The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-08-05
Observations
Mrs. John Bricker
Well Received by
American Press
BY Helen Essary

Will meet III any DOuy SOuhlly'
Mrs. Bricker is, OF course, the
wife OF the man who hopes to be
vice president of the United States.
At the moment this handsome gem
tleman is the governor of Ohio. He
is doing the best he can to be more
conservative than Henry Wallace
and more progressive than his can
didate opponent, Senator Harry
Truman of Missouri, who emerged
almost in one piece from the Demo
cratic convention in Chicago.
Undoubtedly Governor Brokers
task for the next few months Is go
ing 10 be beset by thorns and brok-
en- glass. But as | sat in on Mrs.
Brokers New York news confer
ence. | thought that her husbands
lob is less perilous than her own
No pathway strewn with roses
stretches before her until that first
November Tuesday. For she must
be restrained yet alert, thoughtful
but not aggressive, womanly, but
not coy, modern but not radical.
She must be a home body and at
the same moment see the world
from the back of the campaign train
of her husband. She must say all
the right things TO lot OF people
who don't interest her in the least.
meanwhile look well-dressed but
not extravagantly done up, keep
her back hair in order and have
wise, discreet. shrewd opinions;
sound sincere every time she meets
the press on all subjects from baby
raising TO women at the peace Ia
bic. And answer such questions
as, do women love the busy mart
OF trade, politics and welding irons
more than they love the dishpan
and changing the baby.
In addition to discussing these
present ideas Mrs Bricker must
say or try not to say what she Il
going to do il and when she is the
wife OF the vice president. She
must likewise act as II she didn't
care a boot that John lost the
presidential nomination. She must
smile, photogenically, as II she
thought Tom Dewey and his wife
were the most worthwhile and
charming of all living human be-
ings.
DO you think II your husband
wins that you will help him as
Mrs. Truman is now helping her
husband?" Mrs. Bricker was asked.
(Mrs. Truman has just been discov-
cred as the S4,500-a-year adviser OF
the Democratic vice presidential
nominee.)
For that sort OF a job" answer
ed Mrs. Bricker, II shall have Meth
er inclination nor opportunity"
She speaks up, Mrs. Bricker does.
She hasn't quite as many ideas as
Mrs. Roosevelt. But she isn't
timid. Indeed. I'd like to see Har-
riet Day Bricker and Eleanor
Roosevelt in a public debate.
might give Mrs. Roosevelt some
odds. But not as many as l
thought might be necessary before
] watched Mrs. Bricker meeting the
press.
She spoke about women after the
war. Il hope the ones with small
children will give up their jobs
unless there is a real financial
necessity. A woman's first Job is
her family. Unless she is leaving
II adequately looked after, she
should stay at home and do the
looking after herself. Later, Of
course, when the children are
grown, It is entirely a matter Of
personal preference whether she
goes into politics, the professions,
business or stays at home"
Although the wife OF the Republi-
can vice presidential candidate has
not hoped over as many seas and
continents as Mrs. Roosevelt, she
has Travelled about 10000 miles
and visited "a states since January.
She had to travel light, with only
one dress of each kind and extra
accessories Frequently she and
the governor carried their own
handbags. Many times she got
the wrinkles out OF her clothes by
hanging them beside the hot show.
er. Jus: as you and | do, II we're
EUldIl.
She expects to do much more
travelling, III they ask me to-" She's
accustomed TO campaigning. Made
two campaigns with" her husband
for attorney general, three for gov
ernor and now this one.
She's a terrible speaker but
whenever a woman's group asks
her to please say something. she
tries to stand up and respond, some
how.
Entertaining doesn't bother her
much. n the three months before
Pearl Harbor she and the governor
entertained at the governors man
sion IA people less than 10000. In
deed, Il did take food-often when