Evening star., 1940-09-16
Soapbox Orators
Continue 10 Preach
In Raided London
John Stroehey Is Active
As Defense Volunteer
And Air Raid Warden
BY VINCENT SHEEAN.


LONDON, Sept. Is (N.ANA).-
During raid yesterday afternoon I
accompanied a certain air raid
warden, who is himself sign of the
times, in a warden's post which
serves small, typical London resi-
Dental area.
My friend. the warden, once was
Communist, or near Communist
at least by repute. But he has sig
nalzed his dislike of the Communist
and pro-Nazi line by joining every
thing he can join for the defense
Of this island. He does local defense
volunteer duty every fourth night
in the country and air warden duty
between times in London. His name
is John Strachey.
The area where he works during
raids contains within about half a
square mile almost every social and
economic gradation of people In
one part are old red brick houses,
known to all readers of English 18th
century literature. In another are
great blocks of flats occupied by
workers under the London County
Councils slum clearance and hous-
ing schemes. This housing plan,
which has been pushed forward Wig
orously in the past 81 xyears since
the Socialists obtained control of
the London County Council, has
given thousands of workers clean,
light, airy flats in bright surround
ings.
Nazi bombs in this small area have
fallen on typical houses, old and
new. Out of a population of 879
only five have been killed by bomb
ing since Friday.
Work Speeded Up. i
The warden. who used to be an
electrician. explained how work has
been speeded up in the past week.
He, like some others. has been in
training for nearly two years, but
under actual experience a good
many theoretical bits of routine,
such as an exact report in writing
have been scrapped in favor of quick
action Most of the reporting now
is done by telephone at the height
of raids and the results in increased
speed have been remarkable.
This warden was on the spot
within minutes when Nazi bomb
hit the workers flats yesterday. The
work of stretcher parties, diggers
and first aid has all been made as
rapid as human movement permits.
I saw the damage done in this
district by bombs Friday, Saturday
and last night. One house where
once lived got good peppering,
and I believe there were two news
paper colleagues in or near it at the
time.
The workers. wardens and stretch
er-bearers to whom I have talked
have acquired An almost profess
sional attitude toward the bomb
ings and discuss them with tech
nical f1uency While I was in that /
area German bombers were flying
overhead, but no bombs fell.
Before the next raid began I
visited the marble arch where Sum-
day evening crowds are always
harangued by speakers with mes
sage to convey. There they were,
Just as before, although the au.
dience was smaller now. There
were three religious speakers with
placards. one Irish Republican, one
Socialist and one Communist. The
Irishman attracted his crowd chief
~ by telling jokes and pseudo Irish
boasts The Socialist and Com
munist speakers were very much
in earnest and had larger groups
of listeners.
Socialist Attacked Hitler.
Side by side. they both attacked
the capitalist system and urged it's
overthrow But the Socialist in
cluded Chancellor Hitler among his
enemies while the Communist ap-
parently did not think him worth
mentioning.
Policemen on duty there wear tin
hats nowadays, but otherwise show
their usual indifference to ali this
oratory. The Daily Worker, a Com
munist paper, is sold at the marble
arch as before. It's tactical line now
consists in telling the people their
shelters are not good enough and
that the government is not taking
care of them in evacuation and COM
pensation schemes
A shower of rain scattered all
these crowds, both religious and
political.
The Legal Cinema by the marble
arch was showing a film-Gary
Cooper in The Westerner." I went
In to have a look. The smallish
audience evidently enjoyed it, espe-
cially the shooting scenes, which
produced considerable laughter.