New-York tribune., 1918-10-30
American Women
Are Needed atOnce
In Munition Plants
Demand Has Not Been Met
by Sex Here as in Other
Lands, Is Statement
Knitters Have Excuses
"Soldiers Nexd Guns More Than
Sweaters" Is Appeal From
One Concern

One hundred Anne erican women a eaS
between now and Christmas are needed
by single firm to mako the munitions
with which to carry on this war-and
these women apparently are not forth
coming. This was the statement made
by Miss J. L. Allen, head of the
~omens division of the du Pont de
Ncmours employment department yes
tcrdsy.
"Of all the women employed in our
plants so per cent are British, rs per
cent French, 10 per cent from other AL
lied countries and tho remaining is
per cent native Americans. We arc
more than anxious to get American
women 70 WORK for us, and it is my
Job to try to obtain them; but eighty
Eve out OF every hundred either want
purely executive positions, insisting on
their ability to fill them, or else tell me
they are afraid they wouldn't like the
work, that they don't want to live away
from home, that they weren't brought
up to work in factorics-anything cx
ccpt that they recognize tho urgent
necessity of making munitions and arc
willing to help their country by doing it,
Insist on Patriotism
"Yct these same women are busy
rolling bandages and wrapping up
cakes Of chocolate TO send to the men
at the front. l often ask them which
would help them most If they were face
to face with all armed encmy-a cake
of chocolate, a knitted sweater, a
bendage or loaded gun? The answer
is obvious. 1t is evident that the next
most important thing to fighting Ger
mans is making the stuff our soldiers
must have to fight with. And yet
can't seem TO make them feel enough
interest to take the jobs in the muni-
tion factories. And that means that so
far in this war the men are growing,
are learning, are reaching UP in their
ideals to something higher than they
ever saw beforehand the women are
not.
"Already. because of this indif-
ference, the Federal authorities are
talking Of measure that will provide
for the drafting Of women to make
munitions as the men were drafted to
go to France.
Teachers Have Chances
eve use women in our plants in the
granulating of the powder and the
making OF caps and tracer bullets. In
the French fuse works we have nearly
all French women as employees. We
need women, too, to take the tenn
perature of the water in the tanks
where the powder is soaked. School
teachers are unusually we'll suited to
this work.
For the distilling and weighing Of
ether we would like college girls.
There is real opportunity for girls here
who have majored in the sciences.
"And there is opportunity, too, for
the girl we call the fifth whcel-the
American Peer Gynt the young
an artist and is not very successful.
The age limits are from eighteen to
forty; and no one who has been op-
Grated on within the year should at
tempt to work where there is ether
cvaporating, because it is likely to be
sickening in its effect For those who
have never had it administered to
them however, it is not at all harmful.
There is adequate provision for all
the needs of our women employees. We
have matrons and welfare workers.
v ". C. A huts, weekly dances. NOV
Ing picture shows twice week, even
ing school and plenty of other good,
wholesome recreation. The women
must pass a rigid physical examination
and are kept under medical supervision
during the period of their employ
ment-0
Stay Open After War
In answer to the question that is not
becoming so usual, What will become
of them if the war should end i'm
mediately!" Miss Allen replied that to
tho best OF her knowledge the plants
will con tinue in use after peace is de-
clared-
They will be turned into dye works
and factories for the making Of paint,
leather. ether for medical use and com
mercial dynamite.