San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-08
THE AMERICAN HUSBAND


Out OF 10000 French women who re-
piled to an inquiry as to what nationality
they would select in choosing hus-
band, $4,000 replied american" This
is somewhat OF a compliment to Amcri-
cans in general, but more particularly
to the American soldier since the French
women judged the nation by its repre-
sentatives with the American forces dur
ing the war. 1t speaks wonderfully well
for the discipline maintained by our
army in France, for the individual con-
duct OF the American soldiers and it
emphasizes better than volumes Of writ
ten words, the difference between the
American and the European attitude
towards women.
Nowhere in the world has woman at
anv time, been raised to the estate &C
corded her in America. We do not
in this country, consider her status IN
usual because it is accorded her both
by the American man and by American
custom and practice.
America was new land when this
nation was founded. The woman shared
with the husband, the hardships, the
work, the dangers from the beginning.
Under such conditions she could not
help but attain the position she now
holds. The American woman is the
partner Of her husband, not his posses
sion which more than anything else
indicates the divergence in viewpoint
between the American and the European
idea of matrimony.
The American girl is trained from
early life to assert herself and to meet
the American boy on terms of full
equality and freedom. The European
attitude is exactly the opposite, The
European girl is taught that she 1aust
be chaperoned, guarded and protected.
She is taught that life for her must be
circumscribed by an array of convcn-
tons and that she may not transgrcss
certain bounds without loss OF caste.
The American girl is Just as carefully
reared, just as modest just as feminine,
but she is mich more independent, much
more efficient. much more self-conii-
dent. She can turn to and make the
living if so be that misfortune over
takes the husband. She is a very
capable sort of person, too, in her house
hold management often better man
ager than the husband. Hence the
American man, brought up to that sort
of thing, looking upon the woman as
his entire equal and his partner rather
than as an inferior being and Deepen
dent, appeals strongly to the women of
Europe where such thing is unknown.
The American mode of living no
doubt, also is a factor in the decision.
The American standard OF living is
much higher than the. corresponding
European stratum i'll every essential.
The French women were not slow to
recognize the open-handed libcrality OF
the American men as compared with
even their own countrymen. The Ameri-
cans both had more money and spent
it more freely than any other soldier OF
the line
But all in all, the entire matter is
a very pretty compliment to the Ameri-
can man and one which, even the Ameri-
can woman will concedc, he is fully en-
titled to. The experiences of American
girls of fortune who have married abroad
almost without exception, add the final
endorsement to the worth OF the Ameri-
can nan. He is mans man, regular
fellow. He may not be an ideal hus-
band but he is the best the world has
so far produced.