Evening star., 1921-08-01
NEW WOMAN IDEA
: SPROUTS IN CHINA
Efforts to Gain Advantages
of the Growth of
Democracy.
BY W. r. GILES.
Correspondence Of The Star and Chicago Daily

By ". II. GILES.
Correspondence of The Star and Chicago Daily
News.
PEKING. China, June -20.-A few
bold spirits among the educated
women of China are talking about
the new woman" She is bound to
come even In China. though many
crude ideas as to what the new
woman should be will doubtless ap-
pear These women have at least
obtained an organ in the shape OF
new magazine entitled The New
Woman. The objects of the magazine
are stated to be to reform the old
society SO that Chinese women may
be able unitedly to undertake the
duties of a new society. The new
are possessed of complete person.
ality. are joyful in spirit. have honest
occupation. are free, independent and
mutually helpful.
The object OF the magazine is, first.
to sweep away all obstacles that
hinder the new women from self-re-
alization: second, to Investigate the
best methods of progress and action
along these lines; third. to select and
recommend the best European and
American literature on new women
fourth. to investigate properly the
present labor conditions among the
women of China.
Already the Paper has published a
list of 1914 books by women of all
nations. in all languages. which are
CONNIE nded to Chinese women for the
purpose of study.
Change Thought First.
There is revolution in the thought
of many women in China and an ar
ticle is devoted to the subject. 1t
states that thought must be changed
or nothing else can be changed. The
old thought in China was to exalt the
male sex and despise the female.
Women were formerly the toys of
men, with no knowledge of person
ality, so much must be changed before
men and women are equal in power.
The task of women formerly was SIM
ply to prepare food. make the cloth
ing. look after the house. bring up the
children. In word. the woman
served the man. She had no education
and knew only a few colloqulal say
ingS on the duty of submission to the
male, all designed to make her his
slave with no rights of her own and
no thousnt outside that narrow circle
She was under the dark shadow OF
mans influence.
Now. owing to the increase in
schools. educated women are on the
increase Still their training in these
schools is on the old lines OF the
three submissions" of the anctents.
Their thoughts are still connned 10
the home and they forget their duties
TO society. Hey receive a 49, .
of education, but are not taught 10
stand alone and think for themselves.
In the future they want to be taught
the same as men. They seek the
benefit of the rise of democracy IN
China and will cultivate lndepen-
dence.
What Women Must Do.
It is. of course, confessed that the
new woman is much at sea as to what
she should become. One writer COM
mends her to cultivate four qualities:
1. Strength of will. The old-styie
woman was protected within the
house. but the new woman goes out
side into free intercourse with others.
3 Plain living and dressing. This
used to be the rule in old China, but
now new women wish to dress styiish-
" and wear jewels. The chief thing
is to wear clean clothing.
3. Put far away the desire for empty
glory or "face."
4. Put away your dependent, cling
ing disposition. Don't look to the
men for everything.
In closing this writer sums up the
whole duty of women as getting under
the responsibility of their new world
and helping one another.
Another interesting article is a
survey of the woman workers in
Shanghai. 1t is sad to notice that.
according to this writer. there are at
least 100000 women who get their
living by disreputable means.