The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-01-08
Famous Mountain Climber Lee.
lures in Many Latin
Cities.
FINDS WOMEN GRACIOUS
Country Without Prejudice
Against Feminine Participa-
ton in Industrial Activity.

Miss Annie Smith Peck, famous as
a mountain climber. though she con-
siders climbing merely her avocation.
her chief interests being industry
and commerce, has recently returned
from a lecture tour OF South America
where she spoke to chambers of COM
merce, and addressed various profes-
sional organizations that did not
think the less of her opinions because
they came from a woman.
South America, perhaps, because
her appearance was almost phe-
nomenon, treated her with none Of
the curious indifference that is often
the worlds attitude toward the
woman who breaks into a mans field.
According to Miss Peck every woman
who attains a place in a field for
merry occupied by man alone goes
through experiences that prove to
her that all women are handicapped
in following what the world consid-
ers their mad careers merely because
they are women.
Now, Miss Peck has never let any
OF the worlds misgivings or the con-
fines of skirts deter her.
Miss Peck, without the assistance
of press agents or travelling compan-
ions, went down to South America
and told the people there great
many of the things they vented to
know. She was, perhaps, more pecu-
liarIy fitted to carry out this mission
thaA the ordinary male commercial
expert. because she is well acquainr-
ed with South American life and con-
ditions.
Five Trips To South America.
81 have made five expeditions to
South America she explains. the first
in 1907, and then again in 1904, for sake
of mountain climbing, and succeeded in
1904 in reaching a height of 2O.500 feet on
Mount Sorata, and finally i'm 1908. on
my sixth attempt on that mountain.
reached the summit of Huascaran. In
recognition of this achievement the gov
eminent of Peru presented me with a
gold medal. and 1 addressed the Lima
Geographical Society on the ascent, be-
ing the first woman ever to speak be-
fore that society. In 1906 and again in
1911 made other expeditions TO South
America in search of more mountains to
climb" 1t was after this last trip to
Peru and Brazil that Miss Peck ex-
tended her journey through Chile, Ar
gentina, Uruguay and Brazil. and It was
during this trip particularly that 5she
gathered the material and the impres.
sions for her book on her South Amer
lean tour.
The time that I spent travelling in
South America and the work that i
had necessarily to do to get the mate
rial for my book brought me into close
touch with all sides of South American
life. I speak Spanish, and when neces-
sity arises I can read Portuguese, so
that unlike great many Of the Amer
leans who go down to South America,
] was not hampered by an inability to
speak the language of the people nor
was 1 consequently shut of from any
real understanding Of their needs.
Great Interest shown.
Everywhere that / went men of all
kinds, professional. officials and educa-
tors, expressed to me their interest in
the fact that a woman was carrying on
the lecture tour. and they all said that
they hoped for the time when more
South American women should train
themselves and enter into active pro-
fesSional. careers.
The opportunities that South Amer
lean citizens and group organizations
extended to me to lecture before them
were the surest proofs of their open
mindedness on the woman question
and also of their curiosity about
everything American.
The South American cooperation
that we Americans are so continually
talking about, and trying to achieve,
will never come until we bring to the
people the information that will clear
up the suspicion that they sometimes
feel toward US. Pure commercial ex-
ploitation will not be of much assist
ance, unless the representatives from
this country help to bring together
the life and culture of the two
peoples.
Greater Tact Essential.
Too many Americans go down
there, and attempt TO set straight the
universe on their first trip, without
even a familiarity with the language:
as a result, they do more harm than
good.
The South American women are
educated and act according to the con
tinental standards of what things are
woman's sphere. They are very grac-
ious and well informed and have a
strong interest in the fantastic and
unheard of activities with which the
women of the United States busy
themselves. The economically indie
pendent woman is, of course, a rarity,
because as yet there is no great need
for the woman to leave her home and
enter the industrial and professional
field. Most people marry young. But
there does not seem to be any preju-
dice against woman doing anything
t.