The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1943-05-20

HAZEL
EYES
BY Hazel Brannon

legislation will be enacted drafting
women for the auxiliary branches of
the armed services.
The only thing that can prevent such
legislation being passed Is for volun-
teers to start coming in so rapidly in
the recruiting campaigns now being con-
Quoted that drafting isn't necessary.
There doesn't seem much possibility Of
that happening.
This isn't . "scare" statement. Rather
it Is the opinion Of persons in a position
to know how badly women are needed
in the armed services to relieve men for
combat duty. It Is q fact that one woman
takes the place Of one and one-half men.
This Toes not necessarily mean that
one woman does the work of one and
one-half men. Rather 1t means that
more often than not the girl taking a
mans post has been doing the kind Of
work in civilian life much longer than
the sailor and perhaps more efficient on
the job han he could be without as
much experience.
There is a lot Of prejudice against
putting women in uniform, especially
here in the South where the men In the
service are most anxious to do their part.
That prejudice here stems largely from
those men in the service who want to
do the fighting themselves and like to
picture their wives, sisters and sweet
hearts keeping the home fires burning
and waiting for them. Until that preju-
dice is overcome, until the men of the
South are sold on women being in the
army, not many Southern women can
be expected to volunteer.
Those women in uniform are really
pioneers /. and II their work in the
service is as important as the recruit
ing service says, and We have no reason
to believe otherwise, then these first
women in uniforms have the response
bility square on their shoulders for the
success of the WAVES, SPARS, and
WAAC's. How they discharge their
duties and how they conduct themselves
now will determine whether or not they
meet with the approval Of the men in
the service. Unless they meet with the
approval of those men in the service
they will never be able to sell the
sisters, wives and sweethearts of those
men on the idea Of joining.
Thus the women brave enough to join
up now are undergoing the acid test in
trying to get the approval of both men
and women. It is 40 easy job. But
they are now laying the ground work Of
what, in the future, will be a part of
our national life /. . women in the SER
vice when our country needs US.
Southern women are not towards, a
little lazy, perhaps, but not towards.
We will respond to any call to duty
and can take it as well as the next one.
But first we rave to be sold on the
idea that we are really needed to do a
job. After that the response is com
plete.
Slowly but surely through the recruit
ing campaigns being conducted now for
women We are being educated to the fact
that we are needed. Once that obstacle
is overcome Southern women will be in
there fighting just like their men.
~ do not approve Of women in uni
FORM" candidaly remarked a soldier to
a young woman, Ensign Mary Lyme, on
q train.
"Well, there are a lot Of things l
don't approve Of replied Ensign Lyme.
IT don't approve of wives husbands be-
ing separated from their wives, nor
fathers being away from their children.
II his hard for sweethearts to be sepa-
rated. I don't believe in useless d~estruct-
ion of life and property. But we nave
all that in war. There are a lot of
things that we may not approve Of yet
annot help. Thai is the way it is about
women in uniform"
We would say that this young lady
the only answer possible to critics
Of women in uniform. Women are a
vital part of this country. We own and
control great property and wealth. We
a vital stake in anything affecting
its w~ell-being. 1t is our war as much as
it is a mans war.
A woman may not have started this
war but American women can do a great
deal to end it by joining the women's
branches of the service and relieving
good men for the fighting front.
1.-THE Allied forces should stop raiding
until they can gather strength
to make their assaults decisive"
Is the startling statement made by Col.
H. G. Montgomery, bombardment director
II the Army Air Force School of Applied
Tactics, at Orlando, Fla, and one of the
foremost air bombardment ex-
,erts.
Col. Montgomery indicated that he felt
he current expenditures of planes and
personnel were delaying knocking Ger
many out Of the war by air bombing
'ather than Fastening that event.
The expert emphasized that he was
'peaking only for himself. He said that
he Allied raids on Europe had been
extremely damaging but sere not worth
vhile for two long-range reasons: First,
because they have been shifted hap
from one type of target to
mother, thereby failing to wipe out a
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