Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-29
ny G. GOULD LINCOLN.

grasp, the American women Or a.
least. some of them, are asking why
women should not be assigned to po-
sitions in the accredited diplomatic
missions of the United States to other
nations. Her excellency the ampas-
sador. or dress or 'trix, or Whatever
it may be. Why not?
The first hint of any active move on
the part of women to enter the ae-
credited field of international dlpio-
macy came during the recent meeting
of the International Woman suffrage
Alliance in Geneva. Dispatches re-
ceived here quote Mrs. Maude Nathan'
a delegate to the convention. 10 'he
effect that she had urged upon Lazy
Nancy Astor. N. P. in Lonoon' the
advisability of having women &C
credited to the British embassy In
WASHINGTON. Lady Astcr was report
ed to be enthusiastic over the piah'
She urged Mrs. Nathan TO use he'
influence to have an American woman
assigned to the embassy in LONDON
Favored by Mrs. Gait.
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait. president
Of the International Woman Suffrage
Association. who was in washington
last week, said the proposal to nave
women accredited as diplomatic rep
resentatives of the nations had been
discussed quite generally. While she
favored the plan, Mrs. Gait admitted
she was somewhat skeptical as TO
what would be the attitude OF the ma
tons on this subject.
It's true that the diplomatic corps
is supposed to be modelled bit after
the old world, and that it has tradi-
tons. etc. It's true that the sugges-
ton of a woman ambassador or min
lister plenipotentiary. charge DAT
fairies or even secretary OF embassy
or legation comes with little shock.
But American women are In politics.
Unless things go awry, they Will all
be able to vote for national and state
officers in the coming elections There
are woman judges. doctors. lawyers,
preachers. There has been at least
one woman member of Congress, and
several more are aspiring to that Of
fee now.
Going to Play Full Parts.
In other words, women are going to
play their full parts, they say, in ma
tional politics. Isn't it natural. then,
that before long women should wake
ND to the fact that they might as well
have some of the spoils that go with
success in politics? At present they
are more bent upon reforms. But
human nature is human nature, even
though it be woman human nature
OF course, the reason put forward by
the women now advocating the en-
trance of their sisters-or themselves
into the field of diplomacy is that
women should have something to do
with international affairs, and as in
ternational affairs today are dealt
with by and through the diplomatic
corps, women should be members of
that corps.
Inquiry at the State Department re-
veals the fact that SO far as the men,
ory of man runneth and the records
show, no woman has ever been an &C
credited diplomatic representative of
the United States. Nor has woman
been a consular representative of the
United States. officials at the depart
ment were unable to recall that any
of the foreign powers had ever sent
woman abroad as one of its accredited
diplomatic representatives.
Have Figured In History.
History, on the other hand, does
show that in a few instances women
have been accredited as diplomats by
one nation to another, but the in
stances are few and far between, and
probably antedate the development of
the more modern framework of diplo-
Macy One instance was the appoint
ment of Catherine of Aragon as rep
resentative of her father. Ferdinand
the Catholic, at the court of Henry
VII of England.
Diplomacy has been defined as the
art of conducting international ne
gotiations. If the women are capable
of handling domestic affairs of gov
eminent, why are they not capable of
handling international negotiations?
1t has been suggested in one quarter
that the reason is women do not know
anything about international affairs
or their conduct. What they need is
to be educated up to such work be-
fore they launch out. This sugges-
ton comes from a woman-not a man.
But this woman contends there is no
reason why woman should not learn
about international relations and in
ternational law and the etiquette of
diplomacy, and make just as efficient
a diplomat as many of the men now
appointed.
Trying to Improve Service.
The diplomatic corps of the United
States in past years has been looked
upon as a kind of a joke-particular-
ly by some of the older nations. 1t
is true that not few times the joke
has been found to be on the appar-
emily better equipped diplomats of the
old world. But there is no doubt
that many of the important diplo-
matte posts were ladled out to de
serving republicans or deserving
democrats or deserving wings, or
whatever party might happen to be
in power. not because of any especial
fitness on their part for the posts.
but merely as rewards for their past
performances in political campaigns.