The Washington times., 1917-04-08
MexOrabIe War Needs
Mold Life in ENGLAND
Every Necessity of Normal Peace Existence
Subordinated to Demands of Troops-Amer-
lean Finds Determination Everywhere.

the platform and jumped down from
the seat to pile our luggage in anC
atop the vehicle. She was young, ac'
tive, strong; in the inevitable khaki
cut to military lines, with heavy anC
very high boots and ve-e-ry short
skirt.
All the American men, unaccus.
! toned to this sort of thing, acted ex.
, actly like Americans from the prov.
inces when they enter a New York
elevator for the first time and removG
their hats IL ladies are present; we
wanted to help the girls to manhandlt
the bags. Some of the soldiers STEP
ped forward and offered to lend
hand, too; but the thoroughly COM
petent young women showed aside all
tenders of assistance and co-operatec
among themselves in doing the
smashing. I'm sure they are thorough
ly emancipated women, for they are
manifestly journeymen smashers and
charter members Of the Mutual Bene-
fit League of Trunk Manufacturers
and Trunk Destroyers.
Well, at length, we were whirled
| away to - hotel and signed the por-
tentous blanks which asseverated our
wish to be entertained and described
us and our business. We told where
we were born. lived, married or single,
and all the rest. Then we were told
to go around to the Bo street sta
tion and make our peace with the
police, which we did, showing pass
ports and answering another long list
Of questions
No Fire Allowed.
Back to the hotel and our rooms.
Might we have fires? we asked Of the
chambermsid. No, we might not;
there was not enough coal in the
house unless we were on the list of
wounded or invalidsl
So the coldest night of the winter
we might have no FIRE; not even the
dubious apology which the appear
ance gives for the fact OF warmth in
one of these pocket size hotel room
CRATES. There were hundreds Of thou
sands OF others in London that night
and many other nights who were
without FIRE, partly because the coal
had been shipped away to France and
Norway and the feet, partly because
there were not carts and carriers
enough In London to deliver the sup
ply that was available. Indeed, the
shortage of labor was more serious
than of coal, a bit of knowledge that
FOR the next fortnight had to buoy up
our temperature pretty persistently.
Curiously enough, 1t did, too.
We went down to dine in q big, cold
dining room that gave us yet another
glimpse OF what war means. The
place was full of family parties. Ev-
cry table had a hero or two in khaki.
Many tables were entirely surround
ed by the men in Uniform; they had
no families to come in from the coun-
try to receive them.
Soldiers Strangely Quiet.
1 noticed that these men only
groups were strangely quiet. They
didn't talk among themselves save for
monosyllabic exchanges;
they didn't smile. then laugh. then
grow a bit noisy as one expects
group of men dining together TO do.
They looked about very much and
watched the other tables where the
family parties with the heroes were
gathered. Now 1 know that the men
on leave from the front are almost in
taciturn after this fashion.
The place was supernally quiet: de-
pl essingly so.
Hard by us was a group we had a
long tipe making out. The dried-up
Did gentleman in clerical garb was
a country rector; that
much was certain. So was the status
of the middle-aged country lady with
him, in very new county clothes that
iidn't feel comfortable on her; she
was the domInie's wife. The girl OF
.weive in short dress and long pig
-ails was their daughter.
But there were two more in the
yroup-a handsome soldier boy of
wenty-six and a girl three or four
7ears younger. They sat side by side,
md at first / was sure they were son
md daughter OF the pastoral family. |
No one of the five was a bit at home |
n London hotel. The young man |
md woman were shy OF each other at |
irst: yet 1t seemed conceded that they |
must sit together.
Nobody talked much. We couldn't |
ell whether the couple were brother
md sister or whether they were sweet |
hearts. the girl having come I'm to |
london to meet her soldier lover. |
That was our conclusion of the mat |
er; but to this minute I can't guess
which one of them belonged to the |
ami party and which merely expect
d to be admitted to II IL the war
hould end happily for them all.
Soldiers Caress Blocked,
Once the soldier and the maiden
cached simultaneously for their nap-
Iins. and ] was sure there was going
o be a squeezing Of hands that would
ell something. But it didn't happen.
I l thought telepathic warning Of
'ur interest had prevented that little
aress ! should never forgive myself
or have a horrible feeling that. am
'ushed by all that solid front of Drim-
less. sentiment never got in ali that
'isit nearer to a seconds simple sat
than in the m9ment of that
urtive. futile effort at a touchin-. of
owing hands.
At another table was a family party Il
asier to understand. but no less in Il
eresting: father of forty-odd. Cno
lacker, he'd. mother. little daughter
Z eight and a younRster OF scant
both men in khaki. There
'as no uncertainty about family
here; the inter