The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-12

New York, May 10-(Special Core spondence.)-I seems so many years
 since, in England. we have become fami- liarized and accustomed to military hab- its and ceremonials that the eye is un-
 consciously trained and therefore one waxes critical,
 Now that New York Is also fast be- coming vast military center my Lon don-bred military sense is awakened and I notice quaint differences in man. ner and etiquette between the British man at arms and his American brother.
 a rule are the most courteous people in the world to women. Their politeness is sometimes so elaborate that it is almost embarrassing.
 They take off their hats and keep them off while standing talking to a woman friend or relation in the street; they re- move their hats with punctilious polite
 ness in elevators hotel lobbies theatres; in fact, they do it so much that they all
 most worry us.
 l think Engishmen mean to be equally polite, but they are not quite so excess SiNci anu thiuly tu fildH III hHdhl ever removes his cap in the presence of q woman whether it be his own mother or the Queen of England herself.
 l have seen on Fifth avenue smart young officers. strapping ''Sammies," :" bronzed "Jackies'' and every other grade and condition of wartime service, remove
 their caps and hats in civilian fashion when greeting ladies and they also re- move them in elevators, etc.
 
 HAT ON IS SIGN OF HONOR Now I wonder why they do this. Is this military or naval custom in Amer
 ca or is 1t just the unaccustomed atti- tude of a new army and navy not yet used to the honor of wearing the crown of service?
 According to British military rule no salute can be given with the head un-
 covered and to wear the cap in the pres ence of woman is not sign of dis respect, but. on the contrary, an honor. I was walking along Riverside drive one lovely afternoon recently when
 group of young soldiers came gallantly
 swinging past.
 Two or three girls were walking in the reverse direction with whom they were acquainted Every lad in that gay little group removed his cap and bowed as f he were in civilian clothes still, and no- -~-NS
 in the action!
 Another instance. During last Sum days church parade on Firth avenue group of young officers stood, caps Tn hands, chatting with three or four pret- ty girls at a street corner. It may he the custom here-I don't know-but It just strikes me as being all wrong
 CRESCENDO OF WAR SPIRIT
 In my six months stay in this big and wonderful city I have watched with intense interest the waking of the war fever among the people of all classes.
 I know little or nothing of the inner workings of things in this country. I am suhiimely ignorant of parties or pol itics. but l just use my eyes and my brain, and I am amazed and continually thrilled by the superb crescendo of that flaming war spirit that by it's fierce re- solve and splendid fervor is going to help win the war for civilization
 When I first came to New York fresh from London with the echo of guns still reverberating in my ears and the knowledge of British resolu- ton and dogged endurance still deep in my soul, I was shocked, dazed. almost mortified by the attitude of New York and its people. But now all that is changed. You can see the change m the races or women of all classes; yon can see it in the hotels, in the stores. in the theatres. while as for the men, God bless them! they are like dogs straiping at the leash. They want to be "up and at 'em."
 It is an old saying that 'the on locker sees most of the game" Over here in Gods own country" I have been just an "onlooker"
 In my own right little tight little island'' I was "all in it." From that August midnight fovl years ago, when was one of a mass of cheering ex- cited men outside Buckingham palace listening to the declaration of war being read hy his majesty, the King, until October, 1917 when left an Eng fish port I was just one part of that solid. pushing throng of noneombat- ants. who was resolved to help our soldiers and sailors win.
 Then I stepped aboard a Canadian Pacific steamship and unafraid of Huns above or below the sea, set sail for an Atlantic port. And then the war seemed to slip away from me, missed it. I felt that something had left my life. I arrived in New York; where was this war? What had be- come of the menace on land and sea?
 I was here, safe well-fed, unstartIed: just a normal quiet-living woman in peace-time. And do you know I was unhappy. miserable, depressed? read the papers and found stories of car mage and horror. But 1t all seemed so