The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-02-15

Inside the War Department, there are two schools of thought. One admits there is certain amount of petticoat influence; the other maintains that the Army is a mans Army and that women have absolutely nothing to do with it.
 Those of the former school point to the fact that General John Pershing, when only captain, married the daughter of Senator Francis Warren of wyoming, then chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee, after which Pershing was jumped in rank and became & Brigadier General. Then, when Woodrow Wilson faced Sen- ate controversy over who should head an American Expeditionary Force to France, with many Sena- tors demanding Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson selected Senator Warren's son-in-law and thus quashed sen- ate controversy.
 The petticoat school also points to tlfe fact that General Douglas MacArthur first married the beau tiful daughter of Edward T. Sto- tesburry, J. P. Morgan partner, who requested Secretary of War Weeks to advance MacArthur to the rank of major geeral when most of his West Point classmates were still majors and colonels.
 Another example is Mrs.
 George Patton, IT,, wife of the
 pistol-packin' general. Her cool
 ness, boise and charm helped
 her hot-tempered husband out
 of a good many peacetime
 scrapes long before his unfor-
 tunate encounter with a sick soldier in Sicily.
 Tn the other school are those who point to host of high-rank- ing generals whose wives have no political influence on their careers. General Marshall's first wife aspired to be an opera sing CT, was sick for long time, fin- ally died. General Eisenhower's wife is an unassuming. lady who has kept in the background. Gen. eraI Somerveu, until recently, was a widower.
 WARNING" TO FLYERS WIVES
 Now, however, comes a new argufier in this controversy. Gen. eral Hap" Arnold, chief of the Army Air Forces, has been put squarely on record by Colonel AL fred L. Jewett, commander of the Air Forces Technical School at Gulfport, Miss, as recognizing that wives influence on officers promotion.
 Colonel Jewett himself doesn't make any bones about 1t. He says that an Air Force officers "ef- ficiency report" is affected by "ac- tivities by his wife. The "activi- ties in this case refers to joining the Gulfordluetaoi
 the Gulfport Field Women's club. Colonel Jewett last month sent out a circular letter to all of- ficers under him, virtually or- dering their wives to join the
 He even went so far as to warn that, "fn the event that any officers wives do not wish to belong, it is desired that their husbands so state in 8 letter to
 the commanding officer, such letter to be submitted prior to the 5th of the month following
 the date the officer reported to the station for duty"
 And then, apparently afraid that. his subordinates might not take the hint in the none -too-sub- tie warning, Colonel Jewett laid 1t right on the line by invoking the warning, Colonel Jewett laid it right on the line by invoking the authority of General Arnold.
 Active participation in the work of the Women's Club is a matter in which higher auth ority, including the Chief of the Air Forces. is vitally interested"
 warned Col Jewett bluntIy. And every officer in the Air
 forces may expect to find his
 efficiency report affected by the manner of participation in these activities by his wife,"
 So there 1t is in black and his generation: Glenn Cunningham