WOMEN AND ZEPPELIN RAIDS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2754, 25 April 1916, Page 3

WOMEN AND ZEPPELIN RAIDS

TIIE BRITISH CODE OF HONOUR "What do the women say?" asks H. De Vere fcjtacpoole. who, with other men, says it makes tho blood boil to hear Englishmen calmly discussing tho (juostion ol' retaliation for Zeppelin bombs over the dead bodies of muruerod women and children. "We must not. retaliate, it seems, becauso that would be against the tenets of tho English wide of honour. 1 want to hear, what die women have to say about that — the women who, voiceless and,dumb aa far as political matters are concerned, have yet been working like bricks to save the State, and who see their children slaughtered in their beds while the men stand about talking of 'the British code of honour.' . . . Slaughter raid after slaughter raid has taken place, and it is always the women and children who have suffered. . . I quote from the newspaper reports. The laughter of the House of Commons over the statements as to the disorganisation and inefficiency of our. air service comes strangely enough across the whimpering of the children for their dead mothers and tho crying of the women over their slaughtered children. . . .' What the women have said! I will cull a few examples, cutting tho names, many ol'. which are names of distinction for service ,to the; country (writes "Alien", in the "Otago Witness"). "It i 3 an insult to the men, women, and children of England, who have bravely and calmly faced so much, to say that a warning would create a panic. To be forewarned is to ho forearmed.'' ' "As-an Irish girl I will toll you this much, that in Ireland the women would not be treated as the men and women of 'England are. Let tho Zeppelins go to Ireland and do their cowardly work and clear off again as they do here. I think there would be trouble." "Intern every enemy, man, woman, and child, and let us light tho devils tooth and nail, and when they are finished with, the world niay talk of honour once again. Here is on© woy man's opinion. What do the others say?" "If the women of England were not dumb and voiceless in political matters we would have seen to it long ago that adequate steps were taken to protect our babies, and that without murdering other women's babies. We would not have left things till this late hour iu the hands of the 22 members of the Westminster debating society." "Are women and children to stand the risk of further air raids in England while the Government wait and the blunderer's make up their minds? Women have given up their husbands and only sons (I have given mine) to fight on sea and land for their women and country, and it is time those responsible allowed the Hun murderers'to be tackled in their own lairs immediately."

A soldier's wife says: "Mr. H. do Vere Stacpoole says he would like to hear what the women of England have to eay with regard to reprisals. May I givo an answer—and I bolieve I voice the sentiments of tho vast majority, of women? A bomb for a bomb, an eye for an v eyc, a tooth for a tooth, and three Germans for every Briton!"

"We women have, given our husbands and sons willingly to fight for our King and country. Are German women and children moro precious than wo? Why does not England bit back ?".

Tho courage of the women and their servioe has been put to the test, as never before in the history, of, England. .While they servo they wait also in gnawing anxiety tho fate of their men, outwardly cheerful, averse from public sympathy, patriotic and brave. But with danger threatening lier child what woman can be quiescent to wait au<l sea whethoi it will be mangled by the Huns or not before asking the law-makers for its protection? What would you do? Use your political rights to defend it.. So would the women of England if they had any rights to use. They can only cbey; they neither love nor honour tho law-makers. But they can work well and do in the day of sudden death and the nation's crisis. Whether her body, her charm, her "sacred domestic duty" will suffer for it in the years to come the country cannot take into account at the nioment. It needs her in the offices and shops and factories at this hour of the nation's crisis. It called, she made instantaneous response without argument, as she would respond tomorrow if called upon to bear arms. She is toiling all the day and half the night at difficult and wearisome tasks with a skill and nerve that has, brought fortli surprised admiration from broadminded men, • and spiteful envy from men of mean and grudging minds. But every good has to be paid for. as well as every evil, and the country must be prepared to pay in the future for the good of the woman's work to-day, for it will inform and emancipate and educate her more than all the combined suffrage unions as to her own powers and their commercial value.