US Presidency
1942

In another sense, however, it was a leisurely trip, because I had the opportunity to talk to the people who are actually doing the work management and labor alike on their own home grounds. And it gave me a fine chance to do some thinking about the major problems of our war effort on the basis of first things first. As I told the three press association representatives who accompanied me, I was impressed by the large proportion of women employed doing skilled manual ( work ) labor running machines. As time goes on, and many more of our men enter the armed forces, this proportion of women will increase. Within less than a year from now, I think, there will probably be as many women as men working in our war production plants. I had some enlightening experiences relating to the old saying of us men that curiosity inquisitiveness is stronger among woman.