New-York tribune., 1911-02-20
Paris, January 81.


rh. recent candidature OF Nine Cure
for O vacant chair IN the Academic dea
sciences has provoked a consideraols
.,,ourt ~ discussion concerning the rols
80 women in the higher departments "
science and letters.
The cross of the Legion OF Honor nas
o,readv been awarded to several women
49,. en- far no woman has been admitted
>. tho Inst,tut de France (wnich com'
s,,sns tho Academic Francaise. OF iet'
tors. the Academic des inscriptions es
po,Ios.I.e .ettres. the Academic des Sch
ooos and the Academic des sciences'
,,oraIes Of Polit,aues). For that very
-oo.o, ,troe Curie met with opposiuon
IN certain quarters. IL "ouiu appeN''
however. that the majority OF the niom-
hers considered the question soleiy ifom
49, no,rt ~ view Of the scientihc WORK
49, 49, hv the respective candidates since
49, Cur,e received twenty-e'ght VoteA
az against the thirty oo'a'".u "
NJ Rranly. well known FOR MS oisoo''
or,es in connection with wireless 'eNe-
-. ord several Of those VINO 'o'eo
.or ,ho latter expressly stated tnat tney
,,s an account of his value as
scientist and not from any an'i-i'''''''''
principles. ~ npevus dss
r,.oooisv has come forward Win an
original suggestion. namely '"a' 'H
.eaor,,, should be founded for women.
For the realization OF the pro'ec. '"'
"Revue', would have two comm'''ees
formed OF ten members eacn' the ono
| .o.or,ine and the other feminine lms
nronosal has already received the ap
nnnyo, ~ several well known personages'
among whom are Prince Roland Bona
narte. NM. Emile Faguet' CompayfS
| Lyon, Caen, etc.
The problem is more 'i.ai o'e ." -.
1,.a;.,, which women have invaded
in great numbers. 1t shouio oe S'a'eu
that the question is one or greater p'ac'
,icaI moment in France tnan IN Aifef'
60 hacause of the fact that very iarge
,,ro,ortion Of the students in the FACULTY
80 letters and in the faculty OF sciences
are intending teachers-they are 'ne's V
'ocouire a means Of earning tneir living
r,ara ia not the same class OF young
,,oor,e who 60 TO the university oecauss
e. is the proper thing to 90 OF oecau'e
~, evnect to have a good time lha'
,,ucb less numerous in France
than in America and England Is u "
found rather in the faculty OF law
of course. so long as the women a''
tended the university TO prepare then'
soIves for teaching in girls Schools anu
followed the course prescrlped' ai went
we'll But this year the matter mas
+,ken on a new aspect, owing 10 'hfe0
incidents. -,
This wear for the first time gir' mas
honr allowed to follow in "lycee' 'sta'e
nubIic school the class of speclal hia'",
au,o,ics hitherto composed Of boys only
and destined TO prepare pupils Tor tue
aa,o,+,sc section Of the Ecole Normaie
Superieure. x.u.
second several female candidates nav'
announced their intention to go up luz
the mems aggregation" the yearly CONS
netitive examination. whereby proies'
sors are appointed to the state puo'''
schools). and are to go through the reg
ulation preliminary training In boys
rvcee " There is a special Aggregation
for women. which gives the right TO
ros,,ion in a girls school. The former -
naturally more difficult, and more hono'
would consequently accrue to the sue
cessful woman candidate. A similar m
cident occurred as long ago as loo'
when a woman was received second on
the list at the mems "agregation.' sne
was appointed professor in a girls
school, and shortly afterward at the
| Ecole de Sevres Ga higher normal scnooi
for women. A recent newspaper article
has recalled the fact (perhaps as
warning?) that her brain soon began
give way and that she ended as lunam
in a "maison de sante.'
Third. this year for the first time
woman has been admitted to the Ecole
Normale Superieure, which has for its
purpose the preparation OF professors Tor
the boys "lycees" Though the intention
of the founders was evidently that the
school should be for men only, there Is
10 definite regulation excluding women
Until a few years ago the admission OF
woman was an obvious impossibility
since all the students We're obliged 70
live i'm the school. Now. however, those
who wish to do SO may live in private
lodgings The presence of woman
seems. nevertheless. somewhat illogical
| inasmuch as there exists an Ecole Nor
male Sup6reure for women. The ex'
planation of the womans candidature
| lies i'm the fact that the womens sthooi
does not enjoy the great prestige al
tached to the famous Ecole Normale Oh
the rue d'Ulm. through which have
passed Taine. Pasteur. NM. Jules Le-
maitre, Faguet. Juaras and many otner
prominent intellectual figures Of France
Obviously, i'm all three cases the NAN
motive was desire. in itself legitimate
for glory. Objections have been raised on
the ground that the women will not oe
able TO make practical use of their
| diplomas. since female teachers are not
| allowed in boys schools. and that they
are thus uselessly deprving men Of w.
| livelihood