New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-17
Degringolade
GAYNoR
MCCALL
HYLAN
The Russian Amazons
A Male Lament at Their Preference
for Bearing Arms Instead Of Men

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir. Women are ever in search OF thrills
(holy and unholy). 1t now seems that some
Russian members of the restless sex" are
taking 4 try at death Legions." A month
ego I published a letter in which stated that
if ever women got to the firing line the news
PAPERS would let them save the day on every
battlefield. This has now happened IN Rus
sia II the Russian Amazons took lO2 Ger
man prisoners, as the headliners would nave
us believe, there were no doubt 10000 Russian
men who did little to help. There are PROP
ably that many prisoners taken every day IN
a given sector by both sides where there are
no women.
A woman feminist was detailed to write up
this Legion of Death" yarn. Is it likely that
she would tell the truth if that truth were dis
appointing to those of her point OF view IL
would be more than human, at least more
than feminine, especially more than feminist
to let that opportunity slip by speeding up
the elimination of sex distinctions.
We might laugh at this good Journalism
of playing up" such an innovation as women
combatants (the death OF 100000 men mas
become stale) but that its effect may be un-
fortunate on the estimate of women's potent-
alities in our war, sidetracking womanhood
from the prosaic (?) task of "mlnistering
angels" to the more exciting experience OF
infancy, placing them where they are IN
the way" How the "Huns" must hope that
this folly spread to our units! Female regions
who try to fight may be better than men who
kill their commanders, but that contingency
will not arise with US, and so long as we
have more men than can equip, train and
TRANSPORT the women had better keep their
place.
And wish to defend my sex against this
woman writer's accusation Of cowardce. II
ever men have shown heroism it is in this
war, with less hope of escape, less hope OF
fame or reward than in any previous war.
The Russian men are not refusing to hight be-
cause of cowardce, but because they are out
of sympathy with their cause.
Women BARRIERS, women baseball players,
women pugilists, have come and gone. They
interested some silly people as novelty.
Women soldiers are one of these novelties.
To let them go to the trenches is far more
cruel and unwise than to send the male tuber-
culots and heart-weak there. That such male
detectives might be more heroic than some
electives is not sufficient argument for their
employment. That women may set some men
a good example in fortitude is worth some
thing but not sufficient to Offset their being
in the way"
Even women beyond the military age of men
would physically make better soldiers than
would girls of the age when men are at their
best.
The introduction Of female militancy into
war would add to wars horrors, multiply its
cruelties and immoralites. 1t would leave in
its post-bellum trail an appalling social col
lapse.
Men cannot bear men. Women cannot bear
arms and bear men, too, and even when they
but temporarily repudiate maternity their eff
forts to replace it by the masculine functions
arc pitiful though heroic.
1t is woman's function to save life, not to
take it, 1t is womsn's lot in anguish and in
joy to create men, not to destroy them. And
when she even temporarily reverses that vale
humanitas, CHARLES VEIN.
New York, Aug. 10, 1917.