"NO PAPERS"

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14406, 17 May 1917, Page 7

"NO PAPERS"

E. V. LUCAS ON THE SUBJECT

"Dog musn't eat dog, and I cannot therefore hint in 'The Sphere' that the cessation of journals (owing to a threatened paper famine) would not necessarilj' eclipse such gaiety as. the nation is now a big to muster." writes E, V. Lucas. "But I supposed may say that, so far as I am concerned, the privation would not leave me inconsolable. There would still be books, and, 1 take it, some brief official gazette with the essential news —if when the time comes any news can be said, to be essential. " . -

"So far 1 have spoken only of ourselves and the way that newspapers strike us. The following extract from a letter from a young English miss to her cousin, a young Aii.stralian miss, winch I have been permitted to,see, indicates that there is still another side to this question. It is not only how newspapers strike us who read them, but how- we who read them^ strike those who don't. Burns's desired 'giftie' once more. Tie pertinent passage runs thus: — " 'But there is one thing I am awfully glad about, and that's the threatened paper famine. Paper is going to be very scarce, because in some utterly mysterious way it ?eems to be made of trees in foreign Jands,.and there are no ships to bung it to England. Anr! if there really is a paper famine there won Tt be any newspapers, and tliif; is imperfectly gorgeous notion, because father, who is really the greatest dear you ever saw and...much the best company in the world, has a terrible lis bit of reading the paper all through breakfast, propped up against the coffee-pot or something, and when Ue took us out to'tUnner at a restaurant the other day for a great fcreat, he even re^.d ihe evening papev in the same way.

" 'It is true that he begged our pardon, but that didn't make any difference, for there was something so wonderful happening in Parliament, or elee•\vhere that he went on reading all through the meal; which was a grc.it shame, for lie is usually very funny in restaurants. But now if the _ paper famine really comes, as I hope, lie will pay some attention to us afc breakfast too, and that will be splendid. When there's no naper about to distract; him, you've no idea what a darling he can be.'

"So domestic felicity is touched too," adds 'Mv Luens. "Is it possible do you think, that the paper famine, if it. become t* real famine, coxilcl be a blessing in disguise?"