The Washington herald., 1917-01-28
Mans Discovery Of Women.
BY oRIsoN SWEET MARDEN.

Helpers" This is the advertisement
that is most prominent in the great
warning countries of Europe. Women
are everywhere being called on to
take the place of men in the indus
trial world.
This terrible war has brought a
mighty change into the minds of a
multitude of men who have inherited
the race conviction that women are
inferior to men. Necessity has
obliged them to give women chance
to show their fitness for what was
considered by men = exclusively
mems work, and the women arc
measuring splendidly up to the cp-
portunity.
Thousands of women who never
before had done anything outside of
their homes, who had had practically
no experience beyond the home life,
have in innumerable instances taken
the places of the men who were
called to the front and, without the
previous training which seems so es-
sential to men, have, done thier work
marvelously well.
In Great Britain, for example, one
sees policewomen, munition makers,
women porters, women chauffeurs,
bus conductors, wireless operators,
milk round women, women farmers,
women mail carriers, bakers, dentists,
veterinaries, carters. all sorts of
women workers. Counting houses
and offices are filled with women.
What is true of Great Britain is
also true of France and Germany.
1t is more than doubtful if men
who had had no more advantages,
no more experience in the outside
world of affairs and whose paternal
ancestors had been confined to the
narrow round of home in the same
way as have women during PAST cen
turies, would have done this substi-
tute work anything like as we'll as
women are doing it today.
In many cases the women are dis
playing marvellous and wholly unex-
pected ability, efficiency and adapta-
bility in doing their unusual and diff
fcult tasks. And, as is always true
in a comparison of men and women
workers, the women are more care
full, more conscientious, less liable to
succumb to temptations to graft, and
all sorts of dishonesty, than men.
l believe that this wonderful ex-
perience of the war in discovering
woman's ability will open the blind
eyes of millions of men who have
hitherto denied woman her equal
rights as citizen and as an indus
trial worker, and have persisted in
regarding her as a mere tool to be
exploited by men. There is no doubt
that this war will push forward by a
quarter or half century the adoption
of woman suffrage in Europe.
Speaking of the change wrought in
mems attitude since the war Christie
bel Pankhurst said: This mental
male revolution was sorely needed
both in England and in Germany
1t will not be necessary for women
to smash windows and go to Jail to
get their rights when this war is
over. .
1--WE are helping the men with all
our might, with all our strength, and
l am sure they will appreciate this
fact when the war is over. Besides,
Europe then will be mentally and
spiritually fifty years ahead of where
it was before the war started"
When we realize that after women
have wrenched from the unwilling
grasp of men every advantage of edu-
cation and emancipation they now
enjoy and that every time they en-
tered an office hitherto exclusively
held by men they have improved
things, it is amazing that men are
still unwilling TO give them the su-
preme and undeniable right of citizen
ship-their right to vote.
If there is one place more than
another where men need the help oi
women, it is in our national house
keeping at Washington.
We all acknowledge woman's tre-
mendous superiority in her reform
ing, molding, uplifting influence in
the home life. Why should we deny
her the right to exert that influence
in our national life?
Shall we, the men of America, wait
until this terrible European war is
over-unti1 the men of Europe set
US the example-to do justice to our
women?