The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1916-12-01

Who knows, Oh Tommy Atkins,
. As you throw that hand grenade
Perchance it's one of many
That your, wife or sweetheart
800 made.
London, Dec. 1.-The early Victor
ian females, must raise their lily
hands from their tatting and crewel
work III horror as they look back
across the River Styx and see how
the hands of their twentieth century
female descendants are occupied. ]
am sure they don't consider it maid
emily or ladylike and yet these stanch
and willing women munition workers
Of today are doing cruel work too.
Down at the big arsenal at Wool.
witch, just 30 minutes from London
by train, 1900 women from S16 to so
years old at big machines are turning
out with fleet and capable feminine
fingers bits of glittering copper and
aluminium and brass which, assembled
into shells, bombs, hand grenades.
cartridges and all those deadly and
frightful weapons Of modern warfare
are dubbed munitions. ,
Not only are the wives, mothers,
sweethearts and sisters of Tommy At.
kins, the typical working women, en-
ployed at this new sort of fancy work
but delicately reared and cultured
gentlewomen as well are eagerly and
tofS 4 that's hSt
There Is work for every grade and
degree of age and mental and physi.o
cal development. The pay for all is
better too than the workers can get
Ii any other sort Of position. lt.av..
erages from 3 to 5 pounds or 15rto-
$25 per week. One time comfortable
English households are plunged into
chaos and gloom through the loss Of
the chambermaids, nursemaids and
cooks who hear the siren call of the
shrapnel and the she'll. Mansions in
Mayfair and the Park Lane, novels in
Whitechappel and the East End dis.
gorge alike their bits Of feminity into
the Unsuitable NAV of the government
arsenals. j
Never have SO many furcoats, never
has SO much jewelry been sold in Lon.
don as at the present moment and the
women munition workers are the busy
little buyers. The first thing a poor
little erstwhiie factory slavey does
when she draws her first princely lin
proportion) pay check at the arsenal
is to treat herself to all the cheap
jewelry her little starved feminine
heart has craved her whole life long.
She may top off with warm coat OF
fur and after this reckless spending
orgy she is content to settle down
and save her salary with the excep.
ton of what she spends daily on real
food. And my how she does eat!
i. There are canteens established at
the different arsenals where the girls
may get the most nourishing food for
the cheapest rates. Four meals are
served day-breakfast, lunch, very
high tea at very low price and din.
ner. There also are lodgings .estab-
lished near the arsenal for all those
women who wish to live close to their
work. These are called hostels and
furnish comfortable and sanitary
rooms for modest sum.
At Woolwich, under the wise and
human jurisdiction Of Miss Lillian
Barker, the government lady super.
visor, the women workers are like one
huge family or a school for girls. All
sorts of things are provided for their
amusement and instruction in their
recreation hours. There are dancing
classes, amateur theatricals and edu- |
cational courses.
Long Hours.
So, although the work is strenuous
and the hours long, the effect on the
women of this steady work, good pay.
nourishing food, clean lodging, fresh
air and above all, blessed spirit of in
dependence they have attained, is
working miracles with English wo-
mankind
Thanks to their munition work they
will be fit physically, mentally and f.
nancially to take up the burdens Of !
their poor manned and broken men
folks after the close of the war.
Strange and yet fittingly simple |
isn't it. that these same deadly bits
of metal shining beautifully golden in
the sun should be bringing death and
destruction and Disagreement to the
one, health, prosperity and life to the
other. I
RANnITa YYYr 0voW u~Do |