WOMEN AND THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 36, 6 November 1918, Page 3

WOMEN AND THE WAR

THEIR WORK FOR THE NATION . LECTURE BY MRS. PARKES l Yesterday evening an interesting lecture was given in tho Concert Chamber of the Town Hall by Mrs. Kineton Parkee, under the auspices of tho Ladies' Auxiliary of the Navy League, her subject being "Women and War." There was a large attendance, and the chair was occupied by Sir Joseph Ward. In introducing tho speaker to her audience, .the chairman said that Mrs. Parkes had been a worker in the woman suffrage movement, and when war broke out she had joined the Women's Emergency Corps, which had been formed the day after hostilities were declared. Tho aims and objects of the organisation were touohed upon, and a brief outline given of some of its activities, bv means of which tho women of England had done such a splendid work for their country in its time of need. Mrs. Parkes said that it was through tho Women's Emergency Corps that tho intenso patriotism of the women of Great Britain sought to express itself. She did not think that the achievements of women during this war should have bsen the cause of so much surprise because wonidn who worked and were acoustomed to think were always resourceful, always ready to surmount obstacles. As soon as they realised the need for their services they stepped into the arena, and were not prepared to leave until the need for their"services no longer existed. The speaker went on to describe the nrst days of tho war, the tension, the almost stunned' bewilderment with which the news was received and the wonderful keenness shown in recruiting by England's manhood. Realising tliat there was -a great field of work to their hand, "urgfticv meetings) of the various suffrage societies were called all throwing aside their efforts to secure the franchise for women, and only wanting to plaoo their services at the Government's call. It was realised that one of the great problems to be faced was the unemployment of hundreds of thousands of women, all suddenly thrown out of work in the first alarm of war. The Actresses' Franchise League was the first body to suggest' a scheme for organising the| unemployed women and finding employment for them, and their scheme was adopted as a working "basis by the Women's Emergency Corps which was at once formed. The two great motives of the corps at that time were the , finding: of employmnnt for unemployed women and the organisation of the voluntary services 'of women who wished to offer their services In whatever capacity was most needed. Women of the latter class wore told to go to the Women's Emergency Corps, and they would draft them off to where they would be most wanted or to the work for whicli thoy were most fitted. Experts in every calling dealt with the applicants bo that there should be no waste of effort caused by putting "the wrong women into (-he wrong occupation. . The usual handicap—want of fundswas encountered, and Hiss Beatrice Harriden undertook the work of making appeals, which were most successful. TJih Duohess of Maryborough was made lion, treasurer, and Mrs..Parkes paid a tribute to the splendid work she did, in this capacity. Theatre meetings werb liefd ouco u week, at which the beet speaker in the country addressed overflowing audiences, and it wad no uncommon oecufrence to realise on these Mternooiis XM, \vtiich wo* lor the furtherance of the work.

it was realised that all labour had to be carefully organised. Amateur shirtinakers wera J toid to leave that work, to those who made a livelhood that way, I and so on, each industry to le left to its own specialised woates, otherwise tho latter would not be able io f'nd employment. In this' respect Mrs. "Mary ilacartliur did splendid work. Tho methods which were fullowed were such that they resulted in getting on many occasions and in many callings equal pay lor equal work among men and women. To iind employment for so many, new things, new industries had to 'he thought of, colitiuiMid Mrs. Parkes, utVU so toymaking became one of the activities set in'motion by tho AVomon's Emergency Corps. Within a. short time it became mo3t successful, and beautiful. toys were made and found market. Caring for the Belgian refugees, finding them homes; meeting them at the stations, clothing them, etc., became another of -their tasks, and not only French and' Belgian refugees, but refugees of English nationality who had fled from Germany and Austria, and women who in many cases had become separated from tlieic English associations and home ties. Workrooms vere established . where anything, from the finest of baby clothes to the coarsest of tents for the War Office, was made. That the middleman, was. eliminated was .1 source of great satisfaction, the work being bought direct from those workrooms. The organisation of the sporting women of tho country into a Woman's Voluntary Reserve was described, also ihe splendid work it did during air raids and times of panic. Women dispatch riders, signallers, motor riders, etc., were also obtained from this reserve. In every possible way the women were trained, and when the Government finally decided to officially make use of their services .they were perfectly ready for what'lay before them.' An interesting description was given of the wide field of work covered by the W.A.A.C.'s, and of tho work of women in connection with aeroplanes, and Mis. Pnrkes brieily touched upon tho medical work of women, as well as the work lo 4' the i'rench soldiers in canteens right in the French lines. T4ie emergency work of women' was also referred to, Mrs. Parkes illustrating it -by telling of the way in which women worked ill night in heated lauudiies. in tho making of gas respirators, at the time when gas was fiwt used by the .Germans, lirconcluision, Mrs. Parkes eaid that \ omen were able to meet the great emergencies of the war because they had been bo well organised in their struggle to obtain the franchise.- She thought that women had vision: they folt that tho wld would bo the better-for having their point of view to work upon ae well as that of the men, and that if they obtained the franchise in Great Britain then the other countries would follow suit, and a better state of things would bo obtained. Women were most anxious to do constructive work,, iiot destructive, and they were looking forward to a civilisation that will be altogether superior to that we have been passing through, in .which such experiences as have happened can never again occur. A hearty vote of thanks to tho lecturer was proposed by Sir Eobert Stout and carried. Among those who wea-o present were Her Excellency the Countess of Liverpool, Mrs. Hall-Thompson (president of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Navy League), Lady Ward, Surgeon-General Henderson, Lady Stout, and tho Mayoress (Mrs. J. P. Luke). Hongs were sung in tho earlier part ot\the evening by Mα , . Querec and Mr. Gilmore, Miss Putnam playing the accompaniments, and flowers and sweets were eold by tho St. John Ambulance Nursing Division. The proceeds of the lecture are to be devoted to the Sailors' Comforts mid Mino-sweopers' Funds.