Saturday 8 August 1914 – Evesham and the outbreak of war

EVESHAM AND THE WAR

All observant people must have been struck by the way in which Evesham has deported itself during the past week.  There has been a good deal of excitement, naturally, but there has been a marked absence of noisy, foolish demonstrations of “patriotism” and flag-wagging.  Evesham has taken the news of war seriously, but evidently with a quiet determination to play its part with the rest of the country and the Empire as a whole, to do its duty, and to meet the trouble with confidence and courage.  The demeanour of the Evesham Territorials as they marched through the town on Wednesday morning was smart and soldier-like, and Captain Harry* may well be proud of his company. We are sure there will not be a better disciplined, a smarter, or a more useful company in the Worcestershire Battalion at any rate.

At this juncture, too, it is pleasant to recall a remark once made to us by a well-known member of the company that the men have every confidence in Captain Harry.  “He’s just the man we should like to be under if it ever comes to a scrap,” were the words used.  Now the “scrap” has come, the company will be more glad than ever that Captain Harry was induced to withdraw his resignation.

The news of the actual mobilisation does not seem to have aroused the intense excitement in Evesham that it has done in some other places, probably because the step was generally anticipated.

Large numbers of reservists have gone off to rejoin their regiments.  As stated elsewhere, Mr Eyres Monsell has gone, as a naval reservist, to join George V.  We are sure everybody in the district will wish him a very safe return.

On Wednesday, representatives of the Royal Field artillery were in the town buying horses.  Some of the owners of the horses were not anxious to part with them, as this is the busy season of the year, but the buyers let it be understood that the Government wanted the horses and were going to have them.  They paid a fair price for them.

On Wednesday evening at about half past six the first troop train passed through the town, travelling up the GWR line from Worcester.  All traffic has to give way to troop trains, and the 6.8 express, which was running late, had to be shunted into a siding to let the troop train go by.  Among the soldiers who were on board were a number of Evesham reservists who had rejoined the Worcestershire Regiment.

There has been a wonderful demand for newspapers all the week, and the quantity sold in Evesham every day must amount to some thousands. One agent alone gets rid of nearly a thousand copies every evening.  Extra editions are being sent to Evesham, and some London evening papers, which usually do not come to Evesham at all, are now in eager demand.  One newsagent sought to improve the shining hour by selling halfpenny papers for a penny, but we understand that in consequence of the indignation such a grasping conduct aroused, he has seen the error of his way and has brought down the price to the proper figure.  A word of praise should be given to the newsboys.  Over and over again they are offered twopence by strangers for a halfpenny evening paper, but this does not induce them to sell the papers they are taking round to regular customers.  There is a big slump in penny weekly papers of what is sometimes termed the “snippy” order.

EFFECT ON THE POST OFFICE

The mobilization has made the local post office very busy, chiefly in regard to telegrams.  The head office at Evesham, and all the telegraph sub-offices, have been open continuously, night and day, since Sunday morning, for dealing with telegrams.  Post offices also have to cash the advance notes of the reservists.

THE PRICE OF FOOD

We should like to enter a very strong protest against the action of some well-to-do people in Evesham in laying in big stores of provisions.  There is not the least danger of famine, especially in this district, but the buying of provisions in large quantities forces up the price.  The result is that the poor, the very people who can least afford it, will have to pay more than is necessary for their food.  All the newspapers have been appealing to the public not to create an artificial scarcity of food by laying in big stocks, and pointing out what the consequences would be.  But some people, in Evesham, Pershore, Broadway, and other towns in the district, have been buying, this week, stocks enough to last them for a month or even two months – people, be it understood, who usually get only a week’s supply at a time.  We tell them straight that their action is cowardly and contemptible.  As long as their superior wealth enables them to have plenty of food they don’t care twopence about their poor neighbours; and as for their “patriotism”, why, they are doing the very thing to embarrass the Government in these really critical times and bring disaster on the country.

THE TRADESMEN’S POSITION

We have interviewed a number of the leading tradesmen in the town upon this question.  They all recognize the evil consequences that are bound to result from people getting in large supplies, and some of them, to their honour be it said, refuse to execute unusually big orders.  Others are afraid of losing good customers.  The manager of one large establishment deplored the fact that the Mayor or someone in authority had not taken some steps in the matter.  He feels confident that by concerted action much could have been done to prevent an artificial scarcity.  From various tradesmen, we gathered that lump sugar has risen from 2d to 5d or 6d, granulated from 1¾d to 4d, bacon from 1s to 1s 3d, cheese from 8d to 10d, and fresh butter from 1s 3d to 1s 6d.  Eggs are eight a shilling; tinned meats are up, and biscuits and cakes are going to rise.  We do not suggest that all  these increases are due to people buying large supplies.

THE PRICE OF BREAD

At the beginning of the week the Evesham bakers raised the price of bread ½d per quartern** loaf, and it is understood that there will be another advance of a halfpenny on Monday next.  The advance in the price of flour on the wholesale market is stated to be sufficient to have warranted a rise of 1½d per quartern loaf at the beginning of the present week, but the local bakers preferred to make the increase gradually.  Millers say they have no flour to offer.  Experts say that there is enough corn in the country to last for twenty weeks.  As we write, it is announced that the Government are taking over various corn mills; so in all probability there will be plenty of flour very soon.  Farmers who propose to hold their wheat for famine prices – and we know there are some who are talking of doing this – will very soon find that the country will not stand any such tactics.

THE BANKS RE-OPENED

The banks throughout the country reopened yesterday (Friday) morning, after being closed all the week.  In Evesham, at all events, there was no rush of business, and things proceeded in quite a normal manner.  The banks are of course prepared to meet all reasonable demands upon them, and no difficulty whatever will be experienced in obtaining money for wages and all other usual requirements.  None of the new £1 and 10s notes are at the time of writing in the hands of the Evesham banks, but they will no doubt be received very shortly.  The Treasury have issued a notice to the effect that £1 and 10s notes and all British postal orders are legal tender for all payments, under authority of Act of Parliament.  They may be used and must be accepted for all purposes for which gold and silver coins are used.

MORE MEN WANTED

The Government are asking for half a million more men for the Army.  On Monday notices were posted in Evesham asking for men to rejoin the Territorials, in order to bring the company up to full strength, but when the company went to Worcester on Wednesday we believe only two rejoined men were with them.  On Thursday, Lieutenant Neville (who has been appointed commandant at Worcester) was in the town trying to get men to rejoin.  Mr Algernon Rushout was also stated to be in Evesham buying horses.  We understand that a number of local motor cyclists, including Messrs L P Haynes, T F Hickman, R G Drysdale, C H Ward (of the Journal commercial staff) and E Burrell (Sedgeberrow) are offering their services to the Government.  Lieutenant F E Raw, who married Miss Irene Barnard, of Evesham, is on the Lysander, in the third torpedo boat flotilla, of which the Amphion was parent ship.  The Amphion was destroyed by a mine on Thursday.

A number of recruits wished to join the Territorials on Tuesday night, but they could not then be taken on, as only trained men were wanted.  We feel certain that this district will respond loyally to the country’s call to arms.  Those who wish to enlist should apply to Pensioner Col-Sergt Walker, who has been authorized by the officer commanding the 29th Regimental District to enlist men for all branches of his Majesty’s Army.  Mr Walker may be found at the Evesham Corporation Gas Office during office hours, or his residence, 22 Princes Road, Greenhill, up till 7 in the evening, and after 7 at the old Drill Hall, Merstow Green.