The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-06
WOMEN CAN MAKE PLANES WE NEED If Asked, They Will Put Their Strength Into Es- sential Industries Here. AS THEY DO
 IN ENGLAND Mrs. Pankhurst Tells How 4,538, 900 There Are Help
 ing to Beat the Hun.

which almost the full capacity of the women of England has been used for the production of munitions and air craft, and for other war work, salo recently that the women of this coun- try are as eager to put their fulA strength into war-winning industries and could be employed for speeding the war on the same scale as they are being used in England.
 The British Board of Trade an- nounced on June 29 of this year that 4,5SS,O00 women were engaged in classified industries in England, this figure being but fraction of the total employed in essential work. More than .00O, 900 women. it was announced by the British Minister of Munitions in May, were making munitions, Ninety per cent. of the shells made in Eng land are produced by women. The making of aircraft, which has been delayed in this country by shortage of labor, among other reasons, Is largely done by women in England; and England Is head and shoulders above any other nation in aircraft production" according to the test- lnony of Major Gen. William H. Kenly, Chief of Military Aeronautics of this country.
 Mrs. Pankhurst has made a study of the problem of using women for making aircraft and munitions in this country, during tour of industrial centres, where she has made speeches at the request of the Pennsylvania Council of National Defense. She tVn country were not only as eager 10 serve as the women of England, but were better equipped with machinery for recruiting women for labor, be- cause of the existence of women's or ganizations here in every community, an advantage which was not present to the same extent in England
 A recent government report on the employment of women on munitions and metal crafts in this country stated that tho results had been highly sat isfactory, as women were found quick to learn and soon able to surpass men in so-called "repetitive" work. in which the same process was perform ed over and over again through the day, and generally steadier and more accurate in delicate work of a. semi skilled type. Mrs. Pankhurst said that this report agreed with the ex- perience of England during the period when women were first employed and that, later when women are generally employed on highly skilled work they would be found equally efficient there, At the beginning of the war;" she said, 'the British government did not l,r +aa labor of women. It was not even real ized that more women would be need ed for nursing. The Women's Party started National Service meetings in which they recruited men for the army and begged the government to begin to recruit and train women for labor. The same appeal was made to trades unions to abandon their mar row regulations inside the factories which had allowed much of the work to be done only by men who had served apprenticeships. have been told since by the head of a great es- tablishment that women learned ir a week to do some grades of work which had previously been in the hands of skilled labor exclusively.
 Tn 1915, when the national registe was made, 1t was intended at first t register men only but the women S, insisted that it was changed to includ both sexes. By this time the Gov ernment had become educated to tn fact of the shortage of men and the, decided to ask women to register il the labor bureaus. These bureaus which had been established before tn war to deal with unemployment, ha, not been very successful up to tn time that it was announced that wo men were desired to register there fo war purposes and they began to floc there. I was at a meeting in Glas gow when this policy was adopted an received a telegram announcing tha the Government wanted the service ot women. I read this from theNplat form and several hundred wtne from the meeting went at once t%th nearest labor bureaus to register
 Exactly the same spirit exist among women in this country, th same enthusiasm and the same desi1 to serve. The mothers of men at th front and other relatives, whom have met in this country, are toucl
 
 at the front"
 Mrs. Pankhurst said that wome were engaged in war work in 1argr numbers than was generally know in this country for employment, ar that only the creation of positions ar an appeal to the women to take the was necessary for bringing the w manhood of the country into wa winning industries on a great seal She said, however. that 1t was a dai gerous mistake, as had been disco cred in England. to make a gener appeal to women to take up essent work until the places had been crea ed for them.
 Suppose, for example" she sal "a large number of women are wan ed to work in airplane factories.
 is much better to tell ezactly t, number wanted exactly the class
 work they are to do, and exact where they are to report Wh the women registered at labor b reaus in England 1t was in many c ses long time before they we called. A great many became d couraged and said: What is the go VI N6BASlSAAhS W . QOh SSl tdhS
 ''The registration was of little sr cific benefit in placing women in r sitions, although 1t impressed up the Government the great power
 its reserve of women workers. NJ of those who are now at work to
 positions in response to specific ca for them. In England the wom
 workers are from all classes. It
 a arAaf nnisfaka to think that th