The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-30

 ollls concerning war bonds pasted | about on convenient spaces but their
 rumber is few and their size insignifi- cant, they all seem to relate to the war and war charities, and as far as
 have been able to judge the huge
 theatrical poster has practically d!s-
 appeared. New York is I believe, n3w beginning to learn something concern
 tng the necessity for dimmed Iahts alter sunset, but I don't think that it IS possible for anyone who has rot experienced the gloom of a moonless night in Lonudon to realize what an unlighted city actually means I have come back to it. and I feel just a little oewlldered. Perhaps it is the result
 or lo days spent at sea, with no defi- nlte knowledge as to where a landing , would be made, and a rather uncertain { ldea as to what actually might be the fate of me or my shipmats.
 le take long sea voyage in war time 1 IS thrilling experience that does not come into the lives of many women. nave crossed and recrossed the ocean in tfese circumstances and upon both trips can look back with immense interest, entertainment and satisfaction 1t is not permitted to give account of such expeditions, and the reason for the ne- eesslty for reticence on such a subject 1 IS obvious, but the general impression of | i therefore, when I tell you of exquisite weather. calm seas, and a retinue of great ships, feel that I am not going outside the limits of a prescribed area. The strange part of life on board ship in these days is the apparent callousness O. most passengers to any sense of dan ger during the day. Life goes along gaily enough as the summer seas slip by l camouflaged hulls. People tell strange stories of dangers to be met, and possi- D1lities of unmentionable things happen ing, but 1t has no effect seemingly upon the spirits of anyone, and 1 certainly mo- ticed no diminished appetites among any Of the saloon passengers during our long journey. At first lifeboat drill was re- garded as d somewhat entertaining break in the afternoons doings and it was quite pleasantly exciting to discover the short est way to reach the lifeboat which was to prove your presumed haven of refuge should anything happen. But by and by the novelty wore off, and there was con- siderable difficulty about securing rep resentativei muster during days when the full swlng, or when bridge games were toe interesting to be abandoned for so small an excuse as learning how to save your own life.
 Naturally now days at sea, life belt is matter of complete and earnest necessity. Civilian passengers belng under no actual orders to carry them over the crook of the arm most of the time. but this concession to possible results of carelessness in events of inn portance,N is somewhat grudgingly granted Nearly everybody, sometime or other mislays or loses his or her life belt 'I put it down somewhere, either in my cabin or the saloon--I really cant be bothered going to find f f hx II, are remarks very freuenlIy heard and occasionally they interrupt the tell ing of some terrible experience suf- fered by one of your fellow passengers in a ship that did not have propi- tious crossing. In fact stories of gloom and error are the stock anecdotes of shipboard life, but nobody apparently thinks anything or them until night time, when the dead lights" are closed on the portholes, the doors leading to the decks are curtained and guarded. and strict embargo against matche es and smoking is established upon the decks. Then, indeed do most people ! feel something or the sensation Of awe and uncertainty that mgst come as the
 dark water slips past into dim spaces that you cannot see. and little ghopstly winking flashes tell you that some
 where out in the beyond, a guardian ship is talking" and telling the tale 1 of the night to the flock that is in her charge.
 1 And yet bridge games go on and a few couples dance gaily in the warm
 brightly lighted saloon, and people
 manage With what is really decided pluck,lt to give no impression to others i of the actual presence of the danger 1 that cannot be disguised.
 shall never forget the day when our l party of voyages first came into sight I of those little scuri ying, scamperlng vessels that Carry with them the safety 1 of thousands of souls upon the seas in these troubled times. A torpedo boa [
 destroyer going it's rounds upon the 1 glittering waters on summer morn
 ing is marvellous object lesson that ] every soul sapon our own ship felt with | inlm mense-gratitude
 I Across our bows dashed these slim dangerous looking vessels; they poked I their noses into baby waves with a sug-
 gestion of impertnent disregard of all
 the laws of grayitaton that was inn mensely amusing, they erept to us over
 the edge of the waters looking like hor- nets on the clear blue of the distant sky and sea, and We cheered them with no l uncertain sound of relief and confidence 1 in our voices. Somewhere in the At
 lantic. a full-throated American band played The Star-Spangied Banner" and iHtH IOllOWeu slt With the EnSHSn na- I tional anthem. It was marvellous tgreeting over the seas and one that thrilled every heart among the curious i ly situated gathering.
 l It is terribly tantalzing not to be able ] to tell the splendid vivid story of that progress that I have just made from the ! new world to the old. It is a bridging l of the two continents that must last l forever Nothing now can shake the foundations or that huge span that is made by the men of our allied countries who stand shoulder to shoulder from
 shore to shore. In peace times We have spoken lightly enough of the ferry boats" that used to travel from west to least and from east to west Now truly enough, those ferry boats are realty. ! for they have established the traffic Of 1 the nation across the waters that d- ! vide in substantnce but not in spirit the 1 chivalry and honor of the world My 1 visit to New York has taught me the | intense feeling that exists today in the new world against all that the old world hates. and is fighting so bitterly and steadfastly against I had heard former | ly that America was in the war;" but now, I feel honestly able to deliver the triumphant message to England that not on.y is America "in the war as a na- | ton. but she is lin t'' heart and soul l ard her women are working wonders to- 1 wards establishing warm and trusty un- l 9erStanding among their allies.