South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-07-10
FRENCH WOMEN ARE
ANGRY OVER LAW
Defenders of Sex Claim
"0bedient" Clause is I'm
Just and Silly.

PARIS. July s.-"A husband owes
his wife protection. A woman owes
Obedience 20 her husband" These
two sentences figure IN the marriage
code OF French lave and around
them a fierce battle now RACES in
all society circles in France
The trouble came when Sen. Mar
tin a supporter Of women's suffrage.
introduced an amendment Ia the
senate 10 have the second sentence
suppressed or modified. ". Martin
considers the sentence as too hu-
initiating 20 women and thinks that
such terms are unnecessary in the
marriage laws. He believes that the
affection a woman has for her hus-
band should suffice to call for obed-
fence without the law treating mar
rled women as though they were
school children.
Opinions OF well known French
women have been sought on the sub
Jet and here are some OF their
answers:
Madame SIiropolsI<y. a French
woman by birth and an extremely
capable woman lawyer. says: Ar
ticle 213 Cthe one containing the
above two clauses) Is quite harm
less. i carries no penalties. There
are happy married couples who be-
lieve in IL and on the other hand
there are happy married couples
who are quite OF a contrary dispo-
siuon. Law IL powerless 10 fix the
rules Of marital intimacy"
IN the opinion Of Mile. Fanny
Heldy. OF the Paris opera: IF the
husband Is really superior 10 his
wife then the latter obeys him out
OF pleasure and not because the law
says so. II the contrary is the case
and IL Is not rare 20 find Il So
then no law on earth will make a
woman the blind-folded slave Of her
husband. As for husbands protec-
ton. ne are quite capable OF pro-
tecting ourselves and L think we
have provo that Article 213 should
certainly be hanished.'
Man Should Obey.
The celebrated doctress Nils. Pei
letter is much OF the same opinion.
Although 1 have never had a hus-
band" she said II also find Article
213 very humiliating Tor women.
Our country is very much behind the
times. In Russia the general eman-
cipation OF women is far advanced.
There marriage has been socialized
mot women. All domestic work is
done Is professionals and the edu-
cation OF children Is given by the
state. A woman can thereby live
intelligently and Independently
90 90
for Women's Suffrage Madame
Bach-Cremieux. finds the incrim!n-
ated article absolutely Ubiquitous"
'To think" she says. that a mar
ried woman is considered incapable
OF properly conducting herself, Mar
riage is an association; there Is no
chief. In practice. the laws does not
exist. But on principle / think il
should be abolished
Mile Madelein Roch. the famous
French tragedienne. would merely
change Article 213
There Is no need TO suppress the
article. she said. Simply change
II around and make IL read that
husband owes obedience TO his wife"
Madame Colette. a well known
WA4NFAs WIZ AldS Dttu 4ldIEleQ Twice.
when asked for her opinion replied
II had forgotten all about It al
though II must have been read TO
me twice. AS such <Sxt never
existed in my married life feel alb
solutely Indifferent whether It is
suppressed or not"
Even sporting circles were not
spared in the search for opinions
on a subject which is interesting
France 50 greatly. and Mile. Helene
Dutrieu, Frances foremost woman
aviator thinks: Woman is made
TO obey man. don't think the law
90 badly constructed and. after all.
s. is 80 simple not to get married II
you do not want 20 accept the in
conveniences as well as the advan-
tsges OF married life"