New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-15
France Is Giving Serious
Consideration to Future
of Her Women.
REWARD MAY COME
IN VOTE FOR SOME
Extension of Equal Suffrage to
Female Heads of Fami-
lies Planned.
BY FRED u. PITNEI.

Paris, May Womsn's suffrage
never has been great public question
in France, but as one Of the results OF
the war it has become a much more
practical ono. It is foreseen that after
the war the voice Of large part Of the
country will be unheard in the cleo
tions on account of many of the heads
Of families having been killed.
Hence the proposition has been put
forward in influential quarters 10 give
the right TO vote to women heads or
families in which the male head has
been killed. The plan is now no more
than in the air, but the leaders OF the
feminists are already beginning TO hg-
ure on the logical consequences.
There is another proposition relating
10 the women of France which Will he
difficult to deal with after the war. II
concerns the disposition to be made of
the women now working in the NUM-
ton and other factories and making
very good wages.
VIII they be willing TO give up their
present places TO the men returning
from the front and 90 back to inferior
work at inferior pay? If they are not
willing to do that, what Is TO be done
with them?
A great deal Of talk about this prob
lem is going on at present, but no sat
isfsctory solution has been suggested,
and probably no solution can be found
in advance.
Demand on Women Great.
When the war started and the men
were taken for the army France was
confronted with the problem of finding
hands for the factories. They were
found in the women. Now, after the
war is over, the feminist movement,
which has been heretofore chiefly an
Intellectual exercise in France, prom
Uses TO become one Of the liveliest prob
lens before the public.
Mile. Clement, professor at the Lycee
de Versailles, puts the question in this
way:
Far from being too many, in no way
will there be enough women in France.
1t is a difficult future that is reserved
for them, for France will demand from
them at the same time many children
and much work. No one can foresee
the length or the Importance Of the
economic problems that will follow the
war. 1t is for that reason that TO
dare must be the motto of the women
and of the country. 1t is for the wom-
en- to respond with courage TO the call
of the hour that comes"
AT the same time there are not lack
ing those who demand an immediate
recognition Of the rights of women. At
a feminist meeting held this week Nine.
Leon Brunschvicg, secretary general OF
the Union for Womsn's Suffrage, asked:
as this the time, when the men are
fighting, to speak of votes for women
We have not yet taken any step in that
direction, and for that reason many
people think we have given up the cam
paign, but no one among US has for
gotten her beliefs. We cannot obtain
our rights until we have the right to
vote"
Loyalty Deserves Reward.
Nine. Maria Verone, a lawyer, said:
at took several months to raise a
little the pay Of women workers. The
Under Secretary of State for Munitions
asked the manufacturers to employ as
many women workers as possible to re-
lease men for the army, but he did not
specify that the women must have the
same wages as the men.
"The result was that although the
manufacturers received the same price
from the state for their contracts they
paid the women lower wages, and the
women had to go 20 the state for their
war benefits 10 get enough money to live
on. In the end it was the state that
paid them. In reality, what was APP
parently a vindication OF the women
workers was a question of the national
budget Evidently we would do wrong
to abandon our rights any longer. 1t
is indispensable that we have repre-
sentatives in Parliament.
ave have worked Loyalty, not against
but with the men. While the men have
been at the front we have done their
work, and we have learned to bear their
After so much Of
duties it is time to make a little place
for rights"