Poll: 48% of Americans Favor Drafting of Women (12-18-40)

The Pittsburgh Press (December 18, 1940)

The Gallup Poll –
MANY FAVOR DRAFT TO TRAIN WOMEN FOR WARTIME JOBS
….
By Dr. George Gallup, Director, American Institute of Public Opinion

Princeton, N.J., Dec. 18 –
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt has raised the question whether the young women of America should be drafted for national defense training.

She said at the recent Woman’s Congress:

I imagine the time is coming when we are going to have to face this question. There have been many requests to the government that some specific training be given to women and girls in national defense, but so far it is a topic that officials shun like the plague.

To determine what the people of the country think about this issue, and whether they, too, would shun such a program “like the plague,” the American Institute of Public Opinion, through its nationwide staff of interviewers, has gathered the views of men and women in all parts of the country.

The result shows that a substantial number of voters – nearly one-half – favors the idea of training women now for wartime work.

DECEMBER 18
DRAFTING OF WOMEN

Interviewing Date 12/1-6/40
Survey #225-K Question #2

Would you be in favor of starting now to draft American women between the ages 21 and 35 to train them for jobs in war time?

Yes… 48%
No… 52%
No opinion… 6%

These results confirm earlier indications of an intense desire among the American people to help push the defense program in every possible way.

An interesting sidelight in today’s study is that women voters are substantially more in favor of the training-for-women idea than men are.

By Sex

Yes No
Men 44% 56%
Women 52% 48%

Among women between the ages of 21 and 35 – those who would be affected – the suggestion is approved by a majority.

Women Aged 21-35 Only
Yes… 54%
No…46%

The greatest desire to have women share defense training with men is found in the lower income group. Voters in this level, comprised of families earning $20 a week or less, are in favor of the drafting of women (55%), whereas a majority of those in the middle and upper income level oppose the idea.

By Income

Yes No
Upper 41% 59%
Middle 44% 56%
Lower 55% 45%

Voters in favor of a training program have two chief reasons – first, that in modern “total” warfare it is essential that women be trained for emergency work; and second, that women should share equal responsibility with men in defending the country.

Their attitude is typified in the statement of a young lawyer interviewed in Clearfield County, Pa.:

Modern warfare isn’t confined to fighting at the front. The present war with its bombing of cities and towns shows us that every step to prepare must be taken, even to the training of women.

Others declare that the totalitarian powers “have not overlooked the value of training women,” and point out that, in Germany, many women have been able to take over the work of men called to the army.

One woman voter said:

If German women are good enough for that sort of thing, I guess American women are too.

A few favor the draft idea on the ground that it will prevent American girls from becoming aimless and lazy. A bartender interviewed in the survey said:

They might do less drinking and smoking.

Those opposed to the draft idea argue that it is not necessary at this stage to train women for war work, that a woman’s place is in the home, and that any such step would smack of dictatorship. A typical comment from this group is:

Sounds too much like Hitler.

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“German women were excluded from three professions: the army, as elsewhere in the world; the government; and the judiciary. If a German girl must choose between marriage or a career, she will always be encouraged to marry, because that is what is best for a woman” – Magda Goebbels, 1933.

“Take hold of the frying pan, dust pan, and broom, and marry a man.” – Hermann Goering, 1934.

Sure the Nazis may have had women fill in for men on the front when needed, but that was far from the “Ideal Aryan woman”.

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Hey, how did my wife end up in here? She literally has the same opinion. She and I hate Nazis, though.

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I know we considered drafting women into the Army Nurse Corps at the end of the War had we decided to invade Japan by land.

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