On This Day, 12 July 1918

Birmingham Mail

Friday 12 July 1918

WOMEN’S WAR SERVICES.

ARCHBISHOP McINTYRE AND WOMEN’S NEW RESPONSIBILITY.

The exhibition of Women’s War Services at Messrs. Lewis’s, Birmingham, is claiming a good deal of public attention. The chief speakers to-day were the Viscountess Deerhurst (Land Army), daughter-in-law of Lord Coventry, the Lieutenant of Worcestershire, and Dr. McIntyre, the Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham. Lady Deerhurst emphasised specially the claims of the Land Army. Farm girls were doing admirable work in Worcestershire, she said, and farmers who two years ago were opposed to their introduction into agriculture were not clamouring to have them.

Archbishop McIntyre pointed out that thousands of men from the most remote parts of the world had voluntarily joined the Army in defence of the British Empire. Women were as deeply concerned as men in the fate of the Empire, and the only question was whether women would rise to the occasion and do what they could, in defence of our land. Women had vindicated their right to take a fuller share in the national life. He was glad they had agitated successfully for the right to a vote; they had therefore admitted their responsibility for the safety of the country. When the danger was common the duty of meeting that danger was common also. No one that shirked his or her part in meeting that duty was worthy of the name British. (Applause).