The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-07
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMAL
BUREAU
WOMEN WIRELESS EXPERTS.
Warrington. D. C

Rnges OF international importance
| would undoubtedly have given the
masculine element of the population
a turn" a decade ago. Even today
the young women in the capacity men
toned are regarded dubiously-by
those who know nothing OF wireless.
| Among radio experts. they are rapidly
gaining the reputation OF being first
class workmen.
Radio as a career for women is be-
| ing developed by means Of the Radio
Corps of which Mrs. Herbert Sum-
fner Owen is organizer and director.
| before the United States entered the
| war. Mrs. Owen describes herself as
a pessimist who for some time before
the war. had seen trouble brewing
and who believed even then that
| women would be needed in scientific
| work. A girl in whom Mrs. Owen was
| interested, by becoming interested In
wireless provided the impetus which
started the CORPS At first she studied
| by herself. but when she could go no
farther alone and applied for admis-
| sion to a class for advanced training,
she was told that radio classes were
not open to women.
Mrs, owen Investigated and argued,
| and finally convinced Mr.. Edward J.
Nally, vice president of the Marconf
company, that there was a demand
| for such instruction. 1t was he who
made possible the opening of the first
| Wireless Glass for Women" for he
| lent Mrs. Owen the necessary equip
| ment--costing about $500. Glasses
| In New York at Hunter college, the
Marconi Radio institute and the Y.
NJ. c. A. were finally opened to all
| women. The Marconi classes were not
for women alone-Mrs. Owen is
against that-but classes for men and
women. with the same opportunities
for both.
/
| The girls learned the code and tech
niQue\ Vas quickly as the men. They
then took the United States Bureau
OF Navigation test and rsceived
discovered that they were full Pledged
I workmen with nothing to do
These girls banded themselves into
. corps, and Mrs. owen came to
| Washington to tackle the war and
navy departments. In New York, she
said. were half a hundred girls. all
skilled operators and many of them
capable of teaching radio classes, re-
pairing apparatus, or engaging in
radio research. The urgent need for
| well known. Could not the govern
ment make use Of these applicants?
| At first the officers laughed. They
had amusing visions of young ladies
| repairing wires under fire at the
front Besides it was clearly written
| in the army law that men were to be
enlisted. with no provision for accept
! ing women. however clever. For the
time being they were rejected by the
] signal corps, but some time later the
kcorps reconsidered and sent for Mrs.
| Owen to come to Washington to a con-
| ference. The result of this was that
the signal corps accepted the services
Of the women as civilian workers I'M
4 der the signal corps.
Since then the chief problems to
be solved have been comparatively
simple. such as locating a head
quarters in crowded Washington. and
wear their uniforms. The uniform
proposition aroused agitation because
OF the alleged likeness of the cops
working clothes to the United States
| army uniform. As matter of fact,
the uniform is copied from that of
the British army with Sam Brown
belt, British cap, leather puttees,,
skirts being substituted for trousers.
AS the materials used are English and
the officers insigne is adopted from
the Rumanian army insignia with
consent of the representative of the
Rumanian government in this coun-
lary, the charge of copying the Aaeri-
| can uniform is unfounded.
The corps members held out for
Khaki uniforms because they could
not do their work properly nor COM
mand the same respect in civilian
dress. They argued that the effect of
4 a uniform on the people with whom
she comes in contact is almost as i'm
portant as the effect on the wearer-
a fact which is becoming a standard
argument in favor of uniforms for
workers. The army has been wary of
accepting the services of girls in uni
form lest the rurnor be started that it
was enlisting women. This fear was
somewhat increased in the case of
Il In 10 civ n iS-
tinctly military bearing rendered them
easily mistaken for a part of the army.
Il That girls must be 100 per cent
4 more efficient than the men they re-
place to gain recognition as radio
experts was the opinion of one officer,
who agreed to try out the girls. This
} difficult standard is being attained by
the corps because every member is
intensely interested in her work.
Otherwise their enthusiasm would long
ago have been dampened by the obsta-
cles placed in their way. Some have
been teachers of science in high
schools and colleges. others have
studied wireless with their brothers.
and still others had only latent ability
J whom the chance came; but in all the
desire to make good is strong.
Their present status is that of mem
bers of a private organization from
which they may be appointed by the
civil service and detailed to- duty
| wherever needed. Mostly the girls
are needed by the signal CORPS tho
one was used by the navy in an en-
listed capacity, and now some are be-
ing called to posts in the west.
The wireless code is the least part
of girls training for the work now
being done by the corps. None of the
!, members are employed as operators.
One OF the questions often asked by
. applicants for admissio1~to the corps
is whether she will be placed as a
radio operator on a battleship. This
is a hopeless aspiration. There are as
, yet no accommodations for women
radio operators on board any ship. In