The Evening Star THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1944. SALUTE TO LONDON.

Evening Star, Issue 25226, 13 July 1944, Page 4

The Evening Star THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1944. SALUTE TO LONDON.

The Lord Provost of Edinburgh lias given expression to a fancy that must appeal to the Empire and to the United Nations as a whole. He has conceived tho idea that the major cities' of the United Nations should unite in paying a tribute'to the people of London for their steadfastness in their hours of trial in this great war, later to give a more concrete form to tho tribute by presenting the city with a token of everlasting remembrance, presumably in the nature of the Sword of Honour presented to Stalingrad. Dunedin, which recently responded so well to the late Mayor's suggestion of a gift to its parent ,eity, Edinburgh, to mark the sense of kinship, affection, and sympathy in tho stresses of war time, has not been long in supporting the Lord Provost, and the Mayor (Mr D. C. Cameron) has already despatched an •appositely-wordod salutation. With the sentiments he has recorded the public generally will be fully in harmony. The admiration of the world was roused by the behaviour of {he people of tho great metropolis in those terrible nights and days of the past when the Luftwaffe mercilessly ', and indiscriminately, attempted to fire and raze- the city. Today, in a different, less concentrated, manner London is again facing an ordeal, bearing the- brunt of a new and more thoroughly indiscriminate attack, and showing the same magnificent fortitude.

In her long history London has known many trials—rebellion, riot, plague, and fire—and always she has emerged proud and triumphant. So she will emerge from this war which first came into the city itself on August 25, 1940, when a few bombs were dropped. Up to the advent of the flying bomb London had had a little over 700 raids, and in tho worst of them knew terrible agony. One, in April, 1941, was described as " more terrifying than Wellsian predictions." Many of her most famous public buildings have been wholly or partly destroyed; most of her churches are in ruins; great tracts of her business and commercial areas have been wiped out, while much of her residential districts has ceased to exist. Above all these things death and frightful injury have been the lot of" her citizens. * Yet throughout it • all London has stood firm, an uncouquered and unconquerable symbol of Empire unity, steadfastness, and courage. The time "will come when London will know peace again, when, with the undaunted spirit shown after the Great Fire of 1666, her citizens will face the tremendous task of building .a newer and better city. There will be modern counterparts of those great planners, Sir Christopher Wren and John Evelyn, but this time the plans will not be allowed to bo lost in ensuing confusion as - they were 300 years ago. London's face may, and will. change, but her heart and spirit will never change, and because that is so, the suggestion made by tho Lord Provost of Edinburgh will be sincerely and devoutly fipproved throughout the United Nations.