Keep It Dark !
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Up to the time of writing, no bulging Zeppelin has crossed the skies over London, nor, for the matter of that, over Paris. Whether their venturesome pilots will sooner or later essay the trip we can only, as amateurs, conjecture. We must all realise, however, that there is such a possibility. The immunity of the Metropolis from aircraft attacks, so far, has led a certain proportion of its inhabitants to begin to cavil at the increasing stringency of the lighting regulations which have been enforced by the Admiralty, which National Department is responsible for the defence of London. Were it possible to arrange it spectacularly, but with little damage to personal property, the most effective lesson such people could have would be for a bomb -to be dropped one night in some area which still remains well lighted. London would very promptly and unanimously be satisfied to accustom itself thereafter to streets unrelieved even by so much as the glimmer of a lucifer, and we should hear no more complaints of the kind which are becoming common in these recent days. There is always a certain proportion of a, population which is impatient of novel regulations of control, and for no particular reason other than awkwardness and an innate desire to criticise, coupled more often than not with an entire inability to make
such criticism constructive. In this particular instance, therefore, in which an attempt is being made to show that London really need not be shrouded in darkness, and, moreover, that it would be more difficult to navigate aircraft' in a blaze of light than in an atmosphere of gloom, we are particularly concerned with those who do not like• the shadows because Of the fact that it is hindering to the iree and fast circulation of traffic.
London is suddenly confronted with an official speed limit, which is being enforced, not by ringed signposts, but by the sheer inability to travel at a into of more than a few miles a.n hour without excessive risk of damage to the driver and to passengers. We of the commercial-vehicle industry are very much concerned in this matter, and as we boast amongst our ranks the motorbus, which is always so readily and so wrongly blamed as being responsible for by far the largest proportion of accidents in the streets of the Metropolis, it is perhaps "up to us" to place on record our own opinion in respect of the present unprecedented circumstances, and this is as follows.
We are not military or naval experts, although, perhaps, we think we are. We are not sufficiently confident in our knowledge to be able to say whether or no it is absolutely necessary to darken our streets. We are satisfied to leave that decision to the experts who, at this time of crisis, have been entrusted by the nation with the task of taking the maximum care -of us. We ourselves are experts in another direction, .and we should feel justly entitled, were our decisions challenged by. people who know little about the subject in which we have specialized, to disregard such
aeriticisms entirely. From that paint of view, we, c3 who are so vitally interested in the conduct of London's traffic and of that, of other great cities which are copying the Metropolitan sateguards, consider that if the powers that be say London should be kept dark, the only comment we have to offer is "Keep it dark."
We must put up with the inconvenience of slowmoving traffic. And, after all, is it a very great inconvenience at a time like the present ? We must drive at a rate of several miles an hour slower than has been our custom in brighter days. Surely it is but a little sacrifice to our comfort and convenience to accept such a limitation?
The effect on trade in the West End at night-time is admittedly disturbing, but it is doubtful if the night life of London or other big cities would be sustained at their original somewhat reckless measure' even were music-halls, cinemas and flashlights allowed to do their brightest. Those who still wish to drive for pleasure at night in the proscribed areas must conform to the regulations, and we have no particular sympathy for those who say that this is a hard stipulation. Plan views of headlamps have been criticised by the inspecting aircraft officials as the most easy to detect in London and on high roads in the country ; therefore, they must go, if the Admiralty think fit. Commercialvehicle traffic is a lot smaller on our home roads at the present time, owing to the tremendous call that has been made upon it to equip the nation's Army and Navy transport. The tramcars we still have with us ; the reduction of their maximum speed between stops is a. matter of no great moment. . With it all, it is extraordinary how rapidly we are all becoming accustomed to the gloom. Some of us find it hard to remember how bright we looked not so many weeks ago. It has to be remembered that the vast proportion of the population of these islands lives in a gloom far denser than that to which we in the big towns are now being returned. Our own city streets but a few years ago were customarily no brighter than they are now in emergency. Very few of us spend much of our time in the glare of Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus. Millions of us live in practically unlighted country streets and lanes. We deprecate the tendency to criticise the people whom we have entrusted with the charge of this country's defences, especially by those who know nothing, or next to nothing, of the technical exigencies of the case, It is a poor attitude to adopt, this putting forward of the personal convenience of the individual as aplea that not every conceivable measure of precaution shall be enforced until all dangers are passed.
Keep it dark A.W.W.