A CANADIAN’S IMPRESSIONS OF BRITAIN

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9791, 15 October 1917, Page 6

A CANADIAN’S IMPRESSIONS OF BRITAIN

By Mrs SloCUn Bush, in tho "Weekly Dispatch." There aro in hligiancl to-day approximately i’orry-nvo uicusaud Canadian .a-uon-uonts— including, of course, wives liicso women have not been idle. Many of tin?,a are at work in therein lereut ornutlus of war service. dome have como over uv trained nurses dir<c> irom iho bdj Canadian hospitals, other? aro on the laud, a groat many are or munitions, tome in Government onices. and others driving motor-ambulance*-either in England or on ono of the* various fronts. But apart from our avork we hav f many opportun-U-s aor •.Bay land ana the Eiig.ish of to-auy. Wo are btoomimr daily btuter ac quniuted. with tno women of th© British Isles mid learning to understand tiiom. in. Canada w© seem to hare more*' in common with, our America!* cousins, but here it is tho love of and -counti'y which is inspired. it is not like ooinmc to Bmjland tor a shorh visit. It is makius cne s here indeiinitely that counts, and com tug into hourly contact with tno people Thus a strong bond of sympathy bar been built up between tho Canadian daughters and thp Mother Country which souc-rations ■will not efface. This war has already had, and wui continue to have, a marked effect on woman's position both here and m Can ada. Women all over tho British kmpiro h‘?-v© taken over men's work and aro doinj? it successfully. They have proved their ability, and it is a question whether after the war a man will get moro pay for less work than a woman can do. Why, wo ©von have a woman running for Pafilament, and Moiunna ha§ already sent a woman to th© United states Sanate! Fifty years ago no one wouul hTrvo believed this possible. Yet it has come to pass, and tho wori-a has not perished in the process. , Tms war will stand out in history as tho biggest factor in th* suffrage campaign. In every ileld woman -s efforts have been untiring. The proof of her intelligence, strength, and perseverance is 'an established fact. Her posiuon :s undeniably changed. Sho is no longer a piaj'thing. Men arc coming more and moro to realise her importance in .the world; and some day not very .far distant -she will take her place bes.do man as his equal, neb his inferior. In tho early days of th 6 war, when we Canadian women first came ovor, we thought the English people coM and hai’d. Wo vre.ro accustomed to tho tree. Western manner and the lack of reserve. but three years of experience have changed our opinions. What Ehglancl has done for tho Belgian refugees aione is sufficient to give a real insight into tho English character. This dear oid 6-hy country needs a bit of knowing. She is reserved, but underneath it all we find sho has a heart big and fine enough bo love the whole wide world. But England has not stopped with opening that big heart to women alone. There are hundreds of homes whevo it i<s part of the day’s duty, only it is not considered a duty, but rather as a part otf tho day's pleasure, to go to an overseas hospital or depot to see what can bo ffono to brighten the lives of those who aro thousands of miles from all who aro near -and dear to them. These littl© kindnesses are not taken lightly by tho bravo men who aro fighting. They are all being stored up in memory’s book and will be told in British colonics o/id over the world long alter the war is over. And not only have private homes been opened, but the most exclusive women’s cluba aro periodically giving dinners, luncheons, teas and all sorts of entertainments for our boys. When I look about and see this I smile and wonder within myself how we could ever have called the English cold. I have written homo to some of tho mothers and wives about it. and I am cure this knowledge has lessened their sorrow. Prom the housewife's point of view wo have had a disappointment. Ve have always been told from early childhood how much more economically one could •ivo in England; but wo have found through bitter experience that even making allowance for th© increase in prices, a round goes just as far a» a dollar. Tho question of most vital interest to i>s all at present and moat difficult of solution is what we women will do .after th© weir. On© thing at any rat© is certain, wo will not forget. No, not oven timo can blot from our memories the wounds and sorrows caused by tho brave deaths cf our heroic men. If women could have their say—if w© women of Oanoda were called "cm masse” to vote ns to whether a Hun should ovor again hold property there. I feci sure* that fbe answer would b© in th© negative. can never forget Vimy Ridge.