Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), Wednesday 10 May 1961, page 12


It seems to me

WRITING in the Lon-

don "Daily Mail," Vincent Mulchrone ap-proves the decision of the B.B.C to drop its only

woman news reader on television, Miss Nan Win-

ton.

Mulchrone, admitting that

Miss Winton is attractive in

voice and appearance, says that British viewers simply cannot take news seriously when it is read by a woman.

He advises a man who doubts this to test it by ask-ing his wife to read a news item about the Congo. If it

is true—and I think it is—that women are not born to be news announcers, the reason may be that so much of the news of the world is desperately, fantastically absurd.

Men discuss international disagreements and situations in Algeria, Laos, Cuba, and the Congo as if these were rational problems.

When a woman thinks about what goes on she can only marvel at the immense, crashing stupidity of mankind.

Here we are in a world whose inhabitants between them have enough brains and scientific equipment to solve the pressing problems of all nations, to allay hunger and disease, to elim-inate the envy that breeds wars. And those brains and equipment are at any time likely

to be turned to mutual destruction.

* * *

IF the above sounds neither amusing

nor novel, it is because last week I had a couple of days off.

They were pleasant days, part of them spent in the sort of household jobs that are enjoyable once in a while—turning out cupboards, for

instance.

But they are jobs which leave the mind free to brood, and that is one of the great hazards

af housework.

Far from being feminist in outlook, I don't

think for a minute that women would make a

better job of running the world.

But I doubt that on the whole they are given to such self-delusion as many men.

The other night I saw a television interview with the British Prime Minister, Mr. Macmil-lan. He and the three men interviewing him all used the phrase "nuclear deterrent" (for nuclear weapons) with the greatest solemnity. This, indeed, is the kind of absurd euphemism

that women find it hard to mouth.

* * *

ARRESTED last month in California,

Jackie Coogan, the charge, drunken-ness. News reports described him as "the 46-year-old former child star."

What a burden for a man to carry all his

life—"former child star."

(Which reminds me. I hope you've been reading our current serial, "What Ever Hap-pened To Baby Jane?" on that very theme. If you have been, you won't be disappointed in

the last instalment this week.)

Child stars don't seem so numerous today. But there are a few boys with guitars who in 20 years' time may figure as "former teenage

stars."

OF all the performer in

Alan Seymour's new play, "The One Day of The Year," which opened at the Palace Theatre last week, my favorite was Nita Pannell as the mother.

I use the word "favorite" rather than "best" because

this Elizabethan Trust produc-tion of a first-class Australian play is beautifully cast.

Ron Haddrick. as the World War II veteran at odds with his student son over the worth

of Anzac Day is superb. And so is Reg Lye as the original Anzac.

But it was Nita Pannell as Mum, buffer be-tween two generations, who stirred me most. In a predicament familiar to mothers, her silences were as expressive as her lines.

A couple of critics made the reservation that she was "stiff." I think they must move ex-elusively among lithe young women. They failed to recognise what any woman can—the symptoms of sore feet and an aching back— occupational burden of hundreds and thousandsH

of mothers and housewives.

* * *

SHOWING the aviary he helped design

for the London Zoo, Mr. Antony Armstrong-Jones told pressmen that the cage was intended to give the birds as much freedom as possible while allowing the public a good view.

I wonder if Mr. Armstrong-Jones reflected afterwards on the double edge of these words.

* * *

IN America some companies now pro-

vide lunch and entertainment at share-

holders' meetings. Announcing the annual meeting of the Chesapeake & Ohio rail-road in America, the president added a postscript: "It is worthy of note that three couples who met at last year's meeting

have since married."

She passed a note ('twas unsecured Inquiring: "Are you well insured?" He liked her looks, and furthermore On forthright females set some store.

She, for her part, had certain views (From studying financial news)

That sent her searching for the lair Of a prospective millionaire,

The which, she reasoned, might be found At company meetings, which was sound Alas, it's true, there's many a slip— He only owned some modest scrip,

But when he said, "You'll do me, kid, I'm making a takeover bid,"

She answered yes, and—happy end— They'll soon declare a dividend.