Quite a remarkable sight was presented at the Palace Theatre, Luton, on Thursday afternoon, when over 1,000 women assembled to hear addresses upon the duty of women in regard to the war. The meeting was organised by the ladies' section of the Territorial Recruiting Committee.

Mrs Francis Crawley, of Stockwood Park, who presided, expressed her thanks to the ladies who had succeeded in mustering such an enormous audience. They were there to learn what was meant by the appeal to the women to send their men out to fight for their King, their country, their homes and their womankind. Patriotism was surely in the heart of every British woman, and she was fully convinced that if they could clearly understand what they could do by their influence and their example they were going to do it and do it with all their might.

Mrs Howard Whitbread, wife of the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, referred to the great recruitment week in the early summer and the review which followed at Luton Hoo.

"We little thought then," she said, "that those men who came forward so willingly were likely to be called upon so soon to do real work for their country. I am sure every woman here must be glad that those men did join then, for we must be proud when we think that our Bedfordshire Territorials when war was declared went out at full strength.

"Everybody realised the tremendous sacrifices that the women made when they let their men go; they were sending a bit of themselves when they sent their men out to fight, and when the war was over and they came back, the women would be proud to think that, when the country called, the Bedfordshire men were not backward in answering that call."

Mrs Stuart-Wortley, wife of General the Hon Stuart-Wortley, commanding the troops at Luton, said she was a soldier's wife and she would like all present to be soldier's wives or mothers of soldiers. It was said that great men had great mothers. Brave woman had brave sons and there was an example for them from Bedfordshire.

Referring to the treatment of Territorials by Luton people, the Rev A. M. Pratt, Chaplain to the Staffordshire Brigade, said the troops appreciated the kindly way they had been received. Luton people had gone out of their way to show any number of kindnesses to officers and men.

[The Luton News, September 24th, 1914]