1940-02-29 — Page 13

Thursday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

February 29, 1940.

By SOMERSET MAUGHAM

IT IS strange to see middle-aged women of de- termined aspect, the mothers of families, young women evidently not long married with painted lips and a "permanent wave, tending an automatic machine in the crowded din of an armament works.

For thousands of . women are working in factories in France. In most of them, I think, the wife was offered the job of her mobilised husband.

Many of them had never worked in a factory before, but I was told by various directors that they got into the way of it very quick- ly. I was not surprised, for after what I have seen I am ready to be- lieve that the French woman can do anything she has a mind to.

But they have their homes to look after and their chil- dren to care for. In some factories they work only two weeks out of three, in others they are given every third day off, in either case with. full pay, so that they should not lose touch with what after all are

their essential in-

terests and so that their children'

should run as little chance as fuse, they are better than men.

possible of neglect.

It is grim to see them so neatly painting and varnishing

IT is grim to see this multi-the cases of big shells. tude of women occupied in mak-

It is grim to see them, rows ing all manner of things to kill and rows of them, at a factory and maim the husbands and of explosives making the bas in brothers of other women. In which powder is to be poured, some work, the delicate and and, when they are filled, tying accurate work, for instance, them up into neat parcels or that has to be put into making a packing them into metal cylin

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The

moment. There are many and it is heartening to know

who have set themselves, that the response has been

great. The books are sorted alone and obscure, to al- and sent to the front to give a leviate the distress, financial soldier a few hours of happy and moral, of their neigh-haps, some new thought to pon- forgetfulness, to give him, per- bours.

der over and to bring into his monotonous life a little romance The Red Cross has found-or a little laughter. ed 150 auxiliary hospitals, there was little French women with nearly 20,000 beds, and could not do if they had a mind has placed thousands of to. Here is a little story which adequately trained nurses at for a success novel.

might well serve as the theme the disposal of the authori-| There is factory where not ties.

only most of the employees, but also the owNET,

young:

I said just now that I believed

were

L'Union des Femmes de they were called up and the fac- France sends parcels to the sol-owner's secretary, whom I know tory closed down, But the diers and has enrollect

of women and girls to make not bear to think that these busy host only as Mademoiselle B., could jumpers, socks and scarves works should stay idle and its for the soldiers, but besides many women employees thrown this, it has embarked upon out of a job; so with feminine two undertakings, one of astuteness she pulled all the

which shows,

strings she could to get the fac- to my

tory requisitioned by the State, mind, A touching by which means work for Na- thoughtfulness and oftional Defence could be secured. which the other pecu-| She was thus able to keep her liarly interests me women workers and because professional what the factory produces is of essential service, get such men as are necessary. The machines were set going again, and soon work was in full swing.

88

writer.

*

* *

MEN on leave,

or transferred

*

*

MADEMOISELLE B. is evi-

socks

from one post to dently a young woman of deter

another;

often mination, for during the lun- arrive at a sta-cheon hour, lunch being served tion where at a canteen, she has set the they have to women to knit scarves, spend the best part of the night be fore the train starts.

Woman's

Part In

The War

They are: tired

and swenters of the employees of the factory who are mobilised. There is a fund to which each worker contributes a few sous so that little luxuries may be added to the parcels.

Mademoiselle B. must be a per- and

son of intelligence, energy and hungry,

initiative; and of course the end maybe wet

of the story should be through,

orange blossom and marriage bells; but and

whether she should marry the they

owner of the factory or a young have perhaps

son of toil who has returned little money. from the front with the Croix de in their Guerre the reader must decide pockets. · for himself. L'Union des There are

vast numbers of Femines de women in France who are quietly France of doing obscure and humble taske of

fers them shelter.

which no one will ever hear.

There was a baker who made bread for the whole district and his A woman wife with her handcart delivered opens the it in the aurrounding hamlets. door and in- He was called up, and since he viles the was the only baker in the neigh- weary

sol-bourhood it would have been a poor dier to come had left behind had not set to work look out for everyone if the wife he in. He finds to make and bake the bread herself #wrmat-night-and-deliver it as ̄usualˇby room with day. beds in it, rugs to cover him and} There are many more who hot coffee.

And so everywhere the women of There are paper and France, with wonderful patience, have given their money and pencils on a table so that he can with their sense of affairs and with their time to the numerous and the fact that in one station taining the prosperity of the coun- write to his family or his girl, fortitude, are in a large part main- associations that have been alone from 200 to 300 letters instituted to cope with the are written every night shows

M manifold difficulties of the that he is glad of the oppor- IN rural districts they are

tunity.

looking after the horses and Next door is a lavatory where eattle that have not been he can wash his feet and put on quisitioned and getting the

INDIAN TROOPS

Cairo, Feb. 28.

With artillery booming, Indian troops went into action in the desert to-day in a series of exercises which will last a month. The defending force established its feld head- under date palms in the of Memphis and Bren guns and fleld pieces were

camouflaged

quarters

ruins

with palm branches.

While

In

the motorised enemy columns trying to destroy the canals and bridges of the Nile Valley ad- vanced from the western desert, Jats, Rajputs, Punjabis and Hazarawals, cunningly

hidden

the

Bazady gullies, guarded a 15-mile They had to wait the whole night watching with telescopes and wait- ing for the enemy in a silence broken only by the occasional howl of a jackal. One Indian was posted with telephone at the summit of a

1

Pyramid.

The Indians. thoroughly entered into the spirit of the exercises, which they treated as the real thing.

The British; New Zealand

and

senlo

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a clean pair of socks; his own fruitful soil ready for next har-

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Egyptian armies are also carrying are washed and mended and vest; in the towns they out exercises, and large manoeuvres involving the combined passed on to another man. He keeping the shops open and run- ormies are likely to be staged. gets a good sleep and a kindlyning their men's business.

The friendliness of the troops of train is due. He leaves rested woman wakes him when his different nationalities strikingly demonstrates the Empire solidarity. not only in body but in spirit.

The New Zealanders are mixing

tice of the doctors who have been Women are taking over the prac- mobilised. In the schools women teachers have taken over the work ☆

of men teachers and uncomplain- bazaars. The Dominion troops salute soldier has had to stand the trifling observation I have made

FOR months now the Frenchingly added it to their own.

I will finish my article with one

with the Indians and all are wel- comed by the Egyptians in the Calto

+

the Indian officers with enthusiasm.hardest possible trial to one of which seems to

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ma somewhat or to some more obscure cause,

am not 'compotent to say. Since the beginning of the war

A half hour programme of Indian his ardent temper-ho has had curious.. musle in broadcast every right from to wait; and his spirit craving Cairo. for the benefit of the troops for occupation demands reading the hair of many of the women In cheamped in the desert. A special club for Indian troops will be inau- matter.

gurated on

March 4-usder the

presidency of Reuter,

L'Union

des Femmes de

France has been growing rapidly darkor at the rootar angesang

Whether this is due to the an

Lady Lampson | Franco issued an appeal for this Exlety natural to the clequinstances)

I will, however, hazard the aurmiso that if the war contia

blondes in Tronico for, gens

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