Women And The War

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 69, 22 March 1941, Page 3 (Supplement)

Women And The War

SERVICEMEN from southern Rhodesia have recently joined the weekly luncheon parties given at the Women's Forum Club and been personally received by the president, Princess Marie Louise, whom many had seen in their own land. "Forum Mondays" are popular institutions with Empire men. Distinguished people with varied interests are usually there to give brief addresses on topics of the day, and guests always have questions to ask afterwards. It seems an excellent way to give Empire men an opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of the Old Country's news and views in wartime. Her Mother's Work Despite the numerous calls on hor attention these war days. tlie Queen has not allowed her personal interest in the Waifs and Strays Society to lajise. Her mother, the Jafe Countess of Strathmore. made it her ehief charitable concern and for that reason, apart from all other*, the Queen is anxious that it shall not suffer in present circumstances. A bazaar in aid of the funds was held each year before the war. Until the accession the Queen need to give personal assistance; afterwards she continued her patronage. Xo bazaar can be held this year, but Lady Dorothy Glamis is trying to raise a special emergency fund to which the Queen has already given her donation. The society has done splendid work in the evaluation of unaccompanied children from bombed areas, and has already cot up thirty nursery centres for them. J Village Fashions French dress designers and modistes who migrated to America when France fell soon established themselves in the New World as specialists at their jol)s. Similarly, dressmakers and milliners from the larger English towns, evacuated to country districts, are finding work to their liking. A in point is that of a girl who had a little private dressmaking business in London and was in despair when she had to go av.-ay. Since she arrived in her wartime home, however, she has gradually become guide, philosopher and friend on all dress problems to the women of the district. She has done up their frocks so that they scarcely recognise them; remodelled hats so far as possible in the latest suitable styles; produced blouses and jumpers from oddments of material dug out of old chests and boxes. Her clientele is less wealthy than the one she left; also less difficult to please. Playing Cards In appealing to bridge clube to send packs of playing cards for distribution to air raid victims, t~he Red Cross is to some eitent forcing an open door. At some of these bridge clubs new packs are called for whenever a new game is started. In less exclusive clubs the packs remain in circulation so to speak

From Our London Lady Correspondent for (hp remainder of tlio evening. Before tlio war they were afterwards sold to members at "a greatly reduced price — \ery much as tennis halls are sold after they have been in use for tournament play. In recent months this practice has been abandoned and in most instances the cards are packed up and dispatched, if not to tin; Red Cross, at any rate to one or other of the service organisations. Record Calendar Women's Voluntary Service# have shown their usual enterprise in producing their I!t4L calendar. It. is an "economy ' calendar in a way, printed on both sides of the paper. Photographic reproductions of some of the scenes of AV.V.S. work form the decorative theme, the front cover showing members of the organisation being presented to the King and Queen. One'of the best pictures is probably that of an enterprising party of women holding street parties to popularise potatoes baked in their jackets. T T nder the caption is the jingle: "Dearly beloved brethren, is it not a sin, that when you eat potatoes you throw away the skin. . . ." Lord Woolton surely approves both picture and sentiment. -> 4— Origin of Crepe Suzette. SOMK day when eating cre.pe suzctte with friends why not, as a morsel of conversation, re.tail the story of the dish's invention? The scene was Monte. Carlo's Cafe de Paris. The time, the gay nineties. The guest of honour, H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. And what .a moment of anxiety for Henri Carpc.nticr, 14-year-old kitchen apprentice, who had been deputed to make the sweet for His Royal Highness—Crepes Francaise. He shivered with nervousness. Just at the critical moment when his spirits and cordials were bubbling in the golden butter in his chafing dish, their aromatic fumes caught alight. "I'm ruined,'' thought the panicstricken boy, his eyebrows singed with the flames. But suddenly his nostrils caught the. bouquet from the dying flames. The Prince sniffed it, too. "What have we here?" he asked the boy. "Sir," replied the apprentice, his presence of mind now reasserted, "a sweet never before served to anyone." "Its name?" inquired the Prince. "Crepe Princess," invented Henri on the spur of the moment. "No, we will call it instead 'Crepe Suzette,'" answered the Prince, "in honour of one of my fellow gdests,' : and he indicated one of his women friends. And so out of an accident to a simple pancake was made a dish which has delighted divers all the v ; orld over.

Milk from Royal Herd Xot only she provided thorn with I furniture from lior own homes, linen and clot In -, but she lias sent them inmnnri'iililc small lmt necessary household requisites, sueh as oil stoves when j electricity aiul pis arc not immediately j available, eases of soap, cereals j and fruit and vegetables from the j Koyal estates. There is milk for the i youngsters, too, supplied from the j same pedigree Jersey herd that gives the Princesses their milk. Tile Queen i is famous for her little acts of kind-j ness. acts which are doubly welcome in ! these dark days. She does not consider ! her self-imposed task done when her! parcels tor London s homeless families ; are packed and posted. She must and ! does visit them to see if she can do j anything else to make them comfort- | able; she must inquire after their health, suggest remedies and try to cheer each and all. Help from the Queen Tt. has been estimated that since the war began the King has worked on an a \ erase more than ten hours a day. On some days of crisis he has been at his desk or on the telephone from seven i in the morning until the small hours of ! the next day. And those who havei worked with him say that so eonscien- j tiously has lie carried out his duties I that State papers have never been a 1 day behind, no matter how great the pressure of other engagements. As far ' as I know, the Queen's daily working! hours have not been counted, but it is j obvious that her war time duties are j many and extremely arduous. Perhaps | the most important part of her war: work generally goes unrecorded. For ■ instance, few save those who have! benefited by her practical help realise ! what Her Majesty has done and is still doing for the families of homeless air laid victims, who have been found new homes 111 the country. Luxury Flowers It is pleasant to see daffodils and narcissi from the Scilly Isles now makhi" ! a brave show in the florists' windows'. 1 I hey arrive jiot only to remind us that I u J wl l nt , or <-on.es spring is near at hand, i but help to eke out the sparse supplies of the hothouse flowers. Precious though they are there is no suggestion of pronteerwg, glorious daffodils selling at 2/0 a dozen and narcissi at (id less.°on the other hand the glasshouse blooms tend to grow increasingly expensive. For these, owing to transport difficulties, Covent Garden has very largely depended on growers in the Home Counties, and in some instances the glasshouses have been badly blasted by chance bombs, to the effects of which they are, of course, peculiarly vulnerable. Arum lilies are 12/ for a small bunch, the finer type of chrysanthemums about the same, roses are 1/6 each, and even carnations work out at 10/ a dozen. Yet they all sell readily enough, for some women would do without necessities rather than deny i themselves the joy of a few flowers in I their homes. I