Evening star., 1943-03-29


cussed. discussed, praised and rip
ped apart. You also will have
heard Roosevelt described as
hero, but Stain as bogeyman and
Superman Churchill as a clown.
There are more soap boxes in
Hyde Park than Proctor g. Gamble
would know what to do with. They
are thicker than crocuses and ON
each one is mounted an orator
with a message. Some have q
peculiar message, to say the least.
but. no one denies them the right
to deliver it. The boobies walk
good-naturedly on the fringe Of
the crowds and interfere only when
hecklers lose their tempers and
challenge the speakers to come
down from their wooden pedestals
and let muscle, not vocal chords,
settle the issue.
Strange Time and Place.
1t is strange setting for free
speech. And strange time. Only
an hour or so away by plane stands
an enemy that wants to destroy
the city of London. Overhead
Spits, Hurricanes, Lancasters, Ster-
lings and Fortresses wing their
way on missions Of destruction.
Guns poke their snouts from EN-.
placements and all about troops
from the Allied Nations drill in
preparation for the all-out fight
ing to come. Unity Of purpose
and unity of thought is the key
word of the government, but in
Hyde Park any man, woman or
child can have his say.
On the chance that you won't be
able to meet me tomorrow morn
ing, Ill take a stroll through the
park and give you report on what
you would have heard. Let's see
what this fellow is talking about
the one who needs q haircut 50
badly that not even Delilah would
tackle the job. He is saying that
the United States will deserve no
credit for saving civilization when
the war Is over.
why didn't they come in before
Pearl Harbor,"- he asks, tossing
three months of hair into the spring
breeze, Where were they at Dun
kerque?" he roars. From back in
the crowd comes the question.
What would you have had for
breakfast this morning If it hadn't
been for the United States?" Tho
heckler is a little Britisher with an
accent that has the ring of Bow
Bells in it.
Two Policies for Russia.
A hundreds yards away two speak
ers, who don't care what credit
the United States eventually gets
but who are worried about Russia,
are fighting to take away one an
others crowd. The one who thinks
Russia should have the chief voice
at the peace table waves a walking
stick as he talks.
Some day the Russians will take
that stick away from YOU" shouts
the rival, land beat you over the
head with it."
I'm glad there's some one in this
war who knows how to hit people
over the head" answers the man
with the stick. "The Russians are
fighting while all we do is talk, talk,
talk"
Not far away on a box under a
tree an orator is telling the world
that the blackout is ridiculous.
What's the use of a blackout when
the law allows citizens to walk tho
streets at night smoking cigarettes.
The evil weed-tobacco-is moro
dangerous than all the bombs in
Germany"
One Of his listeners offers him
smoke and is promptly given a
gruesome picture of what his in
sides will look like in another year.
His sparse audience drifts of to
listen to- . distinguished looking
man who maintains by all that's
holy that Churchil's recent illness
was no illness at all, but q trick
to avoid having to argue about tho
Beveridge plan.
He didn't have any cold at all"
the speaker insists, but even II
he did, hasn't every one else got a
cold? Suppose we all went to bed
when we had cold. Who would
carry on the WARP"
Ill stroll a bit more. In 10 min
utes my ears pick up orations on
lease-lend, submarine warfare and
half q dozen new religions. had
always thought Los Angeles held
the monopoly on religious crack
pots, but Hyde Park can spot the
city OF the angels by two dozen
new ways Of getting to heaven and
avoiding the devil and lick It hands
down.
I've walked about 4 mile now
and am only getting started. Every
turn Of the walk brings me smack
into the range of q new speaker
With . new message. vichy France
Is defended near this bench and
castigated few yards away. War
time morals are attacked by the
man In the sweater and defended
by the lady In tweed coat.
Better try to meet me tomorrow
morning at that. And bring q SOAP
box II you can. I'd like to ret few
licks In myself on why the English
insist on making cigarettes that
taste Like the ground-up legs OF
flannel pajamas.
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