Evening star., 1942-08-23
Former D. G. Teacher Says
Women Can Speed Victory
Must Free Men for
Acfive Service Nov,
Mrs. KoL Believes
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.
Women Of the Allied Nations have
1t within their power to help bring
about an early victory, in the opin-
ion Of Mrs. A. Leon Koyl, former
Washingtonian who was decorated
for her public service to Canada, her
adopted country, by the late King
George v, father Of the present
King Of England.
But we can do this" she said in
an interview, "only by disciplining
ourselves to take on any task within
our power, no matter how humble it
is, that will free man for the active
service we women cannot perform.
And that is the principle on which
this tall, fair-haired public-spirited
woman is handling the innumerable
war activities she has assumed in
addition to her civic responsibilities
in western Canada.
Once a teacher in the District
public schools, Mrs. Koyl is back in
her girlhood home at 1861 Eight
eenth street, NV, visiting her
father, Frederic A. Eckstein, who
was postmaster of the Senate for %
years before his retirement from
government service.
A resident of Saskatoon, Sas-
katchewan, Canada, since 1912,
when she went there as bride,
she is leader in many of the prom
inent women's organizations of
Canada. AS member of the
Daughters Of the Empire, president
of her local chapter of the Victorian
| Order of Nurses, one of the organ
izers and first president of the Wo-
mems Hospital Auxiliary of Saska-
toon, chairman Of its Parent Teach
ers' Association and of its Educa-
tional Committee of the Council of
Women, she has acquired first
hand knowledge of the civic and ed
ucational responsibilities now vested
in the women Of her province.
From the background of this
broad experience, she believes that
women function most efficiently
through well-organized local groups,
that stem from strong central set
ups, and that this is as true of
women's war endeavors as it is Of
their time efforts.
Varied groups of Mrs. Koyl's
Washington friends still remember
her by her maiden name Of Joseph
inc Eckstein. They thing Of her as
their fellow graduate of the Central
High School. and of the old Wash
ington Normal School, now Wilson
Teachers College, and as a CO.
student with them in George WASH
ington Universitys school of edu-
cation, as we'll as an associate teach
er in Washington public elemen-
tary schools. Hers was an across
the-border romance, for it was dur
ing a summer vacation at Muskoka
Lakes, Canada. that she met A. Leon
Koyl, the young Canadian who
became here husband. and is now
one of Sakatoon's prominent in
vestment brokers and a man Of in
fiuence in his province.
Their three sons, all of whom have
made frequent trips to their Wash
ington grandparents, are in as many
branches of Canada's overseas fight
ing units. Leon. jr., is captain
in the headquarters staff of the
Royal Canadian Medical Corps:
Jack, is a subleftenant, Overseas
service. lent to Royal English Navy
for the duration. and Donald, the
youngest, Is pilot officer in Can
ada's Air Corps.
From her viewpoint as mother
and worker with Canada's Empire
Services Auxiliary, which compares
to our United Service Organization
groups, she is convinced that putting
women's groups into uniforms in war
time 'is definite asset
Even II the uniform consists SIM
ply Of an arm band on woman s
sleeve" she declared, ut is an asset
- Z distinguishing insignia to q
sefvaceman. Il not only puts him