Evening star., 1922-11-12
COMPARES GIRLS.
Social Worker Speaks OF
Several Countries. .

ooclal Worker opeaks OF
Several Countries. @
MISS MARY sHEEPsHANks. one
AV1 Of the leading woman social
workers of England, has been in
Washington for short stay and has
much to say that is of interest re-
garding the girls of her own country.
but even more particularly regarding
the girls of South American coun-
tries.
During the past eight months.
owing to the necessity for rest from
her arduous duties along social well
fare lines and in handling labor prob
lens. Miss Sheepshanks has travelled
extensively through these countries
of the southern American continent
and studied conditions as closely as
possible I'm this period of time. AS
her brother has large ranch near.
the border line between Uruguay and
Argentina. she was able to secure
knowledge from a point of view not
often Afforded d visitor to these coun-
tries
Miss Sheepshanks is the daughter of
was engaged In work at the women's
university settlement for some years
before she became principal of Nor
ley College. an educational institu-
tion for the laboring classes of men
and women OF London. She has been
head of that institution for sixteen
years. Miss Sheepshanks has also in
terested herself deeply in political
problems and worked ardently in the
suffrage campaign in her country, fol-
lowed by extended tours in Belgium.
Germany. Austria and Poland in 1913.
She has also edited the International
Women's Suffrage News for six years.
Later she worked as secretary for
the Fight the Famine Council Of
which Lord Parmoor was chairman
conventions of international. econo-
mists. She was a participant in the con-
ference of the Women's International
League at Zurich in 1919 and expects
to accompany our own famous Jane
adams when she sails for The
the meetings of the Women's Inter-
national League for Peace and Free
dom. In discussing the matter of pos
sible world peace, and the share the
girls and boys of today may have in
the solving of this momentous prob
lem. Miss Sheepshanks said:
Il most certainly do believe that
much rests with the young people of
today in regard to this matter. If
the girls of the different countries
study intelligently along these lines
they should be able to do much that Is
world peace. 1t is most important
that the young people of the nations
of the world should get together to
discuss their problems and learn just
what problems those in other coun-
tries have to face"
Miss Sheepshanks says that the
British girl is very much like her
American sister in the freedom al
lowed her in business and social life.
She. too, is developing wonderfully
OF the girl of the States" in her po-
litical knowledge.
"Of course. you know, the British
girl is brought up on politics." said
Miss Sheepshanks: I'm fact. she al
ways has been. Therefore her inter-
does not have to be cultivated.
THE British girl is entering the
business world in every line and she
is being well prepared for 1t. too. The
School of Economics in London is one
of the best known institutions of it's
girls come to London to attend it,
There are, of course. three princi-
pal reasons why the British girl of to-
day is going into commercial life with
such determination. There is much
less chance since the war of the aver
ents find their living expenses so
much dearer in proportion than be-
fore the war that they cannot afford
to support their daughters as they did
previously: there are lines Of work
that need competent workers in which
the demand.
"Of course. 1t Is very discouraging
that the girls who have secured care
full training in some kinds of work
during the war and more than made
good at the wohk have been turned
out of their positions to supply Jobs
for many of the returned soldiers.
This is especially true in banking. A
large number of girls took up this
work, fitted themselves for 1t, and
made good in fne positions In Lon
don banks during the war: Now they
have been replaced with returned
men and there is no place for them.
1t was very gratifying. really. the
way the well trained girls and women
showed their workmanship and busi-
ness sense during the time Of the
emergency"
According to Miss sheepshanks. the
labor problems of England seem to
be closer to being solved In friendly
spirit than similar problems in the
United States or other countries: She
capital and labor is becoming less of
a barrier. The Guild Socialist Society
Of London is comparatively new or
ganization which has as its aim the
control Of all labor interests by the
people actually engaged In those lines
Of labor Miss Sheepshanks says that
it is most remark able the number Of
British young girls and boys who are
enthusiastically interested in this
guild sociali8tic movement and that
all meetings are crowded with young
people.
In regard to the young girl Of South
America, Miss Sheepshanks found her
to be the very antithesis Of the Ameri-
can and British happer. To be sure. she
has more privileges than she has ever
had before, but the amount Of her free
dom seems pathectically small and cir
cumscribed in comparison with that Of
her northern sisters. In nearly every
country in South America 1t is consid-
cred highly improper for a girl to ad-
dress a man she knows quite well, even
q friend Of the family. when passing
him upon the street. The old regula-
ton of having duenna constantly ac-
company the girl on her walks is some
what done away with, but there Is little
in the way Of actual interest and va
riety Of subjects in which the girl of
those countries can develop any knowl-
edge. On the ''estancia' the poems obey
the ordars OF, the "senor," but never Of
the ..senofAs. It = a1eo considered Nery'.
s Lsssiss