Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-20
Monday, October 20, 1919.
Women and Affairs.

Just back from an eight months
tour of the United States. Miss Helen
Fraser, an English lady publicist
and platform speaker, gave a Lon
don newspaper her impressions OF
American women and their work and
her ideas Of the place and function
Of women in the League of Nations.
She has some plans for introducing
her own countrywomen to what she
believes to be their political mission
through the opening Of women's
buildings in every city.
The American woman" said Miss
Fraser, lis keen, open-minded. and
anxious to get on the inside of politi-
cal life, but she has not the basic
knowledge Of political problems that
the Englishwoman possesses, and
this is due to the fact that in the
States the Federal problem Is SO
hard to understand.
During the war the American
woman showed herself to be a very
able and clever organizer of loans,
Red Cross work. and food saving.
There is fine scope for our own
women TO put forth their best efforts
to master the highest principles Of
publ :ity and propaganda work
"Of course, the great woman
speaker is born. not made: but the
we'll educated girl can be taught 70
speak. and speak well. With Parlia-
ment now open to US the field is
vast one. although. in my opinion.
woman's future lies in the interna-
tional life of the nations.
The League Of Nations, if it is to
live at all. must flourish on it's con-
structive and not on its negative side.
that is by the peoples getting to
know each other better and respect
ing each other more.
Women can meet women without
the barrier of trade rivalry and 9TH
CT matters which keep the men
apart. That is why l am going to
try-as soon as things settle bit
to get a woman's building in every
city. II will contain an assembly
hall, reception and committee rooms.
offices for transacting business, Ii
brary and a reception ROOM :
It has been commercially demon
strated that women are very sue
cessful as publicity agents. and
courses in this branch of business
are being given in some of the com
mercial schools Of the larger cities.
There is a difference between pub
licity and advertising and women
have a knack of hitting upon the in
teresting aspects of things and max
ing them known to the public. 1t
matters not whether the thing to be
sold be rubber tires or the League Of
Nations. Women can interest the
customer and that is half the battle.
Women are to have a place in the
League of Nations. perhaps in more
important capacities than the one
suggested by Miss Fraser. Norway
has already appointed Fru Betty
Kjelsberg to sit in the Assembly.
Italy is also considering the appoint
ment Of woman representative,
possibly Signora Comani who has
just won the first case ever pleaded
by woman in the Italian courts.
There are things of Importance
and interest to women to be admin
istered by the League of Nations in
conformance with the terms of the
PooopIi,,~ ho ~yo
bescites to be taken in Schleswig
and Poland. the restoration Of ma
tionality in Alsace-Lorraine, and the
odious wording Of Article % on the
traffic in women and children. in
opium and other dangerous drugs"
women have especial interest. The
question OF retention of original
citizenship by a woman after her
marriage should be settled. The war
brought out some painful cases
where absolutely loyal American
women who had married foreign hus-
bands were detained as alien enc
mics while German women who had
married Americans were free to come
and 60 as they liked.
While these things may appeal to
women in particular. the whole range
Of international policy and relation
ships will grow in interest as women
take larger and more intimate part
in political affairs, World extension
of equal suffrage is not many years
away. and women must have equal
or greater knowledge of affairs than
men have II they are to be honest to
the duty Of full citizenship.