New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-27

These girls and women in the government arsenal
work eight and a half hours day for six and
half days eek-that is, they are supposed to
work only fifty five and quarter hours week.
But because Of the cry for ammunition, they are
working, average ten and half hours
day. Yes, they paid overtime
inquired Of our guide, colonel Of artillery
what these girls and women receive, on an aver
age per cay. The colonel came back, Yankee
fashion, with a question: you are American,
are you not7"
told him yes. He shook his head, then said:
you would not think it much in America
your standards difrerent-your cost Of living
much higher he emphasized.
One had to agree, of course, to obtain the de-
sired information.
"How much per diem?" l repeated.
Give or six francs day" he replied
At the rate Of peace-time exchange. one dol
lar or dollar twenty day--a day Of ten and
half hours.
But it is only fair to add that they doing
this for France--for the sons of France; their
sons, brothers and sweethearts. Said the colonel
to me:
"They haven't grumbled once since the be-
gan, these women!"
1t surely was odd to the work they
doing long table, for instance, reminded me
of the time o. year when the American housewife
puts up fruit. But instead of rows Of glass fruit
jars, there were rows of brass seventy-fve cart
ridge cases. Into these girls were ncautiously
stufing two bundles of sticks, top Of the
other. These bundles looked like nothing so
much as sticks of pink chewing gum. They were
the charge-smokeless powder.
And there were many sweet-faced old ladies,
ali wearing snowy Berrichonne caps-peasant
caps of the of Bourges. One old grandma
| shall forget. Her steel specs had slipped
down her nose, and them she peered at me,
most frendly-like, with lovely blue eyes-eyes in
which any degree of anger would out of
place In front of her the table a little
vase OF MOWERS, not orCHlusp OF COURSE, Out u
white rose and some of the bright glory -of-Lor-
raine."
Notwithstanding the white cap, the mild blue
eyes, and the lovely flowers the nice old lady was
busily engaged in loading fuses with gunpowder!
The powder that the nice old lady dropped into
the fuse, when the proper time comes will ignite
the high explosive of the shell, causing death by
wholesale. And to look at her one would have
said that this sweet grandma should be seated
in a rocking chair, industriously tatting. War
works many economic changes!
In the Schneider Iron Works boys are employed
to a certain extent. Whether this be wartime
expedency, whether these helpers were in
reality young men with bOyish bodies, do not
know. But already their lives pledged to the
great god Gun.
There is within the high stone wall surrounding
the plant, sunny house, spick and span, nicely
furnished, with "all the comforts of home" in
which live hundred orphans. These are children
whose parents are dead--whose fathers sometime
made cannon and ammunition, or perhaps it was
rails and locomotives. They are cared for by
Madame Schneider, and most excellently cared for.
Never have seen a group of healthier children,
nor happier, from the little tots who formed
circle and sang in their fat voices a patriotic
song to the two oldest boys working in the school
room.-working on some problem relating to gun
merry But one could not help observing that each
child wore q belt and that the belt had buckle
or clasp, and that the clasp bore a coat of arms.
Two crossed cannon rampant, intersected by
dominating and commanding letter IS" Tho
Schneider gun
At Creusot there is unsurpassed organization,
patterned, it may be, from the German, but adapt
ed to French uses; there is high class efficiency,
superinduccd by the introduction and operation
Of American automatic machines; there is admir-
able industry of both men and women, inspired
by the splendid French spirit in this hour Of
greatest need There is here what could be, in its
entirety 6 wonderful plant devoted to the arts OF
peace and the demands of commerce. But now
everything, everybody is modified.
When peace reigns, the pride Of Creusot will
still remain the Schneider gun. One sees, ono
feels this pride. even in the park, in the green