Evening star., 1942-08-25
First Female AEF,
500 WAACs, 10 Sail
For England Soon
Fourteen Scheduled
To Be Sworn In
Here Today

Four companies Of WAGES. total
Ing 500 women, will be sent to serve
in England in the near future, Di-
rector Oveta Culp Hobby revealed
yesterday
The four companies, made up OF
WAACS familiar with Army admin
lstration, telephone and motor trans
port, will be followed by other COM
panies as soon as they can be train
ed. Mrs. Hobby indicated Date of
sailing will be military secret.
At the same time that Mrs. Hobby
disclosed plans for the first femi-
nine AEF in the history of the
United States, it was learned that
congressional leaders are planning
10 introduce revision of the
WAVES legislation to permit their
service abroad. At present. WAVES
are limited to service in continental
United States, mainly because they
are not liable to the disability COM
pensation permitted to Navy men
sent to fight abroad.
King Introduces Bill.
A bill already has been introduced
b. the House Delegate from Hawaii,
Samuel King, to permit WAVES to
serve in the territories of Alaska
and Hawaii, according to the office
OF Chairman Vinson of the House
Naval Affairs Committee. 1t is ex-
pected, however, that this bill will
be amended to permit WAVES serv-
Ice anywhere. with the Navy.
The four$ companies OF WAACS
will be offieered by women and fed
by their own cooks and bakers.
There will be chauffeurs for staff
cars. telephone and radio operators,
and other skilled WAACS who can
replace American soldiers serving in
non-tactical jobs.
Demand for the trained WAACS
for service abroad has been so in
sistent, 1t was learned, that sailing
OF the first group may not have to
wait for the graduation of the first
contingent of WAACS' auxiliaries,
scheduled November 9. The first
eff1cers will be graduated in Des
Moines Thursday. Many Of the
WAACS were highly trained in spe-
cial skills before they joined the
corps, it was indicated, and will re-
quire little but indoctrination in
struetion
13 Sworn in Here.
Here in the District 13 women, the
f1rst to be chosen as WAAC auxil-
iaries from this region, were sworn
In at noon today.
Mrs. Betsy S. Kutz, 29-year- old
daughter-in-law of Engineer Com
missioner Charles w. Kutz, was the
only married woman in the group.
The 13, and another auxiliary, Miss
Violette H. Powers. who was late
for the swearing-in ceremony at
the recruiting station, will leave by
train for Fort Des Moines tonight.
Mrs. Kutz is the wife of 1t. Col
Charles Randolph Kutz, who was
stationed at Fort Knox, KY, before
he went on foreign duty two months
ago. Mrs. Kutz laughingly indi-
Gated that her husband knew all
about her application as WAAC
auxlliaTE and thoroughly approved.
Most Federal Workers.
Most of the girls sworn in by 1t.
John A. Andre, assistant recruiting
officer, were Government secre :
taries. Miss Janet r. Kasdon, an
employe of the National Red Cross
until this morning. expressed pleas
ure at Mrs. Hobby's announcement
that companies of WAACs were to
be sent to England and perhaps
other foreign countries for duty
We'll go anywhere they send us. y
seconded Miss Margaret M. Hart
nett and Miss Doris Oehlberg.
Other auxiliaries sworn in were
the Misses Noreen A. McKusker,
Anne Smisko, ,.Lucie D. Marshall,
Mary E. Suran, Mary r. Drummer,
Ethel M. REYNOLDS. Elinor r. Ora