The sun., 1910-02-13
WOMAN CRITIC FROM GREECE
DEMETRA VAkA SAfS SHARP
THINGS OF HER sen.
women In America UndeNelOISed and
Spoiled. she Thinks, and the Ballot
Not what They Need-WO0ld Have
Wan the Master-A Talk with Her.

Whether you go to see Demetra Vaka
the author. or Mrs. Kenneth Brown, the
superintendent of affairs in her husbands
household. in either case a slender. soft
voiced. pleasant hammered young woman
greets you.
You make known the fact that IL is
Demetra Vaka you wish to talk to first.
please don't say anything about my
charming Turkish novel she Cntreats,
and the slightest shade Of a French accent
turks in her speech. 1T always makes
me cross to hear the book spoken OF in
that way. IL there is anything that
'Haremlik' is not. that is a fictitious
novel IL is an exposition or existing life.
The word itself means the wOmen's quar-
ters or the women's abode
But thought that the meaning Of the
word harem.' you say.
NO." she replies. the harem ia merely
the women OF the household. There the
women OF the Turkish family. mothers.
daughters and wives. live together.
simple, natural lives. The Turkish woman
is prominently natural"
What would you say is the dominant
characteristic OF the American woman?-
you ask.
Mrs Demetra Kenneth Brown-such is
the combination OF names she Affects
leans forward.
The American woman?- she repeats
sWhy, there is no American woman
and she says il emphatically. There are
the New York woman and the Boston
wonlsn-and they might be Of two races.
There are the Southern woman and the
Western woman likewise. and they are
even more distinct; there is variety on
variety OF each OF these.
But there is one trait which seems to
be common, the American woman is
undeveloped. She is precocious child.
she knows a great deal and what she
doesn't know she pretends TO know; she
thinks that she in her one short life must
know all. She has courses in Grieg. in
Delsarte and in French. she belongs to
the political leagues and clubs OF various
kinds too numerous to mention. All this
makes her the most interesting woman
in the world but the most restless There
was time, not so long ago It seems. when
an active interest in her home kept her
busy. now she must have another outlet
for her energy.
Energetic she is surely and capable
too; il is her inheritance; but she has
been spoiled. Divorce is paramount, :,
When she il married she has been show
cred with flowers and candy and has
not been trained TO meet her part OF the
obligation"
Then you would lay the blame OF the
great number OF divorces at the door
OF the woman, you say?'
Mrs. Demetra Kenneth Brown mods
her head in assent.
Il don't know the Western woman
personally she admits. but this inde-
terminate restlessness seems to be every
where. The rank and file OF women in
this country are admittedly the best
sohooled Of all the countries. yet the
average woman has no individuality.
, You cannot appeal TO her intuitive intel
' lect. She Is generally coIored by local
conditions-in New York by money and
chow. in Boston by culture. and so on.
You are not. then, in favor OF her
struggle for the ballot. you suggest
Mrs. Demetra Kenneth Brown again
Jeans forward-it would be much simpler
20 call her Dcmetra Vaka alone or Mrs.
Kenneth Brown. only she is obviously
neither the one nor the other, but both.
What do you mean by that?" she de-
mands. -If you mean to ask whether
I'm opposed to suffrage / answer no.
There is no use making speeches Of oppo-
convince blind man that he is blind by
telling him so. He must try his sight;
the suifrsg gists must try too.
Yes. / think I'm almost in favor OF
suffrage, that is. a trial of suffrage,
and for a very funny reason. The suff-
ragists say that woman il considered
inferior and irresponsible because she
has not the ballot. for one should like
to see her have it and see how much more
responsibly she uses 1t. think one excuse
would then have to be thrown away
IL was woman who had the ballot in
the first place. and she threw il away.
But" and the young Greek-Ameri-
cans voice gets very serious. what
We primarily want in and ask OF woman
is that she have strength and discrimi-
nation. II the ballot will give these to
her let her have il. Let her even wear
trousers II that will help any.
What respect has my son for me?'
says one woman. L, his mother, am
.classed with idiots and minors
IF she Is going to succeed in getting
the. vote. and in the vote when she gets
IL. she must find a deeper and more vital
reason than an objection to the way she is
classed.
Il personally do not want IL, though ]
have been self supporting since was IL
In fact. I think found more chivalry and
kindness because OF my limitations
There were always champions. which the
sunrsgists say they don't want; they
want justice. But I prefer champions;
/ find them very nice
do you find the American man as in
teresting as the American woman?' you
ask
Mrs. Kenneth Brown smiles as IL to say
that this very name OF hers obvistes the
necessity OF such a question.
-Oh. the American mani" she exclaims
81 love him. love him en- masse. and l
love him as an individual. He Is the
finest man in the world-honest. clean
workloving and chivalrous. He doesn't
have the acquired manners. perhaps. Of