Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-23

Washington women went
around the first part Of the
week with q smile on their
lips and a prayer in their
hearts. Their prayers were
not for an American, but for
a Observation-Disclosures Valen-
tina Tereshkova, the first
woman In space.
Why America should be
willing to see such q warm
stream Of goodwill flowing
out from here toward the
USSR instead Of toward our
own Government is difficult
to explain. But such NASA
statements that 1t considers
space "for men only" and
the thought Of q Spacewoman
makes them sick at the
stomach has only doubled
our appreciation Of Russian
recognition Of feminine
capabilities.
That Valentino was a fac
tory worker until a year ago
with no pilot training and
only q penchant for para
chute jumping, yet ac-
complished more orbits than
the total number Of combined
orbits of American astro-
nauts. landing where she was
meant to as easily as falling
off a log-makes the compli-
ment to her sex even greater.
One has an idea that there
will be much less said from
now on about the past great
exploits Of American astro-
nauts. The boys have prob
ably had 1t for some time to
come, and they're lucky that
each had his day before q
woman went up. That's be-
cause this country's attitude
toward women rates her as
something Of a second-class
citizen on q part with whom
no man longs to be.
It was almost q certainty
that Valentines accomplish
ment would be minimized
over here, which 1t was. and
from now on space explora-
ton viii be deglamorized and
downgraded for American
men because "even q woman"
conquered it. The attitude
Is typical Of that found in
government, In business and
In the professional world as
well as the world Of science.
SAID VICE PRESIDENT
JOHNSON'S able executive
assistant Elizabeth Carpenter
when the lone space woman
vas circling the globe: "All
day long my hopes and my
prayers have scared with her
because I figured If she did
not make 1t back we would
not get out Of the National
Press Club balcony for 1000
more years. That's about the
status the slaves had in 1850;
they had to sit in the bal
cony Of churches and other
places" she said referring to
the clubs continued refusal
to let qualified newswomen
sit on the same level with
newsmen at the luncheon
addresses made by visiting
chiefs Of state. Every woman
stands taller in the world be-
cause a woman has achieved
something in such q spec
tacular way" finished Mrs.
Carpenter.
A feminine Government ex-
ecutive who prefers to re-
main nameless for obvious
reasons noted that Govern
m lent is particularly back
ward In giving women
recognition. especially in the
professional and administra-
tive fields" And a male mem
Der Of the little cabinet OBJ
served that when a woman
applies for q job, she's asked
II she can type and take
shorthand. If she can't she's
told she had better learn.
When q man applies for a
job, he Is not even asked
that question. It's taken for
granted he will get an adj
ministrative post"
An irate newswoman had
this com m ent to make:
Women comprise the ma
jority Of the population but
there's not a single woman
on the policy level in the
White House. All the chief
minorities are represented
Catholic. Jew, Negro, Italian,
Irish. and other minorities
including men but Presi-