The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-01
THE AMERICAN
WOMAN UNFREE
Americans and Germans Compared by
Authoress Who Has
Visited This
Country.
ARE SPOILED AT HOME
Girls of Berlin Are Held up as Mod
els Of the Feminine World
as Highest
Type.

by Karl H. Won Wiegend Berlin Cor
respondent of the United Press.l
BERLIN, Feb. 28.--"The American
woman is laudee as the personifica-
tion OF feminine freedom and be-
lieves herself to be the most free Of
all Ewes daughters, is in reality the
most unfree woman conceivable.
That is the verdict of prominent
woman, who is said to be leading
/ Finnish suffrageIte but whose name
has not yet been made known, in a
book she has Just written after tour
lof the United States. The book is
! soon to come from the press. The
authoress compares the American and
German women, particularly the Ber-
lin women, and the relative spheres
of activity, freedom and salient char
acteristics. Her conclusions are
much to the disadvantage of Ameri-
can women
| 1T true that the American wom-;
an plays big sole,' says the au-
thoress ."She believes herself con
istantly the object of others eyes and
of attention. She believes herself al
ways followed because she cannot con
ceive that SO wonderful creature as
she could pass along the streets I'M
annoyed An American woman can
have passing man arrested if she
takes notion that he smiled at her.
The man is not asked whether she
the police station with him! He can
pc kept in Jail forty days whether he
is guilty or not Many young women
consider it sport to have young men
arrested because in that way they
gain a reputation for great virtue and
chastity and imagine themselves
greatly admired and desired. In the
theatre and moving picture places the
1 women believe themselves pursued
BY needle-stickers, make tfsrges and
have men arrested who sat harmless
| ly nearby.
1 cat home the daughters are spoiled
1 by mother, father and brothers and
kept like princesses If they ere per-
mitted to earn money at all, they
spend it on themselves for dress pUr-
poses. 1t would not occur to them
that they should contribute toward the
support of the family. Among the
women of America there has created
itself a sanctimonioIsness saintliness.
capriciousness and hypocricy that
amuses Russian Finnish and Swedish
women and all women who belong to
a really free country, ana makes
| can sisters.
Everything that an American wom-
! an does, she does secretly. 1t is a
great sin to smoke before ladies in So
ciety. And that is the standpoint of
the whole country The railroads
have smoking cars lest perhaps a
woman should breathe the aroma of a
cigarette To offer an American lady
a cigarette is disgrace but secret
they all smoke, and secretly also they
take their little glass of liquor and
wine. Everything is secret. Out
wardly one had better be heartless
than amiable and tolerant.
Continuing, the authoress says that
4 if an American woman finds herself in
a restaurant or other public place
lrepute. she promptly removes herself
attracting as much attention as pos
sible in doing SO 4but not without
first closely observing the cut and
style Of the gown of the woman to
whom she so ostentatiously Objects
the critic, "the man will get up ter
times a night to attend to it rather
than have the nights rest OF his wife
disturbed" In sharp contrast to the
Americans she paints the German
woman, especially the "Berlinese.
THE Berlin girl works and help,
support her parents says the writer
Zone finds active, Industrious girls IL
every strata of society in Berlin. Yes
girl who occupies her time doint
nothing, is regarded in Berlin as s
useless member Of society Berlin
women are not afraid to go alone OF
the streets at night. The Berlin mai
does not stick hypodermic needles in
to girls and women. Neither is he
dangerous 'kiss-hero' who wants t,
kiss women on the streets. and he i
no white SLAYER who tries to dras
/, girls away. And for these reasons
!. the Berlinese women are really free
: The Berlin woman works in the in
: terest Of her husband and family
She is good housekeeper or has tn
earnest desire and wish to be- Sh
has not the egotistical desire to liv
like the great ladies if circumstance
: do not permit 1t.
Berlin women are frank and oper
They are neither coarse nor hear
{ less. Did a Berlin woman make a
, attempt to make a show OF herself b
leaving restaurant or cafe in whic