The Washington times., 1917-06-16
Cupid Will Rule in England
When War Gods Reign Ends
More Than 10000 Weddings Expected, and Government
VIII Spend $15oAOO,Ooo to Provide Homes.

LONDON, June 16.-when the war is
over and Tommy comes back from
the front there is going to be an
epidemic Of matrimony in this coun-
try. 1t is calculated that there will
be about three-quarters of a million
weddings just as fast as the preach
ers can get around to them.
Hayes Fisher. parliamentary secre-
tary to the local government board,
told conference on the housing
problem the other day that Great
Britain would not have houses
enough for its people, under the new
conditions, by a round half million.
The local government authorities
are planning the most ambitious
housing scheme that was ever con-
templated. They propose to invest
$3.50 100000 in building houses in
various parts OF the country, just as
q starter. OF course $3.50, 900 900 will
not be much more than a start and
the problem Of financing such q task,
to say nothing OF the feature Of ply
steal construction, is going to tax
every resource that can be mustered.
The greatest OF all wonders of this
war, Il has seemed to me, is the capac-
ity of a people to think under pres
sure. The British public mind is in q
perfect ferment today about a thou
menting, but II IL producing con-
illusions. This housing question Is
Just one OF the problems which the
new England must deal with. There
Is the problem also of restoring aRri-
culture, of establishing minimum
wages, Of rehabilitating and rapidly
expanding foreign trade, OF rebuild
ing the merchant marine, of planning
cities and towns and rural communal
ties scientifically, OF better care for
children, Of pensions and other forms
Of state aid for the disabled soldiers
and sailors and their families, Of edu-
cetional reform, on which hundreds
OF millions will unquestionably be
spent within the next few years-in
short, there are so many problems
that an enumeration OF them might
occupy columns and yet be hopelessly
incomplete.
Problem OF Housing.
Take this one of housing. London
has done more than any other city
in the world toward the systematic
ripping out OF slums and the substi-
tuition OF respectable and desirable
homes suited to the needs and In
comes OF the poor people. For q
long time it was hard to get the
people to appreciate what was offer
ed to them. Stories are still familiar
of families who were moved into
four-roomed apartments with bath,
and promptly turned the bathtub into
a coal repository. But things are
changing very fast now. England Is
discovering that the way to make
people self-respecting, to make
bathtubs, popular and sanitary con
veniences necessary 10 to pay the
people wages enough to justify them
in a taste for better modes OF living. !
II has been said a good many |
times, but IL will not be said too |
often, because 1t Is more than any /,
OF what is happening in the British |
public mind today, that during the |
war nobody has been poor except the |
rich, while the poor have been better |
off than they were ever before. |
That Is absolutely true and IL ex-
plains why millions OF families are
now in a frame of mind to insist |
upon a chance to live better, broader,
cleaner, healthier, and more self-re-
specting lives.
At the bottom Of this problem OF
rehousing England - the question
of agricultural wages. Incomes in
the country have been so small that
for two generations the agricultural
laboring classes have been constantly
drawn away to the cities, attracted
- hN1h and
posedly better opportunity. This
in the cities tended to
bring wages there down to a level
Just as bad as II had been in the
II not worse; but the people
once taken away from the country
almost never returned to It.
Spectators Hard Hit.
About a decade ago. when modern
transportation was gener-
ally introduced into English cities.
London and some OF the other large
towns were overbuilt by spectators.
Just as has happened in a good many
American cities. Millions and millions
1f cheap and snowy houses in rows
we're put up in the suburban areas
md presently the spectators found
themselves holding a sack: the
houses were not occupied and didn't
,ell and so building suddenly stopped.
Then London began to grow rapidly !
md presently had filled up these
houses and demanded more; they
we're not supplied fast enough. and
wen when the war broke out the
question OF houses was becoming seri-
,us. People don't agree as to why ,
london contains more people today ,
han Il probably ever did before in its ,
existence. But It is a fact. 1t is al |
most impossible to get a house Of the ,
ype which the family OF the working !
nan requires, although palatial resi- !
Iences are plentiful enough. II rents {
ave not increased as rapidly as some ]
ther necessaries they have neverthe- $
ess increased very considerably as {
o this type OF establishment.
Everybody wonders what will hap I
zen to London when the war is over: a
whether the population that has gath l
red into the metropolis will dissolve (
ack to the provinces again or wheth- q
r II will to a considerable extent @
gant to stay here. The general belief r
; that London is going to have a tire
1endous boom when the war is over:
lways assuming. as everybody in
,nEland does. that the wars end Will
e favorable to the allies.
What is said here about London Is
nf the n