Pueblo chieftain., 1922-01-25
BY Frederic ]. Haskln.

BY Frederic j. Haskln.
NEW YORK CITY, Jan. CA Cali
fornia professor of zoology has re-
Gently aroused considerable indignation
among New York feminists b. writing
a book in which he declares that the
new woman Is traitor to her race
because Ehe refuses TO marry and
have children. The blame for this he
places largely upon college education
which. he asserts. tends to develop the
feminine mentality and inspire it
with the ambition to have-not babies
but a career"
name of the brave Eentleman-has de-
veloped his theme in most discreet
and dispassionate manner. 1t Is OBJ
vious that he In entirely sympathetic
toward tho now womans aims and
desires. and Is merely interested in
setting forth their biological sig-
nificancc. Nevertheless. the new wom-
en- do not like it. Nearly every day.
one of their resentful number bursts
forth In tho readers columns of the
daily press with stern rebukc for
the professor. and a defense OF the
fominist's noble character. Tho college
girls seem to feel particularly insultcd.
and are taking great pains to explain
In elaborate detail Just why thew do
not marry. 1t is not, in their judg
ment, because OF their own liberal
education, but the lack OF It IN most
men.
Tho reasons for this widespread
spinis terhood among Intelligent. we'll
educated females are doubtless many
and varied. but Professor Holmes Is
chiefly concerned with its effect upon
| tho race. His greatest alarm Is over
! tho fact that women OF tho lower
classes continue to produce husky off
spring at n mid d-Victorian rate. while
those of superior stock arc limiting
their families to ono or two. or de-
b clininK to go in for motherhood at all.
/ COLLEGE WOMEN STAY SINGLE
! 1T may be said that about 80 per
cont OF college women remain unmar-
ricd." he writes in his recent book.
1T IN apparently true that women of
superior intellect and force OF char
acter are those who, whether college
women or not, are pretty apt to be
selected for spinsterhood. They are
more likely TO win positions which per-
| init them to enjoy the comforts and
| many luNuries OF life: they develop
other interests which often dctract
from the appeal Of matrimony. In
some cases they lose certain fcmi-
nine charm. misfortune that arousea
| n deep-seatod, instructive rccoil In the
opposite sex. There can bc no doubt
that tho race is losing a vast wealth
OF material for motherhood OF tho best
and most efficient type. Many OF the
women who arc nowadays most prone
to sacrifice motherhood to n career
ligation of motherhood should rest
with the greatest weight. IL may be
seriously doubted If tho growing In
dependence of women. despite Its many
advantages. is an unmixed blessing.
Z Thus far II has worker to detcriorate
tho race in tho interests OF social ad-
| vancemcnt, n process which Is bound
TO be disastrous in tho long run"
Yet Professor Holmes evidently
thinks that tho now woman's treach-
cry to the race IS more involuntary
than Il IL deliberate. Size Is. he shows,
| largely n victim OF her own environ
ment; merely tho product OF an in
dustrial age which is devoted to the
accumulation and guarding OF property
/ not children. AS many other stu
dents of the problem hsvc pointed ont,
| women arc simply being absorbed hy
industry as everything else Is being
absorbed by inaustry. which is like a
huge sponge that will somc day absorb
tho race itself.
Every year. an increasing number of
| Young women enter sedeutary occu-
| pations In business offices and shops
| which, Professor Holmes thinks, con-
| tribute to their physical debility and
multiply the hardships of childbirth.
| There is no doubt. he says, that the
conditions OF present-day civilization
| have in tho last few generations SER
iously weakened the physique of the
| modern civilized woman" For one
thing, both her willingness and ability
| to nurse her children has decreased
very considerably-an unquestioncd
disadvantage to her offspring, as 1t has
been found. according to a medical au-
| thority quoted by Holmes, that
"breast-fed children are superior In
later life to those artificially fed. in
| weight, character OF teeth, intolli-
gencc. and general physical develop
| mont"
| only few years ago. tho majority of
| girls Of American unper -middlesclss l