a full account of the struggle of the lace-workers would take us straight to the heart of the tragedy of belgium. at present it can only be intimated. the women who are back of this struggle represent a fine intelligence, a most fervent patriotism and most unswerving devotion to their people and their country.
before the war, her laces were the particular pride of belgium. flanders produced, beside the finest linen, the most exquisite lace known. the queen took this industry under her especial patronage and tried in every way to better the condition of the workers, and to [159]raise the standard of the output. we need to remember that when war broke out, 50,000 women were supporting themselves, and often their families, through this work; we need to remember the suddenness with which the steel ring was thrown about belgium—all import of thread, all export of lace, at once and entirely cut off. in a few weeks, in a few days, thousands of women were without hope of earning their bread—at least in the only way hitherto open to them. the number grew with desperate swiftness. and we need most of all to remember that the chief lace centers were in the zone under direct military rule.
women like madame ... grappled with this situation, trying to save their workers (most of them young girls) from the dread alternative, trying by one means and another to give them heart, and hoping always that america could make a way [160]for them, till finally that hope was realized—the c. r. b. had gained the permission of england to bring in a certain amount of thread, and to take out a corresponding amount of lace for sale in france and england, or elsewhere.
a fever of effort followed. everywhere those who had been trying to keep the groups of lace-workers alive were given thread. they organized centers for the control of the output. the thread must be weighed as it was given out, and paid for by the worker as a guaranty that it would not be sold to some one else; the weight of the lace turned in must tally. much thought must be put in the selection of designs, into the choice of articles to be made—things that would interest the people of england and france and america.
the supplementary meal the relief committee is now trying to give to 1,250,000 school children
certain parts and kinds of these laces are made in certain districts only. i am told that the very fine malines lace, [161]made now only in a restricted area, will not be found much longer. all these separate parts must be brought to the central depot to be made into tea-cloths and doilies and other articles for export. the finest and most necessary laces and the linen for the cloths are made in or about bruges and courtrai and in other towns in flanders, in what is known as the “étape,” or zone of military preparation, with which it is almost impossible to communicate.
the c. r. b. is made absolutely responsible to england that no lace will be sold in the open market in the occupied territory (altho it was allowed to be sold in october and november, 1915, at exhibitions in several of the large cities of belgium), and that all of it be exported. if it is not sold, it must be held at rotterdam.
one can imagine the meaning of the first export of lace to those whose hearts [162]were in this work. it was not only that they saw the lace-workers kept alive, but they saw their country reunited with the outside world. her beautiful laces were going to those who would buy them eagerly, her market would be kept open.
of necessity, the work became strongly centralized. the brussels bureau, where three noble women especially were giving literally every day of their time and every particle of their energy and talent, became the official headquarters, and 45,000 lace-workers were employed under orders sent out by this central committee. every day they came to plan, to design, to direct. they were handling thousands of articles, and hundreds of thousands of francs. they carefully examined every yard sent in, rejecting any piece below the standard, encouraging excellence in every possible way. never in recent [163]times have there been such beautiful laces made, and they are being sold at about half what was asked before the war. many of the designs are copies of the best ancient models, other lovely ones turn on the present situation, having for motive the roses of the queen, the arms of the provinces, the animals of the allies.
madame ... made an unforgettable picture—tall, golden-haired, exquisite, arranging and re-arranging the insets for her cloths and cushions—and recounting, as she set her patterns, the steps in the struggle for the lace-workers. there had been dangers, some were in prison. as i listened i felt the fire within must consume her. i understood why there were women in prison, why martyrdom was always a near and real possibility.
there were always discouragements of one kind or another. at the bureau, one day, madame’s eyes were red when [164]she came downstairs. she had just had to turn off a group of workers; there was no thread to give them. at best, in order that all may be helped a little, no one person may work more than 30 hours a week, nor receive more than 3 francs (or 60 cents) a week as wages!
but on the whole the lace committees are overwhelmingly grateful for the opportunities they have had. up to november, 1916, they have dispensed 6,000,000 francs in wages. they have given two weeks’ work a month to 45,000 women, 25,000 of whom are skilled, 10,000 of average ability, and 10,000 beginners. there will be a deficit when the war is over. “but what of that?” they say, [165]“if only we can keep on! on the great day we shall give back to the queen her chosen industry, fully three years ahead of where she left it. she will find all the standards raised, her women better trained and equipped to care for themselves, and to re-establish belgium as the lace-maker of the world.”
it has been extremely difficult for the c. r. b. to handle the lace in the united states. its great value necessitates much more machinery and time than could be spared from the all-important ravitaillement duty. the orders from england and france are much easier to take care of. on one happy day paquin wrote for all the point de paris and valenciennes they could supply. certain friends in london and new york are every now and then sending in individual requests. on a red-letter day the queen of roumania ordered, through her legation, three very beautiful table-cloths, and quantities of other fine laces. and it is the hope of the committee that the number of these friends will grow. needless to say, hardly a c. r. b. representative leaves [166]belgium without taking with him some example of this exquisite work, a testimony to others of the splendid devotion of the women of these lace committees.
