LONDON’S SPIRIT

Patea Mail, 11 November 1940, Page 3

LONDON’S SPIRIT

ALL “AT OSHE rHONT” TRIBUTE BY AECHBLSHOP »" ' The Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking to his diocesan conference at Canterbury, described how his homo at Lambeth Palace tlad been bombed and made uninhabitable. It was true, he said, that in this war the whole population was at the front. It was they who had to bear the brunt of ceaseless attacks from the air, the main object of which was to spread a spirit of fear among the people. The people were defeating them every day by a counter spirit of unity, resolution and fortitude. 'Their spirit was as wonderful as the skill and daring of our' gallant airmen who, day by day and night by night, were meeting and defeating the enemy in the air. COUEAGE AND EN.DUEANCE . It was chiefly upon the people of London and especially of East and South-east London that the cruelties of this wanton bombardment had fallen. The-whole civilised world was loud in their praise of the courage and endurance shown. He knew by personal, observation how well the praise was deserved’ for during the recent terrors by night some 200 of the poorest folk of Lambeth had taken shelter every night in the old crypt below the chapel at Lambeth Palace. He only washed that Hitler and Goering could see in the astonishing good humour, nad even cheerfulness of these people, the futility of their aims.

LAMBETH PALACE SUFFERS

“Our heart goes out in sympathy to 'the thousands in Loudou and to others in our ov\n diocese wh have lost their homes, ’' Dr. tang continued. My own sympathy with them is the more real because I am now in some measure their fellow-sufferer. Most of you are probably aware that I have been bombed out of my own home at Lambeth. Although happily the old historic parts of it have so far been spared, the destruction wrought has made the house uninhabitable. i'ou will realise how sad it must- be to mo that I am compelled to leave a house which has had a space so special, not only in my own memories and associations, but in the life of the Church and State in England and of the whole Anglican Communion throughout the world. This shaking of things that are seen and temporal, .however precious they may be, deepens one's thankfulness that the things unseen and eternal remain unshaken.

“Meanwhile one compensation is that I shall make my house here in Canterbury my headquarters, and thus be able more constantly than hitherto has been possible to dwell among my

people. , ’ “It is one of the good things that come out of evil that we are learning as perhaps never before —and, pray God, the lesson may not be forgotten—what it means to belong to a community that it is a fellowship of high and. low, rich and poor, one with another in common cares and sufferings and sacrifices and hopes, and in one united purpose for common - good. Are we not also learning the worth of the ordinary man and woman, which is the basic principle of that system of free democracy which we are now defending!" „

In that diocese beyond question they were in the front line of the war.

•SEASIDE RESORTS EMPTY

The population of Margate has fallen from about 40,000 to 10,000; that of Ramsgate to about one-third of what it was; of Deal from 23,000 to about 7,500; of Folkestone from 47,000 to un,der 11,000. Thousands of houses were empty, whole streets wer almost wholly deserted, trade had largely vanished. It was difficult to see how the normal cervices of these towns could be carried on; and if the Government were to require the full payment of its loans they would have a millstone of debt round their necks when peace came which would be unbearable. He earnestly hoped that the Government would treat them with the utmost generosity, for they had suffered in a cause (which concerned the whole country. FINDING POSTS FOB CLERGY He had been obliged to oFdjr the complete closing of 8 churches as it was impossible to meet eveu the expense of keeping them open. So far he had been able to give the dispossessed clergy temporary or permanent charge of country parishes or other work. Of all the churches that remained, the struture of many had been seriously damaged, and the stipends of the clergy normally largely depended on residents who had vanished hud been grievously reduced. Ho was asking parishes in the diocese less hard hit to begin at once a fund for immediate help. But it was plain

that ere long there must be some gon-,-,lfc#fund to deal with destroyed or churches, and -impoverished "“phrishes throughout the whole country, - so that burdens and sacrifices might be in some measure shared by tl'O whole fellowship of the Church. This must be done. The question “How?” was on 3 that demanded careful thought: and about this he proposed to take counsel with the bishops.