AND THE ENGLISHMAN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 267, 9 November 1914, Page 4

AND THE ENGLISHMAN.

OOMPtETELT BEVOttTTIOHISEB 2TCOMCOHTOBMIST PABSONS AS BECBmXING OFTXCEBS. SOCIALISTS AS JINGOES. .THE TRUTH ABOUT GEBiIAN ' ATROCITIES. Interesting sidelights ea ike effect of the war in England are revealed, by a letter from a well-known IQdlands journalist received in Auckland to-day. The writer describes how. the traditions 'spirit of the Englishman las been completely revolutionised by the advent of the war, how paxty bitterness and strife have been swept away like chaff before the -wind, and how men who have spent a. lifetime in strenuously opposing _ war have spontaneously recognised the righteousness of England's position, and are foremost amongst those engaged in the work of recruiting Kitchener's second army. " You have no idea of the tray the people are taking this war," says the writer. "Only two people are opposed to it—Keir Hardie and (Ramsay 3lacDonald. ilacDonald spoke -too quickly, and has changed his opinion since, but won't admit it. The other man ■i≤ as extreme as ever. The labour party as a. whole are more enthusiastic ior the war thaa anybody. That is why MacDonald has resigned the chairmanship. Even ( a. well-known Midlands Socialist, is keen on it. So is the "Caily Citizen " (the official organ of the trade unions and the labour party). The Labour party and the trade councils are holding recruiting meetings, and every Nonconformist paTSon i * recruiting officer. Over 150 men hxve recruited from the Nottingham A&ert Hall congregation." LONG QUEUES OF SILENT MEN. •'This is absolutely a life and death struggle for England. . . . You ought to have -witnessed the sights of the last few weeks. No excitement, but eimplv a long queue of men waiting all day, Sunday as well, outside the recruiting office to enlist — just like people waiting to go in a theatre. Over 6,000 men have enlisted from Nottingham (a city of 260,000 people). Three hundred of the men employed by the well known London furniehinp firm of ilaple and Co. have joined. The shortage of paper has compelled all the newspapers to reduce their size—London as well as provincial. All the wood-pulp for paper used in this country has been coming from the Baltic, and now that it is having to be sent from America it naturally costs more money. Editions Of the daily papers are being published at midday on Sundays." "There are no municipal contests £t ail this November. Imagine it. ,No opening of the floodgates of oratory from the local tubthumpers. All political raeatings are stopped, as well as dinners and that sort of thing. Gorious., Even.war has its compensations. A number of. small papers, including the "Daily Herald" (Socialist and women's suffrage organ) lave gone under, but the "Daily Citizen" keeps on-" THE NA\-Y SAVES.THE POOR. "Ordinary Ufa here does not seem to be much interfered with by the war. There has been a slight rise fa the cost of living, but my household bills for. five of us. are,not up more, than 2/ a week—lndeed, not so much. But -what would it have been but for the jsa.\y.V The unanimity of the country over the war i≤ extraordinary. There are no politics of any Labour or Tory. Everybody realises that Germany means to smash us if she can, and that she has such hitting power and lack of scruples that England has got to fight or go under. Kitchener has got more than half his million men quite easily, and the numbers are etill rolling in. It will take several months to train them, but the general, idea is- that they will be put on the Continent in -the spring. Tien, with what we have there now, and those on the way, -we shall have threequarters of a in the field. Germany has got to go under. L A DIABOLICAL CA^CPAIG-y. ■'The stories about Gera&n. atrocities are in. the main. true. We axe all tha time interviewing Belgian refugee, and. returned soldiers- in Xottinga&ni' and their testimony is too strong to be doubted. So far as I can make, out, is is not because the German ebldier is particularly ferocious, but .because the German, authorities decided at the etart that the cavil population of the country through which they paseed mnst be terrorised so that the people would not dare to- attack the German nnes of communication. It is a settled part of their plan of campaign, and not excesses on th<3 part of their troops. Cold, diabolical cruelty- to paralyse opposition is their idea." • " . .