Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-03
WOMEN TO FIGHT !
ON BATTLEFIELDS
Hungary's Daughters Sure to
Serve in the Ranks if
They Are Needed.

| while they are away, but will follow
them to the battle fields. II necessary,
according to Madame Iona Timko, a
native of Hungary and for 10 years a
social worker connected with the In
ternational Institute Branch Of the
Young Womans Christian association
in New York, in which capacity she
has done much work for the immigrant
| Hungarian girl.
The women of my country are brave
and fearless she says. They will
fight again, just as they did in the rev.
olution of 1910, when they went as Of
ficers and common soldiers and stood
shoulder to shoulder with their broth
ers and husbands.
One of the favorite stories which
Hungarian women tell again and again
to their children is the enc of the cap
ture of Fort Egri (Egri var bevetele)
and how Dobo Katica, the wife of the
chief whose territory was being be-
sieged by the Turks, led the women
against the invaders She rode out
into the center of the town and called
the women together, asking them in
the name of their country to arm
themselves and follow her. They dis
appeared, and she was afraid for a
while that they were not brave or pa
triotic enough to fight; but soon they
returned, armed with pitchforks and
stones. and followed her to where the
Turks were climbing up a rope ladder
to the fort, which stood on a cliff.
They heated tar in earthen pitch
ers and as the Turks climbed up, pour
ed the boiling stuff down on them,
and when the leader of the enemy ad-
vanced up the ladder, Dobo Katica
took the red flag from his hand
No wonder God is with the Hungar-
ians when their men and women fight
together for their country said the
vanquished Turk as he turned his
forces and fed
Such was the spirit of Hungarian
women in 1852, and they are as brave
now. Their children are brought up
on this story from history and every
girl Is taught to be as fearless as her
brother.
From the highest class to the poor
est peasant, the position held by the
Hungarian woman is one of respect
and equality. She is the head Of the
household, and all the money which
the man earns Is turned over to his
wife, who has full financial control
1t isn't at all strange in a Hungarian
peasant family to hear the husband
ask his wife for a few cents with whica
to buy tobacco. a
THE women are consulted on all
"
makes a business move or a political
move without discussing the matter
with his wife. Her judgment is i'm
portant to him. And the women them
selves are bright, clever, and keen, in
terested in all that concerns their FAM
lily and their country. If the woman is
brighter than her husband, he acknowl-
edges 1t, and let's her go ahead and
manage things.
Perhaps you think that 1t Is strange
under these conditions, that women
have not equal political rights with
men in my country. Perhaps one rea-
son why they are slow in getting the
right to vote is because they already
have 30 many privileges and 80 much.
influence that they have not awakened
THE women of the upper classes
are not interested in suffrage, while
women Of the professional classes Of
ten fear that, If they take a decided
stand on the subject, they will endan-
ger the positions which their husbands
hold in government work. Many wo-
men of this class hold government
positions themselves, and don't care
% imperil them by coming out for SUI
rage. And the peasant women are
100 weak and lacking in organization
o undertake to win the right OF fran
chise.
However, the work for equal suf
rage is gaining in popularity. Last
rear. when the international suffrage
was held In Budapest, 300
peasant women walked 80 miles to at
end 1T, and to represent Hungary and
,ut themselves on record as IN favor
# equal suffrage.
THE Hungarians. men and women,
ire too little known and Appreciated
~ outsiders. They are too easily class
d with the Austrians. who attempt to
dominate them. Hungarian history
md the people OF Hungary deserve
more recognition by the rest of the
world than they get. They are a won
Ierful people. and may be compared
o the Irish in many OF their charac-
eristics> I have lived among the
IRISH in New York, and find in them
he same bravery. the same big-heart-
ID, generous spirit, love of fun, loyalty,
md courage which my people have"
Madame Timko has been IN this
country for "a years and IN that time
las visited Hungary seven times. She
s president OF the newly formed Hun.
sarian Alliance of Women.
All the news all the time-The