Evening star., 1938-01-30
|CARAWAY SPIRIT IMPRESSES
Woman Senator From Arkansas Has Perfected Herself Duties
of Legislator and Modesy Seeks Serve Both State
and Whole Nation.

Army, had time for 1t. but I had
to make sure I had the ability. And
worked! But when I entered nv
candidacy for the full six-year term
at the election in November, 1882,
it was because I had convinced my.
self I could do the job"
In that campaign it was only tho
LOB" that Mrs. Caraway stressed.
too! Never word about jefferson
or jackson, and never did I ask con-
sideration on account of my SEX" she
declared. She took up the various
issues that faced the country, ex.
planned where she stood with respect
to each, gave her previous voting
record and won out against the war
Governor of Arkansas, the Demo-
cratic national committeeman and
the former head of the American
Legion.
N ADDITION to the interests vital
to her own State, Senator Caraway
has been actively interested in social
| legislation. One of her most earnest
desires at the moment is to secure an
| amendment to the Social Security Act
that will equallze the Federal contri.
button to pensions regardless of the
amount contributed by the individual
State.
Il feel that as it now stands the
act is unfair to those American citi.
zens who live in States financially
unable to contribute very much to
the social security pensions" Senator
CaraWay explained. In rich States,
for instance, the State government
may be able to contribute as much az
SIS month, and the Federal Gov
eminent then matches this with SIS
OF Federal funds, under the act. This
means that citizens of wealthy States
may receive as much as $50, or If they
can pay more, $40 or $50 monthly
under the social security act. On
the other hand take a poor State,
like my own. Arkansas is unable to
contribute very much TO such PEN
slons-let us say that 81 per person
is all our State can manage. Under
the act. as now set up. the Federal
Government will match this sum,
making only So monthly available to
the citizen Of the poorer State. This
believe to be unjust. as each appli-
can't is equally citizen of the country.
"As an example, you might con-
slider two individuals, living within
stones throw Of one another. In
Texarkana. The one on the Texas
side Of the line might be enjoying
$50 month under social security,
while his neighbor on the Arkansas
side might be enjoying no more than
So. yet both are citizens of the United
States, with equal rights and privi-
leges theoretically. The amendment
I am seeking to put through will cor
rect this injustice"
Senator Caraway is also much in
terested today in the question Of
national defense. 1t is one of the
most important issues before the
country, she believes, and she Is heart
lily in accord with maintaining an
adequate national defense.
II am no militarist," declares this
Senator from Arkansas. II incline
rather to the pacifist side than to
the militaristic. Nevertheless, have
always said that by preparedness alone
can be avert great military catas-
trophies. I felt that way about my
two sons-Paul and Forrest, both Of
whom are ieutenants in the United
States Army. When they went to West
Point. felt that, while I certainly
did not want them to fight or to go
to war, knew that if war came they
would stand better chance of sur
viving if they were prepared, just as
this Nation stands better chance
for survival in proportion to its prepa-
ration and ability to defend ITSELF"
MRS. CARAWAY believes that as
times change so must We change
our national perspective, and our
ideas. "The Monroe Dostrine," she
declares, Cannot apply today. When
it was formulated certain conditions
existed that no longer exist. Today
science has practically annihilated
distance. We can no longer adopt
a policy Of isolation, nor blind our
selves to the fact that the whole world
is our neighbor in this advanced age.
We must change with the times or
suffer for our lack OF vision"
Not the least of the business that
occupies the time and attention Of
the busy staff that surrounds Senator
Caraway in the Senate once Build
ing is that growing out of the vast
quantities Of mail that are delivered
daily to her door. This legislator Is
the recipient of more mail than almost
any other Senator on the Hill. Not
only do the letters come. from her
own State Of Arkansas, but pour In
from every state in the Nation. And
by no means does all Of this great
amount Of correspondence deal ex-
clusively with such matters - one
might Judge to b the concern Of
the Nation or deal with Government
affairs. As Q matter Of fact-and
perhaps because she is . woman.
credited thereby with possession Of
q gentler heart than her male COL
leagues-it often deals with such
extraneous matters as birth and death
and marriage and divorce and love
and health, and, in fact, practically
every human experience. Glancing
through 1t, In fact. might one well
wonder II he had not got mixed up
somehow and fallen into the mailbag
of some columnist who had set him.
self to straighten out human affairs
in general.
One such human document came
from hopeful little lad who no doubt