Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-01-30
BY PHILLIP EVERETT.
International News SerVicel


that at least fifty German women,
fighting in the trenches in mems cloth
ing, have been taken captive by the
Russians near Warsaw. If the Ger
mans ever invade Great Britain and
the situation becomes desperate they
will be faced by an army of English
Amazons, carefully drilled and
trained to the use of the rifle COM
pared to which these Teutonic women
warriors are a mere bagatelle
When | first heard of the Women's
Volunteer reserve, | thought it was
Joke or rather a new ebullition of the
fuffragette class, but after visit to
old Bedford college and view of
the determined women perspiring
through their military drills, / must
confess that my feelings have
changed.
1T is not to be concluded that the
women will rush to the coast and fight
the moment the Germans make
landing They will take up the rifle
only when Great Britain is in desper-
ate straits. Till such an unhappy
time the reserve will simply act as
disciplined body of women skilled in
first aid, cooking, dispatch riding on
motorcycles signaling and the care
of horses.
"At the same time the rife is not
being neglected. said Viscountess
Castlereagh, the colonel in chief of
the women's emergency corps. All
the women are spending time in the
private rifle ranges and there are some
astonishingly good shots among them.
There is no reason in the world why
a woman cannot be as good marks
man as man..
1t was also pointed out to me by one
of the officers of the women's reserve
that women bear certain forms OF
hardship better than men. 1t is a well
known physiological fact that women
are less suspectible to cold and wet
than the stronger sex. Their bodies
are better protected by fatty tissue.
This is seen on the bathing beach
where women are able to enjoy them
selves on chilly days when most OF
the men seek the clubhouse The
same condition should be true in wet
damp trenches 1t is also accepted
that woman, once her nervousness
is over, and her determination is in
spired. can stand more physical pain
than man
In fact, said my woman informer,
"the only way the women would be
inferior to man soldiers would be In
the long marches"
At Old Bedford college, which is the
headquarters of the Women's emer
gency corps, found Col. Viscountess
Castlereagh and Hon, Eveline Haver'
field. honorary colonel, hard at work
with their recruits Mrs. Haverfield
is remembered for her carefully or
ganized remount camp, which she
built sp at the time of the Boer war
Go Through infantry Drill.
Nearly hundred women were 60
inc through the regular army infan.
try drill They were not women OF
leisure either. Most Of them had put
through a days toll already in an Of
fee or along some professional line.
Several regular army officers in uni
form were present to assist in the
work The war officers at first took
contemptuous attitude towards this
movement but they have come to see
the value of it just as the usefulness
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. mo com
missions are granted except for merit.
When women are adjudged competent
to teach the drill the regular army
officers drop out in their favor
THE reserve is strictly nonpartisan
and nonseetarian. No women OF
wealth are permitted to buy commits.
sions, although there have been many
attempts of this sort
II can show you a 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
if woman were taught the use of a
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 Il lorganized populace
The helpless raoble OF Belgium WON
Ell and children refugees fleeing they
knew not whittier, will not be repeat
ID in Great Britain.
No woman is permitted to enter the
'eserve without a careful physical eX
animation Woman doctors from the
city hospitals see to this in their hour
off. The women of the reserve must