WONDERFUL WAR WORK

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16145, 25 February 1918, Page 6

WONDERFUL WAR WORK

V BUT A LIMIT. A Christchiirch resident has received from a friend in England a copy of the following amusing letter, written by an engineering firm at Rugby to another firm at Coventry: "Yours of yesterday's date re Module Cutters lor Fellows Gear Sharper reference W.D.-H.-Q.A. "During this great war we have done many things that aforetime '~e had considered almost iinpossiolu. Wo have turned out ploughshares into swords, made night as day, made bricks without straw, turned water into wine, and ale into cutting compound lor the refreshening ot labour. We'have resurrected Lazirus-liko machine tools, and taught them to r-se up and sing; we have imported proud Americans; we have salvaged destitute Belgians; we have gathered in and utilised barbers, circus-proprietors, evangelists, aboriginals from the Antipodes, and soiuc ol' the 'Best People.' We have made women into mechanics, and mechanics into supermen, such as may be found at the j Ministry of Munitions. We have diluted out labour, both male and female, until we have workers of the combined sex and of neither sex. We have praised God, honoured the King, and strai'ed their common enemies, but we stand to-day hopelessly east down before your suggestion that we sliouUl cut 2-Module pitch aeroplane engine gears with a 23-Mcdule cutter." "Yours in a chastened spirit,''