AMERICA SEES ENGLAND AT WAR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14647, 3 July 1918, Page 6

AMERICA SEES ENGLAND AT WAR.

"A WONDERFUL MESSAGE TO TAKE BACK." LONDON, May 1. The American Labor Mission, which, as one of its members remarked, has been seemg 1 "England at war," returned to London from' visiting the shipyards, the aeroplane factories, and the chief munition works m various parts of England and Scotland. Som© impressions of the tour were given to a representative of the Observer by Miss joy M. Higgins, a wellknown social worker m America. "We came," she .said, "with a great silent feeling of sorrow for England bereft of her sons and bleeding still after three years on the battJefront ; and ope of the first deep impressions that were made upon us was that of the remarkable courage and ■ fortitude with which the people are bearing these burdens. Eingland gives> us* the impression, m fact, of having one great big job on hand and going for it every minute. "We have been most impressed, too, with the work of the girls and women, old and young alike, who are helping and taking the place of the men, m these war activities. In the shipyards on the Clyde we -saw women swinging heavy hammers. Others were engaged m the work of acetylene welding. In times gone by women were supposed to scream when they saw sparks. But ■here were sparks all round them, and they knew no fear. Girls fn munition 1 factories' worked as calmly amongst high, explosives as 1 though they were 1 sewing. Many were singing as they 1 worked. "One woman, m response to some 1 question that was put to her toy one 1 of our Labor leaders, declared that 'The women of Great Britain are go- 1 ■ ing to win this war.' The girls all i applauded this spirit, and the men, far ■ from appearing jealous, readily ac- ' > quiesced. I > "It seems remarkable that, with all ; the x speed England has shown m these i various war activities, she has also been nble to organise so thoroughly the

social welfare side of the work. In the factories where the women are housed we found such an air of home and comfort as responded perfectly to Eng^ land's traditional love for these things."

"So that all you have seen has agreeably surprised you?" cl Why, yes," Miss Higgins said. "It has all been a wonderful surprise. We heard m America that your women were doing all these things, but when you come to see them at first hand it is indeed inspiring. We feel we shall have a very wonderful message to take back with us."