whole is ornamented with flow CTS
 laid fresh upon the shrine by women and
 children, who stand in silent prayer for
 few moments each day"
 FINAL AIM OF PLAN
 The final aim is to have in every street
 of London a war shrine upon which will
 be painted the names of all the men Of the street who have gone to the war 1, On a separate panel are placed. the names | of those who have been killed, under the caption: "The Heroic Dead" The
 women of the street, wives and widows
 and their children, care for the shrlnes and each week place fresh flowers on
 them. The every-street scheme has not yet been worked out and some shrncs | have been put up giving the names or l soldiers by parishes
 | The Evening News initiated it's plan
 two or three weeks ago and has sInee ! had hundreds of offers of assistance Some come from the poorest of the poor 1 these can only offer a few pennies or
 do their bit by taking care of shrine l Others send money One great London | shop offered to pay for all the shrnes | within a mile of it. Builders and con
 
 for nothing or for absolute cost Archi-
 tects have sent in designs. People with l gardens have agreed to keep up a supply 1 of flowers.
 CLERGY INTERESTED ! The clergy, of all creeds, has taken the deepest interest, particularly the clergy l which works in the vast poor districts of l London although the bishop of London | has given the movement his whole ] hearted approval and support This letter is one of scores. It cac'e 1 from woman and it shows how tile movement appeals to war wives: q am going to ask you if you could let me have a war shrine in our street. 1 l am a soldiers wife with two little | children and my husband has been in 1 France fighting II months. I should , like to do my duty by having his name 1 enrolled war shrine, with many other names of brave ones in our street who are fighting for King and coun- try. We soldiers wives would keep the shrine supplied with flowers. My husbands mother is "A. It would be her glory to see her sons name on the shrine in this humble street, where every house has man fighting" Simplicity and cheapness is the stan dard of the war shrine. Many people have suggested and offered to pay for
  discouraged. The shrine which the bishop of Kinston- on Thames unveiled the other day cost about s2D and this is considered somewhat extravagant.
 ONE OF FINE RESULTS One of the fine things that the war shrine has brought out is the attitude toward them of the street boys. Rough youngsters. often incorrigible and de- vastating, they have made themselves the appointed guardians of the war shrines and he who molests will suf- fer. A man who noticed one of . crowd of boys simply touch a leaf of a flower placed on the shrine heard another youngster cry: Sammy, I'll knock yeh cad orf if you do that again, you little inter ferer'
 One of the shrines which Queen Mary visited is in Sidmouth street, St Pancras, one of the poorest districts of London, a place, as one writer puts it, which was solid middle class when Dickens was writing. A great and gloomy spot--mournful and huge hos pitfalls and dismal lodging houses h
 the midst of it all the shrine. It rested on a plain kitchen table. covered with a red cloth on which, in letters of gilt were embroidered the words: God bless our King" On the panels Of
  local vicar were the names of 100 men who had gone to the war from the district. On another panel those of Q dozen who had been killed. Above were two green flags, with the Irish harp, for this is a district where there are many Irish, entwined with the Union Jack There were flowers all about. Above there was a portrait of Lord Kitchener, below those of Jellicoe and Joffre and of Robinson, V. C., the lat est hero of the air, the conqueror of Zeppelin. There were also photographs of local heroes, laughing, smiling smoking Tommies.
 At one side there was a recruiting poster-the Union Jack with the egend Work for it. Fight for it." On the other picture of Christ supporting a wounded soldier with this: Hit hard; lean hard"
 TEXT ON SHRINES Then there is the biblical text. which is being used on all war shrnes: Greater love than this no man hath that the man lay down his life for his friends"
 This brief prayer, too, appears on most shrines:
 70 God bless and protect our sailors and soldiers. For Jesus Christs sake Amen"
 The people of the districts are being encouraged to pause before these snrnes and to repeat this simple prayer. The Queen had a most interesting ex- perience when she went to pay tribute at these shrines. She became the center of great crowd of people and rubbed elbows with the poorest of her realm
 Across the street was hung a banner, 'Welcome to Our Dear Queen Mary. :" And when the Queen departed the crowd sung the national anthem to the accom- | paniment of a throaty phenograph.
 HER MAJESTY APPROVES 1 The Queens private secretary has trahs- mitted her majesty's approval He saic q am commanded to say that the Queen is in full sympathy with the pro- posal and her majesty feels sure that this kind action will be highly appreciated by the relatives of our soldiers and sall- ors who reside in the parishes where the shrines are erected
 | Queen Alexandra has also shown deep i interest in the movement
 | The idea is spreading to the provinces l Tn Hull there are already 90 shrines and throughout the country others are beng erected.