Women and War Work   By: Helen Fraser

by

HELEN FRASER

G. Arnold Shaw New York

1918

"No easy hopes or lies Shall bring us to our goal, But iron sacrifice Of body, will, and soul. There is but one task for all For each one life to give. Who stands if freedom fall? Who dies if England live?"

Rudyard Kipling in "For All We Have and Are."

[Illustration: A FEW SHELLS]

DEDICATED TO MOTHER, ANNE, AND THE BOYS.

CONTENTS

Chapter

1. THE SPIRIT OF WOMEN

2. ORGANIZATION AND ITS PITFALLS

3. HOSPITALS RED CROSS V.A.D.

4. BRINGING BLIGHTY TO THE SOLDIERS HUTS, COMFORTS, ETC.

5. WOMAN POWER FOR MAN POWER

6. WOMEN AND MUNITIONS

7. THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

8. "THE WOMEN'S LAND ARMY"

9. WAR SAVINGS THE MONEY BEHIND THE GUNS

10. FOOD PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION

11. THE W.A.A.C.'s

12. WAR AND MORALS

13. WHAT THE WAR HAS DONE FOR WOMEN

14. RECONSTRUCTION

ILLUSTRATIONS

A FEW SHELLS (Frontispiece)

MISS EDITH CAVELL

DR. ELSIE INGLIS

FIRST AMBULANCE ON DUTY IN THE FIRST ZEPPELIN RAID

"SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE"

CLEANING A LOCOMOTIVE

WOMEN AS CARRIAGE CLEANERS

WINDOW CLEANERS

STEAM ROLLER DRIVER

TRAINING WOMEN AS AEROPLANE BUILDERS

RIVETTING ON BOILERS

FACING BOILER BLUE FLANGES

ROUGH TURNING JACKET FORGING OF 6 POUNDER HOTCHKISS GUN

HOW TO DRESS FOR MUNITION MAKING

BACK TO THE LAND

WOMEN TACKLE A STRONG MAN'S PROBLEM

SIX REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BUY WAR SAVINGS CERTIFICATES

"FOR YOUR CHILDREN"

BOOK MARKS ISSUED BY THE N.W.S.C.

W.A.A.C.'s ON THE MARCH

WOMEN OF THE RESERVE AMBULANCE

POLICE WOMEN

FOREWORD

"Our War Loan from England" That is the heading under which were grouped the nine lectures given by Miss Helen Fraser at Vassar College. England has borrowed a billion or so of dollars from us, but the obligation is not all her way. The moral strength of our cause is immeasurably increased by her alliance, and the spectacle of a great democracy organizing itself for complete unity in a world crisis is worth an incalculable amount to us. Such a vision Miss Fraser has brought to her wider public among the women of America in this notable book. Of her personal influence let me quote again from the Vassar students' newspaper:

"Miss Fraser, here's to you! We don't need to say that we liked Miss Fraser and everything she had to tell us. The way we followed her around, and packed every room in which she spoke, out to the doors and sometimes up to the ceiling, is proof enough of that. And even the fact that it was Sunday could not check our outburst of song in the Soap Palace as Miss Fraser departed. Her gracious speech of appreciation left with us the question not phrased by her before, but certainly in the minds of every one of us who had been hearing her: 'What are we going to do?'"

An unsolicited testimonial, this, of the most genuine kind. The College students of today are not easily coaxed into lecture rooms outside of their own classes.

I believe that Miss Fraser's book will be read with the same eager attention that followed her first speeches in this country as she began her work of educating American women to a sense of what the mobilization of the entire citizen army of a democracy must mean.

Nor will her influence cease there. Miss Fraser's book is a piece of history; and history is action. The wonderful work of the women of England is already emulated by the splendid efforts along many lines of the women in our country. The new lessons of co operation and of selfless devotion, learned from this book will, I confidently predict, within a few months, be translated into action by the Women's War Service Committees in every state of our land.