The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-07-02
'STEPSSTERS
OF ARMY YEAR
OLD This MONTH
TREATMENT ACCORDED NEW
ORGANIZATION IS DIsAp.
PoIETMENT TO THEIR
BAcKERs
hses y
By JACK sTIsEETa0g
AP Features WriedrEll |

~ July 81 M
sfep-sixters Of the Army are
year old this month and in s1it.
81 neir. Phenomenal record, theil
treatment al the hands OF tn,
Army still IS a great disappoint
rnent 70 those who have backed
them from the start.
The Women's Army Auxiliar,
Corps was first established il
May. 1872. with a set limit Of
5000 They were not TO b,
members Of the regular Army
subject Ia benefits. actual Arm,
ratings, overseas service, etc.
which applied 10 the men ir
training.
Within a few months, the
value Of the service was SO ap-
parent mat the legal limit was
raised Skiold TO 10000. After
nesry IL months. less than hall
81 that quota Tor only 10000
WAAC officers and noncommis-
stoned perSonneD are in train
ing or IN service.
Mere infants compared to the
WAACs are the WAVES, SPARs
and the Wonaen's Marine Corps
Auxiliary, yet these services al
ready have enlisted a far greater
percentage of the total male
personnel than the Army. The
women an the naval services,
however. have the same ranks,
pay. benefits. and spheres of ac-
iion that the men IN their re-
spective services have.
Where the fault in the WAAC
situation lies is hard TO say. Or
file Al Army headquarters here
are mote than half million re-
quests for WAACs to supple
nsen. and supplant the Army's
nsnpower. An Army officer
returned from overseas told me
recently that overseas generals
have requested assignment of
nearly 10000 women TO overseas
dIyislOns-neaTly one-third of
the tota1 now in service or in
tralning-yet only a few so far
have Teen assigned outside the
boriers-of the continental Unit
ed STATES.
WAACs are being given train
ing which would equip them for
service IN combat areas. although
no. Of course, as combat troops.
They are being taught the ure
q Smallarms, machine guns, anti
aircraft guns and how to protect
themselves in personal combat
BY jiu-tstsu.
Rep Edith Nourse Rogers, OF
Massachusetts,, who sponsored
the firsf WAAc bill. has an
nOunced~ others are coming up
soon 10 make the girls full
fledged- members of the Army,
with ali the rights and appur-
tenances thereto. But / doubt if
that Will help the situation
much.
! can't speak for the young
women ell over the country who
are financially and physically
fl for the services. but / have
talked 20 some here. There is a
general apathy-the turning of a
pretty jaundiced eye-on the
YOmen's uniformed services.
They are supposed, they say,
% rush out and enlist in jobs
that don't pay them half of what
they are gering in private or
War plant employment; to sac
rifice their Eeedom for military
discipline-apd for what? Most
~ 10 be tho subject of a lot of
bum jokes and much down-the-
nose shifting from the men in
uniform. Besides. aside from 4
few favored WAVES, an in
finitesin1al number OF WAACs
and the Army nurses, where is
al that romance. excitement.
etc. of foreign service?
A good many Washington mill
tary observers are convinced the
women in uniform won't amount
% much until the Army wakes
up and drafts enough 10 supply
the demand.