Evening star., 1942-09-11
Wives in War Jobs
Told Draft Status Of
Husbands UnaItered
Hershey Clarifies Point
In Removing Mental
Barrier to Work

In an effort to bring more Young
women into vital war work, the War
Manpower Commission has obtained
a formal statement from Brig. Gen.
Lewis B. Hershey making it clear
that a husbands draft status will
not be affected by the wife's employ-
nlent in war industry.
A spokesman for the Manpower
commission stated that a large num-
Der OF trained women workers and
ones suitable for training, especially
young women, either had given up
JOBS or had not sought employment
for fear of Fastening their husband S
induction into the armed services.
Passage of the Servicemens De-
pendents Allowance Act with it's ac-
companylng statement that family
relationship rather than finances
would determine future dependency
deferments, it was explained, min
imized the chances that men whose
wives work would be taken before
men whose wives do not work, but
are capable of doing so.
Draft Boards Watch Situation.
Local draft boards, as a matter OF
TACT, nave indicated strongly that
they would think twice before con-
nnuing the deferment of man
whose wife gave up her job with the
Idea OF delaying his induction.
The number of young men without
dependents who are deferred from
military service for occupationsl
reasons was placed in excess of
1000 600. Many of those men, per
haps half of the ones now deferred
could be released for service If there
were women available to take the
Jobs, 1t was estimated.
The letter from Gen. Hershey
states:
The fact that wife works has
no significance whatsoever in apply
ing the provisions of the Service
mems Dependents Allowance Act of
ls42, In the expressed intent of
congress in passing that act. in
selective service regulations promul-
gated pursuant to the act. or in the
policies announced by the director
OF selective service in the amended
form OF memorandum to State di-
rectors.
The only respect in which q wife's
employment might become a factor
In the registrant's selective service
status Is in the computation of
financial dependency. This, how
ever, seems to be a relatively unim-
portant matter, since in a very sub
stantial number of cases, financial
dependency is eliminated by the pro-
vision of Title of the Servicemen's
Dependents Allowance Act.
Might Delay Induction.
Therefore, it would appear that a
working wife would not necessarily
accelerate the time at which a man
receives a call for military service,
either by quitting her job or de-
Ginning to accept job. On the con-
trary, married women who replace
single men in war industries pro-
long the deferment of married men
by exactly the number that they
release for military service"
The Manpower Commission esti-
mates that 5000 900 more women are
needed in war and essential work.
The number now employed is estl-
mated at 100000. This figure will
be raised to 100000 by December
OF this year. The overall gainful
employment Of women in the entire
country is placed at $4,000 900.
The Manpower Commission
spokesman emphasized the point
made by Gen. Hershey that the
greater number of women who get
employment in war industry will
release just that many more single
men for military service This would
postpone the date of the husbands
induction into the Army, 1t was
pointed out.