The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-02-19

and turn out munitions In order to
win this war, were good enough to
hold those Jobs after the war and
ia sit at table to determine the
kind Of peace that shall be made,
and the kind Of o world we and our
children are going to have in the
future.
Lone Woman
"1ts O shocking fact that not one
woman sits on an important war bu-
reau In Washington (the planners
Of our clothes had to call In O Wo-
man to find out how much rubber
should go into corset) and no wo-
man has been asked to serve on The
Committee for Economic Develop
ment-Industry's contribution to
postwar planning. And even stran-
ger Is the fact that the Equal Rights
Amendment WIS introduced In both
the House and Senate by men, and
so far, only one woman In our pres
ent Congress, Senator Hattie Car
away, has come out in favor Of the
Equal Rights Amendment.
1T isn't often we have an oppor-
tunity to indulge In a really good
laugh these days and SO I am going
to share with you the best one I've
had in a long TIME. It was caused
by the following statement by Mr..
Wendell Willkie at the University
Club Dinner In Bridgeport, Connec-
ticut. on February 5th: II can't
speak too strongly in favor Of the
program laid down by Governor
Baldwin for the voluntary mobiliza-
ton Of women for war jobs" He
then went on to urge that women
assist In every possible way on the
industrial and agricultural produce
ton fronts in the war.
Now to really enjoy this cnoice
morsel we must go back to 1910
when Mr.. Willkie was the Republi-
can candidate for President Of the
United States and In the platform
Of the Republican Party was
plank promising to enact the Equal
Rights Amendment. Mr.. Willkie was
supposed to be running on that
platform. You may remember that
q delegation from the National Wo-
mans Party waited upon Mr.. Willkie
and asked for a statement of his
position upon this important plank
Mr.. Willkie( turned on the usual
dazzling ingenious charm, promised
to study the matter and they would
hear from his shortly. For your in
formation, that is the last that the
National Woman'S Party ever heard
from Mr.. Willkie right down to the
present moment.
after the election, I had several
conversations with Mr.. Willkie as
1t seemed to me that he must not
be properly informed upon the SUBJ
feet and followed our conversations
with o series Of letters pointing out
and explaining to him a number of
laws which discriminate against wo-
men such as the FLORIDA real estate
law and the Georgia guardianship
law. was rewarded for my efforts
by q contemptuous one word reply
from Mr.. Willlxie: Bunk
ut Is possible that what justice
and equity could not accomplish en-
Iighbened self-interest has and that
the great humanitarian Mr.. Willkie
Who gives his all for the oppressed
and downtrodden Is waking up to
the rather startling fact that We
men IN this country vote Just the
saFie as negroes and communism
II want 70 close with q prediction
AN optimistic prediction. The 18TH
Congress nov assembled Will pass
the EQUAL RIGHTS AMEND
MENF. Eorty-f0ur sponsors 10 the
House, fifteen n the senate. Such
support was uIldreaIned Of even tive
short years ago. II can't be- stopped
and Il win 80 down IL history %
enc OF the really great achievements
OF this Congress, q feat o. which u
can Justly be proud. Whyf Because
rs passage win mean completion Of
the work 0f Susan II. Anthony, fnll
equality q men and women ~ this
n1aaf Wensffifa