The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-02-07
Women Diplomats Not NetU;|
Mother EUe the First of Them
Nv DOROTHY DIX

For the first time, America has
appointed q woman to a diplomatic
position. Thus has the fair sex begun
to achieve the career for which it has
been training ever since Eve jollied
Adam into breaking the law and eat
ing the apple that he knew before
hand would upset his digestion, and
other things.
Every woman, from that day down
to this, has got everything that she
has that is worth having by finesse.
and this inheritance of acquired
characteristics, handed down from
mother to daughter through count
less generations, causes every girl
baby to be born with a diplomatic
technique that man only acquires
after years of fasting and prayer and
study.
Men being strong, and having
firm grip on the pocketbook, have
been able to use direct methods, and
take what they wanted by force
Women, being weak, and financially
dependent, have had to gumshoe their
way through the world, and this
has given them a dexterity in walk
ing on eggs without breaking them
that should make them shining stars
In the diplomatic armament.
Why, every woman who lives in
peace and harmony with her in-laws.
and Who Keeps her husband salts
fled and happy in the fond belief that
he is the head of the house, has
qualified as a diplomatic expert who
is fitted to be ambassador extraerdi-
nary and minister plenipotentiary at
the court of St. James.
II you will observe the way in
which a woman manages her husband
you will see that she makes use of
all of the cardinal points in dplo-
macy. She does not come out flat
footed and assert her rights to this
or present an ultimatum on that. On
the contrary, she gently insinuates
her desires, which she insists are
most moderate and reasonable, and
she apparently leaves the decision to
the generosity of her opponent. She
makes him feel that he is so wise,
SO powerful so generous, that she
can trust him to do the liberal thing.
1t is only long afterward that he
realizes he was being stung, and
often he never finds out who was
the artist who did the singing.
Observe also, the diplomatic man
ner in which the woman who rules
the roost does so. She is never
growing hen. Far from it. On the
GOHlTdIS, size is always uFSlHB Cnan-
ticleer to crow, and proclaiming to
the world what clarion voice he
has, and it never occurs to the poor
bird that he only crows at her bid
ding. and that she tells him when and
where he gets off the perch.
Take heed, likewise, of the subtle
manner in which women get what
they want. 1t is uncanny the way
they use the power of suggestion,
and make their husbands believe that
they originated the plans which
their better halves had decided upon
months beforehand. If Mrs. A. told
her lord frankly that she had de-
termined to have the house repapered
or send John to Yale. or buy a new
closed car. he would say right out
that he couldn't afford it, and he
wouldn't do it, and that would be the
end of it.
But the astute Mrs. A. begins cas-
ually calling attention to how shabby
the paper has gotten. She discourses
in season. and out of season, on the
advantages of Yale as an educational
institution. She attributes a sudden
cold her husband has caught to rid
ing in an open car, and as she fuses
over him. she thanks God that he
has escaped pneumonia by miracle.
Then on some suspicious evening
when there has been a dinner of
everything he most likes to eat, she
says to him. II believe you are just