The Washington times., 1916-01-04
Women Lawyers, Doctors,
Journalists, to. Be Found
In Cuba Today Following
the Spanish American
War.
By ROBERTA v. BRADSHAW.


~ PEAEING OF PROGRESS.
pray consider the women OF
~ Cuba.
Less than two decades ago
one could not have discovered, any
where In the island republic, pro-
fessional woman of any type-a
- journalist, physician, a lawyer, a
pharmaceutist, trained nurse.
saleswoman, a typist, stenogra-
pher, a merchant, or a shop keeper.
Today, Havana. itself, can produce
women of distinctive ability in every
individual calling named
Madame Blanche H. de BaraIt,
whose husband, DR.. Luis a. BaraIt.
is delegate from Cuba to the Pan
American Scientific Conference, dis
cussed with the acumen and clar-
ity of woman OF affairs the status
OF the Latin-American woman, IN a
twenty minutes talk which ought
TO have been taken down in short
hand and published verbatim.
One does not often chance upon
such an illuminating discourse. in
formally presented. Madame de
Baralt' who Is serving as interpre-
ter at the Women's Auxiliary Con-
ference at Continental Memorial
Hall, is very keen on the pronoRe-
federation of the women OF the
Americas in permanent body with
headquarters in Washington. Inn
mcdiately upon the conclusion OF
the present series Of meetings.
which, owing to their semi-official
status, operate against the freedom
OF discussion necessary to the pro-
motion of such an organization.
steps VIII be taken toward such an
But, that Is another story.
Burden on Women.
To come hack to the women OF
Cuba. That terribly long-drawn-out
revolution against the mother coun-
try which brought about the Ameri-
can Intervention of '9s, known to us
as the Spanish-American war, per-
formed Tor the people of Cuba the
same combination of sinister and be-
nign purpose 1t achieves for all peo-
ples-on the one hand ii impoverish-
ed the rich and 1t removed by death
thousands OF men; on the other, it
democratized the citizenship. The
elimination of the men threw the
burden of bread winning upon the
women. Naturally, enough. the
cuban women stood the test. and
why not? Descendants of noble
Spanish families, the blood of Cas-
titan chivalry flows in their veins.
They have the pride, the high spirit.
the gentleness. the endurance, the
nltruism. the chivalric outlook on
life that their forbears left them as
their heritage, and blood most al
ways tells"
Anyway, the Cuban women are not
behind in the march of events.
'Oh,. yes" assents Nine. de Baralt,
they have clubs, but these are main
hn
ment of civics as have the Ameri-
can wOmen's clubs. The Woman's
Club OF Havana is an influential or
ganizG ton, and II Is affiliated with
The International Federation OF
Womcn's Clubs"
AS Social Factor.
''In isolate instances the Latin
. American woman has attained great
distinction. There have always beer
remarkable women among the Latin
Americans, but only isolated person.
alities stand out.
THE chief distinction between the
Latin-American woman and the
North American woman lies not so
much in. the matter OF individua!
liberty as In ner Importance as a
social factor.
"She lacks neither brains nor en-
ergy, but after the age-long custom
of the Spanish race, men alone sus-
tain political sponslbility.'
Notwithstanding the handicap
arising from habitual lack of CO.
operation between men and women
In affairs OF public import, the wom-
men of Latin-American countries
may be relied upon to speak up''
when any question happens to enlist
their special interest.
The cheerful little campaign the
women OF CuOa waged against the
incorporation of divorce law into