BRITISH EXPECT WAR TO END THIS YEAR.
The "Big Push" to Come Early This Summer, London Believes.
Walking on the streets of London at night is far more dangerous than braving German submarines at sea, since the city has been darkened nightly to give fewer bearings to the Zeppelins, declared J. A. Comar of London at the Hotel Baltimore yesterday. In dodging the heavy traffic in the inky darkness of the London streets a man takes his life in his hands, the visitor said.
"All the ocean liners leave Liverpool at a time that brings them to the open sea at night," said Mr. Comar. "There is no danger from the submarines in the dark nor in rough weather. There isn't much ocean travel now, only those people whose business imperatively calls them abroad are leaving the shores of England.
"English people do not run when a Zeppelin comes," said Mr. Comer. "It is not correct to say that they are not frightened, because the exploding of the bombs makes a terrific din, but there isn't any place to run. One is as safe in one spot as another. The Zeppelins come only at night and the bombs are dropped at random -- they don't know where they are dropping them. Then the Zeppelins get away as quickly as possible.
"At Westcliffe, where my family lives, about thirty-five miles from the business center of London, I was under a Zeppelin for half an hour about a month ago. Bombs were dropping all around and a building was demolished about 199 yards from where I stood. Since I have left home there has been another visit of a Zeppelin to Westcliffe. Mrs. Comar immediately cabled me that all was well with her and the children."
Mr. Comar exhibited a cablegram containing only the two words: "Safe. Daisy."
"We have some wonderful guns to attack the Zeppelins. They throw shells that explode when they strike the hydrogen and shatter the airship. Previously the old guns frequently shot clear through the big bag without hurting it, as it is made up of a number of smaller bags, and the loss of one or two did not affect the airship.
"England is at last on a real military footing. There are 2,300 munition factories in Great Britain, turning out an enormous quantity of ammunition, and there are 4,000,000 men in the field. We in England believe that there is to be a big move made in a few weeks. We look for the war to end this year.
Mr. Comar is in the United States for the first time to investigate oil property in Franklin county, Kas., the Imperial Petroleum Company, owned entirely in England. He will go to Tulsa today.
