Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-09-02
In spectous war arguments will be

tolerated.
What we want is an extensive ex
change of views that will help womer
in the coming years Of reconstruction
These years will Be difficult ones fol
women. Hundreds of thousands. ever
millions. of women who have learned
cally Independent. will face losing tht
benefit Of their knowledge and fint
themselves economically adrift. Won
en- in all the belligerent countries mus
have their interests sharply looked
after by their sister leaders.
Looks for Valuable Results.
valuable results are to be expected
from an exchange Of views and news If
this field by the international delegates
here. 1t may be that this will only be
a preliminary conference. A more ex-
tensive and more representative one may
follow. There Is no thine. for example
to invite American delegates. But see q
solution. If Miss Adams or some other
prominent feminist In the United States
will cable a request to some of the many
American feminists now In London and
which they can be spared for q brief time
to attend the meeting in Stockholm we
shall be delighted to welcome them an6
listen to their valuable views.
With regard to England we are not
inviting the Pankhursts. whose hostility
to The Hague gathering was bitter. In
vitations are going chiefly to the various
committees Of Ave founded after The
Hague meeting. We have invited Mist
Macmillan. Miss Courtney and Mrs
Pethrick Lawrence. the British delegates
who slipped through to Holland before
McKenna refused to permit British par
ticipation in the conference. Invitations
have been sent to Russia. Germany,
Holland. Denmark. Norway and Finland
but not to Turkey. 1t now remains to
be seen how many can get passports"
Stands for Equal Wages.
Our discussion then drifted to other
aspects of feminism.
DO you," asked Miss Widegren, "su-
port to the hilt the contention that wom-
en- workers should have equal wages with
men similarly employed, including cases
where statistics prove that women are
likely to marry early and quit their en-
abble to their employers than the men
who remain in the business?"
YES" was the reply. "if they dc
equal work they should have equa
'Is the socialist creed a desirable
one for women"
Some of US think so and some dc
not. The point is likely to be discussed
at the meeting.
Miss Widegren expressed approval
Of the progress of feminism In Amer
lea. She was glad. too, that it was ac-
complished without the violent scenes
that took place In Britain. She thinks
America is ahead of any other land
with regard to the enfranchisement OF
woman. except Finland. which leads the
world. She considers the withholding
OF votes the greatest injustice to which
the worlds civilized women are sub
jected today. The British age limit OF
thirty for the enfranchisement of wom-
en- she considers much too high. az
probably in many cases women when
at that age will have lost much OF their
political enthusiasm and freshness OF
outlook.
Swedish women. declares Miss Wide
gren. will get votes four years hence
when the next but one parliament Is
elected. They wish and expect to be
given the franchise at the same age as
Neutrality-suspicious. years.
by them" said Miss Widegren. I'VE
expect that the women of every nation
in Europe. except possibly Turkey. will
have the right to vote. and we hope to
win the race in Turkey"
What do you know of feminist con-
ditions In Germany. about which so
little is heard?"
Il confess that know little. Not the
least interesting discovery we may
make at our gathering is what German
women are doing, planning and think
not progress there now. fear: but no
ono can tell how quickly enfranohise-
ment may come II extensive democrat
1xatiOn occurs'