Evening star., 1941-03-09

The camp hostess signaled to a
girl drifting toward the male side
of the room.
Now, girls, just stay in line" she
admonished.
Then the orchestra of enlisted
men started There's Something
About a Soldier A sergeant-major
brought his hands together in
wide sweep and the girls and men
met halfway across the floor.
The first "draftee" dance had
begun.
A Rush to Serve.
A few hours before, the first-floor
corridor of the District Building
had been crowded with registrants.
Government girls, few minutes
walk from their typewriters, were
photographed, interviewed over the
radio, asked to estimate their dane
ing ability.
The oldest age given by any of
the $50 who registered was As. One
was the mother of child of IL,
others were in their teens. Some
wore sweaters and skirts. One was
gowned in black satin.
First to register was blue-eyed
Mary Lee Jones, an employe of the
Social Security Board, who said, in
answer to questions, that she was
5 feet 3, ia pounds and 81 years old.
No. l58 was Burnetta Hutchinson, a
Wage and Hour Division employe,
who, by a photographer "coinci-
dence," was interviewed by Mrs.
Mildred c. Bell, mother of Harry
Robert Bell, No. 158 in the District
draft.
Answers came quickly except on
age and dancing ability. Twins,
interviewed at the same table, held
up proceedings to agree on joint
age.
Soon the first hundred girls were
herded into the board room of the
District Building.
Elevators Ignored in Bus Rush.
The registrants had been told they
could go to lunch before leaving for
the cantonment but none of them
went. In the board room, they were
given tags and told to write their
names on them. When the call
came to board the buses, the girls
didn't wait for the elevators. They
ran down five flights of steps to
the street and rushed to the buses,
ignoring slush underfoot and rain
overhead
Then they were at the yellow,
frame hall, with the eyes of 80
men on them. 1t was long walk
from the entrance to the other end
of the hall where they shed coats
and galoshes.
After the dance was underway:
why is everybody dancing at this
end?" a girl wanted to know.
The soldier pointed to the other
end of the hall.
The officers are up there"
Men Chosen for Merit.
He volunteered that the men had
been chosen for inertia matter of
neatness and being able to converse
without using vulgar language"
He pointed to a young man smiling
down at his drafted dance partner.
The sergeant major had brought
them together.
He doesn't like to dance. He'd
rather be detailed to pick and
shovel" the soldier conflded.
Cookies and cocoa were served just
before the third busload of volun-
teer dance partners arrived.
An officer stood on chair and
blew whistle.
"You girls eat and give the others
a chance to dance" he shouted.
AS the fresh crew of, girls entered
the hall, the veterans of an hours
dancing and their escorts protein
watched them file in. The number
of wallf1owers ranged around the
hall increased.
Colonel NOncOmmital.
An officer hurried up to Col. o.
H. Saunders, commanding officer of
the cantonment and the 18th In
fantry. He wanted to know what
time to end the dance.
The colonel refused to say.
do you want all those women
down on me?" he demanded.
Whatever their sentiments at