GREAT BRITAIN: Life in London

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Life in London nowadays is not calculated to settle the nerves. If you go into St. James Park to feed the ducks on the lake, you will see holes in the ground—bomb shelters. If you plan to remodel your Victorian house in Chelsea, you must make provision for a steel cellar—bomb shelter. If you go for a spin in your little Vickers monoplane, you must watch for preposterous balloons dangling wires—defense against bombers. If you have a disproportionately long nose, you must be specially fitted for a gas mask.

Last week Sir Auckland Geddes, Wartime Minister of National Service, onetime Ambassador to the U. S., did not tranquilize the atmosphere when he told British housewives that they ought to put some things away for a bomby day. Not only should they store food; they should also store water in bottles and jugs. In order not to upset the commodity markets, he said, they should buy very slowly and calmly. English housewives are literal-minded. Next day merchants reported sales of canned goods and water jugs falling off.