The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-05-08
THE SURPLUS, MORAL WOMAN
WiLL{PuT ENOSTO AELsWAR,
BELIEVES MRS. MARY
AUSTIN.

II women-milltons OF them-realize
that there is a condition which con
dennis them to a life without love.
what will they do about It? Mary
Austin, author Of books upon marriage,
as well as a novelist, says that they
will do away with that condition even
when it is something which seems to
be as hard to Danish from the world
as war.
When a nj realizes that war
may mean that she must go through
life without a mate, she will not listen
to oratorical phrases about the duty
OF giving to ones country and resign
herself to conditions, thinks Mrs.
Austin. She will listen to her heart,
which tells her that each human being
is entitled to love, and he will see
to It that war is no more. The sur.
plus woman may have to her credit
yet the bringing OF a lasting peace.
It was about war babies" that I
asked Mrs. Austin to talk. She did
talk about them-about the illogical
position in which the countries which
urge women to hear children for the
state find themselves when some Of
the children are born without benefit
Of clergy-about the necessity Of PEN
sioning dependents mothers, and about
other phases of the question which
Just now is such an important one in
Europe. But the thing which was
most interesting was her belief THAI
the moral woman will put an end to
war. For, obviously, it is only the
moral woman who will feel that war
deprtves her OF her mate.
but all women deny themselves
love?" asked Mrs. Austin. Don't
the war babies prove that when the
elemental things of nature come In
conflict with standards of mortality It
is always morality which is defeated"
"Oftimes that is true" said Mrs.
Austin. "As you suggest, II q woman
cannot have a kiss unless she has 1t
surreptitiously, she will have it that
way. But | believe that m are
beginning to think more seriously on
these matters than they have done in
the past. 1 believe that there ars
many women who e that 1t Is their
duty to uphold the intention of Nature.
And Nature, you know, is one the side
of monogamy.
sex morality is not a matter OF
opinion. 1t is a matter OF conformity
to natural laws. Nature started things
right. Boy babies and girl babies are
born in the same number. For every
man,-there is his woman; for every
woman, there is her man. Disequili-
brium OF the sexes may conc through
various causes-as in England, even
before the war, there were almost
{, 100000 surplus women, OH account
of so many Englishmen having be-
come colonists and.so-Inapy$being out
Of England i'll the standing army
but all other causes r Insignificant.
or course, compared to war. When
There are many surplus women, there
lis immortality. War has always been
the greatest dlsturber OF sex morllfS%.
"Of course, it Is impossible to ten
now how the ratio of the X will
stand at the close of the war. But
this Is certain: Some I'M must
20 without love and children. They
must realize that they are the sur
plus women and they must learn, as
some women have learned without
the bitter experience OF war that the
creative powers exercised in child
bearing are forms Of energy and that
it is impossible TO turn that energy
into work."
But isn't that rather a cold com.
fortIto give to women? Do you think
that it will suffice for loveless lives?"
F" l think it will, because it must.
Doing without love Is a great price
for women to pay, but women nus
pay it until there are no more wars.
it will require a strong breed OF
women to deny themselves love. But
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