Evening star., 1945-12-09

razor blades or cosmetics. 1t was
characteristic of the Londoner who
must still take his purchase from a
store unwrapped, tied round with a
bit of ribbon so that he may not be
taken for a shoplifter. The same
resignation Is on the housewives
face as she counts her ration cou-
pons to see If she has enough to buy
bath towel in addition to necessary
| clothes.
Are things at all better since the
end of the WARP" would ask.
They're worse" was the usual
reply
when do you think they'll get
better?"
The inevitable shrug. Then: May
be three years, maybe five, maybe
even longer"
ProverbiaI Tweeds Missing.
The proverbial Englishman in
tweeds is a rare sight. Every one
makes do with what old clothes may
be available and perhaps the most
fortunate of all are the men and
women who are still in uniform. I
danced with young woman at the
Dorchester. She looked neat enough
but she told me the dress she was
wearing was 10 years old and it
was now her incest. "a
I went marketing with a British
housewife when she purchased her
weekly rations and she explained
to me that the British rationing sys-
tenn was such that you might only
buy your foodstuffs at the grocery
with which you were registered.
We've bacon today" said the
woman behind the meat counter.
We looked at it. It had no lean
and resembled nothing so much as
greasy looking fatback. My COM
panion could have had a ration of
three strips. She decided against
the purchase and bought a tiny
wedge of cheese instead. The clerk
behind the counter looked up from
cutting it with a wire attached to
the far side of the cheese board.
We've fresh eggs today" she said
| Eggs Rare Treat.
| My companion squealed with de-
light and she was able to purchase
two, rare treat after the customary
diet of dried-egg powder. could
understand that. - I'd tried dried
eggs scrambled and I'd almost as
soon make a breakfast on mouth
full of cotton. My companion had
already purchased the pound of
sugar that must do her household
for two weeks and we went back to
her fiat and had pot of tea made
with water from a tea kettle resting
on the coke Goals in the fireplace
grating.
remembered the delicious fruits
of prewar England and asked my
friend if there were any fruits to be
had.
She shook her head. "I haven't
tasted an orange in five years"
Later I noticed fruit on the menu
of fashionable restaurant and or
dered some.
II wouldn't have it, SIR" the
waiter informed me. Its very
bad-unsweatened, you know.
wouldn't eat it myself
Best Meal No Prize.
Instead I ordered ice, cream with
a pallid, powdery taste. It was
either that or a tart with mo-
lasses sauce poured over it. 1
think I should point out that this
was the end of meal that was the
best obtainable in a London res
taurant at any price. It began with
vegetable soup. The second course
was a small portion of plaice, a
rather tasteless kind of fish. served
with mashed potatoes and inevita-
bly, Brussels sprouts. Except for tea
or coffee, that was all.
:. In the best of homes, the food was
similar. but you ate with nervousness.
Your friends wanted to serve you
well and occasionally tasty cheese
or a bit of meat might be brought
forth and you would be asked to
have second helping. You took it
with misgiving, even after insist
ence, for by now you had the feeling
that if anything was good, some
body's ration would have to be cut
in days to come so that you might
have dined well.
What has the new Labor govern
ment done to better the lot OF the
average Englishman?" I asked one
of them.
! Political Trend to Left.
i That shrug again. "The govern
ment has more important things to
consider, suppose" he said.
i IF an election were held today
would it be the same?"
i II think So" That seemed to be
i the prevailing opinion.
i But suppose the Attlee regime
j goes on and still does not better the
] Englishman's lot," I proposed. do
4 you think the voters would then re-
! turn the Churchill party to power?'
i Il don't think so. / think II
more likely the voters would want
to 60 further left, on the theory the
4 Attlee government Is really more
conservative than socialist"
1 In general drawing room discus