Evening star., 1944-01-28
London, Unlike D. C.,
Stresses SaIuting
In Military Circles
BY WALTER McCALLUM,
- Afar uyer = HavpAsHAnAany

Star War Correspondsnt.
LONDON.-If "GI Joe" comes
home from the battle Of London
(American version) with muscle
bound right arm, blame 1t on the
salute. London undoubtedly. is the
"saMtingest" town in the world, with
much OF the saluting centered
around American headquarters.
The GI who walks block without
tossing dozen snappy salutes is
rare, and the Washington trick of
looking the other way when an OH
Ger goes by IS out here. The side
walks are too narrow for that dodge.
Even the correspondents, who rate
a salute under the military code, get
more than their share, and they'll
come home with. the same right arm
muscle stiffness.
British Salute With Flourish.
The American soldier throws a
enappy salute, but that of some
British soldiers Is thing of beauty
and q genuine genuflection in the
art of military greeting. The Brit
isher. OF course, salutes with the
palm Of the hand showing, and
when he does the thing up right las
he usually does), 1t is something to
behold. His sturdy heels clicking,
he wheels at attention, throws his
right arm away out in front and
brings his hand up to his cap with a
wide flourish.
The American is more modest. : He
does 1t snappily enough, but without
much OF the flourish of the Britisher
You might miss the salute of an
American, but you'd never pass up
the greeting of a Britisher. He
makes quite formality of the
salute.
One Of the things Americans
would go for in physical revision
OF London is rescrambling of the
street designations with some at
tempt at order. The city, of course
Is group Of smaller cities, but when
you come to such items as a major
street, such as Oxford street becom-
ing three streets under as many
names, it Is confusing. Piccadilly is
the same.
1t masquerades under several
names in 2-mile stretch, and one
OF the cute little things that happen
Is street jumping across an inter
section (and not an important-l look
Ing one) and becoming another
street by name. It's all very con-
1uslng IN city where the Ameri-
cans do lot of walking perforce.
The house numbers also have the
same confusing characteristics. They
are continuous on one side of the
street instead of the American sys-
TEN OF using odd numbers on one
side and even numbers on the other.
Taxi Drivers Know Their City.
But Americans get around by
asking lot of questions, many Of
which sound silly to the bobby or
casual passer-by, who probably was
porn within a mile or two of the
spot and knows his part of the CITY
like book. The best way is to take |
taxi and hang on while the little
four-cylinder juggernaut careens
through crowds and around corners
They are not commodious. these |
taxis, but they get you there.
London's subways, or underground |
are wonderful. But stations are a
long way apart, and sometimes the
American, confused in the multiple
ity OF places, streets and offshoots.
has to jump taxi after a subway
ride and pass the job of finding his
way to the taxi driver, who seems to |
know his way around in fog, black
out or light of day.
London is not without its nipht
life. Theaters are crowded to ca
pacity every night, and discreet little
night clubs, featuring a bar and q
piano with some one pounding out
American tunes. dot the better sec
tions. The pub, of course, is the
great gathering place for native
Londoners, where they discuss the
war over their warm beer, plav
darts and settle the worlds weightv
questions. The night clubs are only
places to sit and talk. There's little
else in the way of entertainment.