EVACUATED PEOPLE

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 October 1939, Page 5

EVACUATED PEOPLE

BIGGER PROBLEM CREATED. LONDON, September 15. The evacuation of mothers and children to “safe” areas with the outbreak of Hie war is now a matter of history, with every credit going to those who organised this gigantic task of moving some 1,500,000 people. It appears, however, that the actual moving of the women and children will ultimately dwindle to one of the minor problems compared Io those with which the authorities are faced. Having got the women and children out of the cities, it seems that one of the chief difficulties is to keep the mothers in these “safe” districts; another is going to be to reconcile the evacuated people to their new lives, and, in many cases, to pacify those upon whom they have been billeted. So many mothers have returned to the cities that request has had to be made to them to remain where they are, with their children., In several cases, after staying a day or two, sometimes only a few hours, the women have packed up and returned home. There have been various reasons for this, but the chief appears to have been that they are homesick. Some quite frankly do not like the country. One mother said to an official: “What would I do if I was caught in an air raid in the middle of those fields? I should have too far to run for shelter. In London, at least, we should have an air-raid shelter to go to.” There have also been complaints that mothers and children have arrived in the evacuated areas in a verminous condition. Here, again, the authorities have met with difficulties, for while children can be tubbed and scrubbed to conform with civilised standards, a rather different problem is presented by the mothers. On the whole, it seems that the mothers are presenting the chief difficulties. The children can be more easily handled. Several of the youngsters are having the time of their lives in country districts, and life for them is a great adventure. Several amusing and touching stories are told of them. One small boy watching potato digging for the first time was greatly intrigued. At last his curiosity could no longer be withheld. He said to the man digging: “Say, mister, wotcher bury ’em for? AVas it because of the war scare?”

Another youngster, on seeing plums in the trees, was amazed. “I always thought plums came in boxes,” he said. Of the thousands of children evacuated from London to safety areas perhaps the luckiest of all are four boys from the East End. They have been sent to the English country home of Conrad A r eidt, the famous film star. “They’re little gentlemen,” he declared this week. “Unfortunately,” Mrs. A r eidt put in “he spoils them. If they want anything they go to him — and he never refuses.” The lucky lads are George White, Sid Patterson, Stanley Capon, all aged 14; and 10-year-old Jimmy King. Stanley explained: ‘He’s not really spoiling us. He only wants us to be happy. He has bought us all new flannel trousers and shirts, and also hair cream. AVe p.re trying to return his kindness by doing his garden.” Mr. and Mrs. A r eidt and their staif are teaching the boys foreign languages. The family car seems to provide the biggest thrill. It rarely goes out without the Four.

Recently, when an air-raid warning came at night, Conrad Veidt, who was working on “The Thief of Bagdad” ignored the protection at the studios and ran half a mile home to, be near the boys. “He stayed with us in the bathroom, and gave us sweets and cakes and helped us not to be frightened,’ one of them said.