Evening star., 1946-04-19
Wives of Editors Find Interests Are Too Diverse
To Take Part in Organizing Auxiliary to ASNE

SSVStui Juno HStIVS
Port in Publishing,
Editing Newspapers
The women of the newspaper
family claim to be more individual
istic than their husbands, whom,
they say, make fetish of it.
Although the American Society of
Newspaper Editors has admitted six
women. only two are attending the
convention at the Statler Hotel.
Mrs. Oveta Culp Hobby of the
Houston (Tex) Post is back for the
first time since she organized and
directed the Women's Army Corps.
Conscientiously attending every ses-
sion is the society's newest woman
member, Mrs. Blanche Felix Smith,
associate editor Of the Meriden
Comm Record.
Plenty of wives are here for the
convention, but they are hard to
fnd.
Having successfully defeated all
attempts to form women's auxil-
iary or to organize a convention pro-
gram for them, they are scattering
IN all directions, no two Of them on
the same mission.
why, came to these conven-
tions for years before learned the
other wives attended," said Mrs. N.
r. Howard. wife of the editor of
The Cleveland News. Now that she
has met them, she just can't en-
vision them sitting down long
enough to form an organization.
Interest Varied.
Like their husbands, newspaper
wives have varied interests, she re-
marked. They know something
about steel castings and something
about socialized medicine, though
not as much as the wife of a manu-
facturer or physician. But, unlike
their husbands, they haven's been
drawn together by a common busi-
ness interest, she added.
Mrs. Howard rushed off to in
spect Walsh Club, which she helped
to organize for Government work.
ers while her husband directed the
press section of the Office of Gen.
sorship during the war.
The slender, chic wife of John S.
Knight. the society's president,
said she had been too busy answer
ing the telephone for her husband
to think OF entertaining delegates
wives or organizing an auxiliary.
The women would rather go their
own way, she said.
Mrs. Basil Walters, wife Of the
executive editor of the Knight
Newspapers, Inc, attributed failure
OF earlier attempts to organize the
women to the fact that they are
"too individualistic."
Il don't know If there is any
sense to it" she added, before TAX
ing her two sons out to see the
sights of Washington.
Mrs. Hobby Polls Readers.
Mrs. Hobby, who demonstrates
her own individualism by wearing
a different hat for every occasion,
brushed off compliment on the
aquamarine and black creation
perched aloft to tell about read
er's poll she is conducting.
Convinced that the interests of
readers have been changed by the
war, the former WAC director is
letting them decide what postwar
innovations her paper will make.
She says she hasn't had time to
get in a good supply Of hats" After
leaving the WAC in July, she spent
two weeks in the hospital, then went
back to work without taking a vaca-
ton.
And it's wonderful" she added.
Her husband, publisher of the
Post and former Governor of Texas,
stayed home to take care of the
children.
Also the wife of a publisher, Mrs.
Smith has been leasing in to news
paper work since my children grew
up" Starting as literary editor
and dramatic critic of her husbands
paper, she has risen to write the
editorials. Her husband agrees with
her on most issues. If he doesn't,
he can always write a letter to the
editor.
Faithful Attender.
The one wife who attends all
sessions when they will let me in"
is Mrs. Harold johnson, wife of the
publisher of the Watertown IN. "
Daily Times. She takes an active
hand in programming at her hus-
bands two radio stations and has
attended all the society's conventions
since 1928.
One of the few former newspa-
perwomen among the wives, Mrs.
w. w. Ward, wife of the editor of
the Beaumont Texas) Journal, is
visiting her sister, Mrs. r. A. Hos
kinson Of Arlington, Va, while her
husband listens to speeches. She
has just come with him from a
newspaper convention In Miami and
is going to another in Los Angeles
Willingness to travel is one of the
prerequisites for being a newspa-
perman's wife, but you also have to-
be willing to stay at home when he
is sticking close to his desk, she ad-
viSeS.
Mrs. knight a Traveller.
That brought up the old adage:
Never marry a newspaperman."
The wives said you can marry the
man if you want to, but be prepared
for anything. Mrs. Knight, for in
stance, runs four establishments in
u- l. Ex.