LONDON IN WARTIME

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 3, 28 September 1939, Page 8

LONDON IN WARTIME

Traveller’s Description Of

Blackout

GASMASKS EVERYWHERE

A description of London in wartime was given yesterday by Mr. J. F. Lee, manager of some of the amusement rights at the Centennial Exhibition. Mr. Lee left London by aeroplane three days after war broke out. London during a blackout looked like one big black space, said Mr. Lee. Nothing could be seen. Cars were allowed only pin-point lights, which looked about the size of a sixpence. They had to travel very slowly; even then collisions occurred, but there were no serious accidents. Taxi drivers had difficulty in finding the numbers of houses.

Everywhere people were to be seen with gas masks. So strongly enforced were Hie regulations about the use of gas masks, that if a person were seen without one he was ordered to go and get it. A most interesting sight was to see people in evening dress carrying their gas masks. Waiters carried them in tin containers at their waists.

Mr. Lee said the New Zealand exhibition would be the first one outside the British Isles which be had attended. Naturally the war had taken the edge off things, but if the situation settled down a little by Christmas the amusement park should be a paying proposition.