Evening star., 1940-12-24
Christmas Shoppers
Jam London Stores
Just Like in u. ).
YuIe Goods, Including
Luxuries, Plentiful;
Crowds Are Calm

10A0ttSSS tSuNbsetI
Crowds Are Calm
A striking picture of the Day In
whtch Londoners carry on" un-
der Hitler's bon,bdrdment from
the sky Is giDen In the follotDing
story, eighth OF series, by Milo
M. Thompson.
BY MILO THOMPSON,
Associated Press Staft Writer.
NEW YORK, DEC. 24.-T'he ad-
vertisement headline salvage sale
you know why" in a London
newspaper means somebody's store
has had a bomb visitation, but the
censors are not yet permitting that
bombing to be advertised publicly.
If you find 1t strange that people
should be focking toward the scene
of a bombing carrying shopping bags,
not running away from it carrying
mattresses and the family valuables,
there are 10000 things which would
surprise you in London.
Right now there are Christmas
shopping crowds in oxford street,
Regent Quardant, Knightsbridge
and Kensington High street.
And the show windows have the
same "Santa's coming" look that
you will find on any American main
drag from New York's Fifth avenue
to San Francisco's Post street.
To be sure, there's this difference:
Sometimes you have to move up to
little three by five window to get
the benifit of the full display, for
much of the large plate glass is gone.
Stores Display Luxury Items.
On the other hand, plenty of it
is left, and attention is still paid to
trick moving displays and to lighting
effects which do their stuff right up
to blackout time.
You might think to find inside
the stores mostly the warming ap-
pliances and shelter conveniences
which have been so greatly in de-
mand during blitzkrieg months.
If so you will be amazed to see
that delicately wrought Sheffield
silver still glistens under the electric
lights, that jewelry displays are as
alluring and colorful as ever and
that pottery, china and glassware
in new shapes and colors spreads
over whole departments.
There is no outward appearance
of scarcity in the piece goods and
ready-to-wear departments. 1t is
only when you seek particular
pattern or run into clothing ma
terials cheapened by the rationing
of wool and silk at the factories that
you feel the effect of the war.
But there are plenty of alternate
weaves and patterns and there is
still lot of prewar fabric on the
market.
Sports Supplies Plentiful.
Perhaps, it should be noted here
that the production of cheapened
fabrics does not extend to the export
trade. The home folks are accept
ing less wool to the yard so that
quality can be kept up for sale
abroad to win the dollars and other
foreign currencies which in turn will
help win the war.
One thing which interests me
greatly is the way the sports goods
departments keep going. Whether
you want set of golf clubs, bill
lard table, soccer football, shiny
new cricket wickets, a tournament
croquet set of selected woods, an
archery target or a canvas canoe
for the Thames, it is all spread out
before you.
And have seen no very noticeable
change in art materials depart
ments You can buy yourself
sketching chair complete with easel
as easily as you can buy an extra
blanket to use in your shelters
They are still making and selling
the elaborate hand carved frames
for your finished picture, refusing
in the English manner to use plaster
and composition substitutes.
AsOoSS oIUW uOEC TTeCIOuS,
You might think the recurrent
rain of fragments out of doors
would discourage the sale of garden
furniture, but you would be mis-
taken. You can get teakwood
benches and tables made from old
ships wood as you always could,
along with bird baths, stone gnomes.
fountains and prefabricated rose
arbors.
All of England is not in the
bombtorn areas and gardens are as
much loved as ever, even in London.
The rose which withstands months
of bombing is valued more than
ever.
The departments devoted to knit
ting woods are larger than usual and
just as colorful, though prices are
higher. Yarn supplies are distrib-
uted among the stores only after
enough is laid aside for the service