Women And The War

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 94, 20 April 1940, Page 3 (Supplement)

Women And The War

Mis 6 Martha Dodd, who still writes under her maiden name, has many friends amongst the British Diplomatic Service and will he receiving from them many messages of condolence on her father's death. When her mother died she made no secret of her belief that the end was greatly hastened by their experiences in Berlin when her father was there as America's accredited Ambassador to Hitler. Martha Dodd herself was pro-Nazi when she first arrived, but it did not take many months to

From Our London Lady Correspondent. bring disillusionment. In the end tlie entire family was subjected to snubs and open insults of a kind never offered to an Ambassador before, and her mother's health, in particular, was seriously affected by the strain and terror of it all. When she got back to America she had no resistance left and died suddenly of heart failure. The circumstances of her father's recall from Berlin were little creditable to the American Government. "Mothering" Ships It is good to hear that the "mothering" of ships is increasing apace and that Lloyd's is very pleased with the enthusiasm shown by women throughout ; the country in thus supplying the personal touch as well as comforts for our Royal Merchant Navy. There are now over 1000 "godmothers" throughout the country, each of whom makes herself responsible for a merchant ship and, so far as she can, the comfort of its ship's company. All who have been to sea and noted the grim severity of the average seaman's wardrobe will appreciate one means of service. Sea pay nowadays allows the men to buy things they could not in former times, but it is heartening to have the thing come from another with the message it silently conveys, that the seaman's work is appreciated by his countrywomen. Tennis for Charity Lady Crosfield is determined that lawn tennis shall not be utterly neglected during the summer which lies before us. Some of our leading plavers are still in America and show no inclination as

vet of an intention to return. The Wimbledon fortnight, too, lias had to l>e abandoned. There would have been 110 foreign competitors in any case, and the All-England ground is now given over to the purposes of a first aid post. ]t was Lady Crosfield's custom as soon as the Wimbledon championships were over to organise a lawn tennis garden party in the grounds of her lovely house in Highgate. The courts arc as near perfection as can be found on any private estate and in the cause of charity Lady Crosfield had 110 diflieulty in getting all the leading players to come along and play exhibition matches. She proposes to revive these exhibition games from time to time during the summer months —the proceeds, of course, being devoted to war charities. The Trek Back The return to London of business concerns, which have decided that the inconveniences of the country are worse than the risks of air raids has benefited the West End very considerably by materially increasing the patronage given to "restaurants and places of entertainment. It is the business man, after all, who is the chief support of London social life. He has the money 1o make tliingfi go and has the verve to enjoy things. The return has also benefited the owners of those great expensive flats in the West End and near suburbs which were almost deserted as the result of the evacuation scheme*?. A few weeks ago those to let could be had at rents as ridiculously low as formerly they were exorbitant, and for the shortest periods without a lease. They can still be had for short periods instead of by long term lease, but the rents arc again going up and reaching, from the landlord's point of view, a more economic figure. Many heads of businesses have kept their families in the country, but i» town prefer instead of opening up their own houses to take a flat sufficient for their grass-widower needs and to accommodate any member of the family who may visit town.