New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-20
A Greek Suf-
fragette on War

That the Balkan States would not now
be involved in war had all the women Of
those countries the vote, or, at least were
4hey suffragists who wanted the vote. is
I the opinion of the only Greek suffragette
| in this country. Mrs. Maria Economidy'
| She is also, let It be known by way OF in
! PRODUCTION, the only Greek woman jour-
nalist In this city. the wife OF one or the
editors of "Panhellenic," the Creek daily
newspaper ana the mother Of very
beautiful little boy named Byron
But first Of all / am Greek" she said
to the writer. who found her In the midst
OF a towel embroidering bee at her home,
on St Nicholas avenue. land as such ira
ditions bids me regard fighting as mans
holy duty to his country. Then ] am 4
suffragette a modern woman OF educa-
ton. shall we say2 And as such I can
not help regard war as butchery. think
It is terrible and I know that were all
these countries civilized we would not
have It. But the Turks are not civilized.
and so we must fight them.
~ make that remark about the suffrage
and war not because l think that wom-
en-, voting. would be strong enough to
keep the men from wanting war or that
| think even that they will be so united
in their opinion against II, but because
when a people have reached that state OF
civilization in which they give their wom-
en- a vote, then they will have reached
also a state which Is beyond and above
war.
DO you understand me- My thoughts
In
former days brute strength was every
thing Then the man with the biggest
muscle was the greatest man; the highest
ambition was to Kill and to conquer. Then
everything had TO be done with physical
power-the filling Of the soil. the thrash
ing OF the wheat. To-day the man uses
his brain to save himself the use OF his
body. We are great to-day not because
OF what we do with our arms but be-
cause OF what we do with our heads"
By this time Mrs. Economidy has dis
carded her sewing so enthusiastic and ex-
cited had she become over the subject OF
her conversation. Her interviewer, hav-
ing reminded her that II she did not re-
sumo It her friend, Mrs. ssssoulis, would
win the embroidery race by a whole
flower, she replied with an impulsive gest-
ure:
"Oh. I DO not care about that now. for
found something that interests me much,
much more. will be glad to see her
WIN" with an added smile OF sincere good
will.
She is a slight, dark-haired woman, with
vivid. heavily marked eyes, with which
she expresses all the depth Of her feeling
which her English vocabulary cannot en-
compass.
MY brother is going back to Greece,
and II war is officially declared my hus-
band goes. too. Perhaps. II am strong
enough"-Nrs. Economidy has Just recov-
cred from a severe case OF typhoid
may return. too. and become a nurse.
Now that we are to have war. OF course
we must do what We can 10 make our
country victorious. And this war. is.
after all perhaps. right. for II is fought
for the cause OF civilization and Christian
ty. Every decent man would fight TO nd
his country OF tho influence OF peoples
who permitted their men TO keep their
wives prisoners and TO have as many az
they wanted. Such peoples have no place
IN Europe, and so the sooner We chase
them out the better. hate anything ar
bltrary or tyrannicsl, and that is why I
hate the Turks and why DO not like the
men who will not give women the vote"
A short while ago Mrs. Economdy made
a tour OF the states In order to be able
TO tell the readers OF the "Panhelenic"
what the Greeks in all parts OF this coun-
try were doing and thinking how they
were living and prospering. She also
sent many reports OF these things TO
Athenian magazines. This trip. naturally.
gave her ample opportunity 10 study and
observe American affairs and confirmed.
among other things, her conviction that