The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1945-04-05
By X

6y MAI HLEEN NONNlS
TT SEEMS to me manifestly
unfair in Congresswoman
i Clare Luce to say that mil
lions of American women
have done little or nothing to
help the war effort except per-
haps to keep their skins lily
white and soft for some G.I.
to touch when he comes home.
And manifestly unfair in Damon
Runyon to quote this in a syndicated
article. and add, on his own &C.
count, that keeping skin white Is bet
ter than to let it become covered
with whiskey blotches. Mr.. Runyon
blames what he calls the failure Of
women to respond to the war effort
upon the "remissness of the lead
ers Of their sex in showing the way"
If some Of the prominent women Of
the day." he goes on to say, had
lunged forward. it would have been
an inspiring example to the rank
and Hle." He suggests that such
leaders might have ''marshalled big
parades Of females into defense
plants"
He goes on to say in contrast that
Hundreds of thousands" Of promi-
nent men have offered their services
to the wartime effort; industrial
chieftains, famous actors and jour-
nalists. doctors, movie directors
and producers, and members Of Mrs.
Luce's own house Of representa-
tives.
Men Are Drafted.
This sort Of talk makes me in
dignant; it seems to me unworthy of
one Of our top journalists. In the first
place, men are drafted, and drafted
with them is all the glory of uni
forms. marching. flags, music. the
excitement and change so dear to
youth. Just how large our armies
and navies would be if they we're
composed only of male volunteers is
a question.-you know, and I know,
many a stalwart lad who is safely
doing something here at home when
he might well be in the ranks.
The notable lack Of enthusiasm in
Canada's men for overseas service
Is causing that government grave
concern. It is not entirely Of their
OWN volition that our fighting men
have been flung to all the danger
spots Of the world.
1t is the fashion now to speak
slightingly Of our nurses, to lament
publicly that more Of them do
not volunteer for army and navy
service. The strange thing about this
criticism is that when a call was
sent out for $1,000 nurses little
more than a year ago. $4,000 volun-
teered. and AZ. 1000 were actually ac-
cepted. There has been no call since
until now. and because response to
it is somewhat slow, the whole pro-
fession suffers disrepute.
The real and obvious answer to
such critics and Mrs. Luce and Mr..
Runyon is. Of course. that ONE
are not, never have been and never
will be. as free as men to follow
their desires. in war or in peace.
There are close to 40 million homes
in America; less than one-third of
l per cent Of these homes-about
l in 800, is managed without a wom-
IN. Women cook. wash, clean. raise
children, teach in schools; children
are their supreme responsibility.
husbands and homes and children
need them. War is the abnormal,
the extraneous thing; wifehood,
motherhood. homes, are the indis-
pensable essentials of all civiliza.
tons.
To be sure, certain idle women
do drift about to afternoon bars and
lounges. accumulating the afore-
"whiskey blotches." But
the percentage Of these women Is
very low: perhaps thew are mental. |