The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-02-14
AMERICAN WOMEN
MUST LEARN MUCH
Have Strapped the Old Tradition,
Noblesse Oblise, Says Re-
cent Visitor.
BY MARGARET WALTER


LONDON, Feb 13-"American wo-
men have got to learn to live in their
minds" said a beautiful and cultured
Scotchwoman to me the other day
She has just returned from tour
of the states where she has been Law
ishly entertained.
American women have splendid
minds. the product of generations OF
courageous thinking and big free
ideals. They are highly educated, so
/ much better educated than most of us
European women are, yet as far as
can see. the greater number of them
use their minds for purely material
purposes.
American women could sway the
civilization of, the world today with
their brains, their culture and the
wealth that is behind them and they
seem perfectly content to give the
most extravagant and luxurious din
ner parties that are being given in the
world, and more of them, to wear the
most beautiful and costly clothes that
are in the world, to play bridge and
live in houses which surpass anything
that has ever existed in comfort and
luxury"
isn't it little ungracious Of you to
criticise just these characteristics in
our women, you, who have accepted
our hospitality and enjoyed as only
guest can enjoy, the comforts we sur
round ourselves with in our everyday
life?" / asked rather acidly.
cit is" she replied smiling. II think
that this is a moment when there are
greater things to be considered than
Just courtesy and good manners.
American women invite world criti-
cism. They are unique and stand
apart from the rest of the world. We
must look 10 them in these days of
uncertainty and anguish, for they
alone of all women command their
own fate and have chosen their own
way of their own free will.
I'm the >opulent days of England and
France. in Russia under the czars, in
all civilized countries, wealth and po-
sition have always carried with them
heavy responsibility, duty bound up
with power. The duty and response
bility were often eYaded and misused
That did not make them less binding.
The breaking of law does not abolish
1t.
But in America today outside
certain circle dominated by old world
tradition, there is no such thing as
noblesse oblige. With the basting out
of aistocracy American women have
thrown over the responsibility OF
wealth and the obligations attaching
to the rich and the great. In the
same breath that a young and radiant
American woman will boast that her
mother did all her own work and
nursed her own children she will
boast that she owes her present good
fortune to nothing but her husbands
business ability. She never for a mo-
ment seems to realize that she owes
to her position a debt of service
which none but she can discharge.
TT is not enough to be rich and
beautiful, it is not enough to be ma
terially perfect as American women
are, all these demand the greater SER
vice and they will be merely inciden-
tai to the American woman when once
she comes into her own. The game
of living is absorbing now, but 1t soon
pals unless there is something more
something thai will remain when
youth and spirit fade. England anoi
France have their literature, their Gull
ture to speak for their golden age
Italy has her art What is America s
greatness giving her?''