Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-22
Miss Loretta Walsh, in Natty Uniform, Wearing
Cutlass and Automatic, Bubbling Over
With Patriotism
BY M'LISS

y fearsome Cutlass on one hip. a forty
hre-cal Der Colts automatic on the other
her tssome form encased rigidly in q
snappy dark blue serge uniform with the
cheVroh of her rank on her arm. heels
fiat ones--clicked together in military fash
ion. tiny hand with nicely manicured nails
placed daintiy and respectfully at her TEN.
pie. Miss Loretta Walsh. e. T. o. l.. $. y
X. f.. salutes you.
Or rather she will salute you thuSly
should you chance to go in the recruiting
station at the United States Naval Home.
F'itzwater street and Grays Ferry road.
In the meantime. this twenty-year-old
girl the first woman naval officer IN the
world, SO far as is known did her hest to
ooN patriotic today, awaiting the arrival
OF / cr uniform, in a costume that was white
of blouse. blue of skirt and red of tie.
No blusning bride ever wrote Mrs" be-
fore her name for the first time with
greater pride than Miss Walsh suffixes the
alphabetical array which. since yesterday
afternoon. when she became member of
the yeomen service, she has been entitled
to tack onto her name. II stands for chief
petty officer. United States Naval Reserve
Force. and given the same qualifications of
Miss Walsh-that is to say, perfect health
and a competent knowledge of stenography
or bookkeepng-it is a suffix that YOU o. T.
by the mere signing of a paper-and swear
ing the truth about our AEGEAN acquire
I'm so excited about it all" Miss Walsh
put back some stray dark brown locks
locks which soon are to be confined under
neat officers cap--casped her hands
ecstatcaily and while couple of adorng
"jackies' looked on spellbound told how IL
came about that the signal honor of being
the first woman in the navy service came
to her
YOU see I've been corresponding secre.
tary OF the Woman's Branch of the Navy
an at ila laI, H.
handled a good deal of Lieutenant Payne's
correspondence Being amid this atmos-
phere has just sort of imbued me with the
sense OF patriotism. | really tried to vol.
unteer before Secretary Danies's order ad-
mitting women was received, put Lieutenant
Payhe dld not swear me in until yesterday
afternoon, Before ! was sworn, however
Or, L. II. Noble. navy surgeon. and Miss
Martha Prlngle, head nprse, examined me
sahu round me perfectly healthy and so .he
physical qualifications were met with.
am to have charge OF the recruiting
mere, she continued in sparkingly happy
iashion, but of course, there are plenty OF
other shore jobs open to the other women
whom we expect to enlist There are in
Vulnerable clerical jobs held now by men.
and there are jobs in the supply stores
which women could fill, There will be
plenty for us to do on land I am sure we
won't get the opportunity to go to sea"
this regretfully-'in fact I've already dis
covered that there's a law forbidding women
on the United States navy boats that are
under way
Gut, say the responsibility of this uni
form business :" she grinned impishly You
see, being the first I've been consulted about
1t, and, of course, ! don't want to be catty
and get something that's just becoming to
me. I've got to think of all the women who
are coming after. But | don't want 1t to be
dnbecoraing to me either"
II tho uniform Is developed al Miss Walsh
has generously conceived II. il should set
on be Hltchingy the charms of blonde and
brunette. giantess and midget. alike. The
cap will be smart peaked one. exactly
like Lieutenant Commander f. r. Payne
wears The jacket of dark blue midnight
serge, with skirt to match, will be built on
trg Norfolk lines. The chevrons consist
ing OF three bars with the letters C. p, O.
placed over crossed quilts = the insignia
OF the clerical work-will be placed on the
arm. The outstanding collar will insure
an aggressive "chn-out" posture that the
feminine recruits might otherwise lack
Think of the cutiass and the automatic
Miss Walsh jubilated. II don't know what
I'm TO do with them, whether I'm to in
tlnidate laggard applicants, or TO use them
for more pacific purposes, but it's mighty
gool SPORT having 'em anyway"
At this point in the conversation Miss
Walsh stuck out a petite pair OF neatly
gathered. French-heeled number threes. /
should say.
They have to 60" she said ruefullv.
'uat was one OF the first orders given me-
fat, lnanntsh, sensible shoes Oh, well. the
cutiass VIII more than make up for them.
And what do you think? Just what do
you think ?" she asked breathlesalx .;,You
know IN addition 10 my pay ana nv
nni50rn Anp my daily ratIons slicwinos