Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-15
By ELLEN ADAIR

LONDON. March At haven't read
The papers for months and months, and
simpiy couldn't tell you what's happen
ING In the war !" declared a pretty London
virl today. How strange Could she
really be Indifferent to the great issue at
stake? or was she merely stupid?
Then the explanation was given. I'm
hoiding down two wartime Jobs, and that
means working IA hours a day." she said,
,so I've no time left for reading. I'm
alllng sccretarial position, which | took
seven months ago to release man to go
10 war. He's married and has four chill
dren. SO / give my whole salary to his
family. It's SO week, and, as there's
a new baby now, they need II badly"
"I have TO be at the office at every
morning, and stay till 4. Then I've just
time for a hurried tea, and rush on to
munitions factory near my own home,
where l do voluntary work at the ma
chimes till 0 or 10 o'clock every night.
shel-making is most interesting, and late
~ I've been promoted to the more delicate
processes of the business.
'oTheres certain amount of strain in
II. though and when get home after my
long day / take my supper and tumble
straight into bed. No newspapers for
me. thank you-Im much too exhausted !"
This valiant maiden was the only child
of well-to-do parents, and looked any
thing DuL an AIIlaLOH tl SlltIOuS
wartime career is no startling exception,
for the majority of women at the present
time show immense enthusiasm in do
ing their Bit"
In all tie warning countries the women
arc working with right good will. De-
spite the datribes of sundry writer's, they
have risen wonderfully to the occasion.
1t is curious to note the opinion OF the
gentler sex held by Tolstoy, as evinced
aDiartaa' Tappnt1N nnhlighnd TOnl1
he but see the women today, he would
surely retract his Judgments Women is
an instrument of the devil he informs
u.s. She does wonders of cleverness, fore
sight and persistency that she may ac-
complsh some abOmination, but when
abominatlon is not in question, she can
not understand the simplest thing. can
not see beyond the present moment, and
has neither endurance nor patience"
GERMANS ASSAIL WOMEN.
His mantle in this respect seems to
have fallen upon some of the German
journalists of today, who are constantly
carping at their women in the columns
Of their papers. "Vain as a peacock"
was the summing-up in the Tageszeltung
the other day. and the Fremdenblatt, in
scathing tones, says that the German
woman is utterly incapable of understand
ing her duty in the exigencies of war. 1t
implores her. too. to abandon the waste
full wide skirt What's the good lady to
do? VIII trousers be the solution? 1 feel
quite sorry for her.
DO these women of ours" hotly pro-
eeeds the Fremdenblatt. ''preening them
selves up in their overweening vanity
with all sorts of fnery and frippery--and
even that mostly of foreign origin
never think that day may come when
even our warriors may be put on a re-
stricted clothing allowance? How would
the women fare then? Is Il likely that
the military authorities would allow our
soldiers to stand against the Zoe half-clad,
80 that the fashion dolls at home may
array themselves in finery? Certainly not
We're the soldiers to go short, the women
would go shorter still"
Sourly the writer adds: whether our
counsel is likely-to be followed, knowing
our German women, we regard as very
4oubtful indeed"
The constant doctrine of economy and
more economy is being preached all over
europe one hears 1t everywhere, at
street corners, at great meetings, at the
theatres. Save your money for the dis.
astrous times that are coming when the
wars over and there's no money any
where' is the cry. And though British,
French and Russian papers do not take
the extreme attitude of the German pa.
pers' they are urging on their housewives
the necessity for retrenchment.
WOMEN COAL HEAVERS.
The new professions open to women are
sometimes very strange, Up in Scotland
the other day l saw two women coal
heaVers! Their faces We're black with
CRIME, and they sat among the Goals on
Top OF the cart, while one drove Stopping
al a certain garden gate, they descended
and, lirting great sacks of coal on their
packs staggered through the garden TO
me kitchen entrance. Ii took them 20
minutes TO unload that cart.
one Of the girls was the daughter of
iawyer' and had even been to college.
Fathers as mad as can be that I'm doing
Inls' she said, mopping black rivers of
ulrt from her perspiring face, but l
wanted to do some kind of war-work, and