WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1917, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD.

PEIitOXAL ITEMS. Mrs. Ifursley (Wellington) spent a few days hero this week. * '* • V Mrs Hawkins (Inglewood), Mrs. McLaren (Toko) motored in to New Plymouth to witness the "Look Who's Here," performance. # * # • Mrs. Phillips (Wellington) is at present in New Plymouth. *'♦ # # Mrs. Wilton (Christehureh I is spending a holiday here. '* » * « Mrs. , Brown (Auckland) is holidaymaking in New Plymouth. » * * • Mrs. Ashton (Stratford) was in town this week, * * » • Miss Nevan (Wellington) is on a visit to Xew Plvmouth. *'» • • Mrs. Gibbs (Wellington), who has been on a visit to Dawson Falls, returns to Xew .Plymouth to-dav. **' • • Mrs. Ron Quilliam is the guest of her mother, .Airs. Bewley. * ♦ • « Mrs. Howard, who has been visiting Mrs F. G. Evans, has returned to Stratford. ♦ * • • Miss C. Leatliam is spending the weekend with Mrs. Lennon, Hawera, and from there will visit Manaia, having been requested to assist in a patriotic concert held there. * » * • Mrs. Dempsev, who has been on a visit to Wellington, has returned, accompanied by Miss Norah Dempsey. » * • » Mrs. Gibblin (Wanganui) is at present in Xew Plymouth. *'« » * Miss Blundell, who has been on a lengthy visit to Dunedin and Christchurch, has returned. • • * * Miss Dora Baker has gone on a visit (o Wellington. « • » # Mrs. Booth returned to Patea on Friday. • * • • Mrs. Averill (Auckland) is the guest of Mrs. P. G. Evans, » • • • Miss K. Leathnm is spending a few days in Wanganui. t'» * • Mrs. P. Priehard (Dannevirke) arrives on Monday, when she will be the guest of her father, Dr. Leatham. » » • • Mrs. MacDiarmid. after spending a holiday in Xew Plymouth, having taken a cottage at the Breakwater, has returned to Hawera.

Mesdames A. C. Bell (Stratford), King (Stratford), G. Bell (Auckland), and Misses Fcrtiss. Parkes (Wanganui) are at present staying at Chatsworth House. « * # *

Mrs. Kyngdon (Auckland l is the guest of her sister, Mrs. W. Davies. New Plymouth.

Miss Jennie Hodgson, of Sydney, is working as a ear conductor. She is only 20 years of age, and leaves home to go on duty at 3 o'clock every morning. Her sister (whoso husband was killed in action in France) is a postwoman, and thus helps to support her two children. Their only brother is in the Navy. »•« * *

Miss Katie Fleming, of the local telegraph department, who has been promoted to the position of counter clerk at Masterton, was, previous to her departure, the recipient of several presentations. From the New Plymouth operating room staff she received a silvermounted travelling clock. The north and south telephone offices gave her a handbag and fountain pen, accompanied by an appreciative address signed by all the country telephonists stationed between Mokau and Oaonui. SOCIAL NEWS. Social Evening.—A "welcome homo" in' the form of a social Was held in St. Mary's Hall last Monday evening, the honored guest being Miss D. Devenish who has been absent from New Plymouth for some months, and whom everyone is glad to see homo again, looking so much better for her stay in southern climes. A number of parishioners were present, and during the evening some neat little speeches were made by the Yen. Archdeacon Evans and Mr. Stanley Shaw, the former handing to Miss Devenish a beautiful gefld wristlet watch as a token of tiie esteem in which she is held bv members, especially workers of St. "Mary's , Parish. Mr. 11. Fookos responded on behalf of Miss Devenish. Those who assisted in the musical part of the programme were Mrs Wilkes, Misses Hirst 1'2),. In conclusion Rev. F. G. Harvic (Vicar) hoped there would be a series i»f socials held during the coming winter months, real "sociable socials." The supper arrangements were in the able bands of Mrs. Mackie and Miss Wilson, with many willing helpers assisting. The stage was very prettily decorated by Misses Webster, Bradbury and Mr. G. Neal. Amongst those present were: Mesdames .Standish, M'Kellar, Addenbrooke, Evans. Ilarvie, Webster. Martin, Hammond. Hirst, Dodgshun, F. Webster, .1 E Wilson, Matthews. Shaw, .Turv (2). Phipps, Jas. Wilson, Johnson. Reube Denny-Brown, Uundle, Orooke, Holbrooke. Neal, Baker, Courtney, Misses Hamerton, Wilson, Rawson, Godfrey, ,lones (2), Curtis, M'Kollar. Maekay, Shaw, Evans. AUSTRALIAN NURSES ON SERVICE. Mr T,. E. Broom, Assistant-Minister for Defence for Australia, states that the number of Australian nurses engaged in military service was 2100. Of these 2n4 were working in Imperial hospitals in India: 3Gt at Salonika, also in Imperial hospitals; in similar hospitals in Egypt there were SO to fiO: and in England and_ France 100 to 200. About 000 were in Australian hospitals in England, Fiance :-nd Egypt. The remainder were serving on hospital ships, and there were, in addition, about 3i>o on duty in Australia. Mostly in Australia, nearly 100 masseuses were serving with the forces. Mr. Groom paid a tribute to the courage and devotion to duty of the nurses. A number had been under fire, or in torpedoed ships. To )0 the Royal Red Cross of the first class had been awarded, and to 31 the Cross of the second class. WOMEN SAVE THE CROPS. In Vancouver, British Columbia, this year, there was an unusually large berry crop. So many of the men had enlisted (hat two-thirds of the berries threatened lo spoil for want of labor to harvest them. Tt was proposed to import an armv of Chinese coolies under contract to do the picking. Then, the Canadian women. realising that these coolies would

consume just so much extra food, came to the rescue and oll'ered to do the work themselves. Women of all elasse_s took hold of the work as a patriotic service, women rich and poor, educated and ignorant. Girls just out of college are toiling side by side with the; daughters of the poorest laborers. At the end of August 200U women were at work in the Cancouver berry fields. They are proving excellent pickers, and they are praised on nil sides. No one even hints that they, are "out of their sphere.'' 1 THE FIRST FEMALE DIPLOMAT. Mrs. Darley Livingstone, the first woman to sit at a table of diplomatic negotiations, successfully devoted all her not inconsiderable diplomatic talent to diverting conversation from her unique experience. Young, charming, vivacious, an American married to a British officer, she has been a member and boil, secretary of the Government Committee on the Treatment by the Enemy of British Prisoners ever since they were formed two years ago. Until then she had never taken part in public work of any kind. To-day she has at command the vast detail of a far-reaching and highly con(idenlial organisation, and can produce at a moment's notice the record of experiences of every British subject who has been a prisoner in any theatre of war.

There is probably no one in England to-day who has a more extensive knowledge of the actual conditions in prisoners' camps in Germany and elsewhere. In the early days of the war, Mrs. Livingstone used herself to do all tlie interviewing of the sick and wounded prisoners who were returned periodically; to-day it is done by a large staff of voluntary workers. But she still makes a point of personally interviewing all escaped prisoners of war. Her daily office hours are from 10 to 7.30, anil the nearest approaches to a holiday she has had in two years were her recent visit to The Hague and two official trips to Switzerland.

"Yes, people did seem surprised to find a woman among the British representatives," she said to a representative of the London Mail. "I am sure { .don't know why, because there is really nothing that women arc not doing in England to-day, is there? I had no means of tolling what the German . representatives thought, because, of course, we didn't talk to each other—not socially, I mean. Indeed, it would be quite impossible to give you an adequate idea of the extreme formality of the proceedings. I was there merely to assist Sir Robert Younger, our Chairman, with information which as secretary of the committee I naturally have at command. It was real hard work all the timc v and both parties were concerned solely with the welfare of the prisoners. Questions concerning them were the only ones discussed, and I think the agreements concluded will be found to be very satisfactory. The only other thing I can tell you is that with Baron Van Yrcdenbureh, the Dutch diplomatist who presided, we were 13 in number. But, of course, I'm not a bit superstitious really."

HOW THE RUSSIAN WOMEN FIGHT,

Mrs. Rita C'liihle Dove (an American who has spent a good many years in Russia) tells in an American journal, from first-hand knowledge, some of the exploits of those hravc Russian women who went into the trenches to show (heir compatriots where their duty lay; , —"When I left the women's headquarters a few days ago, the Legion of Death did not expect to go into action, though they had beenvisking to do so for many days. I lived with them for two weeks. There are women of all types—peasants, intellectuals. doctors, ' telephone girls, etc. When I left them I did not really believe in my heart that they would be sent to the front. When we started from Pctrogrnd we travelled in cars with wooden hunks, and crowds on the various station platforms made fun of us, asking 'Whv do girls want to fight?' 'Because vou'men are cowards,' retorted the women. A journey of 40 hours brought us to headquarters near Yilna, where we were conducted to long wooden huts half sunk m the earth. We slept here on wooden fhejves. Soldiers gathered in their thousands, like a one-time suffrage parade ; n Xew York, and using just such slang equivalents. The first night there was a pqunding on the door, and a Jewish girl sentinel gave the challenge. 'Aren't the girls in here?' asked some soldiers outside. 'We are not girls; we arc soldiers,' said the sentinel, stepping out. 'lf you don't go away we'll shoot.' Tlicv went. Next day we -ill went to the rivetto bathe. The men stood a long distance off, their officers, who are all trentlemen, assisting in keeping them back. It rained every day. but the women carried out their drills and practices in sharp s'hootins unfailingly. They lived just as do the men, with this'difference: that their commander (Mine. Botchkoreva), who is now wounded, was about four times stricter. The women always called her 'Mr. Commander.' When I asked them why, the/' replied: 'Oh, all military terms are masculine, and it is much too much of a fag to go feminising the list of war nomenclature.' Of course, many men thought the women were there for evil purposes, but we soon disabused their minds. Many of the soldiers said: 'Well, they'll never bt you get to the front. The Bolsheviks have sent us word, and we'll kill you before we permit you to.' The only sign of mutiny I ever saw grew out of the demand made by the women to go into battle. Thc.v had been drilling only five weeks, and their superiors seemed to feel they ought to be kept back longer. When word came that tliev were to bo moved nearer the front, their hurrahs lasted, many minutes. These women have overthrown every convention and forgotten everything women have ever been taught You've no.idea how nice women can be when thev arc absolutely natural and unselfish. These did their iob in dead earnest. and there was no* nonsense Jbout them. When they indulged in a little skylarking, Mine. Batch koreva used to shout: 'No silliness. You may he dead in five days.' It, had never occurred to me before that women ought to go to war. but T am convinced now that in anv jcountry, under such conditions, women ought to step into the breach, guns in hand. It Is their country as much as the men's."