"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3384, 22 January 1919, Page 57

"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

(Specially Written for the Ladies' Page.)

MOMENTOUS DAYS.

November 4. Into the crowded hours are placed the momentous events that are the beginnings of the world's freedom—Russia gone as a monarchy, Bulgaria a Republic, Turkey gone, Austria and Hungary gone as monarchies, Central Europe a seething mass of revolution, and the dramatic figure of the Kaiser, deserted by his allies, standing alone.. A cartoon in Life would make a great historical picture. It represents the Kaiser seated at the table—not at the head; the chair at the head is vacant — after a banquet, and opposite to him, grinning and sable-shrouded, is a figure Of Death. Around the table, pushed back as they left the host, are the vacant chairs of the departed guests. The wine is drunk, the glasses, displaced, are empty; the Kaiser, with his goblet at the dregs, sits one hand gripping his chair, leaning forward, scaring sullenly and defiantly across the table at "His Last Guest " Death. What a moment! What an end to the feast of the Despot! What an awakening from his dreams of world-power! If one could pity this Evil Genius of the world, it is now in the bitter hour when he finds himself alone, when those who would have remained to an orgy of success have retired before failure and death.

Four years ago (October, 1914) the Cologne Gazette said boastfully over their onslaught: "Antwerp German; all Belgium under German domination; German ships on the coast; the King of the Belgians a second John without a country, in flight; new forces " for the decisive struggle in the west; the gigantic battle of Warsaw in progress! in England grave anxiety over the. prospect of a German attack on the heart of the Empire—thus Ave enter the eleventh week of war. Once let the realisation dawn that the British giant can be wounded and attacked on land and water, as well as in the air, with skilfully-wielded weapons; once let it be realised that his intervention, as proved at Antwerp, is futile—then throughout the world the disintegration of the Britishruled millions will set in."

But not so. We buckled on our armour, we learnt what we hate—war. We learnt how to suffer and renounce; we set our teeth and defended what we love more than ourselves—the freedom of the British Empire. And the cohesion, not the disintegration, of the British-ruled millions set in. "No way has been found for making heroism easy," said Emerson. It has not been an easy, heroism that has faced the Goliath, .the giant of military power, these four years past; not easy for the men, not easy for the women; but we started forth our "contemptible little army," a David with a stone m a sling of faith, and to-day this is a picture drawn by a newly-released civilian prisoner from Germany. J. Jepson, just back from Berlin, writes of " Germany under Defeat " in the Despatch :

Four years and three months ago, when I and other unfortun&t.ft English civilians who happened to "be in Germany were seized and sent first to a prison in Berlin, we were abused, and cursed, and spa<t upon by the populace. But when I walked through the streets in September all signs of this hate had) vanished, scarcely any notice was taken of us, and those who looked, at us had en expression of the utmosrt indifference upon their pinched, miserable faces. I heard one man say to his neighbour, "It's only some English prisoners." ... Bait when we passed through there was no attempt to conceal anything. It is true that we were escorted by a guard, but they were so indifferent that we were actually able to mix with German men, women, and children and to study them for a few minutes at close quarters. If what I saw ia at all representative of the condition of the mass of the nation, then the spirit of the German people at home is utterly broken, and, physically and morally, they have become a race of degenerates, hardly caring whether they live or die. It was easy to understand that they were ready to acoept a isea.ce on almost any terms, but it was also clear to me that they were just as docile as ever in the hands of their rulers. ...

Peace may be with us before this reaches you. There are still some people and some politicians soft-headed or calloushearted, who, in spite of all we have learned of the horrible crimes of Germany during the four years of this terrible war, easily let slip out of their minds the things they have not personally suffered. Their own daily life is, apart from a few restrictions and extra payments, untouched. These people, who have no imagination, realise nothing outside their own experience. We shall be hearing a good deal from them presently, as to the why things ought to have been done. Meanwhile throughout the country the first demand is that British prisoners shall be surrendered by the enemy before any armistice is granted. Besides these tremendous events, the local happenings of every day seem of little importance. We are on the tip-toe of expectation while we go our daily round. Our rationed foods, our rationed pleasiires are secondary considerations beside the fact that the tragedies of GalHpoli and Kut-el-Amara have lost their bitterness in the wonderful doings of our troops in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. But there are no drums being beaten and no banners hung as yet—the soldiers whistle on the march, —for as long as Kaiserism .has power it will fight. The Prussian militarist, stteeped in self-esteem, cares little for Germany's agony, so long as his "glory" is manifest. And the German people, so long as they tolerate Hohenzollernism, are protracting their own misery. Here on the coast we are listening for the guns of the gea battle which it is expected may be fought at any moment.

No week in our lives has been so full of the re-makings of the world, yet we go about, our little businesses calmly, as though empires were not* dissolving, and talk about the fashions and our rations.

Apart from the war, the plague of influenza is causing the direst distress. All notices calling up men for medical examination have been cancelled, so that larger numbers of doctors may be free for civilian practice. In some instances whole families have died, and in several districts the undertakers are unable to bury the dead—there are so many funerals. The latest reports are that in various quarters the epidemio is abating, while in others it is still raging. At the present time there are 1448 cases of the London police alone. Half the ambulance staff is ill and many of the nurses and wounded and tinwounded soldiers. "The four horses"—

War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death—are galloping across the earth; but hope of the new time is strong to-day. Lord Northcliff's "From War to Peace," published to-day the world over, leaves no doubt that the imposition of the terms the victorious Allies will make for the free-' dom and happiness of the world, and ultimately for the good of our enemies. Their lesson will be bitter and hard to learn, but the German nation, having learned that Might is not Right, nor aggression of the weak expedient, will build upon a surer foundation.

All Saints' Day was celebrated this year by crowded congregations. It was kept as a holy day by many who previously have regarded it as a name on the Church Calendar. Many wives and mothers and friends of 'the heroic dead carried fresh flowers to the shrine in Hyde Park, and the many shrines tucked away in odd corners of mean streets glowed with flowers, bright as the memories of those who have regiven the Empire its prouct heritage. On a bunch of roses was expressed the thought of thousands: "In remembrance of our graves in France and Flanders, also of those whose restingplace can never be found. All Saints ancl All Souls' Day, 1918." "He gave his life that we might live" was another, inscription. There will never be an All Saints' Day in England that thanks will not be offered for those who died for us, and for what is more important than our protection—the protection of the ideals that have made Britain's greatness. The Primate sent a message to the clergy as follows:—"Events of the highest im» portance are following one another ,in rapid succession, and furnish subjects of profound thankfulness and earnest prayer." And added the Archbishop: "It will be the duty of the clergy everywhere to use thoughtfulness and resource in giving to the services in our churches the character appropriate to the hour." So that on Sunday, instead of the ringing of bells, the thanksgivings were from the heart. Right up to the nation's lips is the great shout of thanksgiving for victory that presently will burst in loud hosannahs from one end of the earth to the other. The sun will not go down upon that joy—the Allied victory over oppression. He that livefch by the sword shall die by the sword. German " Kultur" has done its worst in the world. The Beast of Aggression will be chained henceforth.

To get back into norma] conditions of life will .take some time; but, unyoked from the great Horror, how free we shall be. Things will be hard, desperately hard still; but we can rejoice in the sunshine once again and sleep in peace, nor watch the hours for the swift message of death. The young may dance again without reproach and lovers keep tryst, and marriage will not mean separation. Little by little the great weight will be lifted from the common heart, and people will learn to laugh again. Those little nothings that go so far. to weight lire on the side of contentment will bo sprinkled into the scale again—at first in particles and then in pinches,— the little overweights of pleasure and rest which we have managed to do without these past war years., but which "make all the difference." One anticipates, like the horse straining at the reins, impatient to be off on the new stretch of road. WelL we have held ourselves in, rationed our souls as well as our bodies, for the cause that is dearer than happiness; but in its triumph we may rejoice. There will be happy things to tell and happy things to do—wonderful things in the new time. Just before the dawn there is a nameless stir—Nature turning in its sleep before awakening. And so in our hearts to-day. To so many of us here there has been no life for four vears except war life—war nights, war days, war homes, war food, war clothes, war darkness; so many things one might not write and do, so much we would not say. And it depends now only upon one man whether or not joy comes soon. A man whose people are impatient of suffering with him. There must be his sail and wormwood. A little while ago he pictured himself with the power of the world's dictator, and he now see? himself the stumbling-block to the happinesa even of his own. But in face of pen'"' we still occupy ourselves with war. The wounded aTe pourinar in from the victorious fronts: and women's work scoe* on in munition factories as well as hospitals. In the hospitals it will continue loner after the munition factories are silent, for later there, will be an snpoui'in<r of siok and wonndrd released prisoners, and the ancnieh of that orv "vchich now ris»s. " T*ov all prisoners and cnri+ive« we Thee to hear us, ffood Lord." will be changed to service, wfbh the onnortnuity of making -op to them somethinft of what thev have lost. There seems to be a growing Wfterness amener them at. the thought of thp fJovernment's Jon*? inaction on their behalf. A letter in to-dav's Mail expresses the feeling of many 5 Th<* of 1916 <vn<s j!)17 T fn">-cnt lit t neaTxi *tnai» of+ho hitter rwnmrka th*( fthrsrlaiia cared untight far th* prisoners; th«j

■wow- no longer an, asset iiseful fox the war. and would never have decorations or rewards grafted them. So far this seems to bo true. With the exception of the Mons Star, nothing has been done for "those officers and) men who fought till their lost bullet was fired and 90 per. oent. fell wounded before being overwhelmed, by the Germans. No D.S.O. or M.C.'s have come to these most valiant soldisra. I know young pilots who were recommended for D.S.O. ajid M.C.'s for wonderful stunts over enemy lines in those frail machines of 1915, but who had the bad luck to be shot down by the superior German Pokker of that date; and because they were made prisoners no honours nor even promotion has come to them. Is nothing going to be done? It is now over a year since theso prisoners were repatriated, and still promotions and decorations are not forthcoming.—" Lest Wo Forget." ■Pageant-lovers were gratified the other day by a little bit of pre-war pomp and circumstance on the occasion of the visit of the Japanese Prince Yorihito, of Higashi Fushimi. The scarlet and gold of uniform and nodding plumes, the outriders, and liveries were a. sight for eyes aching for bright scenes, and one which our; overseas soldiers enjoyed. The Lord Mayor's which wiil be on Saturday, will be the last,.: we trust, of the war shows —or even itr may be the first of peace. If so, it will be an outlet for public jubilation, of which, so far, there has been none. And the public is longing for an authentic occasion to shout. Mrs- Pankhurst made her first public appearanoe since her return from the United States at the meeting of the Women's Party at the Queen's Hall the other night. In her speech she said the Americans' whole idea of Victory is a peace dictated in-Berlin —that is the feeling: of the women as well as of the men. " Canadian women," she said, " are signing: pledges to carry on vigorous campaigns to bring about a complete boycott of, Germany for many years to come." Miss Christabel Pankhurst said that she was expressing the hard, sane belief of every woman in forbidding the politicians to make any bargain or compromise with the German people. "We have had enough of Old Gangs. Those people who are not prepared to move with the times will find enemies in women voters."