Letters, Oct. 23, 1939

(5 of 6)

Well to go back, the days of waiting in suspense were grim. I smoked even more furiously than usual and bit my finger nails. However, there were tons of practical things to do, amongst others to get the necessary covering for windows in case of air-raids and we have 62 windows and sky-lights!! I was determined "Adolf" was not going to put me to great expense, so wonderful and fearful are our contraptions and it takes half an hour every night to shut up the house. . . . Black and blue paper, drawing pins and torches soon ran short. By law, we have to reduce electricity and gas by 25%, so we crawl about these awkward passages and strain in the dark. And last week, sick of miserable women unable to make ends meet, crying on my neck, and sick of other peoples' children and longing for my own, I jumped into my car and went to a lovely French film in Bournemouth. Just three weeks after our lovely evening and the "supperette." On coming out of the movies, I fell headlong down the outside steps, luckily into the arms of another pedestrian groping in the dark. He laughed and I eventually got to the garage. Every light obscured! The journey home was a nightmare, one could see nothing. But I did enjoy the cinema. I am going tonight—twice a week whatever happens, is my slogan.

Our four evacuees are charming with delightfully clean habits, thank goodness. But some poor wretchs' experiences have been grim. Woolworth has queues of people buying mackintosh sheeting!! There are humorous moments in every situation. One when the Police Sergeant came at my invitation to inspect my windows at night, to see whether they complied with regulations. He fell down the conservatory step headlong into the plants, tin helmet and gas masks and all and I had to pull him out. . . . Gas masks I find an insufferable nuisance and I always forget mine.

We have made no provision for air raids. To lie quietly in my bed is my intention—as I did in London all through the last long weary war. . . .

. . . Well, Ralph, I never thought humanity could be so senseless. But here we are! Ever since Russia and Germany joined forces I have felt as though I have been on an extraordinary journey, say to Mars—that life and the earth had ceased to exist. I keep touching things to be quite sure I am on earth. But the joy of light in the mornings as one wakes up is too wonderful, and even Hitler can't take that away!

K. S.

Hampshire, England

> TIME welcomes letters from the war zone if they make as good reading as K. S.'s.—ED.

Nomura's Eye

Sirs:

Two eyes had Admiral Kichisaburo Nomura when he came, one eye had he when he left, but no eyes did he leave behind fighting in Shanghai (TIME, Oct. 2).

Hostilities had ceased in Shanghai weeks before Nomura-san and several other ranking officers in the army, navy and diplomatic service were killed and wounded. No Chinese shell reached them. A Korean bomb did.