The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-27
WHITE MANS WORLD
Few Women and No Negroes
Ever Enter 1t.
VIEWS OF CHICAGO SCIENTIST
Prof. Thomas, of Mr.. BOckefeiier's
School, Rules the Feminine Cen
Life-CiviIizatIOn Not of Highest
Type-Sex Influence on Character.


Modern women and the black race are
classed together as mentally unfit 10 enter
the. white mans world by Prof VII
liam ]. Thomas, Of the University Of Chi
cago. in an article on The Mind ~
Woman and the Lower Races" in the
American Journal on Sociology says the
Chicago Record Herald
The Midway professors statement IS
published as the announcement Of a new
theory OF sex" IN which the develop
ment Of women Is shown IN paralIellsla
with that Of the unciviIized man.
Physical characteristics and historical
incidents, according to the professor,
nave 'tnclOsed woman IN habits which
she can not OF Will not fracture" and
which reduce her TO a secondary class.
Examples Of able women are explained
as sporadic and unusual cases. Like the
blacks, she got into the game late" and
in consequence stands in the relative po-
sition OF an amateur 10 a professional. he
declares. The modern system Of mar
riage also is included in the causes for
the inferiority Of women.
The article VIII be included as q chap
ter in a book on Sex" soon to be pub
lished from the university by Prof
Thomas, in which it is declared q num-
Der Of startling features viii be con
tanned.
Prof. Thomas recently aroused storm
Of discussion by an article on "The Ad-
ventitiOus Character OF Women" in
which a psychological defense of the so
cial evil the claim that women Of loose
habits make -uncommonly good wives
and that American women are house
cats We're the chief points
Aside from the sex theory. Prof.
Thomas advances the idea that the
weight of the brain is no test Of iutefli-
gence. Difference tn the mental capacity
Of women and unciyilized races with
white men. he declares. is due 10 differ
ences in historical habit and opportunity
He says.
Even the most serious women Of the
present day stand, ia any work they un-
dertake, in precisely the same relation 10
men that the amateur stands in relation
70 the professional In games. They seem
10 be desperately interested, and many
work 10 the limit Of endurance az times:
but, Ike the amateur, they get into the
game late, and have not had "A lifetime
Of practice, or they do not have the adj
vantage Of that pace gained only by com
peting necessarily with players OF the
very first rank.
Too Big for Them.
The world OF modern Intellectual life
is, in reality, white mans world. Few
women and perhaps no blacks T. n ever
entered this world in the fullest s.. e. To
enter it in the fullest sense would be 10 be
in 81 at every moment from the time Of
birth to the time Of death. and 10 absorb
It unconsciously and consciously, as the
child absorbs language.
when something like this happens, we
VIII be in a position to Judge OF the
mental efficiency of women and the lower
races. At present We seem justified in
inferring that the differences in mental
expression are no greater than they
should be tn view of the existing differ
ences in opportunity"
In discussing the cases Of women who
have attained high standards in their
studies he says.
The trouble with these cases is that
they are either swept away and eugIIfed
/ by the modern system Of marriage. OF
find themselves excluded ia some intangi-
bic way from association with men in
Tie fullest sense, and no career open to
/ their talents.
But these are sporadic cases. repre-
senting usually some definite interest
rather than a full intellectual life. and re-
sembling also in their nature and rarity
the elevation OF q peasant 10 q position OF
eminence in Europe
Whether the characteristic mental life
/ OF women and the lower races VIII prove
10 be identical with those Of the white
man OF different I'm quality is a different
question, and problemaucaL
1t is certain, at any rate, that our
/ civilization is not Of the highest type. In
all our relations there is too much Of
primitive mans fighting instinct and
+ technique, and IL is not impossible that
the participation Of women and the lower
races Will contribute new elements.
change the stress of attention, disturb
the equilibrium. and force a crisis which
will result in the reconstruction of our
habits on more sympathetic and equitable
principles"
Following is a partial statement Of
Prof. Thomas theory Of sex"
The difference in mental expression be
tween the lower and high races can be
expressed for the most part in terms Of
attention and practice. Woman, on the
other hand, exists in the white mans
world Of practical and scientific activity
but is excluded from full participation
in it.
Is IucIosed in Habits.
Certain organic conditions and his
toricaI incidents have. in fact. incloseu
her in habits which she cannot fracture,
and have also set up in the mind of man
an attitude toward her which renders her
almost as alien 10 mans interests ann
practices as If she were partially scpa-
rated from them"
The fact that primitive man had a deep
contempt for and superstitious fear Of
woman is declared to be a cause of the
failure of women to get into touch with
the male mentality. MOdesty is also
blamed for a lack Of freedom in women.
Not only are women unable and Un-
willing to be communicated with directly.
unconventionally and truly on many sub
iects," continues the article but men
are unwilling to talk TO them. I do not
have in mind situations involving Ques-
tons of propTiety OF deliCaCy alone. but
a certain habit Of restraint. originating,
doubtless in matters relating 10 sex, cN-
I tends to all intercourse with women. with
the result that they are not really adj
mitted TO the intellectual world Of men,
And there is not only reluctance on
the part of men TO admit them, but re-
luCtance. or rather, a real inability, on
their part to enter. Modesty with refer
enCe to personal habits has become SO In
grained and habitual and to do anything
freely is so foreign TO women, that even
free thought is almost of the nature OF
| an irnrno6esty to her