areful finish
which the Chinaman inherits from his age-long, patient past, were to
be seen even in the digging of trenches. Their defence lines were a
marvel of finish, in spite of the fact that in hard manual labour they
were ahead of any other unit--shifting, often, 240 cubic feet of soil
per day, per man. As porters, too, they were beyond rivalry; and their
contempt for the German prisoners' capacity in this direction was
amusing. A Chinese coolie, watching two prisoners handle a stack of
cased goods, could not at last contain himself. He walked up to them,
saying: "Hun no damn good," and proceeded to show them how it should
be done. The stolidity of the Chinaman is generally proof against
surprise, but some of those coming from the backwoods of Northern
China were occasionally bewildered and overwhelmed when set down amid
the amazing and to them terrifying wonders of the "back" of a European
Army. One company of such men arrived at their appointed camp, and the
next day there was a fight with enemy aeroplanes overhead. One of the
poor coolies was so terrified that he went and hanged himself, and the
rest could only be pacified with great difficulty. On the other hand,
a flying officer once offered a ride to a Chinese ganger who, with his
men, had been doing some work on an aerodrome for the R.A.F. "The
ganger went up with glee; and the pilot's feelings may be imagined
when, at a good height, he looked round and saw the ganger standing
up, as happy as could be, looking over the edge and pointing down to
the camp where his company lived, and other landmarks he was able to
recognise."

* * * * *

Of the noble army of women, who, since 1917, have formed part of that great
force behind the fighting lines I have been rapidly sketching--what shall
one say but good and grateful things?

In 1917, as our car wound through the narrow streets of Montreuil, I
remember noticing a yellow car in front of us, unlike the usual Army
car, and was told that it contained the new head of the Women's Army
Auxiliary Corps, and that 10,000 women were now to be drafted into
France, to take the place of men wanted for the fighting line. And a
little later at Abbeville I found General Asser, then Inspector-General
of the Lines of Communication, deep in the problems connected with the
housing and distribution of the new Women's Contingent. "Two women
want the accommodation of three men; but three women can only