THE PLACID ENGLISH.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15449, 11 September 1914, Page 3

THE PLACID ENGLISH.

XO ''NERVES." OX THE EDGE OF WAR. • "TRIPPING '' TO EUROPE. By the end of July (two days before Germany made war with Russia and Franca) leading men of Britain felt that a clash of the Great Powers would not he delayed long, and preparations were then in train for any emergency. This feeling that Britain would he drawn into a European war liad spread to Canada. On 30i.1i July the Montreal correspondent. of a London paper te-'egniplied : "The greatest excitement over the Avar situation prevails throughout Canada, with a growing conviction that, the British Empire will be forced to participate in the conflict." Though it must have been plain to the dullest mind iliat Britain might he a belligerent, at extremely short notice, the London populace, at the end of July—a holiday season—declined to become excited. '"So far as could be ascertained, there wac no cancelling of holiday arrangements on account of the possibility of war.-' stated thp "Chronicle"' of 31st July. "For many years past the traffic to ilie Continent by the Great Eastern Railway, the London, Brighton and South^Coast., and the South-Eastern ai! ! Chatham lias been growing in proportions. Tho c ve of the Bank Holiday i« ? great occa- : on for these short and pleasant trips .-.cross the Channel, and. despite the gravity or the situation on the Continent, there was no disposition to abandon the holiday. The only countries that were put under a ban by the holiday-maker were Austria. Hungary, the Balkan?, and Turkey. Messrs Cook, who have many special Bank Holiday excursions on their programme, do not anticipate any difficulty in cai lying out their arrangements for taking parties to the various Continental resorts on their list. These include Paris, Brussels, tlie Rhine, Holland, Dieppe. Boulogne. Ostend. Xorwav. Denmark, and Sweden.'' "Taking London as you see it in the streets and places of public meeting, there is nothing to suggest that within a week the nation may have taken stejvs which may affect its whole destiny." runs a letter, dated 31st July ot the Sydney •'Telegraph V' London correspondent. "Co'li-etively, the British people look upon the position with composure, almost, a stranger I'-isiht think, with indifference. From Sir Edward Grey's speech in the Common.? on Mondiiv. and from the utterances of "The Times'' and ether leading liewspaners. we are inevitably bound to France and Russia if war shnuUl come. And yet London is absolutely calm.'' On tho same date the Sydney "Sun/s-" correspondent wrote is extraordinary with what courageous calm tlie dread develonnieuts in Europe hnvo been received in this country. In every part of oilier nations the populace have he-.-ii .shouting ,*>nd singing themselves into a patriotic fever. Tn Great Brif'n every man and woman has gone 'about his other daily duties ns if the wei-ld was not being trirned up^'de-down."