The Washington times., 1916-10-13
Tells Graphic Story Of Relief
Work and War Preparation
in Villages.
SAW THREE ZEPPELIN BOMBS
Washington Woman Organized
War Work In Community
Near Her Country Home.

Life In England today is given an in
innate and graphic portrayal by Mrs.
Apolline NJ. Blair, who has just return
ed for winter in Washington after six
teen months in England at her home
near Canterbury, where she labored un-
ceasingly in war relief work.
Mrs. Blair's experiences, coming direct
from southern England, bring a grip
ping inside view of the daily life there
aNd the changes war has wrought. Her
picture is all the more representative,
as 1t comes not from cities, but from a
village-Ilttlebourne in Kent-just three
and "A half miles from Canterbury
For sixteen months around her pic
turesque vine-covered place Elm
hearing continually the tramp. tramp,
tramp of men marching. waiting. train
ing for the 'front.'" In that section alone
between 5000 and $4,000 men are en-
gagged in military maneYvers. Each
day above her house from ten to thirty
aeroplanes would pass. Mrs. Blair
makes the statement: "In the begin
ming of June there were 100000 men I'M
der arms In England"
Organized War Work.
On reaching Littlebourne in June of
1915. Mrs Blair found that no center
had been established there for war
work. II was due to the vital efforts
of this American woman from (which
=, aShington has also so greatly bene-
fitted In its music sphere-that relief
work was organized in L!ttleDourne.
Throughout the past year volunteer
workers have been welcomed at Elm
leigh once or twice week, for the
making of hospital supplies; the usual
English hospitality being observed In
The first outlay for supplies was
through the generosity of Mrs. Blair.
but as the work enlarged the commun-
ity took up its share of the obligation.
By means of "Rummage Sale" held
on tho grounds of Elmleigh in the
autumn of 1915, enough money was
realized to- furnish the center with
supplies for the entire winter. Kent Is
held just after the hop picking season.
The hop pickers came to offer there
bit to the cause. An entrance fee or "A
penny 1.-TWO cents in our money! was
well as the many donations so familiar
In our Rummage Sales. This fall
another sale at Elmleigh brought
enough money for materials for this
knit. cloth for bandages. Thus the CEN
ter will continue its activities. which
have been made secure through the
foresight. and endeavor of Mrs. Blair.
Supply Kitchener Hospital.
I.ittlebourne sends her supplies to Col.
Austin Smith. physician at Brighton for
| the Kitchener hospitals, No. / and g.
These are hospitals outside the turisdic-
ton of the Red Cross. Already this
center has sent thousands OF swabs.
many of the valuable seven-tailed
| bandages that require such adroitness
to make. thousands of roller bandages.
| eight and ten yards long. In this one
small village thousands of yards of ma
| terial have been used.
ITO the English Tommies." Mrs. Blair
| declares, the name Kitchener Is sacred
No man but Kitchener" she adds
could have, raised the largest volunteer
army that the world has ever seen"
THE Indian troops" Is another phrase
that always meets with reverence, she
says. These Indian troops, who sue
cumbed so quickly to the rigors of the
English climate even before they saw
| the fighting line. are being cared for In
great numbers at the Brighton hospi'
| tails.
Presented With Koran.
As a token of appreciation for her Ia
bors, Mrs. Blair was presented by Col
Austin Smith with an East Indian treas
ure that she values deeply. 1t is a tiny
copy OF Koran, scarcely an inch II
| length, with the thinnest of leaves. 1t II
| incased I'm a silver holder on one side o.
which Is a magnifying glass showing
the red and gold binding OF this sacred
| DOCK. ms BldSD IL pOSSipit ~
read the very small type, and thu
Koran, thus made portable. is thu
cherished sh;aisr' possession of every India'
The nearest Zeppelin bomb cam
| to Littlebourne was distance o
three miles. Mrs. Blair saw three o
these Zeppelin shells. One was empty
another partly discharged. and tn
third, which fell into a swamp. wa
entirely intact. This last she de
scribes as seeming to be a larg
metal bowl come fifteen inches Il
diameter. In the center is the tub
for powder, which is about fiv
inches in diameter, and around this