Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-10-22
WOMEN STARVE,
STRANDED IN A
STRANGE LAND
Wives of Canadian Soldiers Fol.
low Husbands to England;
Tragedies Follow
REFUSED PASSPORTS
TO RETURN HOME
Alone and Penniless in War Rack
ed Country Fair Sex Add to
War Victims
ey MARY BOYLE o'RElLLY.

BY MARY BOYLE OREIlIY.
London, Eng, Oct. 21.-The Canad
ian in England is long, long way
from "home.'
Thousands Of Canadian soldiers
wives have followed their husbands to
the Old Country; some boats bringing
nearly 1000 of them. Scores of these
wanderers find themselves stranded J.:
then tiny tragedies follow:
The dominion government gives a
grant of $40 month, and soldier
must assign his wife half his pay ($15
a month";. But when the Ottawa pay
master has notice of wifes departure
for England it takes time to transfe,
the allowance. Hence a poor woman
may find herself alone and penniless
in strange land.
Mary Smith, girl wife, left Quebec
to be near her husband in England
She reached London and promptly
sought his address at Canadian head
quarters. There officials soon discov.
cred the soldier-husband had left for
France two hours before his wife's ar
rival. That was the first week of the
big Push" Today.-tkes- so.Iier i.
Missing" -.a. .,
Mortgages Furniture to Reach
Husband.
Anna Jones of Montreal mortgaged
the furniture of her little fiat to reach
London and her wounded husband.
Weary and weak with overstrain she
found him in a Canadian hospital so
feeble from his heavy hurt that he is
about to be invalided out Of the ser.
vice. He, as a soldier honorably dis
charged, will be sent back to Canada,
the government paying his fare. But
even the open-handed dominion is not
responsible for the passage money OF
his wandering wife.
Julia Deeming, mother of two SOL
dier sons, gave up her work in Ottawa
wishing to be near her boys. She
took it for granted that government
allowance could be secured without
difficulty. Both boys are in England,
training for the artillery. But their
mother finds she is not entitled to any
official assistance since she was not
dependent upon her sons before the
war.
And, when the tiny tragedy has run
its course there arise still other diff
culties in getting home. Nor is lack
Of money the worst.
Passage Papers Refused to Wife.
During a dreary hour Magistrate
Hedderwick, at North London, had
been dealing out police court justice
when trig, little woman stepped to
the witness stand. From hat quills
to boot vamps she was chic, sensible
tailor-made and utterly un-English.
"A passport case" droned the clerk
of the court. this lady asks permits.
sion to return to Canada"
81 sailed for England Immediately |
heard my husband was wounded" tes.
titled the applicant. "The report prov.
ed false. My husband is fighting in
Flanders. Being stranger here ]
wish to to 90 home at once
The magistrate frowned important
ly. MADAM. decline to sign docu.
ments for stranger You must get
your friends to declare your identity"
81 have no friends on this side, sir" "
"Then ask your physician to vouch
for you
81 know none in this country, not
having been ill.,"
"Perhaps you may induce clergy.
man to interest himself"
Unfortunately | did not attend
church here
Indeed. Well, take very serious
view of my duty in these cases. l do
not know you come from, Canada,
therefore cannot sign your applica-
ton to return"
Willing to Hide in Stoke Hole.
The little woman visibly braced her.
self to meet the dilemma. Then /
guess | must find a way home," she
exclaimed. tone and phrase patiently
colonial" "If need be, l shall slide
into a stokehole and lie low till the
ship reaches mid.ocean.'
At the rear of the sordid room a
Khaki-clad down Maine woodsman
laughed suddenly. When he rose, his
six-foot-two of bone and Drawn tower
ed above the puny, pallid Londoners.
Your HONOR he addressed the
court with western directness, There
amt a doubt but this lady halls from
the dominion. Why don't you look in
her hat, at her boots, on her wedding
ring? If they amt marked Montreal
I'll bet they came from little old New
York, all right"