THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF MODERN HEROISM 169
that it would be important to insure that high standards were maintained
governing the bestowal of the award.^14
Rear Admiral Allan Frederic Everett, Naval Secretary to the First Lord of
the Admiralty, however, fired off an angry two-page, single-spaced reply
condemning the idea on a number of grounds.
At first blush, it seems logically indefensible to bar the fair sex from
being awarded the V.C. provided of course that they ‘have performed
some signal act of valour or devotion to their country’.
But there are other considerations, both concrete and abstract, which,
it is thought, render the idea impracticable, although it is certainly quite
possible that a woman could under certain conceivable conditions earn
one.
It must be fully realized that the standard of ‘valour and devotion to
duty’ for the Victoria Cross is now very much higher than it was in the
earlier years of its introduction. In fact, it may be said that the standard
now required for the award of a V.C. is far, far higher than the actual
words express.
Literally, the Victoria Cross could be awarded for any signal act of valour
and devotion to duty, and if women are to be eligible, will not the ordinary
gallantry of man render his judgment lenient; will he not be soft-hearted
towards the woman (marriage proves this) and give her the benefit of the
loosest interpretation of a female act of valour or devotion to duty; will
he not be inclined to say ‘By Jove (or Mars or Venus), for woman that
was a splendid deed’, and assess her award by virtue of being influenced
by her sex? Will not, therefore, the traditional interpretation of the signal
act of valour and devotion to duty be elastically applied to the so-called
frail sex?
I believe these are practicable considerations which must be taken into
serious consideration.
Again, let us suppose that women are eligible, let us hypothecate a
retreat where some bloody-minded Virago W.A.A.C. is overtaken by a
Hun, might she not be the more induced to take up a bundook and battle
with the Hun, might she not be all the more tempted to take some very
unladylike action or conduct herself in such an unseemly manner from
the universal standard expected of the fair sex that the enemy would
proclaim all women combatants and shoot them on sight?
To my mind, it may be a narrow masculine one, it would be a dangerous
measure to include females into the V.C. area. There are enough bicker-
ings in the masculine line as to whether this man or that should or should
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