The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-02-24
MARGUERITE MooERs MARSHALL

MARGUERITE MCOERS MARSHALL
THE American woman who wants to
see service in France must, first of all,
prepare herself physically. She must
swim an hour every day. She must
ride horseback an hour every day. She
must walk at least six miles daily. II
she cannot do these things and If, in
addition. she is not trained for some
specific task, she is worse than useless
for she cannot perform any helpful
work and she will be depicting the
scanty food supply"
az Take the word of Miss Kathleen
Burke for it, all you Hermiones who
yearn to battle a wounded soldiers
brow somewhere in France. Miss
Burke, Honorary Organizing Secretary
OF the Scottish Women's Hospital for
Foreign Service and author of THE
! White Road to Nerdun," has returned
to America directly from the British
and American fronts. and / doubt il
there is any one in the country at the
present who knows as much as this
young veteran about actual service
conditions for women on the western
front.
Slender and blond. Miss Burke re-
minds me of a thin gold wire, vi
hrating sensitively to every human
touch. But behind the warmth of
her handclasp and her smile is a won
derful combination OF shrewdnese en-.
ergy, executive ability and devoted
courage, which have won her five dis
| tinguished service medals, including
| the big cross of gold and enamel given
| to commander of the British Empire.
In the office of her uncle, G. O.
| Mailleux, at No. 20 Nassau street,
which is her business headquarters in
| this country, l asked Miss Burke to
give me some practical hints to the
many American women who wish to
serve Uncle Sam abroad.
The first thing to do Is to get fit.r
Miss Burke told me earnestly.
! "Canteen work is one Of the most
important services which women
can perform in France. But IL
| you work in canteen you prob
| bly, viii! not get more than ono
hot meal a week. You will be on
your feet all day and often most
Of the night. II you have a cold
| you cannot sit by the fire and
eoddle it; you must work IS US
uaI. And YOU will sleep practi-
call in the water.
| That's why / urge every women
going to France to swim at least an
hour day before she sails" Miss
Burke added. with a grin. IN that
way she may accustom herself to
sleeping with her bed in rain and mud.
And she must walk, walk, walk.
Six miles a day is not too much, to
! accustom herself TO canteen duty. She
often must walk a mile through the
mud to reach the canteen to which
she is assigned, and then stay on her
feet all day long. There are no hours
in canteen service, for the movements
Of the troops cannot be foretold and az
long az they need the canteen it mus
be ready.
Il know of one American eanteeY
III France which is in charge Of q
charming American girls. whose health
in this country was all right, no spe.
ctai demands being made upon 1t. tx
aetly nine of those 20 have been able
, go far, to serve one consecutive weeI
. without breaking down. And womel
workers who are Ill simply get in tn,
way of other people ard hamper work
Il ''f had my way about il
would not allow any girl under
| the age Of Is to enter France, sim.
| ply because she would not be de-
| vsIoped enough to stand the ply.
/ steal hardships," finished Miss
II Burke dseisivs'y.
II But what must the women know I
III go to field service ," / asked.
II Common sense is no, enough: ther
must be specific training. To sue
@'ceed In caateen work a girl must kno'