Evening star., 1919-10-05
MOTORS GL0R|F|ED
BY BRITISH STRIKE
Save Fuel, Food and Imper-
ative Travel Situation From
Becoming Desperate.

Becoming Desperate.
BY EDWARD PRICE BELL.
BY Cable to The Star and Chicago
Daily News, Copyright. 1919.
LONDON. England. October IL
Glor1fication OF the internal combus-
tion engine sounds through strike
plagued England. 1t is saving the
critical situation precipitated by the
railway men. But for 1t London's
babies and tens Of thousands OF little
ones elsewhere would be without
milk. But for It the whole food and
fuel situation. to say nothing of tho
imperative travel. would be desperate.
Seventy-two thousand miles are COW
cred daily by the government lorries
carrying milk alone. For this service
1900 gallons of petrol are required
Lorries are continually arriving BY
ferry from the British battle gone In
France and hundreds Of former sol-
der drivers are volunteering to take
them on the roads. These huge We
hicles may be seen on the London
streets heavily laden with milk. fsh
and other food. They bear placards
treading Food Supplies" or Milk for
the Babies" Many private motor cars.
similarly labeled are appearing in
London and the suburbs.
Autos Are Laden.
Automobiles Of all shapes and stses
! stream in from tho outskirts of the
metropolis and the country loaded
| with business men. workers, typists,
clerks and shop assistants. Every
motor cycle in the country that VIII
run is carrying passengers or food;
One can fancy the promoters OF tho
| strike viewing this outpouring OF
motor transport with misgiving. And
| they see not only petrol CARS, out
steam lorries steam tractors ana
electric lorries gorging the streets
and highways in the national CAM
pnign against the attack upon democ-
racy in the form of starvation.
These wonders could not have been
witnessed eight years ago when Eng
| la 1d had her last previous railway
st ike. Lorries were relatively Few
then and those who could drive them
VIZ re few also. Goods transport about
the country was by rail. Petrol up
l to that time was doing almost notn-
| in;y for commerce. and 1t is not I'M
DO ssible that the strike makers imag-
l INT: themselves hNluS OdSh III e~ASSS
da 7s of railway transport monopoiy.
II not why did they boast that they
VIC uld starve tho nation into surren-
del. in week?
| They cannot starve it into surren-
de: in a week nor in many weeks.
III nation has its mind made up tnat
II is going to be neither bluffed nor
stt ryed however much it may be pun
fshed. It is very stirring to live IN
the midst Of this struggle. One sees
the British people at their best. one
sees them bearing every inconven.
fence and hardship good naturedly II
with q grim undertone OF teeInS
| Against the authors Of their troubles.
One sees them stand patiently IN
dense masses seeking to get INTO
street cars and buses. one sees e; .ne -
cre wded almost to suffocation IN
these vehicles. One sees the TUBE
| trains stuffed to bursting with them.
One sees them jammed into motor
cars. lorries and horse drawn vans,
and one sees HUNDREDS OF tnOud NOV. and
siris. walking miles to and from
fheir work. London is astir early now.
Tha tramp 81 millions begins before
sunrp and goes on long atter ING ING
| early fall night has wrappeo .no ~ ~
in darkness like that OF the war Pc
riod:
Causes Retrenchment-
i
N.wsnapers are cut down. important
raatures held over, weddings post
noned. telephone conversations cur
tsiIed and only necessary teiegrams
and letters are filed, owing 70 Ie
strike. Newspapers are carrleo oy
plane. There Is a great aeve,opt ppaotor
Of travel by river. Tugs and mo.or t;o,
boats are maintaining communication
between the coast and river towns.
The messengers for the Saxonia were
carried by steamer from LInaun
bridge to Tilbury. Fleets OF iadaH. SIa
aTers home from the seaside resorts
Marion picture theaters falling 20
ceive fresh films are exchangihs tnar
last weeks programs Win 0'e-
houses in the district. 49,
Ishe churches have been urgeo py
~. Nstional Free Church council 20
mite in a special intercession tnas
lee counsels. the highest ctttxensnip
and humane ideals shall prevail. En-
rine drivers, hremen. guards ana sks
nalmen. who are at work receNe rsara nz
some donations from the passense.
one passenger train from chatham 70
lT,ondon early in the morning nao
0reman az driver, sWitcnHAn
nreman and q booking clerk as eua
yesterday 200 tons OF nsn were a.t CHA
wood to inland places. Motor yans
transporting food between sns Enetsno
and Scotland are manned by soidiers.
To get milk for the Camberwen pa
HES the mayor. aldermen ana cook
ran fourteen motor lorries to Giouces-
tershire and back. ninety miles eacn
way. The meat supply at the Smitn-
feId market 10 reported equal 70 ING
demand for considerable time.
Haneing side by side on pegs OUT
side an ONCE at Paddington were
silk hat and a we'll worn cloth cap
The owners were respectively solici-
tor and a butchers assistant, VINO
were also working side by side cneck~
ing frozen meat being unloaded irom
q train. -.s
Insures Food Supply.
Motor buses and lorries have in.
sured Birmingham's food supply ana
linked that city up with distant
places, such as Preston. Bristol. ii.
fracombe, Blackpool, Manchester ana
Grimsby.
Curtis Bennett, K. c., went along
the Victorian embankment in q mo.
tor. car Anybody going Earfs Court
wayr' he called out In minute
or SO his car was flled with thank.
full men and women who had started
to walk home. An elderly seaman.