Evening star., 1909-03-07
THE new fRENCHWOMAh
CHANGE IN HER BROUGHT BY
"FEMINISM."
The Napoleonic Code Broken Into by
the Invading Women Of
This Day.
From the London Mail

From the London Mail.
ut is cutie contrary to French ideas
that woman should be free to do as she
pleases." Napoleon declared, and his code
OF laws bears many traces of that opin-
ion.
Yet for more than fifty years this ques-
ton OF woman's freedom, so opposed to
French ideas. has been discussed by some
OF the most eminent thinkers in France.
The headway made and the results
feministes are many and various. and
all are based on the principle of equality
OF rights for men and women.
II no book on this subject has attracted
as much attention in France as John
Stuart Mills "Subjection of Women" the
cause of the feministes has been taken
up by numerous writer's eminent in the
press. the lecture hall, in literature and
i'll the drama.
The Frenchwoman has no reason to be
proud of the position in which the law
and custom have placed her. From the
educational standpoint alone does. she
seem to have obtained important cOnceS-
SiOnS.
Posts Open to Women.
AS a matter of fact. all, educational
posts. with the exception of the theologi-
cal, are open to women. In the hospitals,
in the higher councils of labor. Of hy-
giene and Of instruction, they are ad-
mitted and listened to- Tie nomination
of Nine. Curie to the chair of physics and
chemistry at the Sorbonne is significant
example. About $1,000 women are EN-
ployed in teaching in France.
The foundation Of the lycees has con-
tributed largely TO the intellectual eman-
clpatlon of the French girl. ITO form
minds capable of conceiving and desiring
right action is the ideal OF modern edu-
cation" writes Mile. Dugard.
Thus new type of girl is being created
In France, and this is perhaps the most
important victory of feminisme. Indeed,
woman will only gain her rights from man
by her loyalty, her judgment, her good
sense, and by the victories which she has
first gained over herself.
1t is interesting to note that women OF
other countries nave been quicker than the
French to avail themselves of the eXcep-
tional facilities for intellectual development
woman was the first to study medicine in
Paris, and the number of Russian and PO-
lish women who attend the schools Of med
icine and pharmacy is relatively very
large. Yet there is now tendency in the
same direction among the highest classes
which has raised violent protests-as for
instance. from Nine. Colette iver
Neither wife nor mother" WILL according
to the opposition be the proper motto OF
the woman doctors. But this is far from
being proved
Woman Barristers.
To the law of December, 1900, France
owes her woman barristers, Mile. Chauvin
and Nine. Petit being the first to plead
with success, but the judicial bench is not
yet open 10 them.
The intellectual emancipation Of wom
en-. though so recent, has already given
apprecable results.
In literature the modern woman shows
the most remarkab BILE progress. 1t is diff
cult to detach a few howers from a bou-
quet of such excellence. To mention in
poetry only Mines. De Noailes. Mendes
Delarue-Mardrus. Helene Picard, Dan
guet. Gregh. Perdriel-Iaissiere. and
among novelists Nine. Rachilde, Tinayre,
Gerard d 'Houville. Aurel, Daniel Leseur.
Myriamme Harry, is to do injustice to
many others
The theater attracts our authoresses
less. yet Nine. Judith Gautier. Marni,
Monrey and Reynold have met with con-
siderable success in dramatic work.
Remarkable lecturers, such as Nine.
Severine Mendes Vianzone Nelly Rous-
sci. Leopold Lacour. spread the use of
cultivated speech in France and abroad.
All this is active feminisme in it's best
form.
Although the Ecole des Beaux-Arts is
open to woman painters and sculptors,
who number several thousands. and al
though these are OCCASIONALLY encouraged
by receiving medals, their efforts do not
always give satisfactory results. But
they seem to have a special gift for deco
rative art, which offers so much scope
for their activity.
Music is not less favored. but woman.
though so often an excellent performer,
seldom composes we'll. Mile. Nadia Bou-
langer, however, nearly obtained the priX
de Rome for a cantata, which is consid-
cred In every way remarkable.
The Academic Francaise alone shuts its
doors to women; while the committees of
the most important literary societies well
come them gladly.
The actual demands OF the feministes
are directed especially toward political,
economic and matrimonial reform.