"GOOD ENGLISH WOMEN"

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2918, 2 November 1916, Page 3

"GOOD ENGLISH WOMEN"

HELPING IN CAMP AND TOWN

Mr. E. 11. Poacock, an Australian Field Secretary, now in France, writing to Mr. E. C. Brownell, National Secretary of the Y.M.C.A. in New Zealand, pays generous tribute to the work being done by tho women' of England during the war. Ho says: "I was asked by a newspaper/representative what had most impressed mo since I have been in England. It was a tall order, and I had to pause before replying. Theu tame the answer. The .women's work. Not alone the great army of munition workers- which I have seen in the factories, and others engaged in industrial pursuits, but particularly the honorary ladies in social service. It is a revelation of devotion and marvellous influence and efficiency. How ladies have come from their homes and gone into camps or huts and submitted themselves to a discipline and time-table regulation, doing all sorts of what wuld be regarded as menial work, is really magnificent. That is not all. There is^ something so refined, so .mystical, charming, so clean and wholesome that they do not realise the won«i'rful service they are rendering. In Egypt our fellows lacked the influenco of. good womanhood, and many of them went down like ninepins beforo ■ tho other kind. It is estimated that every

man landed in Egypt cost the Government between £200 and £300, so that each man incapacitated meant a heavy cash loss. These ladies here are saving thousands of pounds a week to Australia and New Zealand, to put it on a very low level. Their fine restraining and elevating influence is something for us to be devoutly thankful for. I was in a hut last week when a fellow came in somewhat the worse for drink. He went up" to the desk where meal orders are taken and was going to leer and fool with the attendant. The lady spoke so simply, ran off the list of eatables, and gave him 6omething better than he was able to ask for, so that he was: quite amazed. He did not kiow what struck him. He steadied up at once. It was an object-lesson, and tho way the men notice and comment on 6uch an incident is interesting and funny. One soldier, speaking to one of the ladies, said: 'You don't know liow you have helped to keep follows like me straight. Why, a fellow would just as soon think of Being a blackguard in front ,o£ his mother or sister as he would he in tMs iplace.' ■ Truly they have created a. wonderful atmosphere in our huts. There are over 6000 such honorary lady helpers in our J work, all carefully selected and of the very best she sort. It's finel-Mothers, wives, sweethearts in Australia and New Zealand are indebted to the good women of England beyond their imagination." ■ '