WOMAN UNDER SHELL-FIRE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3027, 14 March 1917, Page 3

WOMAN UNDER SHELL-FIRE

EXCITING ESCAPE FROM THE GERMANS AT CRAIOVA.

Miss Louisa Taylor, daughter of Dr. Micbaol H. Taylor, coroner for tho Kingston division of Surrey, has just readied homo after an Jidventiirous journey■ from Craiova, in Rumania, whero she had hcen doing educational wn'j'k. When Rumania Entered tlio war sho took uj> Red Cross work. On Novemher 20, when tlio Germans entered Craiova, she- was strongly advised to leavo at once, as the Germans had issjied a proclamation that tho inhabitants were to make, an iinnicdialo return of all British subjects living iu their houses.

After walking along tho railway for nine miles. Miss Taylor found a train in which she was able lo travel twenty miles on the way to Bucharest. Then sho got a- rido in a, wagon for ;i couplo of hours, when sho reached another station, 'where a- crowded train was waiting. Hero sho came, up with tho retreating Rumanian army. The train and the army kept pace with one another for five or six days, until they reached Bucharest. "While with the troops "M iss Taylor got ono pieco of bread each day.' The train was bombed once by enemy airmen, and was under shell-fire almost the whole of tlio way to From here Miss Taylor took I rain In (jhlrlk, and tlionce lo Odessa. . It •was impossible In secure hotel accommodation there, but the Rritish Consul introduced her to an English familv, who hospilablv entertained her , for four days while her papers for tho iourney homo irero bring prepared. Sho then took train to Pntrosrad. Before, she reached England sho bad been travelling more than a month.

Is Silk a Luxury? The Federal Cabinet- in Australia is likely to experience some difficulty in determining the classes of importations which may be declared luxuries (says an Australian paper). Eofcrring to the fact.that in 12' months silks and satins valued at over £1.500,000 were imported intn the Com I .ii(vn\vpjilth. th:-> Minister of Customs snid that sucK figures seemed to indicate a high degree of ! "~i!.-y. but- thero was the other side. Most, of tho silk imported was made up into dross goods. It provided a great dssl of work here, and was sold at from 2s. to 2s. 6d. r yard. Silk goods wore- worn by all classes because of the i;reat utility of tho material. One had only to contrast the comparatively low pr;co of silk goods with tlio high mico of woollens to understand why they_ were in such demand. It was a. mistaken idea to assiinio that all silk should tome under the heading of luxuries.

A Ceneral's Tribute to Irishwomen. General Sir Bryan Mahon, speaking at a' "dinner given to Mr. C. E. Duke, Chief Secretary for Ireland, by tho Corinthian Club, Dublin, on January 13, said: "I havo served ■on three fronts in this war, and havo seen hundreds of women serving in different , capacities, and doing splendid work. When at Salonika I met many women who had been serving in tho Balkans lor two years before tho present war, in connection with a big outbreak of typhus. Those ladies continued to work on in the present, campaign in Serbia, Salonika, and Monastir, and many had remained, at their posts through ill— health. Among the ladies out thero was a large proportion of Irishwomen. As far as Ireland went, the women had done extremely woll —all classes of Irishwomen, from the highest to the humblest. The women of Ireland, too, have encouraged the mon nnd their friends to join the Army, and the whole nation is proud of what the women havo done." "As regards the men of Ireland," Sir Bryan, continued, "you know what our soldiers have done. Everyone knows it." I have had a good deal to do with Irish soldiers.in this, war. Sometimes they have not been very lucky; on other occasions, as at Gallipoli, we weae not yevy successful, hut on every occasion I think the Irish soldier held his own. No men could have done better than they did. Again, in Serbia, with the French, the only British soldiers there, were Irishmen, and they did extremely well. As far as the Army goes, we may he very proucf of what one class, tho labouring and working class, have done in Ireland. They have joined tho Army up to, I might say, the last man. I know tKis to bo so from my travelling through the country, and in that part of Ireland where I lived there are not" very iiiany able-bodied men left. The agricultural labouring class havo also done very well, and Ireland may he very proud that they joined the Army in sucli largo numbers."

Sister Phyllis R. Humphreys, 22/94, of the N.Z.A.N.S.. was reported yesterday to be ill iu hospital. Sister Humphreys, who is on activo service, was stated to be a '|not severe"

ease. Mrs. Aitken, Paponga, Hokianga, is the next-of-kin of Sister Humphreys. _ . .

Lady llaekworth, daughter of Lord Rhondda, has taken, her father's place a? chairwoman of the Saratogeu Company (which a British Company has taken over). As a member of the Government. Lord Rhondda relinquished liis public company directorship. Lady Jlackworth is a keen believer iu women's business capacity, and thinks that "Smith and Daughter" will some day be as common over a business house as'"Smith and Son" is to-dav.

}frs. Rollcston, Lambion Quay, returned from tho south yesterday, and intends spending some time in AVellinj:ton.

Nurse Beswick. recently mentioned for valuable services in dispatches is a daughter of Mr. W. W. Beswick, of On mam, and an ex-pupil of tho Waitaki Girls' High School. Nurse Boswick wiis on the Marquctte when that vessel was sunk.