Charlevoix county herald., 1918-03-01
FIND DRIVING WAR
CARS NO JOY RIDE
TAKING HANDSOME OFFICERS
ABOUT IN LONDON NOT FLlR-
TATIoN, BUT GOOD. HARD
WORK
MUCH NERVE NEEDED At NIGHT
Hours Are Long, but Recruits From
"tslsured Glasses" Are ssrv.
Ina Their Country.

London A number OF English
women are driving Government cars.
They wear the 4Official khaki and are
under military discipline. Women
have driven Government cars for the
Ministry of Munitions for some time.
but the Army Service Corps now has
22 women ehaufsurs and the Royal
Flying Corps IL.
These women have been recruited
from, the ''leisured classes" and their
present mode OF life presents q strik-
ing contrast TO anything they have
ever done before.
There IL something new In the
sight OF pretty young woman
swathed In Royal Flying Corps over
coat. with words Royal Flying Corps"
printed in white letters on the sleeve.
sitting in a small wsiting-room at
Adastral House awaiting the signal
that "A E 43"--the great car intrust-
ed to her care-is required to take
an officer to Brooklands OF to some
munition factory or other place Of
business.
The routes are not easy TO fnd, but
the X. +. c. are anxious TO assist their
women chauffeurs In every possible
to the chauffeur who has to ask the
way TO anywhere.
There are night rides also TO be ne
gotiated. and plotting a heavy car
through the Stygian gloom of London
and suburban streets and across slip
perry tram lines needs some nerve,
especially when the driver knows that
she Is transporting some of the brains
OF the army In her car. The pace has
to be good. also. as time is valuable,
end many OF the R. +. c. officers have
speed permits. SO the khaki-clad girls
must hustle along and not show any
indecision or funk" In their driving.
The day OF woman chauffeur In
the army Is long one. She must be
at the garage by In the morning.
ready to take out the car: may per-
haps make long journey, and then
wait two OF three hours in rain, cold
or sunshine according to the vagaries
Of our mutable climate; meals may be
at any time. and they are frequently
OF very hasty nature. while the end
OF the day comes at no fixed hour.
and often the car 10 not back at the
garage till 10 or 1880 in the evening,
and the chauffeur. although OF course
she 10 not responsible for cleaning
the engine or anything Of that dss-
crirtion. has to see that her petrol
tank 10 left full, 80 that no valuable
time 10 wasted In the morning.
Many of the places visited are mu-
milton works. where there 10 nearly al.
ways q workers csptssn where the
chauffeur can wait and refresh her
self with that meal 20 dear to the
heart Of every English woman-s cup
of tea and bun OF q bit of cake.
There lie plenty Of military disci-
pline and plenty OF hard work con-
nected with driving q Government
car, and no fiighty young thing who
imagines that being chauffeur to the
r F. c. means nice Joy rides with
handsome officers enlivened by mild
flirtations with q flavor OF war work.
is advised to apply for the job Of an
army chauffeur. Hard work, long
l.ours. and one halliday on fortnight
IL the rule for women chaunsurs.
They are being given q trial to see
II they can successfully replace men.
and the work which they are doing 10
responsible and serious business
which has In the past been done By
men