Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-09-08
WAR EMANCIPATES
WOMEN OF EUROPE
Mrs. catt Says Great Struggle
Has Given Her chance to
Show She is Real Partner.
rAvoas FEDERAL ACTION

the National Woman's Suffrage asso.
cation, in her address before the an
nual convention Of the association
here today pictured the suffrage
movement as having reached a crisis
which means that 1.-THE Women's
Hour Has Struck" Earnestly she ex-
horted the women not to lose heart
but to recognize the present oppor.
tunity which, "if seized with vigor
enthusiasm and will, means. the final
victory Of our great cause ii the very
near future"
She said, in part: 4,
THE great war will bring untold
changes in its woke; it presages
total change in the status OF women
In Europe, from the Polar circle to
the Aegean Sea, women have risen
and taken the places made vacant by
men, and in so doing they have
grown in self-respect and in the es.
TEEN OF their respective nations. In.
deed, Europe Is realizing as i never
did before that women are holding
together the civilization for which
men are fighting. A great searchlight
has been thrown upon the business
Of nation building and 1t has been
demonstrated in every European land
that il is partnership with equal but
different responsibilities resting upon
the two partners.
THE war will soon end and the ar
mics will return to their native lands,
To many family, the men will never
come back. The husband who re-
turns TO many wife will eat no bread
the rest Of his life save Of her earn
ing.
European Women Have Risen.
"lVhat. then, will happen after the
WARP Will the widows left with fanll-
les to support cheerfully leave their
well paid posts for those commanding
lower wagesl Not without protest
The economic axiom, denied and
evaded for centuries, will be
emblazoned on every factory,
NVuulIu8 HOu9S 4uU cuOPy Gques
ply for equal work. and COM
mon justice viii slowly but sure
" enforce that law. The European
woman has risen. She may not realize
Ii yet, but the woman 'door-mat' in
every land has unconsciously become
1 'door-jamb. She will have become
accustomed to her new dignity BY the
time the men come home. She will
wonder how she ever could have been
content lying across the threshold now
that she discovers the upright jafnb
gives 80 much broader and more nor
nal vision Of things,
Colonial Women Enfranchised.
In Great Britain, which was the
storm center Of the suffrage move
ment for some years before the war,
hundreds OF bitter, active opponents
have confessed their conversion 10
woman suffrage on account Of the
war services Of women. Already,
three great provinces Of Canada. Mani.
toba, Alberta and Saskatchewan, have
9iyen uniyertai suffrage 10 their wo-
men Ii sheer generous appreciation Of
their war work Even MI. Asquith,
Nprid renowned for his irnmovablc op-
position to the parliamentary suffrage
lor Britain women, has given evi-
dence Of change Of view. Some
mouths ago, he announced his amaze
tiient At the utterly unexpected skill,
strength and resources developed BY
tie women, and his gratitude for their
loyalty and devotion. A public state.
inent, issued BY NJ. Asquith in Az
gust. was couched Ii such terms as
70 be interpreted by many As ! pledge
Il include women In the next election
The Significance 81 the changed
status Of European women has moi
been lost Upon the men and women
o. our land; our own people are moi
50 unlearned In history, nor 50 lacking
ID national pride, that they will al
Low the republic to lag behind the en-.
plr<, pfesided over BY descendant
Of George the Third. II they posses,
tie patriotism and the sense Of M.
tionslity which should be the inner
itsnce Of an American, they will no,
( wait until the war Il ended. but will
boldly lead IN the inevitable march
ot democracy, our own American spe'
ci4lty.
Battle Il Nearly Won.
Y AZ III u,o.t .d.man,;ue ,oek ia,
,..x under fhe consfsnf dr;nninc 4 4
wsier a M onnosit;on ~ won ! |,
xuffrsee n AM avn country ~ slo,v
IL disinterrsfcd before he ;nsrsss;rs
strcnrtL 81 our movement
aThe edi6ce ~ woman,s f;heyt,
aears completion. Over our head
tanfslix;naly near, hanrs a. rooi 4
aur ed;6ee.--the vote What 4 an
3utvi ShaIl ~ amend time n admir-
~ he capstones and cornicel SIM
xe lament the tragedies which &C
sompanied the laying Of the corner
AL