The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-01-21
Michigan in
Washington
BY Esther Van wagner Tufty

BY Esther Van WAGNER Tufty
Just back from Michigan | find
in sorting out my post-trip impress
sions and reactions that the peo-
pie back home handed me a couple
of surprises.
Although my talks about what
Washington is up to were sponsor
ed by women's organizations. the
AAUW in Battle Greek and the De-
roit Review Club,..the questions
asked were more political than
anything else.
who would the Democrats and
Republicans nominate?" Who
would be elected?' DO the press
like ROOSEVELT why is Harry
Hopkins the Presidents No. / ad-
wiser (The only presidential
candidates name applauded in
either Battle Creek or Detroit
tame at the mention OF the grow
ing stature of Governor Stassen
of Minnesota
Maybe women are proud that
woman managed for the first time
to get in a presidents cabinet. but
Michigan women certainly think
any shake-up OF the cabinet should
drop Madame Perkins with a dull
thud.
Also they are concerned with the
likelihood OF the passage OF ma
t!onal service legislation which
would draft many of them into war
Jobs. They didn't seem rebellious,
Just anxious to be certain the NIL
itary needs of the country justified
the kind OF service act that put
every woman in Great Britain on
war duty.
Such questions land others con
.cerning peace-may indicate that
women will be more active in the
forthcoming election. Political
dopesters have been saying for
some time that the women's vote
will be heavier. The potential
women's vote Is SO per cent, the
Republican National committee es-
tinates. although they have never
aroused themselves to make the
actual vote reach such high per.
centage.
The second surprise was the
number OF factories already let
ting employees go. The effect of
the completion or cancellation OF
war contracts is Just beginning,
although one confidential list was
a lot longer than expected at this
date, yet far from a certain victory.
Then add another surprise. Snow
greeted me on my return to the
capital rather than in Michigan,
where snow Is more frequent
visitor.
On February 81, we'll start to
use tokens instead OF ration cou'
pons. The star OF Chester Bowles.
OPA administrators will rise or
fall. it's said here, in direct pro-
portion 10 the popularity of the
use of the tokens, He's uneasy.
He knows that retailers will find
it easier to count tokens than the
little paper coupons so difficult to
sort and so easy to lose. He knows
the government will save in the re-
duction OF the number of ration
books. But will the housewife
like TO carry around lot OF to-
kens in her already war-crowded
pocketbook? That's what Mr..
Bowles doesn't know yet.
Newspapers alarm is without
cause says WPB that the supply OF
newsprint means that Donald VI.
Nelson will become a sort OF super.
editor TO dictate what can and
cannot be published. The WPB
chairman says he has enough
headaches without that. He is
merely telling newspapers how
much newsprint they can have TO
use as they jolly well see fit.
The principal reason for the cur
tailment is the Increased demand
for wood products. Supplies from
Sweden have been cut off. Then
there is a shortage OF manpower
in the lumber camps