SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
                 REVOCATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(A)
                    OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

  Filed by the Registrant {X}

  Filed by a Party other than the Registrant {_}

  Check the appropriate box:
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       14a-6(e)(2))
  {_}  Definitive Proxy Statement (Revocation of Consent Statement)
  {X}  Definitive Additional Materials
  {X}  Soliciting Material Pursuant to Rule 14a-11(c) or Rule 14a-12

                      GREAT WESTERN FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                   -----------------------------------------
                (Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

                   -----------------------------------------
    (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)

  Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

  {X}  No fee required.

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       (3)  Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
            pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which
            the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): ___

       (4)  Proposed maximum aggregate value of transactions: ________________

       (5)  Total fee paid.
  --------
  {_}  Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

  {_}  Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
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       paid previously.  Identify the previous filing by registration statement
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       (1)  Amount Previously Paid: __________________________________________

       (2)  Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: ____________________

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       (4)  Date Filed: ______________________________________________________



                                 [Press Release]

                                                                NEWS

        [Great Western Logo]
                                               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                                       APRIL 9, 1997

        Contact:  Ian Campbell        818-775-3773
                  Charlie Coleman     818-775-3766

              GREAT WESTERN SAYS THAT AHMANSON'S PROPOSED BRANCH
                CLOSINGS WILL HARM LOW- AND MODERATE-INCOME AND
                             MINORITY COMMUNITIES

             CHATSWORTH, Calif. -- Great Western Financial
        Corporation (NYSE: GWF) announced today that H. F.
        Ahmanson's planned closing of 201 branch offices in
        connection with its proposed acquisition of Great Western
        would have a severe impact on Great Western's low- and
        moderate-income and minority communities.  The comment is
        part of a filing that Great Western made with the Office of
        Thrift Supervision regarding Ahmanson's application to
        acquire Great Western.

             Great Western issued the following statement:

                  "Great Western takes very seriously its
             obligations to its local communities and has worked
             long and hard to establish a mutually beneficial
             partnership.  We are extremely concerned by the
             negative impact that Ahmanson's single-minded cost
             cutting plans will have on these communities.

                  "Despite closing 201 branches, Ahmanson asserts
             that, `the current customers of each of Ahmanson and
             Great Western will gain access to at least an
             additional 150 branches as a result of the
             combination.'  To argue that customers will gain
             access to additional branches as a result of the
                       ----------
             merger is sophistry -- in fact, the 802 branches now
             available to customers will be reduced by 201 to 601.

                  "The Company believes that low- and moderate-
             income and minority communities will be especially
             hard-hit by Ahmanson's proposal.  In defending its
             aggressive cost cutting plans, Ahmanson has reported
             to analysts that it intends to close 201 branches
             within the communities served by Great Western.  There
             are 187 Great Western branches within 1.5 miles of a
             Home Savings branch.  An analysis of these branches
             reveals that 100 Great Western and Home Savings
             branches that are at risk of consolidation are located
             in low- and moderate-income and minority communities
             in California."

             Great Western strongly urges stockholders not to sign
                                                       ---
        any consent card sent by Ahmanson and asks stockholders to
        discard Ahmanson's white consent card.  Great Western
        stockholders are further urged to sign, date and mail the
        BLUE consent revocation card.

             With assets of $42.9 billion, Great Western Financial
        Corporation is a diversified financial services company
        operating more than 1,150 mortgage lending, retail banking
        and consumer finance offices nationwide.  Great Western's
        principal subsidiary, Great Western Bank, is a mortgage-
        oriented consumer bank with banking branch networks in
        California and Florida.

                  Great Western Financial Corporation ("Great
        Western") and the persons named below may be deemed to be
        participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection
        with the merger of Great Western and Washington Mutual,
        Inc. ("Washington Mutual") pursuant to which each
        outstanding share of Great Western common stock would be
        converted into 0.9 shares of Washington Mutual common stock
        (the "Merger").  Participants in this solicitation may
        include the directors of Great Western (J. F. Montgomery,
        J. F. Maher, Dr. D. Alexander, H. F. Christie, S. E. Frank,
        J. V. Giovenco, F. A. Gryp, E. Hernandez, Jr., C. D.
        Miller, Dr. A. E. Siegel and W. B. Wood, Jr.); the
        following executive officers of Great Western:  J. L.
        Erikson, C. F. Geuther, M. M. Pappas, A. W. Schenck III, R.
        W. Sims and J. M. Studenmund; and the following other
        members of management of Great Western:  S. F. Adams, B. F.
        Antenberg, B. R. Barkley, I. D. Campbell, C. Coleman, A. D.
        Meadows and J. A. Trotter (collectively, the "Great Western
        Participants").  Messrs. Montgomery and Maher beneficially
        own 680,488 shares and 611,762 shares of Great Western
        common stock, respectively (including shares subject to
        stock options exercisable within 60 days).  The remaining
        Great Western Participants do not beneficially own,
        individually or in the aggregate, in excess of 1% of Great
        Western's equity securities.

                  Great Western has retained Goldman, Sachs & Co.
        ("Goldman Sachs") and Merrill Lynch & Co. ("Merrill Lynch")
        to act as its financial advisors in connection with the
        Merger, as well as the merger proposal by H. F. Ahmanson &
        Company, for which they received and may receive
        substantial fees, as well as reimbursement of reasonable
        out-of-pocket expenses.  In addition, Great Western has
        agreed to indemnify Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch and
        certain related persons against certain liabilities,
        including certain liabilities under the federal securities
        laws, arising out of their engagement.  Each of Goldman
        Sachs and Merrill Lynch is an investment banking firm that
        provides a full range of financial services for
        institutional and individual clients.  Neither Goldman
        Sachs nor Merrill Lynch admits that it or any of its
        directors, officers or employees is a "participant" as
        defined in Schedule 14A promulgated under the Securities
        Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, in the solicitation, or
        that Schedule 14A requires the disclosure of certain
        information concerning Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch.  In
        connection with Goldman Sachs's role as financial advisor
        to Great Western, Goldman Sachs and the following
        investment banking employees of Goldman Sachs may
        communicate in person, by telephone or otherwise with a
        limited number of institutions, brokers or other persons
        who are stockholders of Great Western:  J. Wender, J.
        Mahoney, A. Gordon, T. Owens and A. Vittorelli.  In
        connection with Merrill Lynch's role as financial advisor
        to Great Western, Merrill Lynch and the following
        investment banking employees of Merrill Lynch may
        communicate in person, by telephone or otherwise with a
        limited number of institutions, brokers or other persons
        who are stockholders of Great Western:  H. Lurie, L. S.
        Wolfe, P. Wetzel, F. V. McMahon, J. Esposito, A. Sun, C.
        Del-Moral Niles and K. Gupta.  In the normal course of
        their respective businesses Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch
        regularly buy and sell securities issued by Great Western
        and its affiliates ("Great Western Securities") and
        Washington Mutual and its affiliates ("Washington Mutual
        Securities") for its own account and for the accounts of
        its customers, which transactions may result in Goldman
        Sachs and its associates and Merrill Lynch and its
        associates having a net "long" or net "short" position in
        Great Western Securities, Washington Mutual Securities, or
        option contracts with other derivatives in or relating to
        Great Western Securities or Washington Mutual Securities. 
        As of March 31, 1997, Goldman Sachs had positions in Great
        Western Securities and Washington Mutual Securities as
        principal as follows:  (i) net "long" 18,173 of Great
        Western's common shares; (ii) net "long" $1 million of
        Great Western's deposit notes; and (iii) net "long" 1,098
        of Washington Mutual's common shares.  As of March 31,
        1997, Merrill Lynch had positions in Great Western
        Securities and Washington Mutual Securities as principal as
        follows:  (i) net "long" 6,026 of Great Western's common
        shares;  (ii) net "long" 150 shares of Great Western's
        8.30% preferred stock; and (iii) net "long" 1,526 of
        Washington Mutual's common shares.

                  Other participants include Washington Mutual and
        may include the directors of Washington Mutual (D. P.
        Beighle, D. Bonderman, H. M. Bridge, J. T. Crandall, R. H.
        Eigsti, J. W. Ellis, D. J. Evans, A. V. Farrell, W. P.
        Gerberding, K. K. Killinger, S. B. McKinney, M. K. Murphy,
        L. H. Pepper, W. G. Reed, Jr. and J. H. Stever); the
        following executive officers of Washington Mutual: C. S.
        Davis, S. P. Freimuth, L. D. Lannoye, W. A. Longbrake, D.
        W. Oppenheimer, C. E. Tall and S. L. Wilson; and the
        following other members of management of Washington Mutual: 
        K. Christensen, J. DeGrande, W. Ehrlich, J. B. Fitzgerald,
        M. Kittner and D. G. Wisdorf (collectively, the "Washington
        Mutual Participants").  Messrs. Bonderman, Crandall and
        Killinger beneficially owned 1,894,141 shares, 6,549,755
        shares and 1,044,224 shares of Washington Mutual common
        stock, respectively.  The remaining Washington Mutual
        Participants do not beneficially own, individually or in
        the aggregate, in excess of 1% of Washington Mutual's
        equity securities.  The Washington Mutual Participants do
        not beneficially own, individually or in the aggregate, in
        excess of 1% of Great Western's equity securities.

                  Washington Mutual has retained Lehman Brothers
        Inc. ("Lehman Brothers") to act as its financial advisor in
        connection with the Merger for which it received and may
        receive substantial fees as well as reimbursement of
        reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.  In addition, Washington
        Mutual has agreed to indemnify Lehman Brothers and certain
        related persons against certain liabilities, including
        certain liabilities under the federal securities laws,
        arising out of its engagement.  Lehman Brothers is an
        investment banking firm that provides a full range of
        financial services for institutional and individual
        clients.  Lehman Brothers does not admit that it or any of
        its directors, officers or employees is a "participant" as
        defined in Schedule 14A promulgated under the Securities
        Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, in the solicitation, or
        that Schedule 14A requires the disclosure of certain
        information concerning Lehman Brothers.  In connection with
        Lehman Brothers' role as financial advisor to Washington
        Mutual, Lehman Brothers and the following investment
        banking employees of Lehman Brothers may communicate in
        person, by telephone or otherwise with a limited number of
        institutions, brokers or other persons who are stockholders
        of Washington Mutual and Great Western:  S. B. Wolitzer, P.
        R. Erlanger, S. Sobti, D. J. Kim, C. P. Sweeney and D. A.
        Trznadel.  In the normal course of its business Lehman
        Brothers regularly buys and sells Washington Mutual
        Securities and Great Western Securities for its own account
        and for the accounts of its customers, which transactions
        may result from time to time in Lehman Brothers and its
        associates having a net "long" or net "short" position in
        Washington Mutual Securities, Great Western Securities or
        option contracts with other derivatives in or relating to
        Washington Mutual Securities or Great Western Securities. 
        As of March 31, 1997, Lehman Brothers had positions in
        Washington Mutual Securities and Great Western Securities
        as principal as follows:  (i) net "short" 224 of Washington
        Mutual's common shares; (ii) net "long" 27,434 shares of
        Washington Mutual's 9.12% preferred stock; (iii) net "long"
        124,964 shares of Washington Mutual's 7.60% preferred
        stock; (iv) net "long" 12,629 of Great Western's common
        shares; and (v) net "long" 160,000 shares of Great
        Western's 8.30% preferred stock.