Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-07
WOMEN AND THE WARM.
By FREDERIC y. HAsI

WASHINGTON, July ga few weeks
ago khaki-clad regiment marched
through tho streets Of London. on It's
way to France. London Is used to such
sights. yet crowds lined the sidewalks.
cheering and waving farewell. Proudly
and right gallantly the regiment
marched. with the erect carriage and
hrm-assured tread OF the trained SOL
der; with hats jauntily cooked. and
short shirts fiuttering In the breeze.
inc soldiers were women!
Months ago the British military au-
thorities started recruiting large
number of women clerks and mo-
chanics and putting them through a
strenuous course of physical training.
Tho idea was to send them to France
10 relieve men who were occupying
positions other than tho trenches.
There are now some 1900 women. with
hrm. hard muscles and strong consti-
tutions in the French war zone doing
military work under the strictest kind
OF military discipline. They are not
actually fighting. although even that
may come. They are nlling jobs Of mill
itary cooks. clerks. carpenters and
ambulance drivers, who have been
moved up to the front
Beside the Russian women's "RcEi-
ment OF Death which proposes to fight
in the trenches under the same coadi-
tons as men, this woman's army Of
Great Britain would be OF minor signi-
hcance. IL it were not for the fact that
1t is British. After three years of
war. in which she has proved an in
valuable citizen. the British woman IL
just beginning to break through the
conventional cocoon the British man
putt for her. A woman Is still for
hidden to practice law in England. She
cannot hold any important political po-
sition.
Not long ago a young woman was
81 arlx nf Nf1tIl
and criminal court In place Of her
father. who had held the position for
forty-fve years. The young woman
had helped her father with his work.
and the judges we're confident in her
ability to hold the position. But tho
local authorities were scandalized, and
informed the judges that II was against
tho law for women to be court re-
corder. The young lady. who is wo-
man of determination. has been taking
tho case from court to court with the
help OF the Woman Suffrage Associa-
tion OF Ireland. but the result is still
In doubt.
III view OF such a condition. IT Is re-
markable to find the British woman
serving as clerk on the battle front
OF france During the past three years
politics have been forgotten in Eng
land. Even many Of tho men have
not voted. and the women have been
too busy to devote much time to the
ballot. They have worked with an in
exhaustible patience and self-sacrihce
and IL their energy was all the greater
because they hoped for reward in
the end. they deserve sympathy. For
according to the best observers. the re-
ward has been very slight.
AT the beginning of the war. when
the women began to organize for war
work, the government gave them to
understand that their assistance would
necessarily have to be limited There
were certain things women wero ftted
Tor. and they were to stick to these
Germany had 100000 women In NUM-
ton factories before England had 5o.-.
goo. Finally. II was the private cor
porations in England who insisted
upon their employment, both in the
factories and in railway and police de-
partments. In other fields. too, the
government proved stubborn When
the women attempted to handle tho
problem OF Belgian refugees, the gov
eminent would lend no assistance: even
presented opposition. and at last took
over the work and performed II very
ineiiiclently. But such opposition met
its defeat IN it's encounter with med
ical women.
Trained medical women all over the
United Kingdom offered their free ser
vices to the government in its time of
need only to be refused Undiscour.
aged the women then went to France
anu FRANCE received them gladly. In
December. 1914, the first hospital AT
the front under British women was
thrown open. This hospital Is now
considered one of the most efficient in
France. and it Is entirely run by
women. even to doctors. nurses, cooks
and ambulance drivers.
After this Great Britain slowly bepan
to realize It's mistake. Gradually
women have been admitted into all
fields of war work. until now there is
woman's army working In the very
midst OF battle In France. and two
prominent women. Mrs. Sidney Webb
and DR.. Marion Phillips have been
asked 10 serve on the British Com
mission OF Reconstruction. Thus the
British women have made great prog
ress during the past three years, but
they have had TO fight for every step
of 1t.
In France. from the beginning, It