Evening star., 1940-02-04
Britain Realizing
More Fully That
Nation Is at War
Growing Appreciation Is
Result Of Increasing
Work of Preparation
By H. j. ]. SARGENT.

BY H. J. j. SARGENT.
LONDON, Feb 3 (C.NFD.-H
were to be asked for my impressions
of the frame of mind in which this
country has begun the new year, now
month old, should say that an ell
ement of common sense was discern
ible which was perhaps less appar-
ent before England entered the war.
The last three months OF 1899
might be described as period OF
preparation and of transition. The
war had opened in a totally uneX-
pected manner. freely confess that |
my own anticipation was wrong. I,
In common with the great majority |
of people living in London, expect
ed to see this city plastered with
bombs and in addition, damaged by |
the shells of the British anti-air-
craft guns. Nothing of the sort |
happened It was inevitable, there
fore, that the population should take |
longer to appreciate that the country |
had gone from peace to war.
That appreciation is now increas-
ing 1t is fed, not so much by enemy |
action as by the ever-increasing |
work of war preparation which is 60
ing on everywhere. The calling up of |
many classes of citizens is acting
almost as a tonic Opposition is |
surprisingly small, and this is due to
the reasonable treatment accorded |
to the relatively small number of
conscientious objectors.
Rationing Weighs Lightly.
Then there is the rationing, which,
to be candid, weighs lightly on the
consumer. If anything, this ration
ing will improve food conditions in
certain parts of the country where.
during the fall, there were shortages
of one commodity or another owing
to bad distribution. At certain pro-
vincial centers, for instance, last
November, bacon could not be OBJ
tanned for love or money. There was
also a shortage of butter here and
there and of meat. Now we are told
that the government having taken
over full control of foodstuffs, dis
tribution can be carried out on
national scale without danger of re-
gional shortages.
There is saying north of the
Tweed that if you touch his stomach
you wake the devil in the Scot, and
I dare say that the same doctrine
applies, though perhaps little less
diabolically, to the Englishman.
The feeling is growing in the coun-
try that the rationing system is, on
the whole, a sensible one and that
feeling is going to help much in
fostering an atmosphere of content
ment.
The country is showing its COM
mon sense by refraining from any
histrionicS in connection with this
war. I remember the waves of mar
tial enthusiasm which used to sweep
the country at the beginning of the
Great War in 1914 and 1915. The
streets of London were crowded with
marching troops headed by military
bands moving off to entrain for the
front. All this hysteria has dis
appeared. have not seen or heard
a single military band in London
since the war began and even the
Jealous ladies, who used to present |
men with white feathers as an en-
couragement to enhsting, appear to
\ have found other outlets for their
energies.
War Like Industrial Undertaking.
This war is being conducted almost
like great industrial undertaking,
and I think we shall gradually see
the whole country being turned into
one enormous producing organism
under single, though it is to be
hoped, flexible control.
The heavy industries such as en-
gineering, steel production, etc. are
definitely unified. Shipbuilding, of
course, is too, and ship repairing. |
Now we hear unoffcially, but, be-
lleve, fairly accurately, that the tex
tile industry will be rationalized in |
some form. In order to maintain |
credits abroad, Britain must increase |
her exports, and it is the policy of |
the government to transfer large |
quantities of commodities from the
home to the export market. Cloth |
and leather goods for which this |
country has a high reputation will
certainly be included in the new ex-
port schedules with corresponding |
deduction in the amount of those
goods available in the home mar
ket. The country will have to cut
down its expenditure on textiles and |
on leather so that vital imports may
be balanced by expanded sales |
abroad. We may even see standard |
suits. I do not know exactly what |
a standard suit is because all the
exporting that the government may
decide upon will not prevent the !
average Englishman from having
his suit cut by a tailor to his in
dlvidual requirements.
The ready-made clothing trade |
does not enjoy anything like the
same popularity in England as it
does in America. 1t is rare indeed
for a ready-made suit to cost more
than S25 in this country. The aver
age is nearer $40 to SIS. If stand
ard clothing comes into force it
will probably be in the form of |
cloth with less wool than is the
case at present, but am convinced
that that cloth will be taken in
hand by the individual tailors of
whom there are so many in this
country, and people will still be
made to look as though they wore
their own clothes and not those of |
their neighbor
Feeling of Calm Noted.
These reflections are prompted by
the feeling of calm I detect all |
around me, and do not think I
am altogether wrong in sensing it.
For instance, the small investor,
who is very sound barometer of