El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-16

4 QUITE unjustifable addition to the
"A dangers and sufferings Of the sol
4 \ 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
bowling and smiling to the Duchess of This
OF Lady That, who has come out with
.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 happening
to the army. Soldiers are called from their
duties to wait upon the visitors, and are
even required to serve them with tea!
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 a noted beauty in
London society. She organized 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 a regularly
trained nurse, and could not help being a
hindrance to officers and doctors.
We catch a glimpse from her own ac-
count Of some Of the embarrassments she
must have caused. She was still at Ma
muir with her nurses when the Germans
captured this place. She tells how she
Insisted on seeing the German commander.
-ais 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 a 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-
RAISING German officer, but little further
inquiry VIII 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 carrying on a
Irritation, or the major was conducting a
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 AMI the elderly
duchess? We're they annoyed by it or did
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