Evening star., 1942-05-16
Women Rush
To Sign Up
In w. A. A.
More Than $50. 900
Authorized Have
Applied for Service
BY LOUIS M. LYONS.

American girls can be in the Army
now and many thousands of them
are waiting the first call to volun-
teer for the Women's Army Auxili-
ary Corps. Even before the Presi-
dent signed the bill, many more ap-
piled for enlistment than the 10000
authorized by the legislation.
Il can shoot >. I can cook I
lost brother on Bataan my
brothers are too young and some
one in the family should join the
colors d. . l can drive truck I
have no dependents :. Ever since
December 7 I have wanted active
service" was what American women
by the thousands wrote to Army
officials.
Some of these will not have long
to wait. The Army is ready to an
nounce program for organizing
an initial volunteer corps A DASH
ing, 36-year-old Texas woman, Mrs.
Oveta Culp Hobby, has been Sc
lected to lead the Women's Auxii-
airy Army Corps with the rank and
pay of major. She will be called a
director.
Staff Warning Centers.
In signing the bill, President
Roosevelt said the organization will
be limited to 5000 at present. The
actual quota for this year already
announced by the Army is 12,200-
so companies in nine Army Corps
areas. The Army's immediate OBJ
jective for the first units of the
corps is to staff the aircraft warm
ing service centerS of the country.
Some of the services the general
staff has stated it expects to assign
the Women's Corps are hostess jobs.
laundry work, cooking, dietician,
library and pharmacist work, well
fare duties. post exchange jobs and
all sorts of clerical and Office ma
chine operator work. A certain num-
ber of specialists in electrical, radio
and motor repair work will be used,
as well as auton obile drivers.
Needed on Remote Stations.
The Army doesn't intend to cut
out any present civil service work.
ers. What it wants the Women's
Corps for mostly is on remote sta
tions where it has been hard to get
and keep civilian employees. Harbor
defense stations and camps far
from towns are the kind of posts the
Army has in mind where women
volunteers will be billeted to release
soldiers for combat duty.
Women between the ages of 21
and As years will be accepted. CThe
British let in girls Of 49, The VOL
unteers must pass physical exemina-
tions, bear evidence Of excellent
character, know their jobs and be
free of dependents. They can be
married and may be mothers-but
they can't enlist if their families
are dependent.
Mrs Hobby, with a staff organiza-
ton of her own within the War De-
partment, is a woman of extraordi-
nary capacity and talent, and a
magnetic personality.
Has Two Children.
A list of her executive positions
in Texas is impressive and her book
Mr.. Chairman" is the textbook of
the Texas and Louisiana schools on
parliamentary procedure.
She has a boy 10 and a girl
years old. Her husband is former
Governor of Texas.
Mrs. Hobby is following the prece-
dent of British experience in devot-
ing attention first to a satisfactory
uniform for her corps and is follow
ing the advice of Maj. Gen. Jean
Knox who commands the auxiliary
territorial service.
Gen. Knox says, II felt woman
would never do job well if she felt
dowdy. In the last war the skirts
were ungainly, bell shaped. I had
them remodeled. Now our women
have four -gored skirts. and camp
tailors see that the tunic shoulder
line is raised and sleeves shortened
and a more generous wrap-over al
lowed at the fastening. Overcoats
are beltless because they are more
becoming that way"
Soldiers Fussy, Too.
It's all right to laugh. But ask
tailors in our camp towns how much
American boys spend to have their
issue uniforms remodeled for a natty
fit. 1t isn't only the women who are
more effective if they look their best.
Hair-dos with our w. A. A. C.
probably will be as individual as the
British, provided they don't hang
over the collar.
Gen. Knox has approved this rule
on lipstick, posted at Reydon, Eng
land:
Since our nurses are expected to
nurse their patients, not necessarily
to kiss them, their lips are their own
business"