Evening star., 1923-02-08

oIAc vi tHc SIIlp II iol iCoii
paradoxes of America is the pre-
eminence of feminine influence in a
country which seems SO essentially
man made. There is undoubtedly
an explanation OF this. but I cannot
pretend TO fathom il in the space of
a few short weeks. That woman
is supreme here, however, is i'm
pressed upon all. ] suppose, who come
to the United States from abroad.
l do not mean to say that Ameri-
ean women take a more active part
in business or industry than their sis
ters in France or England: women
have invaded all domains in France
formerly held to be the closed pre-
serves of man. Moreover. no French
man will deny that the feminine ele-
emnt wfelds power that is seldom
challenged in his country.
But it is less perceptible than In
America One feels that women rule
over here. Not politically--at least
not direotly-and even in the sphere
of trade and industry l think the
French woman plays a more irppor-
tant part than the American woman.
But in everything else woman ap-
pears to lay down the law IN Amer
lea; and the husband-'lord and
master" only in his office and club
brother and often the father, too, are
content to obey and accept her sway.
An American said to me the other
day: Women run our homes and
many things besides.
Boss I'm the Home.
I'm the house she is boss. For in
a friend home TO lunch or dinner
without getting my wife's approval
first" He added that he was quite
happy and that everything worked
smoothly. j do not doubt il.
OF course, / am not citing this as an
example of abnormal wifely authority.
IT is merely one among hundreds of re-
marks 1 have heard men make in re-
gard to other spheres where women
reign supreme. American women are,
I firmly believe. worthy of the power
they hold; and in general they appear
to exercise It with advantage to all con-
cerned. l often wonder if I have met
the typical American women.
shall certainly carry with me vivid
impressions of creatures of rare charm
and wisdom. Physically, the American
woman as ! see her is one of the hand
soonest and perhaps one of the most
fascinating types I have ever studied.
She is visibly healthy and has mental
a greater proportion of pretty faces and
figures in the streets of New York and
other cities Of America than in any
other country, although l think that per-
feet beauty may be commoner in Lon
don and Paris.
Superior IntellectuaIity.
Intellectually the average American
woman seems to me to be of a superior
order She is good conversationalist,
with sparkle peculiar to herself Often
she rises to real brilliancy. despite a
tendency to use slang at inappropriate
moments.
think I have mentioned in a preyiou
I consider tn ho
the best takers in the world. Ameri-
can women show remarkable versatility,
and they are never dull. Morally they
are resourceful. self-reliant and inde-
pendent-qualities which should make
them ideal companions and pals for
their husbands and brothers and chill
dren.
1 say Should" because I am not
sure that they are always such COM
panfons. am not sure that there
mental coldness in the American
woman which makes her prone to
lose too early after marriage much of
the interest in her husband and his
harmony of welded life. And that
may be one of the reasons Of the
growing number Of divorces.
On the other hand, as 1 have been
privileged to observe, in many homes
over here. American women are de-
voted to their children and will make
any sacrifice for their general welfare
and education. Yet, they do not allow
their life to absorb all their time and
attention as too many Frenchwomen
are apt to do. They are eager to keep
abreast of developments in art, let
ters and science, although, strangely
enough, / have not noticed much
feminine interest in politics, notwith
cupy government administrative
posts which are still closed to women
in France.
Pleasant in Conversation.
They are usually exceedingly we'll
read. and 1t is always a real pleasure
to talk with them. But are they not
inclined to be tyrannic? And ex-
travagant? I suppose there is moth
ns rfax wsys Of he e mods
American girl, in a country where
every one makes and spends money
quickly. yet they did surprise me at
first.
met so many girls and young
married women who owned and drove
automobiles that asked one of them
how they were able to afford it.
'aOh," she replied, I'VE business and
professional girls all buy cars; we
spend all the money we earn"
ferent kind of women-sterner, hard
er, less supple of mind and with a
narrower outlook on the world. She
is the type of those left when the
tide of settlers flowed still further
west Prosperity has come with the
growth OF industry, but has not had
time to efface the rude qualities be-
Queatfed to them by earlier genera
tions, so one encounters women some
times who lack the gentleness and
polish to which one 10 accustomed to
in the east.
OF the giddy social butterfly, nit
ting ceaselessly in search Of amuse-
nent. to I'LL the emptiness Of an ain-
-