Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-06-29

WASHINGTON, June 26.-It is
ladies' day in the halls of fame.
The League Of Women Voters is
earnestly trying to compile a list or
the twelve greatest living American
women for the benefit of a waiting
Chilean public.
At the same time the Woman's
Universal Alliance is busily engaged
in scouting out the famous feminine
dead. The Alliance wants to know
the 25 greatest women of world his
tory. Statues of them are to be erec-
ted in the Women's Hall of Fame
that the Alliance is TO build in this
city. This organization is also try
ing to find out the rs greatest women
of each state so that columns about
the hall of fame can bear their
names. These women must be dead,
too. Aside from that, any Ameri-
can woman is eligible for the list.
Both organizations have invited
the public to help them make a wise
selection of anne for their particu-
lar purpose, and answers have be-
gun TO pour In.
At the headquarters of the League
of Women Voters they admit hat
they are not much nearer a solution
of their problem than when the
question was first propounded. The
Chilean senorita, Graciola Mandu-
jano, certainly started something
when she casually asked Mrs. Maud
Wood Park, president of the League,
for a dozen names of the greatest
American women. She wanted to
write magazine stories about them
for her people, the %senorita explain
ed. Mrs. Park decided that she
needed help. Her casual selection
might leave u women who would
be Of greatest interest to South AM
erica. So the public was informed
of the situation and the excitement
started.
You can see that the purpose for
which the list is to be used must
guide the selection OF the anne
Our twelve greatest women Of today
are to be introduced to the South
American women as inspiring ex-
ampIes. They are to indicate what
American women are achieving py
character, service and talent.
The name of Helen Keller. which
has been mentioned in a number OF
lists sent to the league. probably
will not be included in the final Sc
lection. Miss Keller has been an in
spiration to thousands of the handi-
capped. but in so brief a list the ap-
peal Of each name should prefer
ably be TO a wider range OF people.
Miss Keller's teacher. Mrs. Sullivan
might be a more helpful example
for the women OF Chile. The pa
thence, resourcefulness, and deter
mination of the teacher brought Miss
Keller back into the everyday world
1t IL interesting to note the per-
sonal bias that enters into the lists
submitted. Most of the letters are
written by educated women with
every desire to be impartial. Yet IT
is possible 10 tell with reasonable
certainty whether a set of names
was chosen by a club woman, social
worker. or one of an artistic type.
This is inevitable to a certain ex-
tent, and the League is interested in
all of the angles on the fame ques-
ton. Scarcely any one person is
sufficiently familiar with all occu-
nations to know and compare the
greatness of the leaders. A woman
doctor or scientist could name al
once half a dozen women who rank
high in her own line of work. But
could you, off-hand. out Of your
store of knowledge, reel off the
names of a great woman doctor, po-
~litician, lawyer, poet, scientist, artist.
business woman, mother and musi'
clan? If you did. would another
person of your own education agree
with the list? Yet out of a Large
| number of names. written as broad
mindedly as possible, the League Of
| Women Voters thinks 1t will hnally
be able to arrive at an intelligen'
summary of American womanhood
The first to respond to the leagues
call for assistance have been u
women and women interested in pol
itics. The outstanding women II
these fields figure prominently II
the lists submitted. Some are en-
tirely composed of leaders in wo'
mems movements. The names o.
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, Mrs
| Thomas Winter. Mrs. Maud Woo
Park, and Mrs. Harriet Taylor Upton
occur again and again.
The women seem to be less II
agreement in mentioning great wo
men in other fields. This Is strang'
because politics is a new venture TO
women, while they have been art
lists, nurses and tsachers for years.
Yet not one nurses name has beef
mentioned. Nor has any scientis
been named. and only M womal
docton and one sducatoA