air raid is in progress the operatives
are cleared from the factory and the sheds and magazines are left
to the sole charge of the Firemen and Policewomen, who take up the
respective posts allotted to them. The Policewomen who guard the
various magazines know that they hold their lives in their hands.
We are proud to report that not one woman has failed at her post or
shirked her duty in the hour of danger. The duties assigned to the
Policewomen and their officers in these factories have increased
considerably in scope during the past year. In one factory the force
of Policewomen numbers 160 under one Chief Inspector, two Inspectors
and twelve Sergeants, all of whom have been sworn in and take entire
charge of all police cases dealing with women. They arrest, convey the
prisoners to the Women Police Charge Station, keep their own charge
sheets and other official documents, lock the prisoner in the cells,
keep guard over her, convey her to the Court House for trial, and if
convicted convey her to the prison. A short time ago the Inspector of
Policewomen in one of H.M. Factories was instructed by the authorities
to send a Policewoman to a distant town to fetch a woman prisoner,
an old offender. The Policewoman was armed with a warrant, railway
vouchers and handcuffs. The prisoner was handed over to the
Policewoman by the Policeman, and the Policewoman and her charge
returned without trouble. The prisoner expressed her relief and
gratitude at being escorted by a Policewoman, and behaved well
throughout the journey. The Policewoman reported that she was given
every courtesy and assistance by both police and railway officials.

[Illustration: POLICE WOMEN]

"We believe this constitutes the first time in history that women
guards have been entrusted with the care and custody of their
fellow-women when charged with breaking the law."

Other pieces of important and difficult work have been undertaken by
women.

There have been, unfortunately, cases in which the soldier's wife,
left at home, has behaved badly and been unfaithful. Men often write
from the trenches to the Chief Constable to ask if charges made
to them in letters about their wives are true. Naturally the Chief
Constable asks the women to investigate these charges. Sometimes the
charges are quite unfounded, simply spiteful and malicious and the
woman and Chief Constable write and say so.

In other cases the husband knows of unfaithfulness and writes to the
A