Evening star., 1943-01-05
Mrs. Bolton Tells
COP League of
WAAC Duties
Ohio Representative
Praises W0men'S
Spirit of Unity
Bv Gretchen Smith.

"
How the WAAC members respond
to drill discipline and a variety OF
duties at the training center at Fort
Des Moines, Iowa, and some Of the
problems that have arisen in de-
veloping the "women's army were
described in a talk by Representa-
tive Frances P Bolton Of Ohio
yesterday before the League OF
Republican Women.
Speaking at the leagues weekly
meeting at the club headquarters,
1912 Rhode Island avenue NV,
Mrs. Bolton declared that 1.-The spirit
of unity and the things these women
are learning is wonderful"
She told how women from every
walk of life had been dumped into
the kettle and stirred around"
creating an organization which will
aid in releasing men for combat
duty and which will have a lasting
effect upon the life of the Nation.
For the first time in history
women of every sort and description
are responding to discipline and are
doing things together" she said.
land in my opinion that is going to
have far-reaching results
Tells of Foot Trouble.
A humorous note was injected into
Representative Bottoms talk, as she
described some of the problems
confronting officials commanding
the WAAC.
Feet have been among the
greatest trouble" she commented.
The girls arrive on hlgh-heeled
sandals and within TWO or three
days they are limping around on
low-heeled brogans. At first they
find the hose too coarse, so try to
wear their own finer ones. The
result is the shoes rub, and even
tually slight infection occurs
which means the WAAC is laid up
for a few days which she doesn't
like and which is a waste Of time"
Considerable laughter followed
the speakers description OF cloth
ing distribution to the WAAC by
hard boiled Army sergeants to
whom bras and undies are very
serious problem
I'VE should all study the WAAC
garments and follow their pattern
ourselves" she added. They have
been worked out scientifically with
a great deal of courage by men"
WAAC clothing has been a serious |
problem to the commanding officer
at Fort Des Moines, the Ohio Repre-
sentative continued, the particular |
difficulty centering on the motor
corps.
BottleneCk Still Clothes.
THE bottleneck is still clothes,
she continued. The commanding |
officer could not get breeches for |
the motor corps until he took them
from the men. Then he did not
know what to do about clothing |
from the knees down, as he was not
allowed boots or leggings for the
corps. He thought Of golf SOCKS
so ordered several hundred pairs, |
but when they came they were many .
sizes too large. He finally solved
the problem by boiling the SOCKS.
The socks were reduced one SIC .
for every hour they boiled Boiled
socks are now part of the motor |.
corps equipment Mrs. Bolton said
smiling.
Explaining that the WAACS in
cluded women who have been ste /
nographers, mattresses, cooks, women
who have run their own businesses, |
and women whose men are at the |
front, Mrs. Bolton recalled an un-
foreettable scene at the WAAC |
barracks at Fort Des Moines with |
a former Judge of a municipal
court peeling potatoes with two
young girls who I do not believe
were even native-born Americans"
Representative Bolton told how
the WAACS drilled on grounds in
a sea of mud without a word OF
complaint, adding that they drill
marvelously."
There are 5000 of them at Des
Moines now she said, with Soo
newcomers each week. The next
six months will tell the story OF
what these women can do to win the
war and to help build the peace.
Praises Cooks and Bakers.
She paid high tribute to the cooks
and bakers group who, she said. In
cluded girls and women who had
asked that that be the last duty
assigned to them.
They are proud to be cooks and
bakers now" she added lhelr
commanding officer sold them the
idea that an army fights on its
"tummy." and they are now doing
the work with smiles
The speaker predicted that the
WAACS would be valuable contribu-
tors to the reconstruction work In
the postwar world.
"I can't help but feel that all
these auxiliaries are going to have
an aftermath so great we can't con-
ceive of it. Women will be all over
the world after the war. They can
not send unframed and undiSclplln-
ed groups of women to do the work
and there will be an endless field
for WAACS after the battle is over
and the smoke has cleared away
Mrs. Bolton, who has just returned
from a three weeks visit across the
continent which carried her to San
Francisco, Los Angeles and cities OF
the West and Middle West, spoke
optimistically of the war spirit
which prevails throughout the coun-
try.
The war is everywhere" she con-
cluded. The officers and men with
whom I spoke have no illusions
about this war. Their one idea is
to get into the fight and finish it."
A business meeting preceded Rep
resentative Bottoms talk with re-
ports by committee chairmen. Mrs,
Cloyd Heck Marvin led in sing
ing America" and the salute to the
Ror u-oc U,yoy h,, Mrc Tpro,pc I