The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-25
RESISTANCE
| IS LED BY WOMEN
"Standing Shoulder to ShouI-
der" With Men, They Tell
Caroline v. Kerr.
LIVING CONDITIONS HARD
Quarters Taken by French,
and Flour and Milk Sup
plies Short.
LIVING CONDITIONS HARD
By CAROLINE v. KERR,
Universal Service.

ing the dominant role against the
French on this passive resistance
front. It Is the women who are
the bitter-enders
WOMEN SUFFER MOST.
came to the Ruhr to see what
part the women were playing here
against the military machine OF
France. 1 find that the French
invasion, with all it's misery, SUI
fering, and privations, falls heavier
upon the women than upon the
men.
It was with unfeigned surprise
that the Ruhr women received my
question to whether they were
standing behind their fathers, hus
bands and brothers. They seemed
to think such loyalty must be self
evident.
I'VE are not standing behind our
men," said one woman, "but stand
ing shoulder to shoulder with
them
This is the attitude. The women
for the first time in history are
In the front line of defense, waging
war for their homes and children.
FEMININE HEROISM.
It requires tremendous heroism
and a great sacrificiai spirit to
stand by and see the heads of their
families arrested and deported with
out a moments warning, leaving
the families to shift for themselves
N the dead Of winter.
Conditions in holasing, living,
hospitals, schools and as regards
he milk supply, are unspeakable, ,"
Frau Bohndash Englehardt told me,
Frau Englehardt is a member If
the city council and a leader in wei
fare work. She is leaving tomor.
: row for Holland to conduct there
many children turned into the
seized by the French for quarter
ing troops.
CHILDREN TAKEN AWAY.
She expressed the hope that she
might be able to send $4,000 chill
dren from the Ruhr into the in
ter3Sr Of Germany and to Holland
and Scandinavian countries
This parting will be a severe trial
for the mothers, who must be
| separated from their children for
months and perhaps for years. But.
she said, the mothers realized 1t
meant life or death for the small
children, and the moral salvation
of half-grown boys and girls.
| l found that even the school
canteens conducted by the Quakers
have been given up owing to the
seizure by the French of the soup
kettles and other kitchen utensils.
Since the French invasion many
entire families are living in one
room. There are more than 100
! dwellings in Essen where families
of from twelve to fifteen members
are living in one or two small
rooms.
MILK AND FLOUR SHORT.
AS railroad traffic in this region
is wholly demoralized where it is
| not actually at a standstill all de.
| liveries of flour are made by motor
| trucks.
Every drop of milk used in Essex
is brought in on motor vans from
ten large dairies on the lower
Rhine. Since the source of the
city's milk supply is now cut off
| by rail the milk is often two or
three days en- route.
AS q consequence a large per-
centage of the milk is spoiled No
hotel is serving milk in the morn
ing coffee except the Kaiserhof, the
French headquarters
The receiving and distributing
milk stations are busy day and
night in an effort to take care Of
the irregularly arriving milk supply
| Difficulties are increased by the
| telephone strike. The average daily
supply coming into Essex is 5000
quarts, to be distributed to $4,000
children of ages ranging from the
new born baby to six years.
INFANTS NOT SUPPLIED.
There are today $500 expectant
mothers ana 10000 sick AS re-
suit a. large percentage of the babies
and the sick have not had a drop
of milk in weeks. Thirty-five in
fants at the city hospital receive
only three quarts Of milk daily.
| French officers first demanded
five quarts per day each for their
own personal consumption. The
startling shortage compelled them
to moderate their demands.
The enormous increase in prices
has made the acquisition of milk
and food still more difficult.
Essen also faces a severe housing
| problem owing to the act Of the
French in evicting 1000 green po-
lice" who refused to salute French
officers. These men and their fami
lies were plundered Of all their pos
sessions and were even driven from
an unused riding school where, with
their wives and children, they took
| refuge.
"SCISSORS BRIGADE"
Even the women Of the under.
world have banded together in a
| resolution not to associate with the
| French soldiers. Any inclination
by young German girls to asso-
ciate with the French has been
sternly discouraged by the So
called scissors brigade" formed
by high school boys who have
mercilessly cut off the hair Of
any girl known to have associated
with the French.
| The women accuse the French of
many acts of brutality and charge
them with mutiIating the wooden
logs Of war cripple, stealing small
sums of money from women and
hildren, and plunderink market
baskets. AS q result women walk
miles out Of their way to do shop
lping and avoid the soldiery.