New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-08-04
ESPRIT DE CORPS AMONG WOMEN.
Mrs Gilman Finds It a Dominant Note at
Quinquennial.

&Uluq ucuulG1.
What did the luinqUenniaI do for women
repeated Mrs. Charlotte Perkins Gilman, who has
Just returned from Berlin and who was one OF
the speakers al the council. First Of all. ii was
another step in her requirement OF that esprit
de corps which admire in broadminded
mon. Tho capacity for that spirit is more
masculine than feminine Fundamentally, but the
woman Of pas times concerned almost exclu-
Sively with a round OF tasks which seldom took
her outside the walls Of her home. had little en-
pioylnenr Tor thar side OF her nature. It
atrophied. a it were An event like the qUin-
quenuial is d proof that IN the women OF
to-day il has life. OF the inter
national character Of the council is what gives
II its greai Importance NheE q from
New-Jersey or from Oregon sits in hail in
Germany, among delegates from almost al
parts Of the world. and listens to the words o.
a Turkish woman who has travelled from her
country TO join ia the crusade for social purity
why. IT gives a wonderful feeling OF the essential
oneness Of all womaukind. and. more than that, of
ali humanity she cannot help taking home with
her from such experience something Of that
world spirit which ali need cultivate
Then toe. an such gatherings tend make
worse tusiuessiike. more practical You
kn"' non always said that II was more difficult.
1.o TO transact business with a woman
tina. v.lh 1t IS unJeniaby true that
woman "a sex. is lacking tn accuracy ard in
grasp OF affairs. and she is Inclined 10 expect
concessions ON account of her sex. These dis
auiIties born OF keen inexperieucC. ana are
ge5ung our Of them los degrees What bitter eda-
cation could he imagined for women than a
great convention involving. as it does all man
Nor of difficult routine work
And" Mrs. Gilman on. Il believe the
same time IL makes them more feminine. No that
s not contradiction. 1t stimulates the study OF
the art Of dressing. Women who are inclined 10
be dowdy or careless in dress. going 10 the meet
,ugs Of the international council and seeing its
leaders the mos. prominent women in it. ALTERED
beautifully and becomingly, and seeing that their
attention to the details of dress doesn't detraci
from their cleverness. but makes il more effective,
viii perceive the wisdom Of dressing we'll
II believe. too that every woman who attended
the Observation-Disclosures it and de-
Hshttul as Berlin was-has returned TO her home
loving IL better than before That always the
result or absentEg ones self from home for a while
There would be fewer unhappy marriages II wives
took more journeys out into the world. 1t is not
events Ike the QuinQuennial that lead women into
the way OF Leglecting their homes and their chill
dren. II is the unhealthy forms OF social pleas
ure that do that. And. anyway q thing that takes
place only once in five years cannot BE- = serious
interruption TO wOman's domestic life. And she
goes home from II refreshed strengthened with
way More man that her sense OF b,rnor-tbs
thing in which women are said to be dehcient--has
been walked up by the various cOutretemps and
funny happenings which are inseparabIe from any
/ large gathering OF people
III was. interesting TO see the effect the quin-
nor supposed 10 have the whole q very high
I a
/ the typical German woman knows nothing but the
J four X kinder kuche. kIeider and kirChe- Con-
! slider what "a revelation u must have been 10 the
man holding this conception OF women TO
I those splendid women % the International council
( discussing topics ~ worldwide Importance, and
I discussing them most ably
! ''Nhu 81 the noticeable women
! a. the qutuQ ueuulalT Mrs Gilman asked.
/ THAT depends on the point or view. Miss Susan
/ y. Anthony. with her eighty-tve years and her
/ white hair easily the most popular and the
/ most impressive. There was another beautiful old
/ woman st the quiuquenrtai. Miss clifford. who -
/ prominent 90 charitable work and wonau'z work
/ iu England. She has snowy hair. too. and the
! peachiest most youthful complexion. Then there
I was q magnificent young creature from NorwaF-
1 with great thick hralds % taXeu hair hanging
/ down her back and a curious gold chain rope
} across and across her breast. Sae IS woman ~
! after one OF The meetings ! her In ante
! room exhibiting her baby boy 70 an audience ~
. women with air ~ great pride Then there
/ was a Turkish princess iu her native costume
I gave talk the condition or female slaves
: in country. / noticed that she was accom-
} panied by tuccuapicuOuS man wearing n fez
/ and 7 asked Who be was oh, he's her husband.
'.Tfe German women were the least interest
. ing That saying about the four X cQesn Z apply
/ iu all cases hy means. I met one German
woman and size Is not especially unusual, who IS "A
I brilliant musician and knows I'VE languages per
f4ctlv. She Is thinking OF coming &c this coua-
try. Uy the way. You viii see by those cards. and
! M-s Gilman nodded toward the heap - invita-
one OF the souvenirs Of her "trip. how many % the
/ German doctors Of art. doctors Of
/ medicine doctors ~ law When they 90 CLIMB
they eminent