Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-24
WOMEN DEPL0RE
SHAMEFUL DRESS
Congress at Christiania Also
FroWns on Styles in
Dancing:
BY ELLA ANKER.
By Gable to The Star and Chicago Daily Ne
Copyright, 1920.


By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright. 1920.
CHRISTIANIA, Norway, September
A.-The women's congress-, at Its ses-
sion in the last few days, adopted
resolutions demonstrating a big adj
vance in courage and.experience since
the meeting IN 1914. The proposal
Of the British National Council, that
all states make the sale of alcoholic
drinks subject to local option accord
ing to the food values Of the bev-
erages. was carried unanimously. The
rying through its program of child
welfare and in having adopted
resolution deprecating the present
shameful excuses in dress and
dancing" It's proposal regarding the
right of a child borns out of wedlock
support, and to acknowledgment of
parenthood, was adopted, but the
question of such a child's right to
inheritance of property was left for
future consideration.
The Norwegian labor department
under the Castberg law, which has
been in force three years. immortality
has not increased as predicted by the
opponents of the measure, the number
of births of such children having de-
creased since the enactment of the
law, while formerly it was mcreas-
ing. There were no complaints from
wives against the law and in five
sixths of all the cases the fathers
had acknowledged the paternity and
accepted its responsibilities. Only
one-sixth of the cases had been re-
ferred to the courts and in 60 per
cent Of them the courts had been able
to establish the identity of fathers.
Instruction for Health.
government, to abolish regulated pros
titution was adopted. and a recon-
mendation that instruction in the es-
sential principles of health and sexual
| mortality be given in all branches of
public education was unanimously
carried. A British proposal was
adopted that mandates of the league
of nations should be conditional on
the abolition of social evil regulation
within the territory covered by the
mandates.
The chief sensation of the congress
was the discussion of the proposition
for government endowment of moth
erhood. Mrs. Katie Anker Moeller of
Norway argued strongly in favor OF
encouraging motherhood by better
provisions for the growing family.
She was supported in the proposal by
the United States. Great Britain and
Finland. Portugal was opposed to it.
while Denmark wanted the question
postponed. The Norwegian proposal
was adopted by large majority. 1t
urges support for needy mothers and
for each child.
The league of nations resolution
was regarded as the most important
as well as the most delicate from a
political standpoint. 1t was carefully
considered at a number of meetings
and all the different opinions were
finally reconciled. The following reso-
luton, proposed by Britain, was unan-
imously adopted by the congress at
full meeting:
League OF NatiOns-
1.-The International Council Of Wom-
en- expresses satisfaction that q
league of nations has been estab
lished. while pointing out at the same
time that it is of the greatest inn
portance for the settlement OF polit-
icaI and economic questions and for
the realization pf international Jus.
in the league should as soon as pos
sible be extended to all completely
Independent states"
Another resolution urged the gov
ernments to send a woman repre-
sentative to the first assembly in
November. The congress ended it's
successful work with a public meet
ing on the league of nations. Mrs
Ogilvie Gordon, president Of the
British Council of Women. and repre-
sentative of the British government,
added Importance to her lecture by
stating that at the forthcoming No
vember meeting of the league Of ma
lions all countries would be given
an opportunity to secure membership
if two-thirds of the existing member
ship agreed to it She concluded by
asking Norway. Sweden and Denmark
to accept a mandate for Armenia