The Washington herald., 1918-04-01

This war, which has called so many
men to the battle line, has thrust
millions of women into occupations
that they have never followed before,
and fear Is expressed that when the
war is over and the men return TO
their peaceful vocations. these women
will refuse to surrender their jobs TO
their former incumbents.
Probably this viii be true In many
cases, and many occupations that have
been heretofore monopolized by men
VIII have passed forever into femi-
nine hands. Doubtless there will also
be few women who, on account OF
peculiar fitness, win continue to fol-
low masculine professions. and there
will be sporadic cases OF lady long
shoremen. lady steeplejacks and lady
trench diggeTs.
For the most part, however, each
sex in the final readjustment of con-
ditions will go back to its own field OF
labor for the simple reason that each
will md 1t more profitable to do the
kind Of labor for which II Is designed.
And this Is particularly true of wom-
en-, for when q woman tries to do a
mans work she develops along the
line Of greatest resistance, and has to
fight all the obstacles that nature and
sex, as well as circumstances have
put In her pathway. while when she
does her own work she brings to II
all the skill and ability Of thousands
OF years of inherited aptitude.
A woman trying to do a mans work
In mans way is always more or less
of failure. Her achievement is that
of the dancing dog-not that she does
1t so well, but that she does 1t at all.
But when she puts her sex behind
her work and does a woman's work
In a woman's way. she gives 1t untold
value.
On their own ground men can al
ways excel women. and women are
foolish to compete with them instead
OF sticking to their own particular
lines. 1t takes a course in physical
instruction and knowledge of high.
er mathematics to enable a woman
10 throw a rock as straight as a little
freckle-faced. double-fisted boy does
by intuition.
But when 1t comes to pinning on =
collar in such a way that il will
hold together, and the pin will not
pierce the jugular vein, any girl child
could beat Mr.. Edison a city block.
In laying out the work of the world
the great master architect intended
that certain portions OF 1t should be
done by men and other portions BY
women, and each sex labors best and
most prosperously when it sticks to
its own job.
women, however. refuse to recognize
this palpable truth and so they ex-
pend their energy and intelligence in
doing thing badly that they were
never intended to do at all and leav-
ing undone the things which they
could do gloriously.
There are few things sadder than
this wasteful feminine force. for in
trying to do mans work a woman
gives qualities out of all proportion
TO the result. 1t takes, for instance,
a woman OF remarkable physique, un-
usual personal bravery, rare execu-
i've ability. and intrepid determination
10 De the foreman of a railroad track
construction crew, whereas any ordi.
nary lrishman with a fist like a sledge
hammer and an unabridged vocabulary
can do 1t without turning a hair.
VI course, women say that the rea-
son that they wish to work at mems
occupatisns, instead of their own, il
because there is more money in do
ing mems work than women's work
Never was there greater error. Prac.
tically, every woman who accumulates
fortune does it by following some
one OF the hereditary occupations of
her sex.