WOMEN IN TIME OF WAR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 562, 17 July 1909, Page 11

WOMEN IN TIME OF WAR.

A writer in "Tho Quocn" tries to stir English women up to take an interest in tho subject of national detuice by drawing a gloomy picture of what might happen to women and to tho honii, in or wai it seems a littlo unnecessary for tho writer to go back to tho sicgo of Londoiuloiry foi dcscnptions of tho heroes of a 'Wipii wo all remember tho miseries ot tho besieged during the Boer War, or to quoto tho brutahtie- of the allies during tho iVninsuii War, when wo know how much noro Inutilh the allied troops behave 1 m Chun ilming the Bo\er nots But, perhaps, it i\a, silor to quota ancient history tint cnuld hurt no one's feelings It might bp as well to remember says the writer, that m tho rase of a successful invasion the civilian pure and simple can only hopo to escape with life if he remains an absolutely passive spectator, for unless in uniform ho dare not attempt to defend his hearth and home, no matter what msult may bo offered to him or to his It would be death, too, to tamper with railway, telegraphic, or road communication, ho would be liable to havo rough troopers living at free quarters in his house and demanding of his best, he would havo to pay in all probability his share of a heavy indemnity, in tho case of the countryman his hvo stock would doubtless be seized as food, and should the opposing general for any reason think fit, any house or villaao could bo destroyed without tho "peaceful" inhabitants being able to do anything to avert tho calamity Tho South African War was carried on, as everyone- knows, on tho most humane principles, but ovon there our generals found it necessary to deport tho malo population found in arms to other lands, and should ever this country bo invaded women would have to make up their miuds to seo their loved ones, if not actually torn from 'their very arms, at least transferred oversea, and they themselves left helpless to bear all the horrors and privations of war alone, with, perhaps, their children to add to their misery. In his Stirling poem on the Siege of Lucknow Tennyson wrote, "Men will forget what we

suffer," and this still holds good at tho prosent day The very fact that Great Britain and Ireland have no border lino e\cept tho sea would mako it all the more difficult in time of war to send the women and children into a place of safety, and, though there is not so much reason to-day to fear that violence would bo offered to them, every other ill that war is heir to (to slightly parody a well known saying) would bo theirs to inept Should a fortified town which had offered a desperate resistance be takei* by storm, even tho future might see tho scenes reacted again which make tho pages of military history so ternblo to read, though it should be remembered that this is a possibility rather than a probabilit) Still, peoplo yet living can remember what happened in Fans at the time of tho Commune, and at tho taking of Port Arthur in the Chino-Jopanoso War tho old story was repeated, so, though remote, the evil is btill existent Everyone who has looked over any of the literature relating to the Peninsular War will remember tho romantic story of how the well-known General Sir Harry Smith mot his future wife after tho taking of Badaps, and it should bo remembered that at ; the time Lady Juano. Smith was not fourtren Kincaid says that when she and her sister implored the protection of the two English officers tho girls told them that but yesterday they were ablo to live in affluence and in a haudsoino house, while on this day they knew not where to lay their heads, whfiro to get a change of raiment or a moree! of bread. "Her house," she said, "was a yvteck - , and to show the indignities to which they had been subjected, sno pointed to where the blood was trickling still down their necks, oaused by the wrenching of their earrings through the flosh bv the Hands of Worse than savages who would not take tho trouble to unclasp them " There is no* need to paint further tho picture of what might happen to our women and children should war ever actually bo brought to this country, but it would bo a bold thing to say that such ihinps as the instances given could not possiblv occur There is an old sajing that the b-st way to preserve peace is to bo always ruidj for war, and this does not mean so much tho mero mustering of men armed with musket? as tho raibing of bodies of trained, disciplined soldiers, who will know what to do when brought face to faco with a highly-civilised enemy English courage is as good to-day as over it was, but untrained bravery will never win a battle in the open, and thoroforo' it behoves every woman in this country to make it her duty to see that at least some of hor male rolatives vtako advantage of tho piping times of peace to prepiro themselves for tho stern realities of war, and whether tho men call themselves Militia, Volunteers, or Terntonals, the end should always bo tho same— reliable, steady training