The Washington times., 1923-07-02
CHINA " D NJ [ n
COMING INTO
E|R0VV|V
Within Last Few Years They
Have Thrown off Restric-
tions of Centuries.
BY ELSIE MCCORMICK,
international News Service.

NEW YORK, July 2.-WhenI
President Lis wife recently cap
tured the seals Of the Chinese re.
public and held them for time
against all Corners, she was demon
strating in her own way the new
position OF women in the Far East.
Mrs. Ii has been inclined to share
the presidential seat as il it were
a conjugal throne. It was she vino
attempted to collect from q re-
luctant and financially embarrassed
Parliament the $4,000 perfume al
lowance formerly granted to the
first, wife of the emperor.
1t was she also who shattered
precedent by acting as hostess at
diplomatic dinners, just as IL she
were an Occidental wife instead
of the mean one Of the inner
apartment described In uncofn-
plimentary terms by the ancient
sages.
During the past few years, the
position of women in China has
undergone some surprising changes.
The international alarm clock has
awakened Them and they are tray
cling as fast as their small bound
feet will permit to catch up with
the rest of the procession. In
Canton. a group of militant suf-
fragettes marched a thousand
strong on the House OF Parliament
and give the legislators busy
half-hour lodging ink-bottles and
other movable desk equipment.
In Picking. a group Of suffragisAs
used more subtle tactics. At first
they petitioned Parliament; when
that failed, they gave a dinner
party of forty courses and invited
the recalcitrant members. Prob
ably 1t is only the fact that voting
is becoming as much of a lost art
In China as 1t has been in Mexico
that prevents the ladies from run
ming the elections.
At the last municipal election
held In Canton before the uncere-
monious departure OF DR.. Sun Vat
sen, a. woman served on the election
board and another achieved an APP
pointment to the board OF educa
ton.
One of the greatest victories for
Chinese woman achieved in recent
times has been the passage of a |
law prohibiting polygamy. OF
course, wealthy merchants and poll
ticians are still making carbon |
copies of the marriage service, but !
they are no longer completely sane
toned by public opinion. In fact,
a few timorous ladies have even
entered court and secured divorces
from husbands who had sent out
an order for a second bridal sedan |
chair. The Picking code now recog- |
nizes alimony as an institution, and
grants 1t to the wife in all divorce |
actions. even when she is the guilty |
party.
Instead OF writing letters to the
press about the decadence of mod /.
ern woman, the young men Of |
China are most enthusiastic about |
the new types OF Oriental femi |
ninity. Formerly education given !
to q daughter was regarded as
wasted: now the demand for edu-
Gated wives is so great that every /
mission school is besieged by adj [
miring young men who hope to |
marry graduate. Even the Door
Of Hope, q Christian institution that
gives home and an education to
girls rescued from the gay white
way of Shanghai, has more appli-
cants for brides than it can supply. {
The fact that its students came i
from ways Of life not usually re- |
garded as recommendations for |
fiancees weighs little beside the |
eagerness TO marry woman who |
has had at least a few years in the |
schoolroom.
In modern Chinese marriage pro-
cessions, 1t is quite usual for the |
brides graduation certificate to be
carried proudly aloft just ahead of
her sedan chair. So that their |
students will "gain face" by having I
a few gold seals to display to the /
public on the day of their wedding,
mission schools must give diplomas
even at the end of the primary
course.
The new attitude toward women
has sown itself in widespread re-
volt OF youth against the custom /
of parent-made marriages. Practi-
cally every college and middle-school
of China has New Home Society, 4
made up Of young men prepared to
fight for matrimonial self-determina-
ton. Someof the members are al
ready engaged or married to unedu- T
Gated women of parental choice;
others are afraid that the ak will +
fall on their own ideals before they i
are able to achieve them. The few /
goods at the Canton Christian Col
lege are allowed to entertain callers
every Sunday on the veranda of
their dormitory, and self-determina-
ton Is said to be making excellent
progress.
The history Of modern womanhood
In China would not be complete
without mention of the flapper
city magistrates and school
principals have issued edicts against
short trousers and bobbed hair, she
dons her fashionable knee-length
panties and fares forth to the Sac
red Lotos Blossom Cinema Theater, !;
just as II there wasn't such a thing
as a law in the world Il