situated in every part of the United Kingdom. We are not able to give
a list of these factories nor to mention their names in our report
of the work carried on by them, but we may say that at the present
time we are supplying H.M. Factories, National Filling Factories
and Private Controlled Factories. We are sure that our patrons and
subscribers will feel as proud as we are of the intrepid Policewomen
who for the past fourteen months have been carrying out these duties,
which, we believe, no women have hitherto dreamt of undertaking, and
which have called forth qualities of tact, discretion, cool courage
and endurance that would compare well with any of those whom we call
heroes in the fight at the front. We would call attention to one
factory from which both the military and male Police Guard has
been withdrawn. The factory employs several thousand women in the
manufacture and disposal of some of the most dangerous explosives
demanded by the war. When an 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