The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-10
THE DIVINE SARAH . ON MODERN WOMAN Politics Is Inadequate for
 Women INTERESTING VIEWS Says Modern Women Are Increasing Their Power Over the World.
 English Women Are
 Charming
VIEWS

From the London Standard.
 Dressed in the gorgeous robes of Luere- tia Borgia, Mime. Sarah Bernhardt gave her views on the modern woman to a rep rosentative of "Woman's Platform of The Standard yesterday.
 What a question to ask of one who has just poisoned her own son, though only in play.' began Mime. Bernhardt You heard how hard I tried to cajole my proud duke by the ancient wiles of womanhood. Well, those wies should never be surrendered. Surely they are more useful than the vote for the sub jugation of that wild creature, man. But do not think that l would have women use the militant methods of the poison, to which Lucretia Borgia was so wedded
 "The temper of men and the temper of women are so different. feel 1t even in the audiences I receive. The women are charming, but, after all, they do lit tie to create the compact enthusiasm of a house 1t is the men whom 1 feel chief y responding to me and being drawn out of themselves by my art. And in politics the same difference would tell somehow. When a queen reigns, who gov erps? Not the Queen, but the ministers, and the ministers are men l myself am an artist, and I have never mixed myself with these questions. But this is certain
 
 you understand-I feel.
 Not Real Politics"
 Voting does not seem to mo to be real politics. A t any rate, it is not active and continuous participation in politics. Vot- ing is a small political matter, and though not for that reason-might well be allowed to women. I find 1t ridiculous that a great Parsian artist should be de- barred from the vote when any stupid faIs sf,rr rbf, cto Iu, on couraged to vote. And encouraged, mind you, by all sorts of parties who play on his lack of intelligence and his love of self interest. But, beyond that, women need not go. The cabinets and parlia- ments are just as well without them. Art literature drama-yes there you have living, passionate things, in which women are needed at their finest.
 "Yes, certainly l find that modern women are increasing their power over the world. They are less eircumscrlbed by men than they were but little time ago. They have openings of all sorts, through which they can pour their divine influence on affairs now. At one time men did too jealously confine that influence to them selves and to their homes. The home life that was developed thus was indeed a glory very often. But there was un- meaning subjugation sometimes and there was, to this degree, a need of some es- cape, of some possibility of more varied outlook This has come now, and is com ing still more, to the benefit both of men and of women But do you sup pose that Lucretia Borgia was a slave ? No; women have had glorious positions and glorious freedoms In the past. But, perhaps. in certain spheres and certain societies there was too much restriction of women in the early part of the last century. From this restriction women are happily emancipatins themselves. "Ah, perhaps I am prejudiced for art. But politics seems to me too inadequate for the nature of women to find satis- faction there. The vote-yes; but politics, high poltics-oh, never Shakespeare had to put up with boys to act his fe- male pG1ts Well, we have surely won our way to your stage rightly. But there is no such need for women in politics as there was in drama A budget does not exercise any special call on wom- ans talents. Probably audiences felt the lack of women in that Shalxe- spearean drama, and demanded that we should go on the boards. But you dc not hear people saying that the Presi- dent of a state would preside better if he were woman. At any rate it is not generally held to be a compliment when it is said!"
 Mme Bernhardt smiled, and leaning on her dressing table, put up warning finger. But your Englishwomen," she ended, "are so charming to me that I would give them whatever they asked of mo. 1 am sure they are capable of being good artists and good politicians, and good mothers, and everything else, In a won- derful union.