The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-05-30
Registering Women
By Frederick J. haskin

SSA 49, hAASA5h VIZ w NAA~aA OO---
mittee of the Council of National De-
tense. This means that at least 49,
600, 600 women are at the summons of
the government, in case of emergency,
to fill any one of long list of jobs,
ranging all the way from factory hand
to translator of foreign languages.
Twenty-seven states have completed
their registrations of women. Returns
in Michigan, the last of the q to con-
duct such survey of its women power,
are still coming in. Other states are
now ready to follow suit, but members
of the national committee have asked
them to defer their registration for a
couple of months, until a standard
method of conducting it can be selected
and endorsed.
For the value of such an index to the
nations feminine ability is just be-
ginning to be appreciated by the gov
eminent. Women stenographers and
clerks, for which there has been such a
sudden great need among government
departments, have been selected by the
hundreds from the state registration
list and brought to Washington. Bac-
teriologist and laboratory technicians
have also been obtained in this way.
Registration has also shown the lack
of trained women. In one small town
in Florida the register showed that for
every man called to arms there was a
trained woman in the to xn to take his
place, even to locomotive engineers.
But this is notable exception.
There is eyed shortage of women
trained in the pursuits commonly allot-
ed to women. Take trained nurses, for
example. 1t is beginning TO look now
as if there will not be nearly enough
trained nurses to go around. The same
is true of teachers, although the circum-
stances are different, and of dieticians,
clerks, dressmakers and social workers.
With the evidence of this lack of
feminine training at hand, the Wonan's
Committee of the Council of National
Defense has taken measures to provide
the training needed. Thus, when it
was learned some time ago that the
government was in need Of drafts
women, the women's divisions Of two
states arranged for courses in mechani-
cal drawing and drafting and found
students for them.
The Federal government is not the
only agency to profit from ls::rrregis-
tration of women. During the last
draft one city found itself in great
difficulties owing to the lack of a cleri-
cal force. The local woman's COM
mlttee was notified and within a few
hours number of women who had
registered for just such an opportunity
were on the job. They finished the
work in two days, although time limit
of five days had been given them. In
one state call for 100 social workers
was Immediately answered through the
medium of the registration cards.
Every imaginable form of service is
pledged by women registrants, ranging
all the way from the offers of WELT TODD
women to lend their house for hospitals
and convalescent homes to the young
married women of poorer circumstances
who offers to take back her job in the
factory to release man for the front.
An Illinois woman volunteered to
drive a baggage truck. In Kansas
Oity Polish woman said that she had
served as policewoman in Poland and
offered the same service here. The
next day this woman was sent to an-
other city in her state which employed
her in that capacity.
A typical instance of the value of
registration was furnished by one city
block in Boise. One woman living at
the end of this block said that she would
be glad to devote a certain number of
hours each day to Red Cross work. if
she had some place to leave her child
rem. This provision was instantly met
by calling in the services of neighbor
living few doors away who, as an ex-
kindergarten teacher, had registered to
care for children.
The enthusiasm of the foreign wo-
men is no less inspiring than that of
the American women. According to a
member of the Idaho Federation of
Women's Clubs. even the Hungarian
women in Idaho walked great distances
to register, offering their services to
the American government. In one for
eign colony Greek tailor closed his
shop and registered all the Greek wo-
men for the division. The Greek, the
Italian, Spanish and Chinese women are
performing valuable service in knitting
and hand sewing, at which most of
them excel. One Italian woman. bless
ed with eight children and only two
rooms, offered to take care of more
children belonging to women who had
to 60 out to work.
In one place the local registrar was
left somewhat speeches. when one
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