The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-23
~ Nixola Greeley Smith.

are winning new right-thc right to
a permanent patriotism. Heretofore
wives all over the world have been
compelled to keep their patriotism in
their husbands names. A woman's
nationality followed her marriage GER
tificate. You were American today. ,
English tomorrow, and Russian five
years after II you happened to be mar.
ricd and widowed within that time.
The war has called attention to the
singular injustice Of assuming that
love of country in women is Of shall
low root and can be pulled up and
transplanted into any soil on which
husband happens to be born.
In England this week Sir Conan
Doyle began an agitation to permit
British women to divorce alien cne-
mics to whom they find themselves
married.
=, It IL entirely .nosaible, for two beings
TO 90 on loving each other while their
countries are at war. to continue to be
happily married while feeling deep
sympathy and concern each with his
or her native land. But to do this the
man and woman must meet on equal
terms. and 1t must not be assumed
that the love of husband can erase
the love Of liberty from the heart of an
American woman. No wife should
have to conceal her natiinal sympa-
thics to keep the domestic peace.
Woman Deserves Citizenship.
A woman's American citizenship
should be inalienable. No difficulty
need arise about her children. who
could take the citizenship of the coun-
try in which they reside until such
time as they could make an intelligent
choice between the parent countries.
No man anywhere in the world Is
required to sacrifice patriotism to pas
sion as women are everywhere today.
No American. feeling his heart go out
to a woman Of a foreign land. need
realize that love of country must sue
cumb to love of woman. Because
the old idea that woman Is property
still ,pcrvades the law. the most spir-
itual love in the world-the love Of
ones native country-is assumed to
be a garment that woman can put on
and off at a husbands bidding.
"Why should a woman take the ma
tionality of her husband?" asked Gill
bert r. Roe. put the question to
Mr.. Roc because he is the author of
pamphlet issued by the suffrage asso-
Citations which shows in detail In just
how many ways there is one law for
the man and another for the woman
in the United States.
There Is no more reason why
woman should take her husbands ma
tionality than there would be for fore
ing man to adopt the nationality of
his wife," Mr.. Roe answered. "And
there is no reason why a difference
of nationality between a husband and
a wife should create more disscnsion
in war than in peace. know person
ally of several marriages between Ger
mans and Americans where the fact
that the two countries are at war has
not created the slightest difficulty.
know of German married to an Eng.
lish woman who continues to live in
perfect happiness with his wife. de-
spite the fact that each sympathizes
strongly with his or her own country
in the war.
10 Absurd Contention.
"Sir Conan Doyle's declaration that
q woman should be gran>ed divorce
on the sole plea that her husband Is an
enemy alien Is absurd. I believe In
all the just grounds for divorce that
can be found. but the remedy for the
situation Doyle finds suddenly intol-
cradle lies in amending the law which
compels woman to forfeit her own
nationality for that Of her husband.
IF one of the by-products of the war
should prove to he a rectification of
this universal injustice to women.
then in SO far it will be good. Injus-
tees to women are never clearly shown
except in a state of private or public
warfare" Mr.. Roe added. when a
husband and wife get along well they
don't need any law at all. It IL only
when they quarrel the laws injustice
to woman Is made manifest"
:; These women" says the creator OF
Sherlock Holmes. ARE placed IN ter