The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-07-22
Observations
Douglas Girls do
Sister Act During
Convention
BY Helen Essary

Two Democratic Douglas girls
are doing a sister act in the Windy
City, two girls by the name OF
Helen Gahagan Douglas and Emily
Taft Douglas.
Both the Douglas girls, who came
here TO perform at the Democratic
national convention, are candidates
for the Congress OF the United
States. Both have brains in excess
and Drawn in pleasing deficiency.
And II they don't get down 10
Washington as lawmakers after
the November election IL won't be
because they don't know how and
when TO talk out in meeting and
how TO look pretty for the cameras.
The Douglas girls met for the
FIRST time when they arrived al the
womens division national commit
tee headquarters al the Stevens
Hotel TO have their pictures taken.
Mrs. Helen Gahagan Douglas, who
comes from California by way of
the Hollywood screen, the Berlin
opera and the New York stage, is
Democratic glamor girl No. /. She
is the pin-up girl Of the party. She
sailed elegantly into the photogra-
phic lenses in watermelon pink
wool, a skull cap TO match and n
general introduction all around by
Louisa Wilson, Democratic wom'
ems publicity chief OF Here's
Helen, everybody"
- L.af1U
Taft Douglas OF Illinois, not so dra'
matte as Helen but very neatly
done with piquant nose, bright eyes,
concaye waistline. good legs and a
determination 10 make American
woman conscious OF the place IL
the United States in the "interna-
tional teamwork"
Look cozier. you too called
the photographers 10 the sister act.
The sister act Douglas and Dou-
glas, Inc, clasped hands and spark
ed with intelligence and good will.
This little drama | am recording
took place two days before the
opening OF the convention, mind
you. But the women headliners
were there all dressed UP with
some place to go. Indeed the wom'
en- are so active in this convention
set-up that II is being honestly said
il is a women's convention. The
Democratic women are organized
from the right political thought
down TO the right shade OF lip
stick.
And why mott" said Senator
Alben Barley, vice presidential
possibility TO a group OF well-wisn-
ers in the hotel lobby. With 10
million men in the Army and Navy
there will be more votes cast by
women than men IN the coming
election. The importance OF wom'
en- in this campaign is not to be
overlooked"
When somebody began little
joke about women's place in the
campaign a parody with glamour.
toujour glamour. the gentleman
from Kentucky replied, "In my
opinion the dividing line between
'bumbledom and glamourdom' is
very thin"
This remark was meant, | think,
10 refer in some way to the con-
gresswoman from Connecticut
whom hasten TO add the Democra-
tic committee is out TO de-luce.
Mrs. ]. Borden Hartman. form
er United States minister to Nor
way, looking as elegant and
straight.backed as ever, was also
on view and spoke freely about
women at the peace table and 9TH
or subjects and she said it's "a
shame to have me around when |
am over 20 and there are all those
lovely, smart, young women about.
The lovely, smart. young women
were there, too Especially ma
tional committee secretary. Mrs.
Dorothy McElroy Vredenburgh,
slightly shy in public but knowing
in her own way. Aunt Mary
Norton, congresswoman from New
Jersey, almost stole the resolutions
committee show as its co-chairman.
She is also co-chairman Of the plat
form committee.
These Democratic women are ex.
perienced politicians. They are
going to teach the newcomers how
TO get votes at campaign school
directed by Mrs. Charles W. Tillett,
assistant national committee chair
man. On these starry-eyed occas-
ions pleasant attention will be call
ed to the "hrsts" OF Democratic.
women beginning way back in 1859
when a Democratic councilman In
Wyoming introduced the bill that
first gave American women the
right to vote. After that the Dem
ocratic girls kept on stepping high,
wide and handsome. They got
Hattie Caraway. the first woman
member OF the Senate: Nellie Tay-
ioe Ross of Wyoming, the first wom-
an governor: Mary Norton, the hrst
woman member OF the House Of
representatives; sent Mrs KUN
bryan owen TO Denmark - the
frst minister, and put Frances Per.
kins into the cabinet as labor secre.
tary and first woman member OF
the presidents official family