The Washington herald., 1922-06-05
CHOOSING TWELVE
LEADING WOMEN
PUZZLES MANY
Crank Morrison Knows
Of Hundreds, But Re
coils at Dozen.
hrs. WILSON NAMED
Emily Newell Blair Selects
: Her as Americas Great
:. est Wife.

oeAoTc the NdtiOndi League OF
Women Voters can expect an an
swer to It's riddle. who are the
gEsatsst dozen living women in
America" it might give some hint
as to when a celebrity isn't a celeb
rity.
A mere man-Frank Morrison,
secretary OF the American Fedora
tion Of Labor. and a reputed au-
thority on celebrities-recoils from
the problem of selecting twelve
models for the women of South
America.
There are hundreds of women
representing various phases of our
social life who would serve as ex-
smples to the women of Chile and
South America, or any part of the
world" he said. But It would be
impossible for me to name twelve
without doing an injustice to hun
dreds OF others"
Woman Names Six.
Not so with the women. Although
none Of the available feminine ce-
lebrities in Washington would VEN
ture a dozen selections. neverthe-
less they are willing to take dare.
Mrs. Emily Newell Blair. Nation
al Committeewoman representing
the Democratic women of the
United States at headquarters here,
is willing TO take a chance on six
of the desired dozen.
Choosing six is a difficult task,
Mrs. Blair said. And the women
/ have chosen were not selected
primarily because of prominence. l
tried to submit them to a test oi
zeal greatness. Here is my selec-
ion:
Il. Mrs Woodrow Wilson, because
, she is typical Of the ideal American
wife.
20. Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait. be-
cause she is the ideal political lead
er- among women and the real lead
er Of the suffrage movement.
Includes Hull House Founder.
"3. Miss Jane Adams. because she
is the ideal sociological leader and
because she founded Hull House. at
Chicago, the greatest settlement
house in America
she Is the ideal woman publicist
and newspsperwoman.
IS. Mrs Cora Harris. Of Georgia,
because she is the greatest living
woman novelist in America and has
often been called the American
George Eliot
IS. Miss NJ. Carey Thomas, be
cause she is our greatest woman
educator and president of Bryr
Mawr College"
Mrs Logan Selects Two
For Mrs. John A. Logan. whost
husband. the late Mai. Gen Logan
was a Union civil war commander
the task of selecting the twelve
greatest is particularly difficult be-
cause she doesn't feel sure as tc
what really constitutes great
woman nowadays" However. shs
ventures two:
Il. Mrs {. J. SOmers, retired pres
iaent of Mount Vernon Seminary
for Girls. would put her first. be.
cause her message of education has
gone across the country. Her alum
nae has formed a joint stock COM
pany in order to keep the propri-
etorship of that institution in the
family. as 1t were. I'm sure that
her girls. seeing her name listed as
one of our greatest women, will
heartily approve my choice.
%. Mrs. George Thacher Gurn-
sey, of independence, Kans., former
president OF the D. A. R. select
her because Of her gigantic ability
financial and otherwise"
The task Is even more difficult
f6r Miss Alice Robertson, only
woman member Of Congress. She
believes that "one suggestion /:
perhaps enough for. one woman"
Prepares for Finals.
But her choice is probably impair.
tial. because Miss Robertson is a
Republican. and Mrs. Thomas Riley
Marshall. wife OF the former Vice
President, at least has a Democratic
husband
Mrs. Marshall is an ideal, typical
American woman" said Miss Rob-
eftson. She is one Of those whose
course is quiet. forceful progress
helpful in home. in church, in com
nnunity National and worldwide
has been her influence. Her hus-
band. called to perhaps the most
trying position in the world. met
some such temptation, perhaps -
when many held out TO him the
alurement OF the Presidency - as
Satan offered the Christ when he
took Him to the mountain top and
showed him all the Kingdoms of
the earth. Had Mrs. Marshall been
a-goman Of less conscience, of less
fpeness Of character, the story of
America and the world might have
been different"
Confronted with these widely d.
versified choices and assured of
many more to come, Mrs. Maud
wood Park. president OF the Ma
fonal League of Women Voters, Is
repairing the machinery for select
ng the dozen greatest. She expects
to have an Arrangement within the
next few days whereby the names
shall be selected by a popularity
selected committee or by some kind