New-York tribune., 1918-08-19
Wars Odds and
Ends
By Chester M. Wright,
Mcmber Of the Recent American Federation
Of Labor Mission to Great Britain
. NE of the matters we found Britain


is the question of giving fair living
conditions to returning soldiers.
A vast housing scheme is being got under
way through which the national govern
ment, in cooperation with local govern
ments, will provide housing for something
like 100000 families. These the con-
siderations:
Light, beauty, play space, garden space,
comfort, and no rent profteering.
The government plans to guarantee local
communities against loss in construction
of homes and expects to see that the renter
doesn't get the burden of increased build
ing costs thrust upon his war-worn
shoulders. There seems to be belief on
the part Of the government that the indi-
vdual should not have to shoulder the
heavy increase in building costs that have
come with the war and it's demands for
those materials in other directions.
Colonization on small tracts also is be-
ing developed and it is the hope that
each community will have a colony of small
holdings near it. The government was
empowered in 1916 to secure 5000 acres in
England and 1000 in Scotland, and nearly
all of this has been secured. Extension Of
this power was being considered when we
were in England.
The government cannot lend money, but
it gets the land, spends $500 on house
and from S150 to 5000 on other buildings.
The soldier then gets these buildings on
tcn-acre tract for rental of $40 year.
-Four colonies under the 1915 act now are
under way. Under the proposed extension
the government may buy or lease up to
10000 acres. For a great national scheme
after the war 1t is planned to secure some
thing like a million acres for distribution
in the form of small holdings.
And this whole business amounts to a
revolution in British lnndhoding.
VX7HEN Secretary Baker came back
w from France he made speech in
which he asked his hearers to
come away from the physical side of war
to the side Of war which had to do with
what the wars about. Unless we could
keep constantly in mind what the war is
about we should not know what to do, espe
cially after seeing the physical side. Amer
ica fights because she knows what the war
is about.
Over there you the physical side
can never sec it here, even when our
shiploads of wounded men began to come
back to proud and loving arms.
There's London-pained London, tortured
London, London of the grim set face Lon
don with her lads in hospital blue every
where. Scarcely can you pass square
without meeting several. You feel as you
pass people on the streets that you are con-
stantly brushing against bleeding hearts.
You've got to keep conscious of what
the wars about For what the war is about
everything is not too much.
London has this in her heart this con-
scousness Of what it's about.
So, through her weariness and pain, She
gives you her brave "Cheery-o" and says to
herself through set teeth, Garry on!"
You set to love those words-the
"Cheery-o" and the Garry on"
TT SEEMS almost useless to recount the
foul doings of the German army. But a
British captain gave US an account of
Hun conduct that reveals the barbarous
"scence" Of it better than most instances
of their despicable brutality.
When the Germans, in the first rush
toward Paris, overran Nesle they gathered
the population for some distance around
and herded all into the little town. In all.
Nesle had population of about 10000. A
regular concentration camp under German
despotism. About half of the population
thus gathered at Nesc were women
Then came the French and British wave.
pushing back the Boche horde Nesle had
eventually to be abandoned. And the re-
tirenent was rather hasty.
This is what the Germans did: They
took with them every woman who was in
the least degree physically attractive and
left behind every woman who was in no
degree physically attractive
The British captain who described this
TO us was in the force that entered Nesle
when the Germans were driven out.