The Washington times., 1918-04-14
By BLANCHE D. SLOCUM. d,

In front OF building in the German
. imperial capital ] saw q man standing
up in n coal cart and shoveling coal
, int" basil cts brought him by a squad
I OF ';ermsuys wartime coal beavers.
I From a little distance YOU would have
noted their long trousers. clumsy
wooden shoes. and Coal-black faces.
and thought them men. They were
Z not.
wish that the Kaiser might have
seen them. as II was he who pre-
/ scribed for German women the three
{ E's-"Kuche, kirche. kinder -snd
bade them know nothing outside the
| kitchen, the church. and the nursery.
I Today they heave coal. They dig.
! They work on buildings. They drive
trucks, taxis. and trolley cars. They
1 keep shops. They drudge on the
railways. Back OF the lines they dig
{ trenches. releasing men for action.
Everywhere women replace men. and
! it is as much as your life is worth TO
secure a housemaid.
Women Worship Their Men.
! At first this wholesale invasion OF
masculine pursuits seemed ratheE a
J lark. >Women jumped at the high
wages-not so high as mems. to be
sure. but higher than had ever before
! been paid to women in Germany.
I They enjoyed their release from the
three X AS for the physical strain.
they stood IL remarkably well. And
! o. the thrill OF joyous pride at find
I ing themselves actually doing the
I things formerly reserved for their
I lords and masters. II was wonderful
Only people who have lived in Ger
many and seen how German women
Z nndarfgfand II
In Germany the wife ih the hus-
bands willing slave. Or. no."willinE
fails to express 1t. She Eleries in her
bondage and serves her demigod with
gladness OF heart. II has never entered
her head that her husband should
treat her as American wives are treat
ed by American husbands. over here
a man will go shabby in order 10 dress
up his wife and show her off: in Ger
many the VIE goes shabby and shows
of her husband.
Women Weak From OVerwOrk.
So when German women took mems
Jobs their elation was nothing 70 be
marveled AT. However. il has dwindled
perceptibly. An old story now-in
this. the fourth year OF the war-mas
Culine employment retains litti" OF its
early eXhilaratiOn. As the food prob
lem EFONS SlFdullE lilD4 aNFs anu
as bodies grow steadily weaker from
overwork and underfeedinE. the whole
attitude OF German women toward
their employment is changing.
Those in positions of authority still
relish the chance 10 scold and bully
their viCtim- Female conductors. for
example, are sim having the time Of
their lives treating passengers With "a
severity hardly ever displayed by men.
Eut in general the women one secs
working AT mems jobs in Germany
have sad faces now and betray a uery-
Gus irascibIlity. and seem always on
the verge OF tears. What began "A
a hilarious adventure has becom" Il
terrible. grim burden, not only to the
body but to the mind. for women look
ahead.
Just ;Fr-re. as il seems ." mo. lies
the greatest change bI"Ugh' about IN
women's life in Germany. Thought has
set in. No longer content =" live day
by DAY. as they did before th" WAY.
German women reckon with the Tu-
tur". They ask themselves, What
VIII become OF u.s." and. far more bit
terly. What will become Of our child
REM"
One very Impressive sign OF slarm
and anxiety among German women
IS the astonishing increase in matri-
nonIal advertisements. Girls who
would normally expect somehow to.
purchase a husband have their
doubts. Men become scarce. As
Gretchen tends shop. or drives her
trolley caf ur swings n picIlaX in
Berllns $ n'w subway. or heaycs coal,
she wonders iT perhaps she is i'm Tor
whole lif"'iT" cf such drudgcTy.
Hence shes. 5sa, tt
Now and then one reveals "A state "f
mind bordering on desperation.
Gretchen writes 'usr the lack "r an
arm or leg should not dishcartcn ap-
plicants
A for The mothers Of families. they
quake when jhEy remember thc hft!e
folks at home. II is :, common thing
now for a small urch.H 'o be left in
charge OF numerous urchjns sf!il
smaller. Food gets woTs" as the war
drags on. and the special Cavors
vouchsared TO children by the food
administration-liJtl cxtJas TO Offset
the lack Of milIi-are dIsmaily made
quate. And war has affected the
schools. vastly L" their hyrt. Women
frequently replace men as teachers.
and the women have had 10 learn
teaching or are IN the process 'l
learning Standards drop il r"u.-
quence Many schools arc short Of
teachers and make up for the short
age by putting Two or three classes
together.
coal j. scarce To meet the sl,la-'
tIon part Of the schooirooms are
closed and the rest ovcrcrowded A.
home, children deprived OF pat'rnni
discipline because the father l. at
the front and OF maternal care be
cause the mother Is at work. suif"F
n about the proportion ,thar might be-
expected.
I\niser Opposrs Woman Suffrage.
DO the German women look forward
70 a general emancipation - their
sex when peace comes That hardly