Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-29
FEMINISM BORN OF
VAR CONDITIONS
What Women Haze Done IL,
the World Crisis and Ho,v
They Will Be affected

Just how fundamental a force feminism
has become through the impetus of
the war, Just how sweeping and how
permanent the invasion of the world q
work by women, are set forth so un-
mistakably that all who run may read
In two books. which complement each
other unintentionally but Ideally. They
are Mabel Potter Daggett's Women
wanted and Mrs. Francis McLaren's
Women of the War" Considered by
itself, the latter volume would be
Sharply limited in value because Of its
narrow scope and the authors insular
viewpoint. Her sole purpose has been
10 chronicle the wartime activities of a
number of t,nglishwomen. contenting
herself with describing specifically what
each has done to aid her country, but
missing the larger aspect Of the world
wide social and economic convulsion.
This larger vision Eliminates and makes
vital Mrs. Dagsetts frankly feminist
but wholly gracious and engaging vol
ume
Mre. Daggett went to Europe in 1916
to prepare a series Of magazine articles.
Every line of her look reveals the
capable writer. Seenly observant,
shrewdly humorous, disarmingly human.
delightfully."- sane, and possessing the
rare faculty of writing fascinatingly
ABOUT the most trivial incident, and i'm
buing 1t with the utmost Of interest
and value. Her preliminary account of
her battles royal with the red tape
which enmeshes. baffles and exaspera tes
the enterprising correspondent is net
only amusing. but shows how completely
the war has turned topsy-turvy all the
preconceived notions Of the men who
make and dispense government abroad.
She knows how. in spite of themselves.
they have been compelled to entreat
women to enter fields from which they
were rigidly barred before. She tells Of
'he sudden personal freedom and wider
opportunities which the absence of men
who are at the front has fairly thrust
upon women of the Continent. She sees
the movement as the manifestation Of
cosmic forces, and argues that in every
field woman has come to stay. Every
time man drops dead In the trenches
she says, "a woman steps permanently
into the niche he used to hold In in
dustry. In commerce. In the professions.
In world affairs. 1t is the woman
movement for which the ages have
waited in CHASTITY truth. - Whoever
else wins this war. woman wins"
Mrs. Daggett provides a wealth of
statistics In her worldwide survey show
Ing the stupendous size Of the work
undertaken by women. She writes of
Its reactions upon social and economic
life. She sets out to prove that the
campaign for wages equal TO those of
men workers Ia really helpful to the
latter in the end, and she makes a
plausible case OF her argument. She
She tells how the standard of living for
women in Industry has risen inevitably
| with the granting Of regular wage.
And she asserts that some German
women are among the most substantial
gamers by the new conditions. Every
where women have become vastly more
important, more useful and enjoy greater
freedom II think we may write Il
down in history that on August IA. 1914,
the door Of the Dolls House opened, "
says Mrs Daggett. "As straight as ever
she went before to the altar and. the
cook-stoves and the cradle. she stepped
out now into the wide, wide world, the
woman behind the man behind the gun "
| WOMEN WANTED. by Msbei Potter De- ",
Tett: Illustrated New York: George H
WOMEN oE THE WAR. Rv Hon. Mr..
Asauith; New York; George II, Doran