大象传媒

America Applauds Aunty.
(Aunty Rallies Americans For War)
Daily Express. Lady without the Lamp.
Nurse Susan McGinley, of Clare Hall Hospital, South Mimms, Middlesex,fined 10/- at Barnet(Herts) yesterday for riding a bicyle without lights.

The magistrates clerk: "She might have dealt a death-dealing blow with her bicycle.

"Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger"
(15th February,1941)

It appears in a London newspaper just arrived that Nurse McGinley was haled into court at Barnet, Hertfordshire, for riding a bicycle without lights. Hearken to Nurse McGinley's defence.
"As a nurse it was my duty to get to work at all costs to attend to Hitler's wounded and mutilated victims. With Herbert Morrisons's words "Go to it" surging through my ears, I, unlike Florence Nightingale -the lady with the lamp-went to it without a lamp,thus falling foul of the law in the honoured purpose of alleviating pain and helping my country to defeat Hitler's death dealing blows".
Much has been said and written concerning the unflinching heroism and cheerfulness of the British people under the punishment of aerial war. From private and propaganda sources alike come stories of those who carry on under fire and do their duty despite the blitzkriegs,blackouts,bombs and butter rations. Many Americans have wondered whether we would do as well under similarly painful and difficult circumstances.

And would we , I wonder, recognise as we should the courage and competence of those defending our threatened cities? Would we adequately admire the air-raid warden, praise the police sufficiently and take proper pride in fire-fighting crews and street sweepers.
What would we do, for instance, in the case of Nurse Susan McGinley, of Clare Hall Hospital, South Mimms, Middlesex?
For hers were stirring words quoted earlier and the phrases were of the kind that Americans applaud and admire. Easily I can imagine an American courtyard breaking the bounds of legal decorum to honor Nurse McGinley. The judge would beam from the bench and court attendants would carry her shoulder high into the cheering streets. News of her fighting speech would sweep the continent . Tinpan Alley would work feverishly to produce a popular song called "Lights Out" or "Blackout on a Bicycle".
Bicycle manufacturers would quarrel for the privilege of giving Nurse McGinley the world's finest bicycle. An electrically lighted bicycle,armed with a small cannon and equipped with everything a nurse needs, would be named the "McGinley Flier". Within 48 hours Nurse McGinley would receive from her admirers three dozen bicycle lights, nine proposals of marriage and a contract for 13 weeks of radio broadcasts.
If all this happened in the medal season, Nurse McGinley would win the Philadelphia Award and would almost certainly be elected the year's outstanding woman.

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