Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1915-02-04

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of the Boy Scouts is now generally
recognized.
had an interview with Capt. Adair-
Roberts, the woman drill officer.
I'VE are following the regular army
rules throughout" she said. no COM
missions are granted except for merit.
When women are adjudged CO lpetent
to teach the drill the regular army
officers drop out in their favor.
"The reserve Is strictly nonpartisan
and nonsectarian. No women Of
wealth are permitted to buy commits
sions, although there have been many
attempts Of this sort.
81 can show you titled woman and
one Of her servants drilling here side
by side. This is not an isolated in
stance either. there are several such"
At first the fear was expressed that
II woman were taught the use Of q
rifle. the Germans would charge snip
ing" and ferocious reprisals would be
the result, but now 1t is realized that
the organizing OF the women will pre-
vent, instead Of encourage, foolish in
dividual action, such as is certain to
take place in moments Of great dan.
ger among an unorganized populace.
The helpless rabble of Belgium, wom-
en- and children refugees fleeing they
knew not whittier, will not be repeat
ed in Great Britain.
No woman is permitted to enter the
reserve without careful physical ex-
animation. Woman doctors from the
city hospitals see to this in their hour
off. The women of the reserve must
be over eighteen and under forty
years of age.
Special attention has been paid to
signaling practice, as this is an i'm
portant branch Of warfare in which It
is unanimously agreed that the female
sex may be Of service. There are
many professional woman telegraph
ers In the reserve. Instruction Is
given in Morse and semaphoro signal.
ing by flags and also by sound.
Other branches of instruction in
clude open air cooking, dispatch rid.
ing, carpentering, fencing an. Swed.
ish drills
The movement is spreading all
over the islands. rapidly overcoming
the indifference which 1t generally
met at first. A vivid description OF
the condition of women in the war dis.
tricts of Belgium and France and an
explanation of how their sufferings
might have been mltigated by proper
preparation and organization is usual
~ sufficient to conveA every doubt
ing Thomas"
Suffragettes In Il.
Branches are especially active In
centers where there is largeIpopula-
ton OF working girls. OF course,
there is a large portion Of the militant
suffragettes. The. latter have trans
ferred their energy in this direction.
The suffragettes believe they can. by
their conduct In case Of an invasion
Of Britain, present an unanswerable-
argument for the ballot.
The sight of women drilling may be
seen at many big halls in London.
The majority of the women are
clothed in khaki. Their suits consist
Of skirt, coat, brown shoes, spats, put
tees and hats. The cost Of this uni.
form is $3.50. Most Of the women
buy their own suits. The reserve Ii
so far entirely self-supporting.
The government has not as yet
given permission to the women to
carry rifles. Tho women do not antici-
pate trouble in this direction, how
ever. They say they hope the neces-
sity for their shouldering the musket
will never come, but II II does they
will be allowed to take their places on
the firing line Just as wives and
sweethearts of British colonists in
many quarters of the earth have
stood behind the stockade and fired
with their men folk against the at
tacks Of savages.
As a result of this movement a Ger.
man invasion. will find ready at hand
an organization Of women who will
keep their heads and who win have
good health and calm nerves. These
women will have learned the value Of
organization, self-dependence, com.
radeship and self-control. They win
cooperate with the military and civil
authorities. They win direct the
flight Of women and children from the
scene Of fighting and 30 take this bur.
den on the government
II is hoped that after the war the
Women's, Volunteer reserve viii be-
come a great recreation club. With
this end in view a wealthy woman has
offered q large tract Of land f,r 1 per.
manent camp and Il Is believed other
gfftn Of thia character urfll h mad