Evening star., 1942-10-10

and War Manpower Commissioner
Paul v. McNutt helping out with the
dishwashing and drying. There
they were, back of the sink, wear
ing aprons and what is worse, broad
smiles. They gave every indication
of enjoying the workout with the.
suds and dishcloths.
This picture is regrettable on two
counts.
In the first place, 1t is difficult to
figure how such a picture can pos
sibly serve as useful propaganda.
True, they were helping out In a
useful cause. the happiness Of cur
fighting men, but they have bigger
jobs to do.
Mr.. Nelson and Mr.. McNutt are
two of the key men in our effort.
and certainly have tasks far more
important than helping out in the
kitchen. Such pictures, If they ever
reach Russia or China, must make
our beleaguered Allies wonder just
how the Americans go about fight
ing a war. 1t is hard to picture
Stain or one of his right-ha6d men
posing for such a picture, no mat
ter how badly they wanted to see
to it that not plate went undried.
X X
But still more regrettable is the
effect that the picture is likely to
have on the American home. You
can bet months sugar ration that
already great numbers of American
housewives have used that photo
graph as talking point In getting
their husbands to leave their chairs
by the radio or to drop their news
papers and come into the kitchen
and help.
Can't you just hear the conversa-
ton?
Wife: John. come dry the dishes.
will you, please?"
John (who hasn't dried a dish In
10 years.: "Huh?'
Wife: Il said, come dry the
Dishes"
John: "Lissen, honey, I've had a
hard days work. I'm worn out.
And, say, what made you think of
that after all these years?"
Out comes the photograph of Mr..
Nelson and Mr.. McNutt behind the
sink. The wife exhibits it with great
pleasure.
Wife: Il know you've had a busy
day, John, and that you are tired
and would like to settle down with
the papers and the radio, but YOU
can't tell me that you work any
harder than Mr.. Nelson and Mr..
McNutt. After all, they have a lot
OF the war on their shoulders, and
If they can find time, you can. So
come into the kitchen, john"
There is nothing for John to do
but slip on the apron and start
washing and driving. If only Mr..
McNutt and Mr.. Nelson he'd frowned
while the picture was being taken,
had given some sign that they
didn't enjoy what they were doing.
But Mr.. Nelson is smiling as If he
had just learned that tank and
plane production was five times
higher than he ever thought 1T
could be, and Mr.. McNutt looks as
If he wouldn't swap dish washing for
day OF salmon fishing.
Give women a few more breaks
like this picture, and home won't be
safe Tor man. Suppose some
bright photographer gets the idea Of
swapping Vice President Wallace
mending clothes and he falls for 1t.
That will mean that husbands will
have to spend an hour or so after
dinner with the darning basket,
mastering the intricacies of sewing
on buttons and the proper grip on
the needle when basting slips on
the bias, if there is such maneuver
in sewing. z
Before long, husbands will be
sleeping in caves rather than 20 to
their homes and run the risk of hav.
ing to handle a washing machine.
whip up dinner for six or seven.
tidy up the upstairs, and do the
preserving and canning.
Come to think Of it. women have
lot to do at that. Just listing ALI
those various household tasks
makes our back ache a little. May
be they need little f1elpine-out.'
Okay, honey. Ill be right there
But wouldn't the dishes be just az
good If we let them drain? All,
right but you'll have to put them
away.