Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-21
(TFANY bodies of women we're
wi found in the trenches as scrvian

xZH m AN DOulcS OIL women were
IVI found in the trenches as Servian
women are taking part in the
national defense" writes the war cor
respondent of the Cologne Gazette, one
OF the most reliable and conservative of
German newspapers.
Several women fighting in the Russian
ranks have been captured" says a Ger
man official report describing operations
on the Nicmen- Bobr-Narcw front
Much has been written about the pos
sibility Of women in this war, about the
organization Of Englishwomcn prepared
to defend their country if necessary and
similar suggestions of the terrible ex-
tremes TO which the conflict might be
carried. Americans were at first inclined
to doubt whether such monstrous con
dition as women engaged in fighting
would really be Witnessed
1t is now certain that on the Balkan
and Russian fronts at least, women are
taking part in the war in considerable
numbers and in terrible earnest. In
Serria the women as mass are prepar-
ing to fight, and they are apparently pre-.
pared 10 be killed to the last woman be-
fore they permit the invading Germans
ana AustrlanS 10 pass through their coun-
try. This condition is made clear from
the reports or Germans as we'll as other
correspondents
Al kragujevatz, one Of the towns which
became Il centre Of defense after the
Servians had been driven back from the
vicinity OF Belgrade, the women were or
gained under the leadership OF a woman
OF sixty. She had already four sons
and nine grandsonS in the Scrvian army,
of whom seven have been killed. When
she was asked by a correspondent if she
thought il was necessary for her TO fight
she answered:
"Of what value is my life when all my
young people are being killed do not
care how soon die"
The Servians are a primitive people OF
peasants and shepherds. and. as is com
mon among such people the women are
much more comparable TO men in ply
Steal strength than among more highly
civilized communities. The women are
commonly broad shoudcrcd, muscular.
hard listed and capable OF great eXcr.
tons. Moreover, they retain their vigor
to very advanced age, so that il is not
surprising that q woman OF sixty should
be fighting. II was the vigorous old age
enjoyed by the people of Servia and Bul-
garia that led Professor MctChnikoif to
develop his peculiar theories of combat.
Ing premature old age among civilized
people.
The German and Austrian soldiers are
confronted with the terrible duty OF
shooting and bayonctting women, old and
young, grandmothers and mothers, fight.
ing in defense OF their homes and vii
lagos. Such is the iron discipline OF the
German army that there is no reason 10
expect that they will shrink from per
forming their duty with tho utmost thor
oughness, or from any other stern neces-
sity. Another terrible question arises in
connection with these women. They are
generally uniformed ana do not ap-
pear to belong TO a regular military corps
as defined by the rules OF war. They are
therefore by the same rules subject to
Immediate execution if captured when
using arms
A prominent Scrvian in America, John
r. Palandech, has declared that 100000