The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-08
London. Nov. l.

A dangers and sufferings of the sol
 diers at the front has been caused by the presence of women of title and wealth, who are attracted mainly by curiosity.
 The great danger from this cause lies in the attention which these women are sure to receive from the officers of their army
 Most of the officers feel obliged to come lowing and smiling to the Duchess of This or Lady That, who has come out with a wagonload of delicacies for the sick, or some offer of services not suited to the occasion.
 While this unreasonable society affair is going on, the enemy may be sapping up to the trenches, supply trains may be falling into confusion, the wounded may be neglected, and any one of a thousand mis- fortunes or accidents may be hapepning to the army. Soldiers are called from their duties to wait upon the visitors and are even required to serve them with teal
 All the armies of the countries at war are suffering more or less from this nuis ance, but England is undoubtedly suffering more than the others.
 A conspicuous example of this feminine interference in the war is afforded by the case of the Dowager Duchess of Suther- land, who was formerly noted beauty in London society. She organized a party of Red Cross nurses and went with them to Belgium at the beginning of the war The intentions of the Duchess were undoubted- ly excellent, but she was not regularly trained nurse. and could not help being a hindraDno fo officarc and dnctorC
 We catch a glimpse from her own ac- count of some of the endorsements she must have caused She was still at Ma mur with her nurses when the Germans captured this place. She tells how she insisted on seeing the German commander. This officer, who had met the Duchess in society in London, felt obliged to be very polite.
 Please excuse me, Duchess,' he said, ''for not having been shaved for three days"
 Imagine man in the midst of the slaugh. ter of thousands of soldiers stopping to apologize for not being freshly shaved.
 The English may congratulate them selves that the Duchess was here embar. rassing German officer, but little further inquiry will show that she gave just as much trouble to her own side.
 Note that in the picture of the Duchess with her nurses she is carrying a large bunch of flowers. Evidently some one had to stop the work of caring for the sick to pay this delicate attention to Her Grace.
 But more surprising evidence of the Duchess's embarrassing activities has come to hand. Just after she came back from her short trip to the horrors of war so- ciety was astonished to learn that she had become quietly married to Major Percy D. Fitzgerald, of the Eleventh Hussars, an officer some ten years younger than her self.
 While the Duchess was attending to the sick she must have been carving on a filtration, or the major was conducting courtship, whichever way you like to put it,
 How did the British soldiers about to die for their country enjoy watching the court. ship between their major anl the elderly duchess? Were they annoyed by it or dit they take a sympathetic interest in it? In either case it must have distracted their thoughts from the only proper business of a soldier, which is to destroy the enemy.
 And here IS another British duchess who is busily engaged in interfering with the work of the officers at the war. This is the Duchess of Westminster, who has also