Evening star., 1942-02-08
By SHEILAH GRAHAM,
ny SnElLAn OnAnAW,
Correspondent Of The Star and North
American Newspaper Alliance.

Correspondent Of The Star and North
American Newspaper Alliance.
NEW YORK, Feb. It's it true
that most of the 100000 married
women who relinquished jobs in the
last 18 months were activated by
the desire to keep their husbands
on the deferred military service list
on the claim Of having dependents?
In the recent firecracker thrown
by Brig. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, ma
tional director of selective service,
he gave as his opinion that while
the reasons for the wholesale work
designations Of married women In
recent months could not accurately
be stated, it could be presumed
that the non-patriotic desire to
keep their mates from military serv-
ice was chief among them.
Married women, in jobs and out
OF jobs with husbands in the fight
ing services or with husbands in
civilian employment were with one
exception, unanimously indignant
when queried by this reporter on
the subject
Mrs. Milton Breslauer, who works
from $50 am to 6 pm. at the
Offices of the American Women's
Volunteer Services. told me that
while her husband is slightly be-
yond draft age, he is doing every
thing within his power to join the
Army or Navy.
Husbands Earning More.
IT think" said Mrs. Breslauer, who
Is pretty and blond, that Gen.
Hershey was misinformed as to the
reason for the half million women
withdrawing from jobs. Nearly all
the married women I know want to
do everything they can to help win
the war. Gen. Hershey's statement
Is an unfair reflection on American
women who are in most cases 100
per cent patriotic. It's much more
likely that the married women left
their employment because their
husbands were earning more money
and could afford to keep them at
home"
This reasoning was seconded by
an executive In the employment
bureau OF large store.
There have been more resigna-
tions Of married women in the past
1s months than previously" she
agreed. But a good many Of the
women have left because their hus-
bands have better Jobs. A lot have
resigned because of pregnacy. And
1t comes down to the same thing
during the depression they could
not afford to have babies. Now
with the men earning more money
they have decided that this is the
time to have q baby. The surpris-
ing thing is that most Of these
women who are going to have
babies, left us after service OF 10
years or more"
A married salesgirl in the same
store, with an Army husband who
was stationed at Nichols Field, near
Manila, told this reporter:
"The only wives know who have
given up their jobs have husbands
who are leaving the city, usually to
1dlQ d dU
But women are not giving up jobs
on a wholesale scale"
This girls husband has not been
heard from since the last week in
December. .-..s.. ..-...-.
Agrees with Gen. Hershey.
But Mrs. Helen Gardner, wife
of an Army officer and employed
by merchandising bureau, had q
different answer and one that
agreed with the premise Of Gen.
Hershey.
HE is absolutely right" she stated,
emphatically. II know many wom-
en- who have married solely to help
their husbands escape the draft,
and they have given up their own
jobs to make doubly sure. In the
dress market today it's almost i'm
possible to get a model; they are
all getting married and giving up
jobs. And this Is true in the fac
tories as well
ITS pretty bad, ! think. Here's
an instance Of how bad it can be.
I called up a girl know who had
given up her job recently when
she married, and I asked her to take
on AFRAID warden duties. She re-
fused, said she was too busy with
her hOuSeWork!"