Interviewing Date 3/17-22/44
Survey #314-K
Question #2
The Army can either draft 300,000 single women aged 21-35 for the WACs for non-fighting jobs, or it can draft the same number of married men with families for the same work. Which plan would you prefer?
| Draft single women | 76% |
| Draft fathers | 16% |
| No opinion | 8% |
Single women 21-35 years only
| Draft single women | 75% |
| Draft fathers | 18% |
| No opinion | 7% |
The Pittsburgh Press (April 2, 1944)
By George Gallup, Director, American Institute of Public Opinion
One proposal to help solve the problem of finding more than a million persons for the military services by July 1 is that single women be drafted for non-combat jobs.
Such a move would meet with the approval of the vast majority of American voters. This is indicated by a nationwide survey which reveals that not only the great majority of voters, but an almost equally large majority of the single women who would themselves be affected, are in favor of drafting single women between 21 and 35 for non-combat jobs in the WACs in preference to taking married men with families.
The survey reveals further that large majorities in favor of taking single women first prevail in nine of the more populous states as well as in every section of the United States.
In measuring sentiment, the Institute asked voters in every state to choose between calling up more fathers or drafting single women. The question is as follows:
The Army can either draft 300,000 single women aged 21-35 for the WACs for non-fighting jobs, or it can draft the same number of married men with families for the same work. Which plan would you prefer?
A comparison of today’s survey with earlier surveys on the same question shows that so far as the great majority of American voters go, a draft of women for non-fighting jobs with the WACs could have been instituted months ago:
| Today | December 1943 | October 1943 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draft single women | 76% | 78% | 73% |
| Draft fathers | 16% | 15% | 19% |
| No opinion | 8% | 7% | 8% |
One of the most significant facts is that a large majority of single women themselves think women from their group should be drafted for non-combat jobs in preference to calling up more married men with families.
Here is the vote of the single women from 21 to 35 years of age:
| Draft single women | 75% |
| Draft fathers | 18% |
| No opinion | 7% |
Seventy-two percent of married men with families (37 years old or under) think the single women should be called up first, 18% think fathers should be called in preference to drafting the women, 10% are undecided.
Similar high majorities are found in favor of drafting the single women first in intensive surveys in nine of the more populous states.
Michigan leads the list, with 83% of the voting population there in favor of having its single women drafted for non-fighting jobs instead of calling up more married men with families. New Jersey is second, with 82%, California third, with 81%.
Listed below is the actual vote in the nine states, on the basis of cross-section surveys in each of the states:
| Single women | Fathers | No opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 83% | 12% | 5% |
| New Jersey | 82% | 10% | 8% |
| California | 81% | 13% | 6% |
| Massachusetts | 80% | 14% | 6% |
| Ohio | 79% | 13% | 8% |
| New York | 79% | 14% | 7% |
| Pennsylvania | 76% | 15% | 9% |
| Indiana | 75% | 16% | 9% |
| Illinois | 74% | 18% | 8% |
Interesting poll. Family is more important than young hotties lol. I wonder if the changed the duties of the WAC’s whether it would have changed results. For example adding more non combat roles such as logistics and transport.
Makes the racial question even more ridiculous. They will take single women but not integrate the military 100%
Didn’t stop them from doing their jobs, however.
Already WAC duties by this time. Ernie Pyle wrote about them months back: