The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-01
Britain Again Calm ln
 Face Of Peace Prospect
By LADY MARY

t the great, American portraits John sar- gent, has made designs for six dolls who are each to be dressed in exact replica of half dozen of his most celebrated portraits.
 Augustus John, who is almost equally eminent in the world of art is also as- sisting Lady Lavery, while Lady Lak- ing, the wife of Sir Guy Laking, who is curator of the London museum and one Of the greatest authorities on mediae- val costumes and armory in the world, is to supply a, whole group of dolls dressed to represent characters in Shapespeare's King John." I am not at all sure, however, whether even the mod ern child will quite appreciate the ex- treme interest and value of these pup pets, but at any rate the doll show will afford plenty of amusement to grown ups both in preparation and during ex- hibition time.
 heard party of young English officers recently discoursing rather bit terly (strange as it may seem) concern ing the iminent possibility of peace. Their grievance when expla ined Ito me was really a very legitimate thing A few weeks ago to their great joy these boys, all of whom were lieutenants who had seen service on the western front, had been wounded and after long period of home service and conyales- ence, had been "scrapped" for further duty in France, received orders to pro- ceed to India. The ''orders" were off, cial. They were given leave prior to departure, they bought their Indian out fits. they received their secret instruc- tions" regarding their journey and they had even taken all their luggage to the, station on the day previous to that which the war office had informed them would be the time for authorization.
 Then actually at the eleventh hour came bolt from the blue--"embarkatio orders cancelled. Await further instruc- tions." So read the telegram from bri- gade headquarters and now these youths in company with some 50 or 50 other young officers in the same situation are returning to their home camps and bar racks gloomily cursing their luck and further grumbling at the fact that Tt is peace coming that has done us down." Which fact, when you come to think about 1t, is really rather humorous.
 I have found that on the whole the youthful British officer has no special desire for immediate peace. He wants to fight the Hun through the very gates of Berlin. And this reminds me of an experience of my own when crossing from New York to this country in troopship some months ago. The table at which I sat in the saloon was full of young American officers and the talk was, of course about the war and their anxiety to ''get into It." One of them made some remark concerning tho triumphant day when the American army and the allies would march through the streets of Berlin with their flags fly ing.~ Since the commencement of the war, English civilians had been in the habit of laughing to yscorn such an idea We have always believed that victory would be ours but to Wind up the Watch on the Rhine" did not necessarily mean progress through "Unter den Linden
 voiced this idea and was rather frivolous about it. then found to my astonishment that every American sol dier at the table was being politely but verp distinctly displeased with me, They saw no humor in my frivolity and were completely and seriously talking of what was to them an inevitable conclusion. TO say that I felt ashamed and properly humiliated Is putting very slight in- depreciation upon my sensations. And now. nearly six months after, I realize how splendid was the vision of those American lads going forward into the un