New-York tribune., 1918-05-19

family of his immediate condition. A
News Bureau has been organized at
Bologna for this purpose. The bureau
maintains branch Offices in each little
town and village
So the war has offered the Italian
woman the opportunity needed to bring
out the best in her. 1t has also, which
is far more important, made her feel a
common bond of sympathy with every
other Italian woman. She realizes that
her cause is that of all of her fellow
countrywomen. The poor and illiterate
woman is rallying quickly to the side
of the more enlightened and well-to-
do women, who were formerly the only
champions of the suffrage movement in
| Italy. The war has stimulated the or
ganized effort SO necessary for the sue
cess of the work
| Agitation for woman suffrage in
Italy has been continuous since the
establishment of the empire in 1871.
The more educated classes of Northern
Italy, both men and women, have been
in favor Of the movement from the
first But the great mass of Italians
are illiterate; especially those in the
rural communities who cannot write
their own names. And these women
have been the greatest obstacle to the
suffrage movement They are content
to labor on, kept down by the tradi-
tional belief in the inferiority of their
sex, because they know no better.
Education is compulsory for both
sexes in Italy. But unfortunately
there is a deplorable lack of schools
! in the rural communities to impart
the proper instruction to either Italian
| men or women.
Where it has been possible TO,
Italian women to enjoy the ad, antages
OF higher education, as is the case in
Bologna and other university centres
they have reached heights equal to
those of any other women in the world
Distinguished among the university
graduates are such women as DR.. jur
Laidi Poet, who succeeded in being
admitted to the bar in Turin. although
the legal profession was barred to
women; DR.. jur. Therese Labriola
professor of philosophy and law at
|
OF anatomy at Pavia, and DR.. Maria
| Montessori, so we'll known by her re
| suits in treating defective children.
Felt Inferior
Too Long
Jessie White Mario was one of the
early leaders Of the movement. Suf-
frage leaders in Rome, Turin, Milan
| and Geneva began to organize clubs
among the upper classes about 1881
The great majority of the women, how
/ ever, lacked the courage to stand alone
against the men. They could not for.
get that innate sense Of infcriority.
A great body of Italian women par
| tlclpated in a woman's revolt against
marital tyranny in 1908, and they held
Congress at Rome to consider what
could be done to abolish the marriage
! law which vested supreme authority in
the husband. Further interest in the
woman's movement was spread amonp
I the more enlightened classes as a re.
suit, but as yet the great mass OF
iaboring women considered themselves
! too inferior to participate.
Premier Roselli, the predecessor OF
Premier Orlando, was greatly inter
ested in the cause of women, but he
'i.SoSHs that tnc women should be
! given chance to take part first in ad
ministrative elections to see If thev
were really qualified to vote for mem.
bnrs OF municipal and legislative coun.
ellis.
1t was left for the present Italian
Premier Orlando to come out openly
in favor of unqualified equal suffrage
He has had ample demon nstration OF
the efficiency of his native women. The
true stand of the Italian women in the
present war is revealed in their reply
to message of the Austrian suffragist
IN favor of peace. 1t said:
From the time Of Italian neutrality
the Italian suffragists have understood
the moral greatness of the present war
and with full and mature political
consciousness have been and are with
the government that favors war ano
VIII conduct it to victorious peace
We heartily cheer our glorious army
which in these days of victory is re.
newing the bravery Of the Italiar
name, and we recall with devoted af
lection the martyrs of Austrian des,
! potism"
Such message did not come from
group OF women who felt themselves
inferior, but from a new group OF
! Italian women who feel deeply their
duty to their country and to humanity