The Washington herald., 1907-07-14

Paris, July 12-One Of the strangest agi-
tations in the history of France-or any
other nation-is now in progress in Nor
mandy and Brittany. It Is an appeal to
the women of the nation to strike"
against motherhood.
The agitation has been three years in
coming to a head. A half-dozen women
started league in the little town of
Roubaix. III Northern France, and, year
by year It has grown until now the men,
bership runs into the thousands, and the
league Is strong enough to make its
prOnouncements public.
The propaganda is centered in the towns
of Lille. Tourcoing, and Mouscron. The
walls of these towns and of the villages
and hamlets near by are covered with
haring sheets, proelaiming a general
strike against increasing the population
and begging women 10 refrain from
motherhood
Bands of women, apostles Of the move
ment, are also travelling through the coun-
try holding meetings for men and wo-
men, and distributing pamphlets and leaf
lets.
AristOcratic Support.
The latter have extraordinary wording
They are directed TO the working classes.
as the league asserts that the aristocracy
are practically all members of its or
ganization, and that the noblewomen and
wealthy of France are already pledged to
suppress maternity
The placards and leaflets urge the work
ing classes. if they are bound TO have
children, TO limit the number, since to
bring into the world large families is only
the work OF fools and idiots and ilIiterate
people.
The champion Of large families. Senator
Plot, has started an opposition league,
but he is not receiving much support.
The names signed to the manifestoes IF
the Anti-Maternity League are local ones,
and not known to fame outside their i'm
mediate locality.
As Viewed I'm Paris.
The campaign meets with little open
sympathy in Paris although there can
be no doubt that the apostle Of the no
children" movement have numerous ad-
herents in the capital
The average Parisienne who has made
a marriage of convenience does not want
children. and if she is frank she will tell
why.
The younger generation of married wo-
men have outgrown the Old-fashioned no.
ton that the chief end of marriage is TO
have and TO bring up sons and daughters
Children are a nuisance, they viii tell
you. When you have babies you cannot
go out 10 theaters; you cannot dance;
you must stay at home and mind the
children.
There exists in Paris group known as
the Neo-M althusians, whose avOwed OBJ
ject is the limitation of families They
publish periodical literature, and pam
phlets, and give lectures, and the result OF
their efforts is that in certain intellectual
quarters in Paris the family is very Of
ten limited to the husband and wife.
Humanitarian Motives.
The campaign against motherhood Is
chiefly due TO Nine. Nellie RousseI,
handsome young woman Of no mean ora
torlcal powers.
Even those who are violently opposed
TO her doctrine admit that she is sincere
and that her campaign is inspired by hu-
manitarian motives.
Nine. Rousseu has three children Of her
own, but contends that unless a husband
and wife have sufficient means TO bring
up children comfortably. they ought not
10 have any.
She thinks that the working classes
have far too many children, and appar-
emily her sisters in the North OF France,
where large families are more common
than in Paris. are in sympathy with her
on this question.
But in Paris Itself it Is the daughters,
and not the mothers, who avOw them
selves in agreement with Nine. Rousseus
movement.