Evening star., 1940-08-18
Personal and 1mpersonal
Mrs. Helen Noodle Finds Women
Eager to Discuss Defense
BY FRANCES LIDE,
Womens Club Editor.


The tremendous response wom-
en- have made to appeals for
aid in volunteer war relief work
Is matched by their interest in
our own problems of national
defense, Mrs. Helen Noodle,
vice chairman of the Speakers
Bureau of the Red Cross Roll
Call Committee, believes.
BY way of example, Mrs.
Noodle mentioned a group of
Treasury Department women,
doing Red Cross work, whom
she addressed last week She
found that while their fingers
worked for the war wounded
and refugees the women's talk
centered on our own defense
program.
They asked me where they
could meet, just to talk over
the problems that perplex them"
she said. Most of them have
children, and they wanted to
know, for one thing, what they
should teach their children
now.
But most of ALL" she added,
"these women want to have their
own morale sustained. They
seem to realize their RESPONSE
bility to uphold the spiritual
roof of the home, so to speak,
and they want to be prepared"
Favor Discussion Groups
On National Defense.
Many who have not hith-
erto taken part in organization
work are anxious for discussion
groups on national defense, Mrs.
Noodle believes.
A further indication of wom-
ems concern over today's emer-
gency problems is the large
number who have crowded the
Senate galleries during debate on
the selective service bill, she
thinks.
She also mentioned the keen
interest a summer study group of
the Woman's National Demo-
cratic Club has shown in a sum-
mer series of talks by authorities
on various phases of defense. The
amazing part of the program has
been the attendance which has
grown with each wednesday
morning meeting" she declared.
Defense Problem Has
Its Humorous Angles.
But there is a slightly humorous
side to even SO grave problem
as national defense.
Maj. Lewis B. Hershey, eXecu-
tive officer of the joint Army and
Navy Selective Service Committee,
who recently discussed selective
service in detail before this same
Democratic study group, disclosed
one human interest angle.
Proposals for the registration
of men, between 81 and 80 years
OF age, for possible military con-
scription have prompted letters
from several young women who
hope the act, if passed, will turn
up some young husbands who
have been sort of A. w. o. L., he
limited.
The majors Office also has been
IN correspondence with a few
young men seeking advice on
wedding arrangements. One
prospective bridegroom, for in
stance, who planned to be mar
ried in September, wondered If 1t
would be to his advantage to
move the date up to August.
Others, not so optimistic, won-
der if they should marry at all.
Mrs. Stiles Cast on
Other Side in Interview.
It is still a little surprising to
Mrs. Grace Brown Stiles to find
herself granting interviews in
stead of receiving them.
Prominent in Women'S legal
organizations here, Mrs. Stiles
was the subject of a number of
newspaper stories when she was
appointed Assistant United States
Attorney for the District several
years ago She also is featured
frequently at teas and club meet
4ngs.
Recently during a quiet visit
IN Charlotte, N. c., it was found
her fame as a woman Of
achievement had gone before
her when representatives of the