THE BRITISH WOMEN'S PATRIOTIC LEAGUE.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR...3 SIR,—As a Vice-President of the British Women's Patriotic League, I should like to enlist the aid of your paper in making this Society, whose motto is "Our Country First,' better known among all classes of women throughout the country, as I feel sure a knowledge.of its work is only needed for it to be widely appre- ciated, and the list of its members would soon be doubled when once the beneficent nature of its aims and work is brought home to the women of England. It is strictly non-political and non- sectarian, and its object is to promote patriotic feeling among women of all classes, and to make them realize the importance of the question of home defence, while members are specially asked to. make a point of instilling the principles of duty, self-sacrifice, and. love of country intu all children with whom they come in contact. It was felt that women have untold influence in these directions, and the idea was to focus and combine all patriotic endeavour throughout the country by means of this organization.
In addition to this the League has made great and systematic efforts to carry out its teaching in a practice.) manner by giving extremely handsome prizes at Bisley to territorials and cadets for the last four years, while the various branches, besides con- tributing to the central fund, devote themselves to some special patriotic work ; one defraying the cost of two boys every year on the training ship " Warspite," and another financing a company of cadets in one of the worst and poorest quarters; others supporting and encouraging Boy Scouts, girls' clubs, rifle clubs, and every means that presents itself for helping to train the rising generation of the working classes into loyal and self-respecting citizens of our country.
We could do far more if we only had snore funds at our com- mand, and if you will only help to make the British Women's Patriotic League better known, I feel sure many niece member would be added to our list. At the present moment the conquest of the air is the topic of the hour and all men and women who, love their homeland must view with the deepest apprehension the enormous strides made in this direction by other countries, while England lags far behind and seems content to do so. If our women could only realize the awful dangers that threaten them- selves and. their homes through this new means of attack (should war ever come upon us), by which explosives can be rained down from the air, carrying death and destruction in their wake, their combined efforts would soon suffice to raise a fund which would enable the country to face others on more equal terms.
In order to try and rouse feminine feeling to this danger, the British Women's Patriotic League is holding a meeting at 24 Park Lane, through the kindness of Lord and Lady Brassey, on April 23rd, at which I am preshing, when Lord Cheylesmore and Colonel Massy will speak on "Cadet Training" and "Aerial Defence," both of which subjects are of the deepest importance to the nation and the women of the country in particular. The headquarters of the League are at 22 Buckingham Gate, S.W., where full information as to its aims and work can be had front.
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