New-York tribune., 1922-08-03
Women of u. S.
Lag in Politics,
Voyager iinnds
Spoiled by Their Adniring
Menfolk Or Lacking Apti-
tude, They Are Held Less
Militant Than Europeans
Must Back Own Leaders
Feminine Legislators Best
Assurances of Equality,
Insists Miss Ann Martin

Lulled into complacency by the pro-
nounced admiration of their men, or
possibly lacking the real fair for poll
tics, American women are letting the
women of Great Britain and Germany
forge far ahead of them politically,
Miss Ann Martin, of Nevada, former
chairman of the National Woman's
Party and the first woman to run for
seat in the Senate, said at the Ma
tional Arts Club yesterday on her re-
turn from trip abroad.
She pictured thirty-seven women in
the Reichstag, taken as matter of
course, frequently rising to speak for
bills that affect social welfare This
in spite of the timeworn notion of the
German hasfrau with her "Kinder,
Kirche and Kuche"
In a vivid sketch Of what English
women are doing politically Miss Mar
tin told of the woman's election COM
mittee, which represents all kinds of
feminine organizations, and aims to
seat three hundred women in the House
of Commons. 1t is campaigning now
for 100000 shillings to back women
who run for Parliament. Lady Astor is
one of the promoters of the movement,
Miss Martin said.
Must Support Own Candidates
1t is net enough that American wom-
en- should campaign for equal oppor-
tunltles, she pointed out. They must
back the women who run for Office,
thing they have not yet done.
In this country women don't organ
ize to indorse candidates." said Miss
Martin "They just work for equality
laws. These laws themselves will never
equaize. They are we'll enough in
themselves, but in addition the work
ers should select qualified women can
didates for Legislature, for Congress
and the Senate. No matter what their
party, they should work with might
and main for the election of these
women, BY this means when thew
want laws put through they can 20
to their women legislators and there
find solid backing"
Miss Martin said that the League of
Women Voters, the National Woman's
Party and all organizations really IN
terested in the political advancement
of women should stand behind the
three women now seeking Federal
election in the United States Thew
should not let party stand in the way
of this, she said.
american women are still in the
academic stage of working for eoua1-
ity," Miss Martin added. english
women, on the other hand, are showing
genius for practical politics and are
getting out and talking equality by put
ting women into the government.
"Perhaps we have not the political
halr here 1t takes centuries to de-
velop that. Or perhaps it is chat
American men treat their women so
we'll. They may have made us undulv
complacent with their f1attery. No
dominant class wants to give up its
power. | don't blame men as much as
l blame women for accepting these
conditions. Equality, after all. is
largely matter Of mind. Laws for
equalization do not necessarily equal
ize When interpreted by men. Ameri-
can women who have grievance
should be able to go straight to a rep
resentative of their own sex with it,"
Reichstag Accustomed to Women
Miss Martin cited the case of DR..
Gertrude Banner in the Reichstag as
vigorous leader among the German
women who have assumed the right to
snare IN government since the revolu-
tion: She heard her speak in favor of
a bili that would protect from dis
threatened with the loss of her position
because she happened to be the mother
of an illegitimate child. In Germany
people are no longer even curious
about women sitting in the Reichstag,
she said. They are taken entirely as a
matter Of course.
Miss Martin, who lectured. in Ger
many Italy and England, found the
Latin people still practically unawak-
ened to the worldwide emancipation
movement for women. There is
slight quickening of the spirit, she
pointed out, but nothing that amounts
to a movement.