Washington sentinel., 1898-04-23
now a war would Anect women,
William lie QNesr, IN the "WoDra1 al
Home"

During the talk OF war and the
preparations for war that have been
going on for the past few months,
we have heard nothing and read
nothing except from the point OF
view ofmen. No thought has been
given as to how war would affect
women. And yet a moments re-
Election will reveal that women are
the chiefsuferers from war. They
do not nowadays, it is true, don
the war paint, carry the cognac
keg, or shoulder the rifle and go
forth to beat of drum to protect
their own firesides. AT all events,
not in civilized countries. In
Dahomey, two years ago, General
Dodds, at the head of the French
army, had to face the duskY female
warriors OF the sable monarch; but
the trend of current events is not
towards making women part ofthe
vast fighting machine that must
sooner or later come into conflict
with the fighting machines of other
countries, which are assuming
such awe inspiring proportions,
How soon that may come about it
is impossible to say. 1t may be
precipitated at any moment. Our
own shores, which we have been
taught to consider inviolable, might
within a week swarm with an
enemy. In his "Soldier's Pocket
book for Field Service. 1882"
Lord Wolseley said: Twenty
four hours OF calm weather would
now enable an enemy to throw
ashore on our coasts an army.
amply large enough to destroy any
military force we could oppose to
him, and to secure possession OF
London" Such an expression of
opinion is not to be lightly viewed.
1t brings the prospects and horrors
of war home to every heart.
In order to understand how war
would affect women, it is necessary
to realize how gravely possible it
is that they may need protection
from its terrors; ami that the sense
OF security to which we have been
educated has little real foundation.
The opinion of Lord Wolseley is
shared by other eminent military
men. Lord Roberts, writing to
me, said: 81 entirely concur with
you in thinking that it is most de-
sirable to bring home to the British
public in every possible way the
dangers to which the nation is ex-
posed" Our army is numerically
weak; but the customary rejoinder
to any such remark is, "But look
at the navy" 1t is fine defen-
sive force, without doubt; and the
additions to be made will render it !
even more splendid and efficient.
But it has a lot to do. 1t has to
defend our commerce, and our
food and coal supply. Once an
enemy is able to evade the feet,
and land its armies upon our
shores, the navy will. be no help at |
all. With the enemy at our doors |
what should we dor AS | have al
ready pointed out on many occa-
sions, our home defense scheme is
a most elaborate paper problem;
but as our forces have never been |
modified, its many glaring defects
must remain unremedied until our
echo to the tramp of a
myriad footed enemy. With re-
gard to some defects, there is no
need to wait for any such disas-
trous contingency. We do not /
want to hear the roll Of the foreign /
drum to realize that SIX thousand /
Of our cavalrYmen have no horses,
and are therefore h0rS Ge combat
before fighting commences. Nor
is it necessary to wait until the
enemy's machine guns are trained
upon us to discover that our vol.
enthusiastic citizen
soldier-the men ''who brought
the freeman's arms'to aid the free
mans sause"-are without any /
service.
Grant then that war is possible,
what would happen2 An invasion,
il it comes, will come swiftly, and
warning. Try to realize
what would occur. The first int
nation would be the strident cries
OF the newspaper boys with their
''Extry speshuls." Declaration
Of war against England" BON
of our shores imminent"
Imagine the feverish excitement in
the streets, the CONSERVATION in
the homes. The man would read
the news with quickened pulse;
feeling OF resentment would ami
mate his whole being; he would
want to run out and enrol himself
under some flag; wave kisses to
his family, shoulder his ride, and
march off to the beat of the drum
to glory. There is much poetry
and picturesqueness in war from
this point of view, and the man on
his first enlistment under the flag
OF his country realizes it all. 1t is
not until he has fed on scanty
rations, till he has marched him
self footsore through dust and mud,
till he lies tor hours together in
deep trenches knee deep in water,
that war becomes for him terrible,
Of-fact prose.
But what Of woman There is
no such excitement for her. Rich
or poor, as the children gather
round her, clinging to her skirts,
her heart sinks within her. AT
best, what is she to do for food for
themp How desolate the house will
be wi hout its headl How terrible
the anxiety for news of himl How
fearful the prospect should the
enemv's march not be interrupted,