The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-28
MRS, STOBART IS
 AGAIN AT FRONT Went Through the Balkan
 War As a Nurse WAR OFFICES TRICK Men Who Joined Home Defense Corps Find Themselves Liable For Foreign Duty-Glad Football
 Is to Continue
Fly JAMES M,DoNALp


 London, December 5.-tSpctial) ] When, at the end of the war. Mrs St Clair stobart, the modern Florence Nightengale.H as she has been called. sits down to write her experiences therein the thing that is likely to trouble most will be, not lack but a surfeit of material.
 It was Mrs. Stobart. of course who. during the Balkan war, gave so striking a demonstration of her conviction that women can do all kinds of military hospital work independently of men, She and her unit made a seven day s trek through the mud from Sofia to Kirk Killisse and there established a hospital staffed by women only that did truly a remarkable work; and already, during the present war, she has had adventures enough to Ill 8 volume. Concerning them, however, columns have been written already. After her exciting experiences during the siege of Antwerp. Mrs stobar. went to France, Cat the invitation of l the French Red Cross.) to establish a | base hospital there, and promptly had I the beautiful Chateau Tourlayil1e. near Cherbours, placed at. her disposal by 1 It's owner. Lady Guernsey. whose gal | iaul HuSpdHus Il IneHlDeT OI lnA bT1Bn Guards. recently was killed in action This chateau. which is hundreds of years old, and stands in truly beautiful ] grounds, is now full of wounded--botli English and French who are con. veyed there from Dunkirk by ampu. lance ship. At the present writing 1 moreover, Mrs. Stobart has just been asked by the Belgian authorities to establish a hospital for Belgian sol 1 diers, and that she writes, Twill 1 give me even furthur experiences, for | it will mean another locale,- probably near the front again." Meanwhile hei previous volume, War and Women, l is being widely read and quoted from. War Offices Clever Trick There seems to be no doubt in any l ones mind that the war office is l largely responsible for the danger thai | at some time in the future, there may l be a shortage of recruits. As I pointed l out last week there Is no real shorta gs l at the present moment because tn, | authorities have more men on theil | hands than they can properly trair | and equip. But there is bound t, come time in the next few month, | when the present rate of recruitinA I must be accelerated or some form 0 conscription resorted to.
 l Quite aside from any faulty or mis taken method of recruiting the wa
 
 The treatement of soldiers wives, 1acl of provisions for soldiers while fight ing and after the war, ridiculously in adequate provisions for the housing 0 troops while in training are all prob ably we'll known to your readers. Th latest is. perhaps. to young men more serious affair and it comes brett. near to the outer edge.
 There are many men in this coantr.
 who although they do not lack pa
 triotism and pluck, are nevertheless unable to volunteer for foreign service Many of them have whole families dc i, pendent upon them. others, wives 0 children or other relations. Yet no to be outdone by their comrades wh
 are now preparing to go abroad the l joined what is known as the Home De fense Corps, engaging themselves t 1 train a few hours every day and, i case of invasion, to sacrifice their al [ and join in the defense of their coun try
 For a long time the war office refuse , to recognize this organization, but it ha l now granted grudging recognition an l at the same time carried through wha 1t no doubt considers clever piece ( business Among the other condition
 imposed upon the members of the corps B one which declares that in case 1t desire 3 the war office has the power to inspet the force at any time and select from all men of military age Nfor servic . abroad. Thus the men who commiite ] themselves for home defense only al {, trapped and. despite their family obigs tions may be marched off At any momen Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who is prom 7 nent fin the organization of this home d' ! fense corps, is now trying to get the WE
 office to throw overheard this conditlo