The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-01-26
Observations
What's to be Done
With Women Who've
Helped Win War?
BY Helen Essary

Army and Navy men, but the men
who have been drafted into the
biggest force OF warriors this coun-
try has ever known. What is to
become of them after they are
mustered out Of uniform and into
droopy civilian clothes?
| have another side Of the same
question TO ask
What is to become OF the women
who have helped win the war? Not
the women in the armed forces.
They will have improved in ability
and assurance. They will surely
90 on to better jobs or settle them
selves into welcome domestic lives.
II is the future OF the women OF
the prettily-named leisure class
who have been working we'll and
faithfully in the uniform OF the
Red Cross, the AWVS and other or
CARNATIONS that give me concern.
What are they to do with the hours
they spent prohtably and inspiring
" in war work?
Surely they cannot 90 back con-
tentedly TO afternoon bridge? Or
TO that endless pottering about the
stores that is known as shopping.
have a better job than any OF
those 10 offer. The women war
aides must set TO work seriously
o and prayerfully and do something
about the servant problem. Some
thing concrete and smart.
There isn't time now for lazy
generalities. We've got to get
down 10 facts and realize that we
have muffed the ball or the rolling
pin for long time The moment
has come 10 prove, II we are clever
at all. that here is a task that is
challenge TO the sharpest wits and
organization.
There is already informal talk
around Washington among Organiz-
ed groups such as the Federation OF
Womens Clubs that here is PROB
ably the biggest opportunity to
prove their worth, that has come
organized women's way
! have had some pretty awful
servants in my time. But then |
have had some pretty fine ones.
too. Loyal ones, kind, encouraging
and likewise able to whisk up
pie crust or stir a sauce with the
ease OF Mr.. Delmonico when he was
young.
| can't say that the memory OF
a certain Eyalyn. who served me
grapefruit with a lumpy cream
gravy when | was sick in bed con-
yalescing from an attack Of inauen-
"a. pleases me.
But then gloat over the thought
OF Lulu and Alice who switched
about in starched aprons, tidying
up rooms and telling me how pretty
] was meanwhile. Lulu and Alice
said they liked working for me be-
cause ade them feel important.
II is this last idea that sets the
key for my crusade on solving the
servant problem. Glow hackneyed
the phrase sounds and how little
has ever been done about it,
The first. step in the settling OF
the problem is to raise the stand
ard of domestic service. By this
! mean make domestic work a pro-
fession. Don't tell me II cannot
be done II will take brains and
wit to make the pairing OF potatoes
or the washing out OF kitchen
sinks utterly wonderful. The job
can be given dignity. Even more
than dignity-glamor. Yes, glamor
is the word.
See how wise the Army and
Navy is in glamorizing the tough
work they ask OF the armed forces.
They use every trick to encourage
the men to do the work needed TO
be done. They dress up to kill and
turn on flags and music and march
ing for trimmings.
When you think OF adroit Holly.
wood and the way in which its ex-
perts have glamorized a group Of
people for the most part dull in
the head G1d freckled OF epidermis.
then you have got to admit that
domestic work can be made TO
seem desirable.
One Of the first steps In this new
occupation | offer postwar women
organizers is to make firstclass
domestic work a career worthy OF
brains and ambition. The only
way in which to do this Is to estab-
lish schools OF training. In small
manner. pre-war England did this.
Several Of its schools trained in.
telligent young women for work
as nurses and goyernesses. The
graduates OF these schools wore be-
coming uniforms OF which they
were proud.
They had certain rules Of be-
havior for themselves and rules to
which their mistesses must con-
form.
The attitude OF the mistresses-
let US change the word now to en-.
ployers-was an important part OF
the success OF the English eradu.
ate nurses. The attitude OF the
American employers will be most
important part indeed in the sue
cess Of any attempt to elevate do
mestic work here. There vii have
to be more time off. better living
quarters. higher wages than offer
ed now. There will also have to he
more attention TO work. a greater
feeling OF responsibility, more skill.
more pride in good work on the
part OF the Domestic Employe II
the crusade Is to work.
Here is challenge 10 all