LONDON WENT MAD.

Manawatu Times, Volume XL, Issue 14095, 2 January 1919, Page 5

LONDON WENT MAD.

ON ARMISTICE DAY.

DEMENTED IN THE MOB. IRREPARABLE DAMAGE CAUSED. (Auckland "Star's" Special Correspondent.) LONDON, Nov. 15. There is a very mild pandemonium, in Fleet Street as I write ft 0.30 a.m. or thereabouts), but not i.iueh more than would mark the arrival of the news of the result of a big race—the Derby, say—for the shoutings are mainly those of newsboys, who are doing their best to persuade us that tho signing of the armistice announced by Mr Lloyd George is "Peace Declared." The general public,, however, shows no disposition to boil over with joy and gladness, no doubt because they have "been had,"' and are pouting up their feelings until they have made "assurance doubly sure."' It will not be long ere conviction comes to them, for already the flags are beginning to show from windows all up and down the street, and there are other tokens that this time the newsvendors are really retailing hall-marked '' official' * _ intelligence—to wit, maroons banging as though warning us to "take cover" from Gothas winging their way to London town, shrill whistlings, and syrens shrieking. The noise is growing rapidly, and the erys of newsboys are now drowned in a swelling volume of shoutings, blatant gusts from motor horns in all keys, whistlings, snatches of song, and hurrahs. A glance down into the street—practically empty ten minutes ago—shows it to be a mass of people, mainly, it seems, girls and youths carrying flags of all nations and sizes, and many of them armed with those noise-making atrocities whieh some of us had hoped had been Telegated to the limbo of things forgotten —rattles, paper horns, "squeakers," and the* like. There will, it is clear, be no work worth the name done in London to-day, and the business man who attempts' to '' carry on'' will find himself left to his own devices. Already the streets are becoming impossible for business vehicular traffic, and the staffs remaining in the business premises visible from my point of vantage are crowding the windows gazing at the scenes in the street below, whence rise noises utterly indescribable, making it impossible to concentrate one's "mind on anything. London has indeed "struck," and it only remains to join the strikers in their demonstration. 10 p.m. What a day it has been—for the youngsters among us. The people who made the great noise of joy and provided the "scenes" were only a handful of London's population. The greater number by far looked on with a smile. They were just as glad as the roysterers, but they could not see Peace as a Joke. They were full of thanksgiving, but remembrance of the price paid for this joyous outbreak restrained them from joining in the sheer physical merry-making to which the young folk abandoned themselves. As a matter of fact I do not think those who have really experienced tho suffering and tension of the past four years have yet quite grasped what the armistice means, and to many thousands the abandonment and horse-play of the day was not entirely acceptable. There were those who had lost their nearest and dearest, and those still in suspense as to the fate of their husbands, brothers, and sons, and know not what the day or the morrow might bring forth in the shape of news from the Front for themselves. Yet even among these there was a measure of sympathy for the outburst of merrymaking, even though some of the childish riots of the streets went against the grain and some of the scenes repelled. I A gin-sodde:; old woman, bent double with age, es;:ie grotesquely pirouetting down Ludg;.ce Hill, singing in cracked and quavering voice snatches of ob scene doggerel concerning "Kaiser Bill," and urged on to greater physical and vocal effort by a crowd of shameless youngsters, who had bedecked the old woman with penny flags from her shabby old bonnet almost to the hem of her ragged mud-splashed skirt. "Go it, mother," was the cry by which this pitiful wreck of womanhood was urged to continue her ghastly performance. . . That hurt. So did the sight of a dozen girls, not one, apparently, more than 16 or 17 years of age, and all very patently under the influence of unaccustomed liquor, cavorting down the street and yelling at the top of their voices snatches of songs not one whit more refined than the old woman's doggerel. But I think the most repellant sight of all was a motor lorry careering down the Strand packed with a yelling crowd of young fellows, The "bonnet" of the vehicle was "graced" with a human skeleton, and some of the riders were flourishing what appeared to be the time-stained thigh bones of somebody who had once upon a time, perhaps, taken part in *. similar public rejoicing. Chalked on the tail-board of the lorry was the name of a famous London hospital. I never could see the "funny" side of sueh exhibitions of real "emblems of mortality, '' but on this occasion it seemed a particularly repulsive exhibition of ghoulish bad taste. For the most part, however, "the fun of the fair" was clean and childish, and occasionally idiotic from the point of view of those who had really suffered bereavement, or were still ia suspense as to the fate of their dear ones. One great "wheeze" was to commandeer any kind of vehicle, decorate it with flags, cram into it as many people as it could hold under pressure, and tour the streets with the maximum amount of noise to be extracted from the riders' vocal chords in song and shoutings, to which was usually added an accompaniment on any article from which discordant sounds could be produced by breath or fist. Wherever you went in the City or West End you came across motor cabs, packed inside and loaded outside with humanity, chiefly engaged in those various forms of diversion which can perhaps be best generically described as "playing the j goat. *' Many taxieabs could barely be seen neath their load of flag-wagging, shouting humanity. One of these vehicles in Piccadilly had no less than 23 people on it, and naturally the first piece of bumpy roadway found its weak spot; there was a cracking noise, the back part of the cab collapsed, and the outside "fares" were deposited in

a jumble on the muddy roadway, to the infinite amusement ©f those not personally participating in the cleaning of the street with coat or skirt. Another cab, similarly piled with humanity, came to grief in the Strand, but in this ease it was chiefly uniforms that suffered, and one "gallant officer" —a major apparently—found refuge in a hollow in the roadway nicely full of slush. One 's sympathy with the '' sufferer'' was not heightened by the fact that he had been engeged just previously in the not particularly soldierly occupation of trying to knock off people's hats— " bowlers" seemed to be his particular mark-—with his flag stick. A drizzling rain set in early in the afternoon, and persuaded many thousands to take their way home, but the rowdier element remained in town, and as was expected, concentrated on the West End, where there were some pretty wild doings and flagrant defiances of "Dora," the police preserving a very discreet blindness and deafness.

The restaurants were given over to mirth and music. One famous restaurant not far from Piccadilly Circus, noted for staidness, fairly "went Fantee." The orchestra played ragtime, and the guests danced round the room —young subs, elderly fathers, sisters, sweethearts, and finally the waitresses joined in the giddy whirl round the big room. Chairs and tables were upset and bottlcsvand glasses smashed, but still the dancers chased on, and music, laughter, and song made such a scene as those walls had never before heard. Finally the orchestra gave in, but one of the waitresses started playing the piano, and the revellers went on again with renewed zest and danced until ex-

hausted nature called for an armistice. Similar scenes were enacted in most of the popular resorts.

At the Alhambra the audience took charge, and gave its own version of '' The Bing Boys on Broadway,'' with occasional interludes by the Tegular artists. There was one raid on the orchestra in which the big drum suffered, but everybody was in the height of good humour, and no real damage was done, but I hear that was not the case at other houses of entertainment. Noevmber 13.

London '' kept it up '' yesterday much on the same lines as on Monday —only there was, unfortunately a shade more hooliganism about the proceedings of the masses as the day wore on, and sundry "regrettable incidents." The most pleasing feature of the day was the progress of the King and Queen and other members of the Royal Family to St. Paul's for the Thanksgiving Service. The journey from Buckingham Palace was made in an open landau preceded only by outriders in scarlet. The King was in the uniform of his Army—a Field-marshal; the Queen was in furs. Princess Mary rode with them, and in the following carriages were the Duke of Connaught, Princess Patricia, Princess Christian, Princess Beatrice, Princess Marie Louise, and Princess Louise (Duchess of Argyll). Rolling cheers followed the carriages all the way, and as they climbed Ludgate Hill the epople swarmed round so closely as almost to delay progress. The King and Queen were plainly delighted. And well they might be, for bow many Kings and Queens could venture on a ride through their capital to-day, utterly unguarded, through streets practically given over to the people and well nigh as bare of visible policemen as the Sahara is of trees? One lame soldier voiced, perhaps, a thought that entered many minds as the King and Queen swept through the cheering multitudes. Said he: "I'd like to have the Kaiser here; it 'ud do him a bit of good, eh? He'd like to be riding in that carriage, I'll'bet; wouldn't half fancy himself, what?" I rather preferred myself to picture the Kaiser in handcuffs and bareheaded standing between two stalwart Tommies on the kerb watching England's King and Queen drive past, and the soldier admitted that my picture rather tickled his fancy. "Yes," he said, "that's not half a bad ideaj he'd feel a bit wormy, what?' And i£, in addition, . the Kaiser could have been compelled to stand outside Buckingham Palace whilst the people demonstrated there on Monday, and again on Tuesday, it might have done him a further "bit , of good." The service at St. Paul's Cathedral by its simplicity, its freedom, its homeliness, appealed as no great ceremonial of pomp and ritual, of rich court uniforms, of barriers in the streets and roped spaces in the Cathedral could have done. Except for the small row . of chairs where the King and Queen sat amid the Ambassadors and repre- I sentatives of the Allied Powers, the floor of the Cathedral was given to all who could hnd entrance. The only limit was the limit of space, but no rules of the State shut them out. There remained that greater dome of the. sky—happily sunlit—and under this the people made merry all day. At night the scenes in the Strand, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Cireus were more deliriously enthusiastic than on Monday. Most of the traffic was diverted from these streets, and the roadways became a soothing mass of humanity. Hawkers selling flags reaped a rich harvest. Everyone was beflagged. The crowds were chiefly composed of girls, young men, and soldiers. The girls danced unwearyingly; everyone shouted and laughed, and those who had apparently become too hoarse to do either, rang bells, blew whistles, squeakers, trumpets—anything that would make a noise. \ Trafalgar Square, an oasis of light, was the scene of impromptu firework displays. There were Roman candles, rockets, coloured fire, and Chinese crackers that exploded unexpectedly and added to the general din. BOLSHEVIK VNDALISM. It was here that one of the most regrettable incidents of the celebrations occurred in the shape of an exhibition of Bolshevik vandalism, in which it is to lie feared certain elements of overseas troops were, if not primarily responsible, at least prominent participators. I do not suggest for one moment that the rowdies chiefly concerned had the remotest intention of damaging one of London's proudest monuments, but there are occasions when lack of thought verges closely on criminality, and deserves severest punishment. This was one of them, and what happened gives ground for very serious reflection indeed, for the mob's methods of rejoicing went beyond all bounds and limits. To those of us who know our London, and can remember such incidents in her history as the return of

the "C.l.V.'s" from the Boer War, it became evident quite early in the evening that the "wanton spirit" was very much in evidence, and getting stronger as time went on. Mere singing, dancing, and shouting were, it was quite clear, palling on certain elements in the huge mob of soldiers and civilians in the Square and its neighbourhood, and there was, before 10 o'clock, a good deal of rougher sort of horse-play, which denoted that mischief was brewing. Then, somewhere after 10 o 'clock, some mad-brained creatures conceived the idea of bonfires in the Square with the hoardings surrounding the base oi Nelson's Column, upon which were fixed appeals to the public to buy war bonds. In a few minutes the hoarding was pulled down from each of the? sides, and within a short space four separate bonfires were blazing round the famous column. On the west side an additional fire was lighted on the plinth, and it was there that the most serious damage has been caused.

By evil fortune the wood paving opposite the column happened to be unde* repair, affording the roysterers a ready means of obtaining fuel for the fires. They commandeered the barrels of tar and tore up the roadway, carrying away armfuls of wooden blocks which were soon blazing on the fires. Creosote was also piled on the flames, which at one time shot far up the column ana lighted up the whole district. "Violent hands were then laid on the garden seats which are .provided for the public, and some of these helped to feed the flames.

Shortly before midnight the lire brigade was summoned to the scene, but, owing to the crowded state of the streets, their arrival was much delayed. Five or six engines played on the blazing masses, which, wore roaring Tip the sides of the monument, and owing to the intense heat caused by the fire on the plinth of the western side the douche of water caused large fragments to split away from the solid granite blocks of the tier above. Moreover, the damage is not confined to the stonework, for several of the ornamental medallions were damaged, and two were completely ruined. Piccadilly Circus was the scene of another great bonfire, which was kept burning fiercely till midnight. The crowd tore down the advertisement boards at the entrances of the Pavilion Theatre. There was a struggle between the soldiers who lit the fire and some special constables and policemen, but the soldiers had their way, and the boards went to feed tue flames. Happily the damage done in this area waa negligible.

PANDEMONIUM. November 14

The authorities apparently imagined that the rowdy elements would have tired of their particular brand of '' fun'' after Tuesday night's ebuliations, but pandemonium again reigned supreme in the West End last evening. From six o'clock until after midnight Trafalgar Square was impassable. Uncountable thousands filled every corner of it, shouting, singing, cheering, flag-waving, dancing. There were shouts, cheers, yells, singing, raucous cries, roars, blasts —an unbelievable racket. The roadways became open-air dancing saloons. Fireworks shot up in endless profusion. All the main West End streets were crowded, but the Strand and Trafalgar Square were the main gathering grounds. All wheeled traffic came to an end in the main streets in this locality, for there was no room for vehicles, the pavements and roadways being chock-a-block with surging masses of- humanity. There were dancing processions—scores oi girls and young men holding arms or waists —and dancing groups, and squads and bunches, from single couples to dozens and scores.

It was primitive "dancing"—simply jigging to and fro and backwards and forwards, or hopping round on one leg to snatches of tunes on mouth-organs and concertinas, and accompanied by the blowing of whistles, the ringing of bells, the beating of all kinds of substitutes for drums. Fireworks were let /!& all over the Square > red and blue ' flares were flung about, and there was j a succession of Roman candles and magnesium lights. The later the hour became the more extravagant became the i demonstration. Groups or young people inarched from Trafalgar Square into the Mall and hauled'several German guns through the Admiralty Arch to the Square. For a time they were content to pull the gtms about the Square while they cheered and yelled, but soon after half past nine a bonfire was started near the end of Cockspur Street, and the wheel of a gun was flung on it amid the cheers of the thousands of onlookers. Presently another gun was "captured" from the Mall and run into the bonfire, whilst others commandeered from the same spot were taken for joy rides on motor lorries accompanied by hilarious soldiers, and it was not until near midnight that it occurred to the authorities to close the gates of Admiralty Arch and so prevent more guns being taken from the Mall. About the same time the crowds grew tired of their "sport" and began to melt away, the bonfire was put out, and in an incredibly short space of time the central rendezvous of hilarious London was practically deserted.