Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-14

"A placed upon tho subject of woman's
mental laziness, The accusation has been
voted unfair, unwelcomo and unJustiied
Several other equally impressive words
have been employed by the prominent
women whose comments on Miss Vests
article which appears in tho current num-
ber OF the New Republic and declares
that women arc tho worlds worst failure
are given below.
That women really do dress to please
men In conceded. That they think of moth
Ing, or of little else besides accomplishing
this, is not conceded.
Men have been known to show a touch Of
pardonable vanity now and then, yet you
never hear them accused of mental inefli-
cheney as n class. They can do very few
things which a woman cannot do, IL she
sets her mind to It. Then why should the
stronger sex sit back and smile an in
ward and benign smile of self-satisfaction
while the women arc accused of being
emotional drunkards. idlers and para
sites?
1t isn't Just, Is It? No woman works
In n half-hearted manner because she
thinks that matrimony Will be her por-
tion some day. Why should she? Tho
lot of the woman worker Is what she
makes 1t. 1t can be a secure, lucrative
position. or merely n Job" Miss West
thinks that all women workers have Jobs.
Three entirely different types of women
are represented by their comments on
this subject today. Which one do you
think is right?
Do you look upon the average woman
as the equal of the average man in earn
ing capacity, intelligence and mental
efficiency in general? Or do you think
she is something to be dressed In pretty
clothes, posed to the best advantage, and
kept from the real things of life by n
foolish idea that she ls incapable of
graspng them? Must a woman's exist
ence be necessarily petty?
"Why can't they say something new
about U.S. laughed Mrs. Imogen Oakley,
whose articles on civics are attracting so
much attention, than to accuse us of
thinking of nothing but clothes? 1t was
said of the women OF ancient Greece and
Rome, 1t was said of women 200 years
ago, and 1t has been said of them with
conscientious regularity ever since. Miss
West could have chosen anything, any
statement could be made which would
he much more original. 1t Is all very well
to say women are creatures of their emo
tions, and that their intellectual capacity
is limited, and that they aren't willing TO
make an effort to learn something worth
while, to say nothing of doing It. But 1t
simply isn't true.
"Of course, I do believe that women
tent. But they enjoy dressing for their
women friends Just as much-even out
dressing them" she added smilingly.
"And when you come down to IT, men
like to dress up. too, They don't like to
be confined to conventional costume
no one resents being relegated to the ordi-
nary civilians Garb more than they Else
why do they 90 to fancy-dress balls and
join clubs, lodges, guilds, etc, where they
wear bizarre uniforms of every kind? \
pretty woman likes to look pretty at all
times. but / doubt that she would care
whether she had one gown or 10 If there
wasn't man around to admire her in
them.
81 don't think Miss West has any good
reason to call her sex mental idlers. Why,
80 years ago girl who was truly edu-
Gated tried her best TO conceal 1t. She
was deathly afraid of being casscd as
blue-stocklng. Now the popularity OF
the woman's college, the training along
professional and vocational lines proves
that woman is thinking and accomplish
ing. too, She isn't staying home to darn
stockings. And all the mems organiza-
tions realize that they need the co-Opera-
tion of the women to aid them where
their masculine efforts fail. Isn't this a
realization of the new ideal-man and
woman working together on the same
plane of mental efficiency? man is
Until he is married he expects nothing
else-but then he not only expects, but
is highly disappointed IL she falls TO COM
bine the qualities of expert cook. house,
keeper and companion, Is this lostcal2
Miss Vests argument is along the same
lines. She accuses women OF thinking
more OF their persons than their persons
ality. when for hundreds of years moth
ing better was expected OF them, I'm
sure that If men and women had been
educated in the same manner two, or
even one. hundred years ago, we would
be equal, il not superior 10 them In any
branch long before this"
'of course women dress 10 please the
men. whether they acknowledge Il or
not" declares Miss Isabel O'Donnell, the
Paris buyer Of one Of the large depart
ment stores. But when you say that
they think more of their persons than
their personalitles-that is another ques-
tion. In making such a statement you
are referring 10 a very small minority
The women who have nothing else 10 do
but look well are outnumbered by the
great army of women who have TO think,
and, IL possible, look well at the same
time" Her smart black and silver gown
left no doubt in the mind OF the be-
holder that Miss O'Donnell was quite
capable OF both. and, as one who comes
in contact with women who do things
and with women who have nothing 10
do, her statement is naturally not with
out interest.
No less than 1s times in the last few
years has Miss ODonnell crossed TO Lon.
don and Paris TO buy gowns for the dis
eliminating American woman. And
every time l crossed" she says, Il see
the type of woman buyer changing. They
used 10 be a typical lady-druinmer,
none too attractive species Ii Is from
these. and from the suffragists of old
that the habit of associatlng hat shoes,
sailor hats and mannish suits with
women who go into the workaday world
has come about. But look at the work
ing woman today. II she isn't an ex-
ample OF personality versus person. I'd
like to know who Is. Miss West couldn't
have been thinking very seriously when
she made that accusation, and 1, Tor one,
refuse to agree with her. I have plenty
Of women who are interested in eiglcs.
ana economics. and social het.ermenf, and
science. who Gene n hers ana sigh Ike
> seheol sui oFeE an exquisite farlz