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French Women's Heroism Is Written In Blood ; Nation Gives Them Vote f UL _ Jj mi i \ ''' * A • -*^§ ff * , |HjM^Mii ::: '> K 3k. *fsfcS£^faHM w^^Kx&M L f - RSSSBB&. * \ swi-v I M ST k. ■ ;. ff .VHHt \ JB<- FRENCH women took and are taking all the torture the Gestapo sadists devised— ttoKt;iiiK<t, broken spines and even bloody death and are fighting back in the Resistance Movement and in the Volon taire Francaise, the Gallic equivalent of the Wars. They took all the pain dealt by the ttendish Nazit. and emerged with dauntless spirit tine to the Indomitable Joan of Arc. Shattering the traditional social and political subservience of French women, a grateful nation has given them the franchise, which they will use fot the first time in the country's history on municipal election day. February 6, when they will vote an I be voted for. Already they are participating In an advisory capacity in the Provisional Government >f ttr French Republic by serving along with men a-, repicsmta iv *s of the various Resistun .? u- tups iu the Con sult alive Assembly. The French cabinet asked the various resistance groups or Maquis--to choose delegates to the Assembly. Women weia named by some of tlit* groups, and the choice was not ques tioned by the government, accord ing to a spokesman for the French Embassy in Washington, D. C The Cabinet apparently felt that women, through their participa tion in lh tight against tic* Nazis stiit occupying parts of France, had earned representation on the Assembly and the right of franchise. Liaison Agents Women worked as liaison agent* between the different Maquis or ganizations. Sometimes they car ried dynamite for sabotage ac tivities. They aided Allied air men .shot down by the Nazis l escape; they hid uul fed mem bers ol the Maquis. In the Volant iii • t hey cli v a ti i Us iiui imiiul mi in i ci c mill 1 c- s othei s ways j >:n • i in t!ic light. FRF,NCII WO.Mi:\ HONOR. ED: General Charles I>e Gaulle (above) decorates a French War for bravery. * FRENCH tVOMK.N FIGHT: A French woman guerrilla (left) is holding high the Tricolor, while in the other hand she grasps ~ |ia.nl gre nade. The women tore down the sign designating the Ger man headquarters when this Resistance group raided the building and seized arms and Smmunition after American forces took the French town of Troyes. The guerrillas put the seized equipment, part of which is shown here, to good use by harassing the remain ing Nazis in the area. There was Mine. I.urie Anbrae. of the Movement of National Liberation, an underground or ganization, who certainly earned her right to a place on the Con sultative Assembly. Three times her husband, Raymond—active in the Resist ance—was arrested by the Nazis, the last time h.v the Gestapo, and three times she arranged his escape. Held for Execution The Gestapo were holding him for execution. His wife. Lucie, who had been a professor of history In * French university, told the Gestapo officer* that Raymond was her finance and convinced them that lie should he released so that they could be married. To convince tlie Gestapo she meant no harm, she denounced the Resistance in hei husband's presence, but she managed to whisper to him that plans had been completed to attack the prisoners' truck on it- return t> prison. But let Raymond tell the story: •r left I' s.x w*ven H was Ret ting dirk I was chained 1.1 to other pii-omo, Aim d Na/is v o • our gutt I T! ( c‘>t a til \ Vi la 1 • ' 1 V, ;.■ ••' tile! •• V h I . of l: Ull *- - JkF 1 V( W'' %. <|- JggL ’"' ' j m. t ■ *• *- —" .i. -. ' -J TRAINING AND WORKING: A French War. Pvt. Claire Merjer (lop), who formerly was employed l*y Ihe French Delegation in Mexico City, was trained for her duties as as an ambulance or truck driver at hurt Meade, Md. Another French Mac is shown (in bottom photo) scr\inn as a hospital laboratory assistant. (Photos on this pane courtesy of the French Press and Information Service, 501 Madison \\e„ V V., and the I . S. Signal Corps.) “1 noticed that it was being followed b> lour cars. Sii<l<l ■-ni> one of tin* cars went |*ast. V aiiot uni tired from it I’lie tier man driver ot our lorr> felt with a bullet in his head. "As out Ion > stopped. bullets rained tiom lit* tinea cat* fol lowing us Two N'a/I guaids vs iI Is submar liius guns wm killed. Three mora Hied back hut soon felt hadl) wounded. With my companion in chains 1 stepped out and tan toward on of Ilia rats. We jumped in and our car* raced away. Twelva moi# prisoneit jumped from Ihe lorry and got In to three other cats All escaped. M) w'ile was in one of tlire* cars/' Break Girl’s Back Then thera was tha French girl Resislei whose back was broken b> the Gestapo when she failed to reveal tha names of h“r comrades. They tied h*’i hands behind h *r Inick and llirew hei on a lied, where she lay foi three days. liei onl> sustenance being watei. Members it the Mat|ins linillv wei • pile t i break into the ti >" * and tes '.ta Inn Sl*-* !'i li i' g:\--n iw a • ! ’f C.Jllll II- x. I .1 "... 1,11. I i > ten >nt only did Frenchwomen 'ni' their country bravely on their native mill. The French ulvi tell of three French am bulance driver* who were re turning with wounded front a battalion aid station, when tvlielU hit two js-eps on tilt* •aunt road. Girl Gives Life Tliy legcu* iha wounded J-** occupant a. hut in living to go around ant of lit* damaged vehicle*, two of Hit ambiance* became mil ed. Enemy aitilleiy opened fit# on them. One ambulance wa hit. Two wounded ware decapitated by the explosion. and one gilt wit pinned in I lie wreckage. The guU siaiiod to cany tha wounded to the shellei of a near by knoll. One girl had cairi‘l aev'eril wounded lion hei vein it, au I ws i'‘'inning with t Ins' nd kn when sli ick In a shell li ig ri.'in whcfi s-v “i ei both of her legs ar her hips S • i ft- mini!les, AMjl 11 el of I1 ’ ‘ ei! i S I- - ‘III si/ v. I 'll I• I • . • !■ -S I' ' ; ■ - i ■ ■ i,i .■ I \ ■■ . ■ > i\ ,-d i > . a 1' am 3 The CIO MEWS, December 18 1944 WM