Semi-weekly herald., 1917-07-05
WAR CONDITIONS AS
SEEN IN SCOTLAND
(By Lowell Mellett)

tumteu lfeSS stair Correspondent
SOMEWHERE IN THE NORTH
OF ENGLAND, May 25.--(By Maii)
Even if England could be starv-
ed out she could still keep on shoot
ing"
This statement made by Sir Ed
ward Pearson, is supported by evil
dence seen in the course of trip
from one end to the other Of the
largest explosives factory in the
world, High-powered automobiles
were necessary to make the trip pos
sible in so short time, for the plant
stretches out nine miles in length
and from two to three miles in
width. Sir Edwards connection with
it has been the construction work,
which is practically completed. A
year and half ago nothing but flat
farms were to be seen, with occas-
ional villages and streams of rich
histo sical interest. Now it a thing
Of brick and stone. timber and steel
and strange chemical smells, all de-
voted TO one end--cordite.
Twenty-Five thousand men, wo-
men boys and girls keep it hunnning
and OF those the preponderating num-
ber are girls. When the last crew
Of construction men has been with
drawn, seventy-five percent of the
employees will be girls.
The trip thru the plant was chap
eroned by several department heads.
For mile or so a scientific engin-
eer from South Africa shot chemical
formulae and the like at us. Then
Young man from Australia took up
the job. Succeeding him was one
from British Columbia. Finally a
regular home grown Englishman got
my ear. 1t seemed he was more bent
than the others on thrilling me with
the chemistry of the enterprise-all
oblivious of the fact that the censor
wouldn't permit publication of the
greater port of his information, even
if understood well enough to write
I put up my hands and cried "Kem-
erad" | told him several million OF
our readers would find his chemistry
too deep for them and asked him
to tell me something about the girls
that everybody knew all about the
girls.
We had been passing thru shop af-
ter shop filled with them; girls in
khaki jumpers and trousers and girls
in khaki Mother Hubbards and mo-
body had explained their part in this
chemical world.
THAT your American humor," said
my guide, doubtfuliy. Nobody
knows all about girls; they are not
an exact science.
"They are a sort of explosive"
he added, with his very fair English
humor, as the sound of girls singing
came from somewhere below, accom-
panied by giggles and sound of
"sh-shh."
But he told about them. He said
they were wonderful workers. For
the most they were more tractable
and easily managed than the men
workers. They offered few difficult
ties, but these usually were of to-
tally unexpected sort. That's where
they differed from cordite. One can
tell what cordite is going to do and
get out of the war.
Their work is not heavy. except
in some instances, where it can be
compared with the heavy work in n
steam laundry. Altho it is altogeth-
er monotonous, lacking the joy Of
construction and seeing the product
grow as is the case with aeroplane
or tank building, for example. The
girls seemed cheerful and contented
Their wages run from 25 to 30
shillings. Divide this by four and
you win get a little more than the
amount they make in dollars. Out Of
this they pay 13 shillings for their
lodging and meals, both provided by
the plant.
We were taken thru one Of the ho-
tels, each accommodating from 30
to 40 girls, built IN village like
grsnps. Ths enc ispsetsd hses ~