NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 36, 12 February 1940, Page 8

NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

BACK TO VICTORIA

CHANGES IN BRITAIN

INFLUENCE OF THE WAR

Obscure as some of the trends of this war may be, there is one thing which is becoming increasingly apparent: it is bringing the Victorian era to life again in Britain.

Changes in the social and economic life of the country are becoming very : marked. London's first war dress is being transformed. Sandbags, first put • in place about buildings as a protec- : tion against bombs, are being replaced by timber structures which, in many ' cases, include door-like shutters for 1 windows. Many big buildings are being strengthened by supports consisting of great timbre beams. Lamp posts and high electric light and tramcar trolley poles are being moved because they have been found dangerous in the black-outs. As soon as possible all lights will be suspended over the middle of the streets instead of being | at the sides. Shutters and Blinds. Private houses are being fitted with shutter^. The Venetian blind is returning to popularity for those who do not fancy the shutter. Some of these results will endure after the war. Horses are coming back to the streets. Since petrol rationing began hundreds of London firms have returned to the old system of locomotion. Horse-drawn buggies and carts again clatter about the London streets m noticeable numbers, and horse traders are doing well. The London traffic, never remarkable for speed, is reported to have been further slowed by these changes. London's transport system, which was impaired by the requisitioning of many taxis after the war broke out, is also being improved by the return of some of these vehicles. When the conflict started the London authorities took over about 240 C taxis for use in the auxiliary fire service, part of the air-raid precautions. More than 400 of these taxis have now gone back to service. Club Life Affected. Other changes are coming, also. Club life in London is being affected much more quickly than in the last war. Rumours of club mergers are heard every day. One of the most famous of eighteenth century clubs, the Boodles Club, and the Marlborough Club, which dates from Victorian days, are discussing the possibility of combining. People are staying at home more, because of tlie black-out, and the result has been a boom in the book trade. One bookseller has advertised that "Now is the time to catch uj on your reading and to read Plato's 'Republic' " A novelty of this year is likely to b' j the woman railway porter. Several companies have been considering hiring women, who will first work in the goods depots and later on station platforms. Comforts Return. Some comforts are being renewed. For instance the travellers in the Tubes may again read their newspapers, though the lights of trains are still switched off on open stretches of line. Consideration is also being given to the shoppers, and steps are being considered to enable them to shop during black-outs. The first move has been made by the Marylebone Borough Council, which is studying a plan to erect an arcade along one side of Oxford Street, one of London's main business thoroughfares. If it is built it will run along the fronts of shops, the roof will be fixed in position for the duration of the war, and the front will consist Ox heavy canvas screens. These screens will be drawn back during the day and will be placed in position during the night, so that shops will be able to keep the lights on in their windows. Business Staffs Back. Business houses which evacuated their staffs from London may soon return to the metropolis. Last month it was calculated that 14 per cent, of those who had left in the great exodus had already gone back to the city. The Post Office records show that in the early days of the war 1350 firms left London and that by the end of November at least 200 had returned. There has been renewed talk of rationing beer and whisky because grain is needed to feed stock. But the liquor dealers have said that even if the Scottish distilleries close down there is no fear of a shortage, for the stocks in the country amount to 150,000,000 gallons—enough to last for ! eight years. I Germany, Desert Island. [ Germany is fast becoming a desert ; island in Europe. Entering the country, in the fifth month of the war, grew so difficult that even Swiss employed by German firms sometimes found it took them weeks to get across the border. In addition to their passports people living along the borders of Germany must now have a frontier pass valid for a special eight-mile zone within [ the Reich. Previously these frontier folk were accustomed to pass back and | forth freely each day. The new pass is issued by local authorities only after the closest ques- | tioning of the applicant, and the threat of arrest is held out to anyone who gives false information. Three photographs are required, one for the Swiss, one for the German Customs authorij ties, and one for the German police. According to the Nazis the only valid reason for entering the country is to work there, either on some business transaction or in some job carrying j wages. In the case of farm work only owners of land are now permitted to cross the frontier, and they must have held land since before the outbreak of war. Debarred from Visits. Some residents of German origin are supposed to be able to visit Germany to see their parents, but there have been cases where severe illness of a parent has not been held sufficient reason to grant a visa. Early this year the Germans began to take steps to block passenger traffic on the railway from Basle to the Rhineland. This railway goes directly through the West Wall fortifications, many of which are visible to travellers. German Consuls are now refusing visas for this trip and telling passengers to travel by other routes. Though some suggestion was made that the Nazis were massing troops on the border, the generally accepted theory was that it was fear of spies J which led to this move. I