Evening star., 1942-11-14

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into training between now and New
Year will be instructed in aviation
mechanics and great recruiting
drive will be initiated to accelerate
enlistments, Mrs. Oveta Culp Hobby
WAAC director, announced yester-
day on her return from a three-week
Army inspection tour in England.
Throughout her press conference
Col. Hobby radiated enthusiasm and
the fresh inspiration of her many
new impressions. Although the en-
tire three-week trip had been stren-
uous, the WAAC director was her
usual immaculate self, looking rest
ed. well and superbly groomed.
"1n England almost every man
and woman Is in uniform" Col.
Hobby said. "It was a magnificent
opportunity to study at first-hand
the operation in full swing of the
machinery of woman's military
service. The WAAC in comparison
Is still an unproven fedgling in so
far as service in the field is con-
cerned. You cannot help but feel
humble In the face of an actuality
which Is only a goal on your own
horizon. The work of British women
Is inspiring!"
Mrs. Hobby flew to England three
weeks ago in the company of Mrs.
Franklin D. Roosevelt. She fenced
spontaneously with her interro-
gators regarding Mrs. Roosevelt's
present whereabouts, and divulged
only that. like Mrs. Roosevelt, she
had stood upon the white cliffs of
Dover and gazed on Nazi-occupied
Europe.
Trips Purpose Two-Fold.
Col. Hobby's tour OF England had
q two-fold purpose: To confer with
United States Army commanders
and to inspect installations of the
British women's military services.
She studied the ATS, Auxiliary Ter
ritorial Services, corresponding to
our WAACS, and the WAAFS, Wom-
ems Auxiliary Air Force, and visited
the WRNS, Women5s Royal Naval
Service. There are no American
WAACS companies on overseas
service largely because WAAC Off
GERS who have finished their train
at Fort Des Moines are remaining
there temporarily as instructors,
releasing Army officer instructors
for combat service.
In England the ATS fill 60 kinds
OF jobs and the WAAFS 81, Mrs.
Hobby explained. There are obvi-
ously great many things we can
do here, too, when we get the train
ing started" she said.
THE ATS start out by training
women in five fields, while we start
ed out with four fields" Progress
depends on instructing personnel
and training equipment. The Army
Is drawing up its requirements and
when that is completed I'VE will
know the picture for six or eight
months ahead" While the War
Department has not authorized new
training centerS In addition to those
in Des Moines and Daytona Beach,
Fla, Mrs. Hobby said she believes
additional centers will be needed"
There are today 7,442 women en-
rolled in the WAACS and on active
duty, she said. and an additional
1000 women indicted and on the
reserve list awaiting orders. This
backlog was built up in authorization
Of a second training center, which
will be opened December / In Day.
tona Beach. Asked whether recruit
ing is keeping up with WAAC per-
sonnel needs, Mrs. Hobby said:
Says Recruits Are Needed.
"My judgment is that we are not
going to have a backlog big enough.
We are about to begin recruiting
campaign for women. I don't be-
lieve there is any reluctance among
women to join the WAACS. In the
beginning we couldn't accept people
as fast as they wanted to join,
because we didn't have the training
facilities, and that sort of killed
off the impetus"
TWitted by newspaperman about
ell women wanting to be officers,
Mrs. Hobby shot right back:
mot any more so than the men.
I think the situation Is Just about
the same. Furthermore, I think 1t
is a good wholesome thing that
people want to be good enough to
be officers"
The director of the WAACS stated
that the goal is 1880 WAACS in
active service by. the end of this
year and 1880 by next March.
Legislation sets the limit at 10000.
Mrs. Hobby marvelled at the tech
nical efficiency of English women
manning mixed anti-aircraft bat
tertes.
"You have never seen anything
like the speed with which those
women calculated range of enemy
aircraft" she exclaimed. "On the
blackboards they figured out dis
tances so quickly you would think
they were all trained in mathematics
and science. 1t is extremely in
volved to do and is the sort of thing
you would never think woman
would be able to do. And yet the
girls were only youngsters, not more
than 18 or 10 years old"
There would be seven women at
the anti-aircraft machine, two at
the range-finder. and others at aux
Hilary equipment. The girls had
only received four weeks basic and
four weeks specialized training, Mrs.
Hobby said.
There are a great many women
In uniform in England" she con-
tinued," and saw very few men out
of uniform. 1t is just like big
armed camp. But in England you
are so close to the actual thing, that
you don't feel the need of civilian
clothes. You don't have time to
think of 1t. And after you have seen
what they have gone through in
England-men, women and chill
dren-you realize that those things
don't matter"
WAACS to Do Office Work.
Mrs. Hobby took with her spare
uniform. On arrival in England she
discovered she had no gloves, and
obtained a pair from an American