“CITY OF DREADFUL NIGHT.”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 303, 21 December 1914, Page 4

“CITY OF DREADFUL NIGHT.”

The Commercial Record tells an.inter-! eating story of how London after dark. is now in all verity a “City of Dreadful Night” and says an evening trip round the West End is about as enlivening as a pilgrimage to Kensal Green cemetery, the prevailing gloomy monotony being only relieved by the occasional necessity of running for, dear life before the unseen onrush of, a spectral taxi, as with dim bluish lights it emerges from unwonted seclu-, sion like a German spy disguised as) a village chemist’s establishment. Thej Record, while admitting that doubtless the authorities have good reason to consider that the situation justifies their stringent regulations regarding the illumination of thoroughfares, holds that there is no getting away from the fact that the streets are thereby rendered exceedingly danger- \

ous to pedestrians, both from the add-, ed chance of collision with passing vehicles and the ease with which robberies from the person can be effected with practical immunity from detection. It also expresses the view that, if London is to be visited by Zeppelins, they will not bo deterred by an\ “Lights out” order; nor will their, powers of offence be curtailed there- 1 by, and surely the glare of the search, lights from identically the same places night after night are a far better guide ; to a marauding foe, whose bump of j locality has probably been stimulated by accurate information dispensed by one of his numerous fellow countrymen dwelling unchallenged in the city's midst, than an extra street lamp or so could possibly he. What a chance for the busy burglar, 1 and the rest of his tribe, whose ranks will surely Ire reinforced this winter to some extent at any rate, by undesirables of various nationalities.