On This Day, 5 February 1918

Birmingham Mail

Tuesday 5 February 1918

WOMEN AT THE FRONT

PRIVATE DENOUNCES “GROSS LIBELS.”

In the Upper House of Convocation of Canterbury at Westminster, to-day, the Archbishop of Canterbury, dealing with the question of women’s work at the front, said he wished to dissipate absolutely the untrue statements which had been made as to the alleged immoral results arising from the employment of women in khaki at the front. One would think from the statements made that whole boatloads of women connected with the W.A.A.C and other organisations were coming home, the women having fallen grievously into evil ways. It was a “gross libel to make such assertions. The percentage of such cases had been of the smallest possible dimensions, it almost amounted to nothing at all. About a year ago there was a somewhat similar statement about the birth of children. The fullest enquiry had shown that both sets of statements were without a shadow of foundation. In fact, the percentage of wrong-doing among women workers at the front particularly amounted to next to nothing at all.”