The New York herald., 1922-01-29
Member Of Potsdam Law
Court Hostile to Their
Admission to Bar.
DOCTOR DEFENDS THEM
Another Holds That Ability
and Fitness, Not Sex,
Should Decide.

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Srectcl Cabs to TN wryy Yorx RrxSrp.
Copyrsohf, fefs, By THE NEW YolK HrzAIp.
New York Herald Bureau.
Berlin. Jan. 90. I
The extent to which women shall
take an active part In public life is
much discussed In republican Ger
many. A good deal OF interest has
been aroused by the debate at the AS
sociat,on for Medical Jurisprudence O;
Berlin, which centered around the
question. Are women fit to become
tudges7" Physicians and law experts
dealt with the question.
Judge Stadelmann OF the Potsdam
Law Court took an attitude hostile TO
the admission OF women to the bar.
He referred to the psychic and pf1ysi-
cal disposition OF men and women and
declared that women cannot be ex
pected to consider the facts In a case
in perfectly unbiased fashion and
without any emotional influence.
well known woman lawyer. DR..
Margaret Berent. eioquentiy defended
the woman's side Of the question. She
quoted Plato. who. she said. advocated
that women take part in all state func-
tions. A law court is 80 important n
part OF public life, she said, that tho
exclusion OF women would stamp them
as citizens OF lower grade. In rctut-
ing Judge Stadeimann's statement that
women Judges would endanger Justice
size pointed out that local and foreign
experience proved the contrary to be
true.
Since 1914 German women have been
admitted to membership In all arbitra.
ton. commercial and Industrial courts
whose responsibility Is no smaller than
that of the criminal and civil courts,
Besides, DR.. Berent contended. even IL
women were admitted to the latter tho
cases probably would be tried by n
mixed tribunal The physical strain
c,nnected with the functions of judges.
DR.. Berent continued. should not be
overroted. Millions OF women, she said.
do much harder physical work In fac
tcries. farms and homes.
Says Fitness IL Test,
The middle course In the debate wa,
adopted by DR.. Albert Moll, who, as a
medical expert, Is a familiar figure in
German courts. He played a prominent
part In the recent hypnotic murder
case OF Kleppelberg. DR.. Moli en-
phasized that the ability ana qualifica-
tions alone and not sex should decido
the ntness OF An applicant for the re-
sponsible post OF Judge. He admitted
that women do not possess tho ability Of
men to think abstractiy and that they
are subject to moro frequent and craven
illnesses. On the other hand, he said
that the nervousness with which many
judges are sfiiicted Is moro apt TO
1eopardizs the public's confidence In tus-
tice than II would be jeopardized by tho
susceptibility OF women Judges TO the
influence OF emotion. Besides, he added,
women have the gift OF keen intui.ion,
which enables them better than men to
put themselves In the position OF tbs
parties In the case. Finally. he strongly
recommended that women be allowed to
act as Jurors and Judges
In advocating greater freedom for
women In public life the apostles oc
German feminism are inspired greatly
by the example OF America. Thus u
German woman writer Frau Harteu
Hoehncke. dwells upon the prominent
part played by American women In pub,
lie life and relates some OF her expcrl-
ence-.
the American woman" she says,
stands in the foreground OF interest
and action over In America. Things
cannot be done without her. She ie
decisive factor everywhere" The writer
adds that the American woman can
easily be influenced by her Government
both In n good and q bad sense. and
says that the Government and the press
OF tho United States make great efforts
to get the women on their side when
ever there is some important question
at issue.