Women And The War

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 159, 6 July 1940, Page 3 (Supplement)

Women And The War

From Our London Lady Correspondent THE Civil List pensions, the latest of which are just announced, are in recognition of service to the higher things of life and have as the one object the relief of the hard circumstances of those or their dependents who have done good work for art and literature and science without making money at it. Officially the Prime Minister is responsible for the choice of pensioners with his privat secretary as his active agent. Any representative body or any community of men of standing may write in suggesting a pension for someone in whom they are interested. Character, in addition to work, counts for much. It would be impossible for anyone whose character bore the slightest blemish to get on that list, «so that appearance on it is an honour as well aft a help in time of need. There is ho partisanship shown. Thus many Burns enthusiasts hate Mrs. Carewell's book on the poet and many Scott . enthusiasts dislike her late husband's book on Scott, but all will unite in backing the pension to Mrs. Carswell as the recognition of real service to letters. The widows of Frank Bowcher, the sculptor-medallist, and Francis Wild, the Polar explorer, are other notable names. Gas Mask Census Here is a little personal census of Fleet Street one morning. In three minutes I counted 53 passers-by 23 women and 30 men. Of the women five had their gas masks, of the men not one. The women evidently have at lea6t some sense of duty, the men, at least these men, statistically none. The indifference to the gas mask is worrying the authorities very much with, it would seem, good cause. But as Hitler helped us generally in giving us a good cause, he will probably also help the A.R.P. people in particular. One visit from his minions and all my 23 women and all my 30 men will be hugging their masks as their most precious possessions. We are truly an easy-going as well as a rather remarkable people. It chanced that I had brought my own mask that morning and so felt virtuous. Women's Land Army T%e Women's Land Army headquar tere staff have, very sensibly and suit ably, removed to the country. Lady Denman, honorary director of the. organisation, has taken them in at her home in Sussex, Balcombe Place, and there she and they are recruiting for the 1940 Auxiliary Force. With her varied experience of women's institutes, in which she has been interested for many years, Lady Denham knows the value of having a vast army of suitable women trained and ready to undertake the work on farms for which they are specially fitted. There are scores of girls anxious to demonstrate their ability as drivers of tractors and deputies for men in the heavy work on a farm. But what the Land Army really wants are girls who will do dairy and similar duties as efficiently as they know how. Delicatei" Position There is interested speculation as to the position thet would arise if Princess Ingrid, the Crown Princess of Denmark, should wish to come to England during summer to vafiit her grandfather, the

Duke of That she would be warmly welcomed goes without saying, for it lias been made clear officially in this country that we do not regard Danes as enemy aliens, despite the socalled protectorate Germany has proclaimed over their land. Those who know her, however, believe that Princess Ingrid would feel a great deal of reluctance about undertaking such a journey if it involved seeking authorisation from the German authorities.