The Washington herald., 1912-05-05
SENTIMENT is SWEPT AWAY
BY STRESS OF MODERN SET
LA Donna" Points Out the Evil Effects of Luxury
and Leisure on ChivaIry.

Paris, May 4-The Italian paper la
Donna" (The woman) this week put this
question to its readers: rs there a SEN
ttmental misunderstanding between the
sexes?''
Is it fact that in the higher evolved
classes there does exist a sentimental
misunderstanding between the sexes
which is an obstacle to a perfect love
comprehension? Is man or woman the
chief culprit in this misunderstanding?
VIII a change Of attitude come about
first in womanfolk or in man? Or will
the men gradually accept the new condi-
tions Of women, or will the women re-
turn to the ancient boundaries and fulfill
their mission as wives and mothers?
The general opinion seemed to be that
something was radically wrong with
modern society, and that true love was
declining through the fault of both
partlTs, the one becoming ever more
pleasure seeking, the other trying TO
make itself nothing else but a pleasure
sought.
''SIOney ana Time"
one writer declared that two promi-
nent factors undermined the changes Of
a great and true love in the present
day-one was money and the other time.
Life entails so much expense-Iuxuries
have become necessities to such an ex-
tent that the acquisition Of money is
the all-important object OF daily strug-
gle; to get the utmost possible money in
the shortest possible time constitutes the
success or the failure of the individual
Man, with this one aIl-absorbIng object
IN view, has no time to make love; and
II a deep sentiment rises in him it is
starved out for want Of scope, and be-
cause Il is looked upon as an enemy
something which comes between him and
his work.
If this Is the cancer eating out the
heart Of sentiment between the sexes
there can be but one remedy-the finan-
cial Independence of women, which, do
ing away with the bugbear money" will
make them no longer a waste OF time"
for men, but congenial companions.
One Ct the weIl-known Italian writers,
Luciano Zuccoli. ridIcules the mere idea
Of a possible sentimental misunderstand-
ing between the sexes. He says that
rhen and women ''understand'' one an
other all right; that the trouble comes
when to be faithful to the understand
ing Is asked Of them.
Somebody wrote the following pessi-
mistic statement OF love: Love is the
greatest Of all frauds and sadnesses, be-
cause it is the supreme and vain effort
OF man to escape from the solitude Of
his inward self This attitude Of look
ing upon love excludes q possibility OF
understanding between the sexes, for Il |
is purely based upon mems lowest selfish |
motives. and the qualification Of these !
can only mean a disillusion 10 both |
parties.
Plot Against Love.
Jeronima Dieda, in dealing with the
subject reverses the argument She |
says that what exists between the men
and women Of the higher classes is not |
a misunderstanding" but an under
standing 70 put love out Of the ques-
ton; They look at life IN a practical
way, totally devoid Of sentimentality.
What Is tie use. they say. OF building . |
castle which ai.y circumstance can de-
molish. and which viii be as&ailed by
ingineible enemies in the way Il tempta- I
tions and barriers? Much better for these
birds OF passage to just take a fancy,
fan IT for q little while into q splutter- i
ing fame and when II dies out begin |,
again. There Is no sacrifice; there Isl
very little work expended in these lovel
Affairs; others take their places; they K
are pleasing for the time; they answer
their superficial pleasure-giving purpose;
thav are amusing, like hlm Of the cine