Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-19
MISS A. E. P1IPPS ONLY WOMAN
ATTACHED TO MIL ITARY STAFF
Director of Relations Holds
Unparalleled Honor
Among Sex.
Fair Official Also Disproves
Quips About Inability to
Keep Secrets.

A Washington woman fills a post
unparalleled in the world. This honor
is held by Miss Anita Evans Phipps.
who is the onlv woman attached to
the general staff of the War Depart
ment. and is officially termed director
Of women's relations.
The old quip about women not
being able to keep a secret falls fiat
in her case, for Miss Phipps declines
to divulge the progress or where
abouts of the study assigned to her
some time ago concerning the use of
women in the Army in time of ma
tional emergency. From other sources,
however. it has been learned that the
study recently left her hands and that
careful peruSal of her findings is
now being made by members of the
general staff. If and when the Army
decides to assign to wJmankind an
official part in the service. the matter
of recruiting and mobilizing the
female force. and whether they will
occupy regular or reserved status
will be gone into.
Born in the service herself, the
daughter of an Army officer. and with
Red Cross experience in the ranks
during the World War, Miss Phipps
brought to her task an appropriate
background She now has had sew.
eral years duty with the general staff.
Augusta Arsenal, Me-, is her birth.
place, and she lived in the service
until the retirement of her father,
Brig. Gen. Frank huntington Phipps,
in 1907. Gen. Phipps, who was an
officer in the Ordnance Corps, com.
manded at one time the Springfield,
Mass. Arsenal, and recommended the
use of the Springfield rifle.
Entered Service for War.
In the days before the war, Miss
Phipps said, she lived leisurely sort
of life. mostly golfing and riding
horseback. With Americas entry
into the conflict. however, she en-.
listed in the Motor Corps of the Red
Cross, having also been with the
home service section. She was later
appointed director of the Motor Corps
service of the Pennsylvania Delaware
division of the Red Cross.
She was in that position when she
met Mrs. John Casserly of San Fran
cisco, then director of womens rela-
tions in the War Department, who
prevailed on her to accept the post of
supervisor of Governors Island, N. Y.
From May l. 1920, Miss Phipps was
supervisor of women's relations for
the I'd Corps Area. Mrs. Casserly
resigned as director on March Is, 1921,
after years service, and Miss Phipps
was chosen to succeed her. The posi-
ton was created by Secretary of War
Baker, who wished to give women
some representation in the War De-
partment, in recognition of the part
they had played in the war. over 200
hostesses served with the Army dur
ing hostilities. but this number has
now dwindled to about a dozen, and
the II supervisors that held office
when Miss 2hipps was one, have now
been abolished
Miss Phipps is consulted in draw
ing up the policy of hostesses, their
requisite qualifications and duties.
Problems relating to women employed
by the Government and living on
Army reservations are directed to her
attention and she acts as medium
between Secretary of War Davis and
groups of women in civilian life. She
has recently taken over welfare
supervision of the War Department
employees in the Capital.
Although not suffrage worker in
the days before the nineteenth amend.
ment was adopted, she believes that