Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-09-02
Pope Plus Believes Feininism WHll Be
Best Overcome Through Work OF
Women Themselves.
CAMPAIGN HAS so FAR
BEEN IN HANDS OF MEN
Archbishops, Bishops and Priests Gen
orally Not Successful in Crusade
as Was Hoped.
BY HENRY WOOD.

(Rome Correspondent OF the United
Press.)
Rome, Sept. 2.-on something of the
principle of "setting a thief to catch
thief" Pope Plus, in his worldwide
fight against feminism, is hereafter to
use the women themselves as his prin-
cipal combatants for stamping out what
he believes to be the evils of the move
ment.
This crusade of the Catholic church,
which His Holiness considers equally
as important as and in, some respects
closely allied to his fight against "mod-
ernism," has, up to the present mo-
ment, been largely in the hands of men
cardinals archbishops, bishops, and
priests and prelates generally. Its fail
ure to attain the ends he had hoped
for is due, His Holiness now believes,
largely to this one-sided nature Of the
combat and it is this that has decided
him to seek the aid of the women
themselves hereafter, placing the future
of the movement largely in their hands.
AS the first step to this end His
Holiness today officially approved the
prospectus for a worldwide interna-
tional federation of the Catholic Wom-
ems leagues. National federations of
this society already exist in the United
States, England and nearly all of the
European countries, especially where
the feminist movement is strongly pro
nounced,
While it is known that the genera
policy of this new international fedora
tion of women is to be decidedly reac
tionary from the point of view of many
of the feminist leaders in all parts o.
the world, yet, with possibly one ex
ception, it is not to be opposed to som,
of the more vital principle of thu
movement. 1t has been ever the theor,
of Pope Plus X that the sphere o
women should be limited absolutely t.
the home and the church and this re
striction will be largely the basis en-,
to be attained by the new reactionar,
movement.
The federation will in no way inter
fere with those feministic movement
the aim Of which is merely the, highes
/ possible development Of women. 1
fact, it will have a propaganda all O
its own to that end, but in the affair
ment Of this highest development q
y which woman is capable it will see
to keep her ever within the sphere q
+ the home, with the church as her on
+ outlet for activities of a broader nj
. ture.
: viii Also Fight Fashion.
e The one exception, however, that
y to be made, and that is to be made {
7 once, is that of determined crusad
3 against the modern evils of fashio
d 1t was in fact, the urgent necessity {
this, based largely upon the failure {
g the church to attain this end by Il
y usual exhortations of its prelates, thu
l. prompted Pope Plus to the immedia
II approval Of the plans for the intern
rt tional federation of the women. III
g fight against the Generalization whic
1t His Holiness believes. that the pursu
of fashion is working in the ranks
g women is to be taken up at once.
n As a matter of fact this fight on Il
10 part Of the church is already one
long standing but up to the prese
moment most Of its efforts have ]
suited in signal failure. Until a fe
years ago, the question Of evenil
dresses for women was the only o.
against which the church deemed
necessary TO legislate and the pope
- sued an order forbidding all cardina
papal ambassadors and other prelat
40 TO attend social functions where won
were gowned in evening dress.
- Within the past three years, howev,
- the modern fashions have brought abo
~ fight from the church apinst mu
y Of the modern tendency which is
~ clared is demoralizing women not on
: morally but economically. This figl
especially in Italy, has had one or /,
eliminating points, but culminati
" points that have always later ended
- allure. Cardinal Ferrari two years a
. issued an order prohibiting the weari
Of hobble sliits. Not only was the
-. der utterly futile but resulted in I
- falling off Of attendance at all religic
= functions by women and girls.
~ Suit Stops Cardinal.
Last year Cardinal Cavallari, pat
arch Of Venice and successor Of Pc
Plus in that position, announced, VIII
~ the prevailing fashion reached Il
point where the decollette Of the wa
and the slit Of the skirt threatened
meet at the waist line, that no won
whom he considered immodestly dresl
would be allowed to attend any serv
at which he offieiated. The ii
women, however, whom he ordered
moved from the church because Of
dress, instituted civil proceedil
against the cardinal and the movem
nan1n m a sndInn end. i'm the fnnn