The Washington herald., 1922-01-01
MORALS WRECKED
BY RUSS REVOLT,
WOMEN DECLARE
Feminine Class Changed
By Circumstances from
Bad State to Worse.


MOSCOW, Dec. 81. - What has
the Russian revolution done for
the women" s..
The Russian women themselves
answer this question in at least
four ways. 4.r
"The revolution destroyed NOR
ais and has produced younger
generation without regard for. the
beautiful things of life" asserted
the wife of a former military ad-
wiser to tn Gar, who is an ardent
churchwomen.
THE revolution liberated women
from their age-long slavery ana
placed them on a plane of complete
equality with the men," was the
answer of a prominent feminist,
and a member of the Communist
party.
THE revolution did nothing for
women as a class. 1t changed the
lives of men and, women equally"
said a woman of the more conserv-
alive type of government worker.
THE revolution made no change
in the lives of the peasant women
except to allow them to separate
from their husbands II they are
unhappy" said the Presidents
wife, who Is a peasant.
Promiscuity is widespread among
the young generation infected
with the vague ideas Of freedom
preached by the revolution. This
promiscuity Is traceable partly to
the Russian temperament ITSELF
partly to the Generalization of war
and suffering, and partly, in the
case of the girls, to actual neces-
sity.
But this wave of looseness has
not spread to any great extent out
side OF the cities. Except In the
famine areas, where even the lit
tie children are prostituting them
selves for a crust of bread, the old
standards prevail.
The claim that the revolution has
liberated women is also true In
measure. Theoretically women
have equal rights with the men,
and they do not have to tight to
place these fundamental principles
on the statute books, as women in
Europe and America are forced to.
Women can vote, be elected to pub
lie ONCE, work at any trade they
like and move as freely as the men,
as far as the law goes. The mar
rage and divorce regulations
weigh equally upon the men and
women.
Affected By Independence.
The young women In the cities
seem infected with this spirit Of
independence. They for the most
part wear their chair cut as closely
to the head as the men, which is
a fashion becoming to the dark
girls with their well-shaped heads,
They dress In plain. straight clothes
and leather Jackets, and are alto
gether free from self-conscsious-
ness. Part Of this psychology of
power Is due to the fact that the
superior men OF this generation
have been killed in the war and th~
revolution, and this has given the
women a chance to expand into big
ger places than would otherwise be
open to them. &c.,. -
It is outside Of the citkes, where
30 per cent of Russia lives, that
one sees the truth of the last two
statements about the slightness OF
the effect of the revolution upon
women. Here the revolution has
made little change in daily life it
self. The peasants still sow and
reap and go rather hungry. feeding
an army and an administration
which is not yet able to give them
goods in return.
There is little difference between
the Russian peasant and his wife.
They are dressed much alike. seem
to have almost equal strength, and
certainly do about the same work.
They live a chaste life, and most of
them are still religious in spite Of
the revolution. Bound about by the
ancient traditions of field and VII
lage. the women rear their large
families. keep their spotless houses,
toll in the fields from dawn to. star
light during the short summer, and