“ ALIEN’S ” LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3510, 21 June 1921, Page 55

“ ALIEN’S ” LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

(Specially Written for the Ladies’ P a^e .) caekyixl; ox. ti • , , , , , April 19. The rood world has been turned topsyturvy by the Labour upheaval of the hot fo'.v we. Ls. and the weather seemed to liave struck likewise. The north east "■inn:-, and snow squads veered" to north- ■ • •• Id rain, that a dismal weeker,<* ' Vi:5? C l f sniveling over empty or nearly empty grates. The joy of spring and |. reparations lor the season alike came to a sudden end. I he calling up of the army reserve- has taken the men from their sports and civilian and domestic arrangements, and has upset a good many people's plans, and it is rather hard to have to return to drill when polo cricket, racing, and football are calling. The cheeriest folk are the soldiers and the ex-officers, who have for so long been unemployed, and who are now wearing khaki again, and have found a job. On the camping ground of the parks many

old comrades of the war have met again. On Friday night when the railwaynien and transport workers decided not to strike, all arrangements were complete tor the transport of goods, especially foodstuffs, by road, 600 motor drivers all ready under a much better organisation than that hurriedly put into force during the strike of September and October in 1919. Regents Park, closed to the. public, was a vast central goods station for London and the Home counties. Large houses adjoining the park were taken as billets, and the headquarters were m the postal huts that many returned soldiers will remember, just inside Gloucester gate, at the top of Albany street. The huts were alive with activity—typewriters at work, hundreds oi men wearing badges, despatch riders, and motor cycles labelled “Ministry of Food, E. P.,” and every minute brought fresh offers of cars, vans, and every description of vehicle. And while Regents Park was gathering lorries, Hyde Park was being turned into a vast depot for milk. The big markets hoped to carry on as usual. Convent Garden arranged for a fleet of lorries to bring supplies from the home countries. Road transport, since the first strike of the railways, has built up its own organisation, which the Ministry of hood promised should not be interfered with. And it was probably the knowledge of the efficient road service that influenced the railwaynien not to come out, for the last strike permanently lost to the railways much business. One large foodstuffs firm which has spent £20,000 a year on railway transport, has completed arrangements for distributing its goods by road for £15,000, with the added advantage that the consignments are taken from the firm’s warehouse direct to their destination. The London theatres were also prepared to carry on, actors, actresses and staff had made arrangements to be at their post. At some theatres emergency hotels were prepared—camp beds were fitted up in the dressing rooms, and cooking apparatus. prepared. Meanwhile Sarah Bernhardt has been delighting London in “Daniel."’ The activity cf this wonderful woman is surprising ; she is a miracle of seventy-five. Rut genius has no age, and in the “divine Sarah's” case it has triumphed over the body. Her “Daniel” is not only an amazing piece of work, but she herself is young ; her voice is young; her eyc-s are young. Her day is foil of activities and interest. By eight o’clock her breakfast of coffee and rolls and fruit is over. Then all the leading newspapers of France and England are read to her, and her correspondence attended to. Then Madame receives a stream of early callers, after that a drive. Then perhaps luncheon, and perhaps a matinee or another drive before resting for the theatre in the evening. At a reception given at the Mansion House in her honour, where literary, civic and musical people went in numbers, several of the most distinguished kissed her hand. It seems that the whole French colony in London is gathered at the shrine of their great actress. Genevieve Ward's re-appearance at the Did Vie. last week was another triumph of genius over age: her e'oeution is still marvellous, and the vast audience was instantly under its spell. Miss \ iolet Loraine and Miss Mable Green—two popular music-hall artists—gave a concert, to the camp in Kensington Gardens on Sunday afternoon. No ceremony restricted the applause here, ancl when the concert was over the men “chaired” them. There was quite a number of society weddings last week in London, and on Saturday (the 16th) the marriage of Earl Stanhope to Ladv Eileen Browne, the daughter of the Marquis and Marchioness cf Sugo. was attended by a large congregation at St. Peter's, Eaton square. The bride made a graceful figure in her gown of cream charmeuse. the train draped in beautiful old Brussel’s lace. She carried sheaf of' lilies. The two pages wore Kate Greenaway costumes, and the three bridesmaids wore early Victorian dresses of pencil satin, a ink carried sheaves of cherry blossom. The calling no of the Reserves has caused a. dearth of men at the dances, women dancing with one another. All leave has been cancelled. Jack Tar always knowns when. trouble is about by that short notification “Leave cancelled.” At present he is at the pumps in the mines. London is very full, however, of business men and magnates who hastened to watch events, and others to look on. We have been further warned this morning (Monday) to save coal, not to light a fire without absolute necessity. And the cold and sleet showers continue. If only this bitter wind would' drop; but the weather experts curtly prophesy “Cold, showery,” arid the miners are letting am other week slip before resuming negotiations. Grave and immediate danger is being done to trade and industry. Steel and iron furnaces are everywhere closed down. Kilns for earthenware and pottery and bricks are short of coal and only feebly carrying on. Millions of tons of shipping are lying idle at the docks. Progress in industry is impossible. Production must practically cease until supplies of coal are again forthcoming, and even the officially allowed each household—but unprocurable—on Saturday is to-day cut down to Jewt. I urther train reductions have been made of one-third of the trains, and the appeal to every household is to do with a. ..little coal, pas, ar.d artificial light as possible. Every day more men are 1 o s - ing their work, and suffering spreads. The pit villages, normally hives of industry, look forlorn and grave. The railway truck.: stand idle with groups of idle men, now silent and morose, where last week they anticipated victory, and listened to the tub-thumping orator hurling declamations. While the miner has any money he spends it regardless of the rainy days. This week their attitude of indifference and interest in the racing news is changing to anxiety. In South Wales distress is pressing owing to the failure of the Miners’ Federation to pay strike pay;

thousands of pounds are being paid out in parish relief. In Warwickshire hundreds of miners’ homes were fireless and dimlei'less. But there is no sympathy for them in the hundreds of thousands of cold, workless homes they have caused throughout the country—homes just struggling before the strike to “carry on,” 1500 workers in one Leicester shoe factory alone, were thrown idle on Saturday. Reports from all parts of the country tell of the damage done by the frost and snow to the fruit trees. The rain itself was welcome for the crops, for the season of “April showers” was unusually dry. But all sorts of winter has taken the place of gentle rains and sunshine. The hoar-frost lay under the hedges with the bluebells all day on Saturday ; pear blossoms and plums suffered severely, gooseberries and currants lost iTiuch fruit ; the apple blossoms kept tight shut. Sunday’s rain and snow alternately really did good by refreshing the ground and melting the frost. The moors between AJfreton and Matlock in Derbyshire were white with snow, and the shepherds were busy among tlie lambs. Nesting birds gave up housekeeping, and went their separate ways looking for a living, their love dream ended ; many showed an inclination to go back into winter flocks. No, we have not had a happy wheels ! Some of us are getting doubtful of tho joys of England “now that April’s here.”