The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-18
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
FORM A TION
Blu REAU
cR EDEPIC 7 fHASEIN Director
LINING UP THE WOMEN.
Washington. D. c.


Washington, D. c., May 15.-More
than half the women in the country
are now registered for war service
thru the Woman's Committee of the
Council of National Defense. This
means that at least 100000 women
are at the summons of the govern
ment, in case of emergency, to fill
any one of a long list of jobs, ranging
all the way from factory hand to
translator of foreign languages.
Twenty-seven states have complet-
ed their registration of women. Re
turns in Michigan, the last of the
twenty-seven to conduct such survey
of its woman power, are still coming
in. Other states are now ready to
follow suit, but members of the ma
tional committee have asked them to
defer their registration for a couple
of months until a standard method of
conducting it can be selected and en-
dorsed.
For the value 4of such an index to
the nations feminine ability is Just
government. Women stenographers
and clerks, for which there has been
such sudden great need among de-
partments, have been selected by the
hundreds from the state registration
lists, and brought to Washington.
Psychologists and laboratory tech
nicians have also been obtained in this
way. The services of many profess
sional women of high ability have
been procured thru registration.
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
town to take his place, even to loco
motive engineers. But this is a nota-
BILE exception. In general. women are
willing. but they don't know how to
do anything.
There is even a shortage of women
trained in the pursuits commonly al
iotted 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.
circumstances are different, and of
dieticians, clerks, dressmakers and So
cial workers.
With the evidence of this lack of
feminine training at hand. the wo-
mans 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
draftswomen, the women's divisions of
two states arranged for courses in me-
chanical drawing and drafting and
courses are also being offered women
that they may fill the demand for Of
flee executives-position formerly
filled to a great extent by young men
of draft age. And everywhere women
with no responsibilities are being per-
suaded to enter training schools for
nurses.
The federal government is not the
only agency to profit from this regis
Etration of women. During the last
draft, one city found itself in great
difficulties owing to the lack of a cler-
ical force. The local woman's COM
mittee was notified. and within few
hours a number of women who had
registered for just such an opportunity
were on the job. They finished the
work in two days, altho a time limit
of five days had been given them. In
one state, a call for one hundred So
cial workers was Immediately answer
ed thru the medium of the registration
cards.
If registration were valuable for no
other reason, it would have proved its
merit by showing the tremendous 10y
| atty of American women, which often
| borders on the quixotic. 1.-The spirit
| of the women is certainly an inspiring
thing" says the chairman of the Mon
| tana division. "A letter I have just
| received today from one woman Of
/ fers any service she can render. She
wants to know at this time where she
could be used. She would like to have
| time to break a team of horses to sell.
She will even sell her farm if neces-
sary"
Every imaginable form Of service is
pledged by women registrants, ranging
all the way from the offers of well-to-
do women to lend their houses for hos
pitfalls and convalescent homes to the
young married woman of poorer cir
| meta M yry6 off 70 FOL ~. \,
her job in a factory to release a man
for The front. An Illinois woman vol
unteered to drive a baggage truck. In
| Kansas City a Polish woman said that
she had served as a policewoman in
| Poland and offered the same service
here. The next day this woman was
sent to another city in her state, which
employed her in that capacity.
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 tc devote a certain num-
Der of hours each day to Red Cross
work If she had some place to leave
her children. This provision was in.
stantly me; by, calling in the services
or neigEhcr living few doors away
| VINO, as an ex-kfndergarten teacher
mad registered TO care for children.
The enthusiasm of the foreign wo-
men is no less inspiring than that of
the American women. According tn a
member of the Idaho Federation of
Womens clubs. even the HUNGARIAN
women in Idaho walked great dis
tances to register, offering their ser
vices to the American government. In
one foreign colony a Greek tailor
lclosed his shop and registered all the
Greek women for the division. The
Greek women. as well as the Italian
Spanish and Chinese women are per
forming valuable service in knitting
and thanksgiving. at which most OF
them excel.
One Italian woman, blessed with
eight children and only two rooms