Evening star., 1919-09-05
EXPLAINS RIGHTS
Of TURKISH WOMEN
Privileges Dating Back Gen.
turies Topic of Geographic
x Society Bulletin.

Some extremely modern young
women, who mistake symptoms for
the causes of woman's independence,
should make a tour of Turkey" sug-
gests a bulletin from the Washington
graphic Society.
''There women smoke, have had
property rights for centuries, and di-
vorce is easy. but whom all re-
spectsnn-wants to be a Turk?
AThe' toys of the Turkish harems'
were TO be pitied in many ways, it is
true, but considerable pity for them
has been misdirected. For example.
'emancipated have had absolute con-
troll of their own property for hun
dreds of years, whereas the German
wives cried in vain for such 'emanci-
pataion under the kaiser"
Gives a 'sVivid Picture"
4he bulletin quotes from a communi-
cation by Mary Mills Patrick, which
gives a vivid picture of the condition
Of Turkish women before the world
war, as follows:
1T is a well known fact that Roman
law regarded the rights of the indi-
vfdual without consideration of sex;
a manor a woman was alike citizen
OF the. Roman world. This met the
requirements of Mohammedan life,
where no woman ever necessarily
sustained a lasting relation with any
man.
Therefore. during all the centuries
Of Mohammedan history, women have
legally controlled their own property.
They have been free to buy, sell, or
male relative. This has given them
independence of thought, and an in
duence in business affairs that seems
wholly inconsistent with their life or
comparative personal slavery.
Air Heavy With Perfume.
Enter a harem and there you see
. Circassian beauty. who has been
newly acquired by the tall. handsome
pasha who has just passed you in the
street. The air is heavy with the
odor OF eastern perfume. and the
black eunuch stands by the door to
watch all who come and go. The
with an elaborate coiffure erected by
her maids. Jewels half cover her
arms and she wears a beautifully
embroidered neglige. There is a lam
as she sits idly smoking cigarette
and slipping Turkish coffee.
would you think, to look at her.
that when she draws her money from
the bank that she must sign her own
check? These two sides of life have
been wholly at variance with each
other; but, as years have gone by,
the thoughtful side has predominated
among the more intellectual Moham-
medan women, until now they are
ready to enter into the affairs of to-
day with an understanding and vigor
which the world has never accredited
tor them.
Suffer Most Socially.
TT has been on the social side that
Mohammedan women have suffered
most under the oppression of the
last thirty years. especially from the
frequency of divorce. man could
legally divorce his wife at any min
,fte. the only condition being the pay
ment of the dowry which was settled
upon her by the husband at the time
Of her marriage. &
kcIn the last attempt to keep the
sex in the role assigned to them by
tffe life of the harem very strict
laws have been made to prevent ALL
possible progress among them. Laws
have been proclaimed over and over
a3ain forbidding Mohammedan women
o. attend foreign schools. In this
emergency they engaged governesses.
0est Of these governesses were aiien
and many of them were inefhcient
snd bad moral guides to SO large
q portion of the population begin
fiing to think and question. The gov.
erness system obtained so much in
huence after a short time that laws
were made forbidding women to have
governesses. Yet they struggled on
irr an effort for mental illumination.
reading, writing. talking things over
among themselves. and sometimes
getting help from their husbands and
hrothers. They have accomplished
rfuch. with so heavy a handicap. in
literature. science, commerce and pol
tics"