Evening star., 1942-09-09
Press Wome e n
Fete Col. Hobby,
Comdr. McAfee
Speakers Outline
Aims of WAACS
And WAVES

Wishing to play no favorites. the
Woman's Press Club presented a
double -neader, with Col. Oveta Culp
Hobby and 1t. Comdr. Mildred H.
McAfee as star players at the club S
first meeting of the season yester-
day at the Willard Hotel.
Many varieties of women's uni
forms of military and volunteer
services were conspicuous, both at
the speakers table and among the
audience. The outstanding British
women's military organizations were
represented. as we'll as their Cana
dian counterparts. Uniformed mem
bers of the Army and Navy Nursing
Corps also attended. Miss Christine
Sadler, president, introduced the
speakers.
Clear-cut and concise, as would
befit an Army officer, Col Hobby
head of the Woman's Army Auxil
larry Corps, presented statistics anent
the growth of the WAACS. AT the
moment the WAACS are 2,063
strong" she said, "and we expect
to have trained altogether 10000
officers and auxiliaries by the end
of the year. BY May, 1943, we
expect to have reached $4,000, which
is the number specified blythe Presi-
dent
-Four companies, averaging $50
officers and auxiliaries, will be sent
abroad this year, Col Hobby added,
to serve with American expedl-
tionary forces. These companies
will be composed of radio communl-
cations experts and clerks.
when I see the women in train
Ing at Fort Des Moines," she con-
tinued, Il realize that they have
not lost one iota of charm. They
have proven conclusively that wom-
en- do not lose their essential status
as women by serving with the mill
tarv forces and under military dis
cipline. They zetain their charm.
The director of the WAACS
praised the high ideals which mo-
tiyated women in their applications
for admission to service. "Ihey
serve with duty and devotion she
said. They leave behind them pleas
IRE and comforts, highly paid jobs
and civilian amenities" Before the
war is over, she concluded, women
will be doing everything except
carry gun"
1t. Comdr. McAfee's celebrated
: wit ran true to form and the dlrec-
tor of the WAVES kept her audience
In chuckles throughout her lucid in
terpretation of the Women's Reserve
of the United States Naval Reserve,
as her branch of the Navy is for
mally known.
The WAVES program is already
ahead of schedule, she said, and
when the indoctrination and In
struction school for officer candl-
dates opens formally at Smith Col
leee on October 6, there will be 900
candidates at Smith College proper
plus an overflow" of 300 commut-
ing candidates at Mt Holyoke Col
lege in South Hadley, making total
of 1900 officer candidates in train
ing. The immediate goal is to create
a force of 10000 officers and enlisted
personnel. 8 1
'"The limits of women's usefulness
and inventive genius have not by
any means been reached in this
country" 1t. Comdr McAfee said
as she paid tribute to the fair sex
here and in Great Britain. 'It is
furthermore the hope of all of
us that we shall be able to catch
up with the mere shadow of what
our sisters in Great Britain have
achieved"
"One very gratifying aspect is the
high quality of the women who
apply for admission into the Wom-
ems Reserve" she concluded "If
Hitler only knew what he is up
against, he would resign right now!"